Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan (Jimmy Page on lead guitar?)

This is a great song, and it contains one of my favourite fuzz guitar solos. But who actually played it? Tab and backing track can be found on Patreon (pay what you like): / anyonecanplayguitar
My beginner soloing course: courses.anyonecanplayguitar.c...
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Hi 00:00
Play-through 00:52
About the song 02:08
Who played the solo? 03:06
Acoustic parts 04:15
Electric rhythm parts 08:00
The solo 09:37
Gear used in this video 15:08
Bye 16:34
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[@ptrisonic]

The line up on Hurdy Gurdy Man was: John Paul Jones Bass and MC Alan Parker Electric Guitar Clem Cattini Drums Donovan Acoustic Alas no J Page - I have an email from JPJ confirming this. He is tired of repeating this information... Btw Clem Cattini has played on more No 1 records than anyone else ever. The great and brilliant unknown British Session Men... Best, Pete.

[@Mark70609]

Alan Parker did great work on Bowie’s Diamond Dogs. It was quite different the Mick Ronson. Still love Ronson though.

[@ronmcdonald4921]

I always loved Hurdy Gurdy Man's mild-mannered vocals of Donavan contrasted against the roaring, barely self-contained guitars behind him! Perfection. I've never seen anyone attempt teaching the solo until you, Adrian. That's why I can't wait for your videos to come out. Usually quirky selections and off the beaten path and I love 'em all!

[@mikew42906]

On a radio broadcast Donovan said that George Harison gave him a verse that is not on any recording it goes- "When the truth gets buried deep beneath a thousand years of sleep, time demands a turn around and once again the truth it is found-- awakening the Hurdy Gurdy Man. Hurdy Gurdy Gurdy, Hurdy Gurdy etc.

[@gorehamster9172]

Love the Steve Hillage Version and also the Hurdy Gurdy Glissando..I think Hillage is really underrated,definitely ultra quirky,but really inventive and had a lot of technique and Modal Knowledge..He was 21 when he did the Khan Space Shanty Album..I love the start of Driving to Amsterdam..His Solo Stuff like Light in the Sky is great too..One of my secret favourite guitarists..Love the stuff you done on John McGeoch,he was another at one point..

[@cloudhop]

Solo is very Sitar orientated ...in 1968 as a school kid hearing this type of distortion guitar for the first time was mind blowing. Strange that this is one of the first and the best .

[@stephanvg]

One of the greatest songs ever written, and a great video!

[@billwaller4993]

Thank you so much! (I saw Jimmy play with Donovan at the Albert Hall. He played the solo on Sunshine Superman.) For another nice solo, Peter Frampton plays on Donovan's Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth. And Jeff Beck playing on Barabajagal is pretty great too.

[@FilmFlam]

Trippy. Love it. And long time Donovan fan.

[@harigeorgeson5885]

A great psychedelic feel to this one. Another wonderful choice. And as is your custom, you really dialed the tone in.

[@philipmbirch]

Wow! Donovan and Adrian in the same video. Two groovy cats! Thank you. Adrian you 'rate Donovan quite highy' - then let's have some more, please.

[@johns.6197]

Best guitar teacher on KZbin

[@thediamonddog95]

He truly is.

[@AGITPROP65]

That solo at the top almost made me cry! You are an awesome guitarist. Thanks for that!

[@martynspooner5822]

The most eclectic guy bar none just love this channel just never know what he is going to share but always a treat I look forward too. . Big thanks Adrian

[@PetefromSouthOz]

Ah Ha, a brilliant Lesson as always Adrian. This really is a "Trip" down a Fuzzy Memory Lane for me, (sorry could not help myself). The first time I really heard this was around 1972-73 at one of our Bush Parties (I am in Australia), a Bonfire, a very loud Car Stereo, and illicit substances, it all fitted together perfectly. Now I can have a go at playing all these years later 😎 Thanks again.

[@NewLifeWithGuitar]

This is really interesting! I only started learning how to play the guitar 6 weeks ago & I'm documenting my entire learning journey on here so this was super motivational!

[@grizwold10]

Great lesson ! Thanks as always.

[@lotharroberts5978]

Great job. Alan Parker was using a 1964 SG on this track.

[@boomerdell]

Adrian does it again, this time with some lovely fuzz in excellent form. Brilliant!

