Donovan - The Hurdy Gurdy Man / Impex Records

Although Donovan had already captivated the world with hits like “Sunshine Superman”, a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966, and “Mellow Yellow,” a No. 2 hit in December of the same year,

it was “The Hurdy Gurdy Man” that became the benchmark of the psychedelic era. First released in the fall of 1968, the album artfully captures the essence of the moment with a remarkably fresh,

intelligent and stylistic approach to songwriting. The inimitable blend of rock, pop, drone, folk, world and jazz, coupled with deeper psychological undertones, make “The Hurdy Gurdy Man” one of the

great classics of music history. The single of the same name reached the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA and number 4 in the UK singles chart. Jimi Hendrix, for whom Donovan had originally

written the song, was proved right when he insisted that the Scotsman had to record and release it himself at all costs.

Musically, Donovan and producer Mickie Most made liberal use of the drone, an effect in which a note or chord is continuously repeated throughout the entire composition, usually forming the tonality on

which the piece is built. This stylistic device gave many songs an unusual and memorable quality, as did Donovan's whimsical, spiritual-sounding vocals. Furthermore, “The Hurdy Gurdy Man” reflects a

somewhat harder rock sound than on the singer's earlier recordings.

(Charles S. Granata)

The new edition from Impex Records now presents “The Hurdy Gurdy Man” as a fascinating stereo LP edition: the HQ version comes as 180-gram vinyl (33 RPM) and was lovingly mastered by Chris Bellman

at Bernie Grundman Mastering from the Epic Records tapes. RTI is responsible for the excellent pressing quality. An elaborate Impex cover with a 4-page booklet made of heavy paper with rare photos and new

historical notes by producer, author and historian Charles L. Granata completes the collectable package.

We recommend the use of "L'Art du Son" LP cleaner to wet wash your vinyl. Even new records of high quality production will benefit from this.

Title

SIDE 1

1. The Hurdy Gurdy Man

2. Peregrine

3. The Entertaining Of A Shy Girl

4. As I Recall It

5. Get Thy Bearings

6. Hi It's Been A Long Time

7. West Indian Lady

SIDE 2

8. Jennifer Juniper

9. The River Song

10. Tangier

11. A Sunny Day

12. The Sun Is A Very Magic Fellow

13. Teas