Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, both future Led Zeppelin members, contributed to Donovan’s “Hurdy Gurdy Man.” Donovan claimed that Jimi Hendrix was intended to work on the song at first. Donovan then discussed Led Zeppelin’s lasting legacy. Donovan spoke with Uncut in 2008 about the recording of “Hurdy Gurdy Man.” “Many people have told me over the years how important that session of John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, and me — and maybe [John] Bonham, who said he was there — doing ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’ was,” he remarked.
“I was developing a story-telling thing, and I wanted power-chords, because I’d obviously heard Dave Davies [of The Kinks] and [Jimi] Hendrix, and I knew Pete Townshend,” Donovan explained. “I wanted to give ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’ to Hendrix at first, but he couldn’t come in.” As a result, [producer] Mickie Most proposed Jimmy.”
“[Musical director] John Cameron told him, ‘All you’ve got to do is listen to Donovan’s guitar,'” Donovan said when Page replaced Hendrix on “Hurdy Gurdy Man.” ‘Despite the fact that it’s acoustic, the way he’s striking it is the way power chords would go,’ he recalled. “Rather than using a plug-in, I was hitting driving chords on the acoustic that buzzed.
” So I assume Page paid attention.” The “Mellow Yellow” vocalist spoke on Page and Jones’ legacy. “Jimmy added power and pagan rock,” he thought. “Even today, everyone wants that sound.” And John Paul Jones arranged it, giving those sounds structure.”Led Zeppelin, he felt, became the greatest pagan British rock band.” Notably, in the early 1980s, Donovan became acquainted with Page.
Donovan’s “Hurdy Gurdy Man” was one of his most popular songs on both sides of the Atlantic. In the United States, the song reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for 12 weeks. “Hurdy Gurdy Man” was Donovan’s penultimate top ten single, with “Atlantis” being his final. The former was featured on the album The Hurdy Gurdy Man.
That album peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 and stayed there for 20 weeks. According to The Official Charts Company, “Hurdy Gurdy Man” peaked at No. 4 in the United Kingdom and stayed there for ten weeks. The Hurdy Gurdy Man, on the other hand, never charted in the United Kingdom. The song was later included on the compilation album Sunshine Superman: The Very Best of Donovan. The compilation peaked at No. 47 in the United Kingdom and stayed there for four weeks. “Hurdy Gurdy Man” is incredible since it was created by so many creative people.