[@el0blaino]

Awesome track and the solo crushes it!

[@rlux70]

Always great. Thanks again.

[@TomTom-kv5nf]

A brilliant song, featured heavily in the Britannia series. Thanks for the lesson! 🙂

[@colonialpimp]

Think I spied you at the Wilco gig in Manchester the other week. Great night! Appreciate that you cover songs from all kinds of eras and styles.

[@willwetherell7265]

Dang!! That solo was sick!!

[@stoneglad]

Love this song!!

[@PoorChoicesHost]

Great episode. Thanks mate.

[@Cooper1]

Another fantastic choice! I didn't know about the guitar player controversy.

[@tonyf2346]

Amazing, wow

[@cernaruka]

Adrian, thanks a lot

[@jasonsenator6144]

Really cool tone

[@SuperWoody1001]

Alan Parker has a distinctive style you can hear on this song, Angels, No Regrets by the Walker Brothers, various songs on Bowies Diamond Dogs album and on CCS' music.

[@mikericciuti5996]

Thanks!

[@elichartkoff7036]

Donovan creeps me out massively but I love love love this solo -- thanks for taking this on. I hear some slide swoops at the end, if it is Parker then he played another great solo with some slide thrown in on "Randy" by Blue Mink. There's some live tv footage of Blue Mink playing that song on YT, you can see him miming the solo in a leather jacket...I approve.

[@frankseprino8610]

Nice!

[@stewurbach9989]

Great tone! Always thought this solo was a cousin to the Yardbird's "Over Under Sideways Down".

[@joeydisco]

Brilliant. Do Buzz The Jerk by the Pretty Things next!

[@thecaveofthedead]

I love Donovan. From what I recall seeing in an interview, George added a verse that Donovan didn't include in the recording. I feel like I remember Donovan finding it a little bit out of step with the rest of the lyrics.

[@skeletonkey6]

Yes! I remember hearing this story as well ❤

[@chumbels]

Watched solo. Very very cool.

[@RGRIMOWEN]

Anyone remember the Steve Hillage version?

[@m12652]

Absolutely brilliant version… then pretty much everything Steve Hillage did was incredible. Especially the Gong stuff…

[@marvinnorstrom2636]

Motivation Radio was a great album.

[@m12652]

@@marvinnorstrom2636 indeed… still on my play list 👍

[@kevbee8325]

Producer on Simple Minds ‘Theme For Great Cities.’

[@bob5423]

Steve hillage was away ahead of his time. Still listen to Live Herald.

[@meeno_the_man]

Yes! So rad.

[@knottsscary]

ive always wanted to learn this solo ever since i heard it for the first time on the Zodiac film

[@simonkaye7268]

Fantastic work here again. Thank you. Yes , this is quite a dark song. Btw....your new glasses remind me of a Seinfeld episode?

[@pariaheep]

I've always thought this solo was by Jeff Beck! Wrong, it seems. The solo is pure D.O.P.A.M.I.N.E! Viva DONOVAN!

[@msherer260]

The 4 chord verse riff is the same as "I Started a Joke" by the Bee Gees and a lot of other songs in the 60's.

[@andychase7693]

Great cover, Adrian! And thanks for supporting a Ukrainian business. The tone on that fuzz kicked ass! Slava Ukrainii!

[@marksorensen7551]

Some interesting history of this song--Donovan apparently gave this song to the Danish power Trio Hurdy Gurdy (with the great Klaus Bohling on guitar) but their version was too heavy and not what he had in mind so he recorded it himself. Their eponymous 1972 lp is fantastic heavy psych from the period (produced by Rod Argent). From Wikipedia: Donovan told Keith Altham of the NME (and Hit Parader) in December 1968: "Hurdy Gurdy Man" was originally written for a Danish group by that name (...) There is a friend of mine in the group - Mac MacLeod - whom I looked to in the early days to learn how to pick the guitar. I wrote the song especially for them but then we got into a disagreement over how it was to be produced. I wanted to do it one way and they another. So I said, 'Right then - I'll do it myself because I think it's good enough for a single.' So I did it. And it's out.[2][3][4]

[@Dawkman72]

I love this. One of My favorite all time solo's. So much pathos. What Fuzz/Amp are you using? Would love for you to do a couple of other Psychedelic Fuzzies I loved. "Send Me a Postcard Darlin'" by shocking Blue and "Slip Inside this House" by 13th Floor Elevator. Keep Rockin'. love your stuff.

