Mac MacLeod
Encyclopedia
Mac MacLeod is an English
musician
who was a part of the Hertfordshire
folk
and blues
scene from 1959 onwards. He played in St Albans alongside Mick Softley
, Maddy Prior
and toured with John Renbourn
. Influences include Softley, Ramblin' Jack Elliott
, Derroll Adams
, Jesse Fuller
, Big Bill Broonzy
, Snooks Eaglin
, Reverend Gary Davis
and Davey Graham
. MacLeod was an early influence on Donovan
, and was the bassist for the original line up of Hurdy Gurdy
which also inspired the Donovan song
, "The Hurdy Gurdy Man
". MacLeod has also worked with Argent
. Other bands MacLeod formed of note include Soft Cloud, Loud Earth with Mick Softley and the acoustic based band Amber
.
, MacLeod was a regular and one of the few finger pickers around. He often played with other musicians of note: the flat picking Mick Softley and school friend Maddy Prior. In the summer time MacLeod travelled to the South West where he made friends with John Renbourn
. The two busked together from around 1961 to 1964. In 1964 MacLeod and Renbourn recorded
three demos
together; 'South Coast', 'Cocaine' and 'Train Blues'. Donovan was influenced from 1961 onwards by MacLeod's finger picking and the flat pick styles made popular by Ramblin' Jack Elliott
which had been a big inspiration on Mick Softley and 'Dirty Hugh'. MacLeod taught Donovan claw hammer style and finger pick techniques (see Hurdy Gurdy) and many songs from his folk blues heroes. Donovan said in an interview for Beat Instrumental in May 1965 titled 'Donovan's Big Influence? It's Not Dylan!'
"The man who encouraged and helped me most was a fellow called Keith 'Mac' MacLeod. I've known him for about three years, and he's taught me everything from chord progressions on the guitar, to how to appreciate folk and real blues".In the summer of 1964 MacLeod was back in Torquay , this time Donovan joined him for his final summer before fame came knocking. MacLeod joined Donovan's first national tour of Britain
which kicked off at the NME
poll winners' party on 11 April 1965. Donovan's set has been called the first folk-rock gig
by music writer
Richie Unterberger
. One of the tour dates saw Donovan and MacLeod playing on stage with Joan Baez
. After Donovan's first UK tour MacLeod teamed up first with Dana Gillespie
then with another regular on the St Albans music scene, Maddy Prior
, to form Mac & Maddy. A demo tape of Mac & Maddy was made but has subsequently been lost. Donovan has since the early 1990s changed his stories as regards MacLeod's influence, naming 'Dirty Hugh' or 'Dirty Phil' as his finger picking teacher and John Vanstone as his early guitar mentor, removing MacLeod's name from the story. However no interviews with him from the 1960s mention either 'Dirty Hugh', 'Dirty Phil' or John Vanstone. A guitarist called 'Dirty Hugh' (so called because he dressed in rags) did play at the 'The Cock', but he could only strum and flat pick the guitar, he could not finger pick and therefore was unable to teach Donovan that art. Donovan's first two album
s included many songs that he learnt from MacLeod as revealed in Pete Frames ZigZag Wanderer No.5 March 1999 and in the Nigel Cross interviews for Terrascope
and Denmark
. The anthology Mac MacLeod - The Incredible Musical Odyssey Of The Original Hurdy Gurdy Man on RPM/Cherry Red Records contains many rare recordings, from the acoustic folksy beginnings through a succession of one-off groups like The Other Side (with Boz Scaggs
) and Exploding Mushroom, to the Hurdy Gurdy
(with producers Rod Argent
and Chris White). The group became an underground favourite and went on to headline at Middle Earth, supporting Pink Floyd
at the same venue.
in a power trio styled group in Denmark (inspired by Cream
) which he named Hurdy Gurdy
. The group sound was heading in a similar direction to The Jimi Hendrix Experience
who had also started at around the same time. After a run-in with the law, MacLeod had written to Donovan's manager, Ashley Kozak, in December 1967 and asked if he could help; Donovan then penned them a song and "Hurdy Gurdy Man" was the result. However, Donovan changed his mind on his gift of the song for MacLeod and recorded it himself. Donovan explained the story to Keith Altham of the NME on 15 June 1968 (a different version of the article appeared in Hit Parader
December 1968, but also with the MacLeod influence being mentioned).
