Hurdy Gurdy Man
Donovan
1968
Annual listening list: initial release cycle, with recent carryovers; not an original-release-date field. Release chronology remains partly unverified.
Release year not established
Release year not establishedDate review open
A first-release date was not established in the available metadata.
The large badge identifies this listening list, not a newly issued recording. Later reissues and renewed chart popularity do not replace an original release date. How years are assigned.
About Donovan
Song-specific inspiration or recording background is not established for this entry. This sourced artist profile provides career context.
Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan reached a wider audience with Catch the Wind, then worked with producer Mickie Most on records including Sunshine Superman, Mellow Yellow and Hurdy Gurdy Man. His writing also includes Atlantis and Season of the Witch. These songs developed lives beyond his own recordings through cover versions and use in film and television. His songwriting was recognized by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, following earlier recognition from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Artist background sources
Donovan - Songwriters Hall of Fame
Read compact biography and induction field: Scottish identity, Most partnership, named repertoire, covers and screen uses, both Hall recognitions. No psychedelic instrumentation or song inspiration is inferred from this source. | Retrieved 2026-10-19
Profile reviewed: 2026-10-19. Artist background does not establish a song's creative origin or release date.
Retained annual-list context
Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan appears at number 61 in the reviewed U.S. year-end table for 1968. No reliable song-specific account of its inspiration was established in this review.
Annual-list context only; songwriting inspiration remains unestablished
Billboard year-end 1968 table (Wikipedia transcription)
Secondary transcription reviewed 2026-10-11: title, artist and annual chart association; not original release date or complete recording metadata.
Other appearances and versions
catalog version unspecified
Original release date and exact pressing/version are not independently established.
An annual chart year and an original release date are different. Similar titles may be covers or different masters; no audio fingerprint has been performed.
Sources and scope
Source-backed annual association (secondary source; not a complete discographic review)
Editorial artist-repertoire classification
Billboard year-end 1968 table (Wikipedia transcription)
Secondary transcription reviewed 2026-10-11: title, artist and annual chart association; not original release date or complete recording metadata.
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1960-2025. Each year contains 150 selections.