juxtiphi Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 When I was a kid I liked the Donovan song Hurdy Gurdy Man because of the solo. After getting into Zeppelin hard Core and learning of his collaboration with him and then hearing the song again I felt that I was hearing Jimmy in the solo. To my ears its his style all the way but ICBW. Since then I have looked it up and to this day they all say Jimmy didn't play guitar on that track. Am I the only one who thinks its Jimmy Page in that solo, and are their others here who feel the same way? I think JPJ just got his memory wrong and it was Jimmy who played the solo for that song. I mean who else could have sounded like that back then but didn't make it famous for being on that track? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Lord Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 I'm not as convinced as you. I can hear a resemblance to Page's style in the early 1970's, when compared to the Donovan solo, but when I think of what he was doing in the 1960's with the Yardbirds and on his solo single (She Just Satisfies), I think it had more of a choppy garage sound, as opposed to the fluid solo of Hurdy Gurdy Man. Like you, I have wondered about this from time to time, but I am 60/40 that it was not Jimmy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juxtiphi Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 Its a tough call, that solo is so cool, who else could have played in that style yet not become a household name for doing so? I have heard some Alan Holdsworth but to me it doesnt sound like him at all and I have never heard of the other guy who was rumored to be on that track either. I truly would like definitive proof of who it was until them I guess I gotta go with JP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingzoso Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 When I was a kid I liked the Donovan song Hurdy Gurdy Man because of the solo. After getting into Zeppelin hard Core and learning of his collaboration with him and then hearing the song again I felt that I was hearing Jimmy in the solo. To my ears its his style all the way but ICBW. Since then I have looked it up and to this day they all say Jimmy didn't play guitar on that track. Am I the only one who thinks its Jimmy Page in that solo, and are their others here who feel the same way? I think JPJ just got his memory wrong and it was Jimmy who played the solo for that song. I mean who else could have sounded like that back then but didn't make it famous for being on that track?I, too, think that this solo is played by Jimmy Page. To me, it has that Jimmy Page "style" and "sound" to it. At that time, Jimmy was an in demand session guitarist and Donovan was a singer. So to me, it would make sense that Jimmy Page contributed to songs sung by Donovan (possibly even "Season of the Witch"), the same way that John Paul Jones arranged and played bass on "Mellow Yellow" and other Donovan songs.http://youtu.be/Zse6kZ7vKrkI also think that Jimmy played on Donovan's "Sunshine Superman". Again, to my ears, the same Jimmy Page, "style". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey1985 Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 I would say this is 100% not Jimmy. It doesn't sound like his phrasing at all. The only reason this might sound like Jimmy is because it is almost certainly a Sola Sound Tonebender and more than likely it is a Telecaster, which is strongly related to Jimmy during this time and the first Zeppelin album, however, Alan Parker, who is claimed to be the actual guitarist on this song, also played a tele around this time and also had a Tonebender that he used in the studio. Not only that but it sounds like his phrasing, not Page's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggie29 Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 According to Donovan, Jimmy Page played guitar on it. Watch Sunshine Superman: The Journey of Donovan DVD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey1985 Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 I found more information after my last post that should end the debate, Jimmy himself says it's Alan Parker. The story goes is that they had Jeff beck play it and didn't like Beck's take so they asked for Jimmy who wasn't available so they had Alan Parker do it. Just 3 days before the song was recorded Jimmy was in the states on tour with the Yardbirds too so I think that pretty much sums it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey1985 Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 I think what is confusing is that number one, it sounds like Jimmy's tone and number two Jimmy did play on the sessions for this album, however, it was the 67 sessions, not april 68. So when everyone says it was him, well he was there, just not on this song or this session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey1985 Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 Donovan also said Allan Holdsworth played on it so I wouldn't trust much of what he says. John Paul Jones, Page and Clem Cattini (drummer on Hurdy Gurdy Man) all say it was Alan Parker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggie29 Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 Donovan also said Allan Holdsworth played on it so I wouldn't trust much of what he says. John Paul Jones, Page and Clem Cattini (drummer on Hurdy Gurdy Man) all say it was Alan Parker. Jimi Hendrix was his first choice but wasn't available. It seems that nobody can say with any certainty who played on it. Even Page has said many times he doesn't remember what sessions he played on and it was almost 50 years ago and at the end of the day does it really matter? Page did play on Sunshine Superman and joined Donovan last year when he did a gig at the Albert Hall to celebrate the anniversary of it's release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Lord Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 I would say this is 100% not Jimmy. It doesn't sound like his phrasing at all. The only reason this might sound like Jimmy is because it is almost certainly a Sola Sound Tonebender and more than likely it is a Telecaster, which is strongly related to Jimmy during this time and the first Zeppelin album, however, Alan Parker, who is claimed to be the actual guitarist on this song, also played a tele around this time and also had a Tonebender that he used in the studio. Not only that but it sounds like his phrasing, not Page's. I agree. I also said above that it doesn't sound like Page. It actually sounds more like Beck, as Jimmy didn't play with this kind of fluidity in the mid '60's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey1985 Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 Jimi Hendrix was his first choice but wasn't available. It seems that nobody can say with any certainty who played on it. Even Page has said many times he doesn't remember what sessions he played on and it was almost 50 years ago and at the end of the day does it really matter? Page did play on Sunshine Superman and joined Donovan last year when he did a gig at the Albert Hall to celebrate the anniversary of it's release. I think everyone says for certain who played on this, except Donovan, who seems to be the only one who changes his story. Jimmy has said a million times it wasn't him and that it was Alan Parker as well as everyone else who was there. I don't see any argument on this one, it seems like a closed case. Jimmy has even said he was in the states with Jerry Wexler when he first heard the rumor. I think a lot of people want certain things to be true but everything points to Alan Parker on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Lord Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 I spent the day in my studio and decided to crack into some of the roughly one hundred of hours of interviews that I have on tape, featuring Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Interestingly, there is one 2 hour interview that I listened to, which was on Rock Line with Bob Coburn back in 1988. He specifically asked Jimmy if he played on Hurdy Gurdy Man, and Jimmy said that he was definitely not on that one. He did acknowledge playing on You've Really Got Me and I Can't Explain though. I also listened to an hour long interview with Robert Plant that I taped in 1983. In both of the above interviews, Robert and Jimmy both stated that they would probably work together eventually, but likely not with John Paul Jones. Interesting stuff in retrospect. I'm glad that I saved and catalogued this material; its a great blast from the past. So, no Jimmy on Hurdy Gurdy Man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.