"Hurdy Gurdy Man" was originally written for a Danish group by that name,' Don told me. 'There is a friend of mine in the group — Mac MacLeod — whom I looked to in the early days to learn how to pick the guitar.' I wrote the song especially for them but then we got into a disagreement over how it was to be produced. I wanted to do it one way and they another.
So I said, `Right then - I'll do it myself because I think it's good enough for a single. So I did it. And it's out. And doing very nicely, thank you.
In addition to the above article Donovan also confirmed the history of the Hurdy Gurdy Man song to Melody Maker
in July 1968 in an interview with Tony Wilson.
Donovan had originally wanted the song to be gentle and angelic: what Hurdy Gurdy played was more like heavy metal
.
Donovan had written the song before going to India
with The Beatles
, and handed a demo tape to MacLeod to work from. It was during Donovan's time in India he taught John Lennon
and Paul McCartney
the finger pick styles he had learned from MacLeod which resulted in songs like "Julia" and "Blackbird" on the so-called White Album (The Beatles
). Donovan has also stated that whilst in India an extra verse was added to the song by George Harrison
. MacLeod encountered problems with work permits for the Danish members of the group whilst in England, so the other members went back to Denmark still under the name Hurdy Gurdy and recorded an album for CBS Records
.
: Argent
whose song "Telescope" was a lost classic until released on MacLeod's Anthology. Macleod also played bass on two other Argent
tracks, "To Julia" and "Girl Help Me".
At the end of the 1960s MacLeod was reunited with Donovan who whisked him off, with a group of other old friends, to the Isle of Skye. MacLeod was asked to be a sideman
once more for Donovan's U.S.
tour with Candy Carr, which was to be the prototype 'Open Road' band. After several weeks of rehearsals all was well acoustically, however when the band went electric it did not work out as well as Donovan hoped. Rather than rehearse the new electric approach, Donovan had a change of heart and went to the U.S. alone.
MacLeod returned to St Albans and formed Soft Cloud-Loud Earth with Mick Softley, 'Candy' John Carr (who also went to Skye for Donovan's U.S. tour line up) and Mike Thomson. Due to the erratic behaviour of Softley, Carr and Thomson jumped ship and soon formed Open Road with Donovan
, leaving MacLeod to continue with Softley in the duo Soft Cloud. After Soft Cloud had evaporated MacLeod formed a new band, the sitar-drenched Amber
with Julian McAllister and Ray Cooper. Amber had some tracks produced by former The Yardbirds
singer Keith Relf
.
’ and The Zombies
’ bassist Jim Rodford
) and he is making plans for a forthcoming album. He has also added flute to the new St Albans band Maya on their new album Revelations, and supplied some guitar for the band The Coming. Pete Frame
, author of Rock Family trees, has also written a special edition of Zigzag Wanderer entitled 'Catching Dreams From the Clouds' all about MacLeod's early days.
in November 2003. On Donovan's birthday on the 10 May 2005 (where he met up with old friend Gyp Mills), MacLeod was a special guest and on the 9 June Donovan and MacLeod played together again on stage at Oxford
; the last time they played onstage together was during Donovan's first UK tour back in 1965. MacLeod has a new more acoustic based album in the works. MacLeod had a recent reunion with his old Amber partner Julian McAllister and he is also in touch with his old friends John Renbourn and Maddy Prior.
"He was the best musician around ... I was very honoured to play with him". Maddy Prior
"The best acoustic guitarist we had ever seen". Pete Frame
ZigZag Wanderer No.5 March 1999
"Mac, of course, was an influence on Don." Gypsy Dave aka Gyp Mills (Record Collector July 2004 issue 299)
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
who was a part of the Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
scene from 1959 onwards. He played in St Albans alongside Mick Softley
Mick Softley
Michael 'Mick' Softley is a British singer/songwriter and guitarist. A figurehead during the British folk scene, Softley set up his own folk club, released three albums and has been known to work with Mac MacLeod , Donovan Leitch and Maddy Prior...