[@Anne6621]

Donovan is one of the all time greatest of the greats but i for some reason always seem to let him slip past me and then i rediscover him all over again and say ok can't let him slip past me anymore and yet he does and i am actually glad this happens to me because its a new thrill all over again rediscovering him again for the first time , maybe i just need an Intergalactic Laxative , BTW , Hendrix would have been the wrong move to do the solo on this song

[@Iomhar]

How about making a video on the fingerpicking technique that Donovan taught the Beatles while in India?

[@Jerry_Fried]

I was around when “Hurdy Gurdy Man” came out. I remember at the time that the scuttlebutt was that Jeff Beck played the solo.

[@plantagenant]

Alan Parker probably trying to imitate Jeff Beck..

[@timbuckxxi9690]

That's confirmed..IT IS ALLEN PARKER PLAYING THE LEADS ON HURDY GURDY..

[@Tusitala1967]

Fuzz pedal looks like repurposed Soviet era space capsule technology.

[@ludiekmagick]

Adrian, sometimes I think we have exactly the same taste. This has long been my favourite inverted commas Led Zeppelin song. May I request some Luke Haines/Auteurs/Baader Meinhof, Denim, or Go Betweens?

[@Mark70609]

Totally unrelated, in the 80’s I heard a guitar version of Windminds of your mind. I thought it was the Smiths with Morrissey singing, but I have never found it. I thought it was picked rather than chords strummed. Any thoughts from those who were into that sort of thing?

[@Redrum046]

Is that r9? Looks great

[@SSRT_JubyDuby8742]

😁👍

[@ojaisherpa]

What Les Paul is that? its beautiful 😍

[@finfogel.382]

love Donovan great song writer and singer check out voyage into the golden screen....

[@WOLFBLOOD1107]

Season of the witch next?

[@-Sherri-]

I second that❤

[@dabidibup]

Skip-a-long Sam anyone?

[@a3xloser]

I just want to thank you for the free backing track and tabs for Israel, will there be a free gift this Christmas?. I love Christmas its always a Happy House, We're happy here in the happy house

[@iand6712]

Fantastic, as usual. May I suggest (beg?) a “Rough Boys” by Pete Towshend lesson? I would be forever in your debt if you could manage it.

[@KurtGAndersen]

Very cool song indeed! Butthole Surfers did a great cover of the song as well….

[@alabastersmidge4692]

I completely agree.The Butthole Surfers cover is great.👍👍

[@powerpixie2965]

Yeah that cover was a real dingleberry!

[@Dawkman72]

Oops! listened to the end and got info on amp and fuzz! my bad!

[@farmduck2762]

Can you do Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus (Jimi Hendrix on lead guitar?)

[@Fender420]

FUZZ

[@olafbigandglad]

Not Jimmy Page. It's Alan Parker.

[@olafbigandglad]

Which if I'd watched the entire video before I posted this, I wouldn't have repeated you.

[@neilmeansneil]

Check out the Butthole Surfers version, Paul Leary is definitely a very under rated guitarist!

[@plantagenant]

Never Jimmy Page ..doesn't sound remotely like him. I remember this tune from when it came out...loved it then and still do. Clem Cattini's rolling drums make the tune IMHO. You can hear his distinctive fills on Gene Pitney's "Something's gotten hold of my heart".

[@acpg]

Yes, I love the drums on this one too. Agree it doesn't sound like Page's style, though weirdly JP himself has in the past claimed he played on the track!

[@enragrebmal]

Alan parker was lead guitar

[@greggrant502]

So while all of them are smoking in India, who knows who was playing the lead?..... lol great song

[@drj602]

I thought it was Jeff Beck.

[@PiterburgCowboy]

Drugs for the ears, thanks for the tut.

[@mudderman8620]

Just a bit too much talking. It’s not that complicated so don’t make it so. Nice lesson, I enjoyed it. 😢😮😢😮😊😊😊

[@billshortridgeart]

I liked your guitar better.

[@nazfrde]

Clickbait title. Shame on you.