Sunday Singalong: 'Hurdy Gurdy Man' by Donovan

It's been a tough week, and there is nothing like a song to make us smile. This one always did the trick for me, and still does. 

It's a 1968 hit for Irish/Scottish songster Donovan, who flourished on the pop charts with ditties about electrical bananas, and Sunshine Superman, and catching the wind. 

All great songs, but this one is particularly special for rock fans. Listen to the backing tracks. Does that drummer sound familiar? How about the bass player? If they do, then you must be a fan of Led Zepplin, because this track features Zep drummer John Bonham and Zep bass player John Paul Jones. Donovan swears the guitarist is Zep founder Jimmy Page, but Page disavows it and says it's someone else. 

At any rate, this song can lay claim to being one of the first pop singles to herald in the sound that would later grow into what became known, several years later, as heavy metal. And how ironic is it that it is a tune by a guy whose primary claim to fame is that of a gentle hippy balladeer? 

No business like show business, indeed.