, Maddy Prior
Maddy Prior
Maddy Prior is an English folk singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span.-Early life:...
and toured with John Renbourn
John Renbourn
John Renbourn is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo career before, during and after that band's existence .While most commonly labelled a...
. Influences include Softley, Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Ramblin' Jack Elliott is an American folk singer and performer.-Life and career:Elliot Charles Adnopoz was born in Brooklyn, New York to Jewish parents in 1931. Elliott grew up inspired by the rodeos at Madison Square Garden, and wanted to be a cowboy...
, Derroll Adams
Derroll Adams
Derroll Adams was an American folk musician.-Biography:Adams was born Derroll Lewis Thompson in Portland, Oregon. At 16, he served in the Army and later in the Coast Guard. He was a tall, lanky banjo player with a deep voice...
, Jesse Fuller
Jesse Fuller
Jesse Fuller was an American one-man band musician, best known for his song "San Francisco Bay Blues".-Early life:...
, Big Bill Broonzy
Big Bill Broonzy
Big Bill Broonzy was a prolific American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s when he played country blues to mostly black audiences. Through the ‘30s and ‘40s he successfully navigated a transition in style to a more urban blues sound popular with white audiences...
, Snooks Eaglin
Snooks Eaglin
Snooks Eaglin, born Fird Eaglin, Jr. , was a New Orleans-based guitarist and singer. He was also referred to as Blind Snooks Eaglin in his early years....
, Reverend Gary Davis
Reverend Gary Davis
Reverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis, was an American blues and gospel singer and guitarist, who was also proficient on the banjo and harmonica...
and Davey Graham
Davey Graham
David Michael Gordon "Davey" Graham, originally spelled Davy Graham, , was a British guitarist and one of the most influential figures in the 1960s British folk revival...
. MacLeod was an early influence on Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
, and was the bassist for the original line up of Hurdy Gurdy
Hurdy Gurdy (band)
Hurdy Gurdy formed from the Danish group Peter Belli and the Boom Boom Brothers in June 1967. Three of the B.B. Brothers, guitarist Claus Bohling, drummer Jens Otzen and British vocalist and bassist Mac MacLeod formed the power trio...
which also inspired the Donovan song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, "The Hurdy Gurdy Man
The Hurdy Gurdy Man (song)
"Hurdy Gurdy Man" is a song by the Scottish musician Donovan. It was written and recorded in early 1968 and released in May as a single and gave name to the album The Hurdy Gurdy Man, which was released in October of that year. It reached #5 in the U.S. and #4 in the UK pop charts. The song was...
". MacLeod has also worked with Argent
Argent (band)
Argent are an English rock band founded in 1969 by keyboardist Rod Argent, formerly of The Zombies.-Career:The first three demos from Argent, recorded in the autumn of 1968 featured Mac MacLeod on bass guitar though he was not meant to become a member of the group.Original members of the band were...
. Other bands MacLeod formed of note include Soft Cloud, Loud Earth with Mick Softley and the acoustic based band Amber
Amber (band)
Amber was a British acoustic world music band.It was often compared to The Incredible String Band. The band consisted of two of Donovan's old friends Julian MacAllister and Mac MacLeod, and they were joined by Ray Cooper on hand drums. Donovan had been given a sitar by George Harrison and had lent...
.
The St Albans crowd and beyond
In the early days in The Cock and The Peahen pubsPublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, MacLeod was a regular and one of the few finger pickers around. He often played with other musicians of note: the flat picking Mick Softley and school friend Maddy Prior. In the summer time MacLeod travelled to the South West where he made friends with John Renbourn
John Renbourn
John Renbourn is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo career before, during and after that band's existence .While most commonly labelled a...
. The two busked together from around 1961 to 1964. In 1964 MacLeod and Renbourn recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
three demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
together; 'South Coast', 'Cocaine' and 'Train Blues'. Donovan was influenced from 1961 onwards by MacLeod's finger picking and the flat pick styles made popular by Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Ramblin' Jack Elliott is an American folk singer and performer.-Life and career:Elliot Charles Adnopoz was born in Brooklyn, New York to Jewish parents in 1931. Elliott grew up inspired by the rodeos at Madison Square Garden, and wanted to be a cowboy...
which had been a big inspiration on Mick Softley and 'Dirty Hugh'. MacLeod taught Donovan claw hammer style and finger pick techniques (see Hurdy Gurdy) and many songs from his folk blues heroes. Donovan said in an interview for Beat Instrumental in May 1965 titled 'Donovan's Big Influence? It's Not Dylan!'
