Did Jimmy Page play on Donovans Hurdy Gurdy Man?

Answer 1

Not on the title track, but he did play acoustic during the early album sessions. The Hurdy Gurdy Man album sessions were done mainly in two parts, the first part in late 1967, the second sessions where done in April 1968. It was during the April 1968 sessions that the actual track 'Hurdy Gurdy Man' was recorded. Jimmy Page was not in the country at the time of the April 1968 session. Page had only been playing acoustic in his session work at the time. Steve Rosen interview with Jimmy Page SR You were playing acoustic guitar during your session period? JP Yes, I had to do it on studio work. And you come to grips with it very quickly too, very quickly, because it's what is expected. There was a lot of busking (singing on street corners) in the earlier days, but as they say, I had to come to grips with it, and it was a good schooling.

Donovan stated that he wanted Jimi Hendrix to play but he was unavailable, so he asked for Jimmy Page instead but he was in the US with Jerry Wrexler .Mickie Most got Jeff Beck to do the Electric Guitar work which was wiped by Most. Finally Alan Parker was drafted in to do the electric guitar work. http://www.zepagain.com/page_rosen.html Regarding the title track those involved are listed below. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN I have been contacted by Clem Cattini with regard to Donovan's Hurdy Gurdy Man

I would like to confirm that the musicians on the record were as follows Donovan Accoustic Guitar

John Paul Jones Arrangement/Musical Director and Bass Guitar

Alan Parker Lead (electric) Guitar

Clem Cattini Drums No other musicians were involved in this session

The session was produced by Mickie Most and engineered by Eddie Kramer. John Paul Jones

London 05/2005 http://www.coda-uk.co.uk/clem_cattini.htm

Page may have played on several songs by Donovan such as "Sunshine

Superman" although the long held belief that Jimmy played on

"HurdyGurdyMan" has been questioned recently, with the

contention that it is in fact Allan Holdsworth, and not Page.

Jones on the other hand, who most certainly did work on the track

says it was Alan Parker. Donovan in a radio interview in 1988 on

KCRW in Santa Monica, said that it was Holdsworth not Page, as

they tried to get Page but he was unavailable, and tried out a new

young guy, Holdsworth, instead. An answer to this perplexing

question that could be seen as definitive came from Allan's wife

Claire, when she was asked this by a member of the Allan

Holdsworth mailing list. The response she gave was (included

without permission), "Allan is bemused by the number of people,

including Donovan, who have said that he played on that song -

because he didn't!! He thinks it might have been Ollie Halsell

but he is dead now so I guess we can't ask him." Page, who denies

playing on it claimed in a 1977 interview that it was Alan Parker.

To confuse matters further, in the liner notes for Donovan's

"Trouabdour" box set it claims Page played on the trackhttp://www.oldbuckeye.com/ifmtl2.html

Beck originally played on Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man" but instead they used Alan Parker on the final version