"The man who encouraged and helped me most was a fellow called Keith 'Mac' MacLeod. I've known him for about three years, and he's taught me everything from chord progressions on the guitar, to how to appreciate folk and real blues".In the summer of 1964 MacLeod was back in Torquay , this time Donovan joined him for his final summer before fame came knocking. MacLeod joined Donovan's first national tour of Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
which kicked off at the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
poll winners' party on 11 April 1965. Donovan's set has been called the first folk-rock gig
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
by music writer
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger is a US author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing.-Life and writing:Having worked as a DJ at WXPN in Philadelphia, he started reviewing records for Op magazine in 1983...
. One of the tour dates saw Donovan and MacLeod playing on stage with Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
. After Donovan's first UK tour MacLeod teamed up first with Dana Gillespie
Dana Gillespie
Dana Gillespie is an English actress and singer.-Career:Gillespie was born to the Baron De Winterstein Gillespie, an Austrian radiologist, and his wife. She grew up in England and her family's villa in Maccagno, a village on Lake Maggiore, Italy...
then with another regular on the St Albans music scene, Maddy Prior
Maddy Prior
Maddy Prior is an English folk singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span.-Early life:...
, to form Mac & Maddy. A demo tape of Mac & Maddy was made but has subsequently been lost. Donovan has since the early 1990s changed his stories as regards MacLeod's influence, naming 'Dirty Hugh' or 'Dirty Phil' as his finger picking teacher and John Vanstone as his early guitar mentor, removing MacLeod's name from the story. However no interviews with him from the 1960s mention either 'Dirty Hugh', 'Dirty Phil' or John Vanstone. A guitarist called 'Dirty Hugh' (so called because he dressed in rags) did play at the 'The Cock', but he could only strum and flat pick the guitar, he could not finger pick and therefore was unable to teach Donovan that art. Donovan's first two album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s included many songs that he learnt from MacLeod as revealed in Pete Frames ZigZag Wanderer No.5 March 1999 and in the Nigel Cross interviews for Terrascope
Sweden, Denmark and back again
MacLeod's odyssey was to take him around Britain, and across SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. The anthology Mac MacLeod - The Incredible Musical Odyssey Of The Original Hurdy Gurdy Man on RPM/Cherry Red Records contains many rare recordings, from the acoustic folksy beginnings through a succession of one-off groups like The Other Side (with Boz Scaggs
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...
) and Exploding Mushroom, to the Hurdy Gurdy
Hurdy Gurdy (band)
Hurdy Gurdy formed from the Danish group Peter Belli and the Boom Boom Brothers in June 1967. Three of the B.B. Brothers, guitarist Claus Bohling, drummer Jens Otzen and British vocalist and bassist Mac MacLeod formed the power trio...
(with producers Rod Argent
Rod Argent
Rod Argent is an English rock musician and a founding member of the 1960s English pop group The Zombies and the 1970s band Argent....
and Chris White). The group became an underground favourite and went on to headline at Middle Earth, supporting Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
at the same venue.
Hurdy Gurdy
MacLeod was the lead singer and bassistBassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
in a power trio styled group in Denmark (inspired by Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
) which he named Hurdy Gurdy
Hurdy Gurdy (band)
Hurdy Gurdy formed from the Danish group Peter Belli and the Boom Boom Brothers in June 1967. Three of the B.B. Brothers, guitarist Claus Bohling, drummer Jens Otzen and British vocalist and bassist Mac MacLeod formed the power trio...
. The group sound was heading in a similar direction to The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
who had also started at around the same time. After a run-in with the law, MacLeod had written to Donovan's manager, Ashley Kozak, in December 1967 and asked if he could help; Donovan then penned them a song and "Hurdy Gurdy Man" was the result. However, Donovan changed his mind on his gift of the song for MacLeod and recorded it himself. Donovan explained the story to Keith Altham of the NME on 15 June 1968 (a different version of the article appeared in Hit Parader
Hit Parader
Hit Parader is an American music magazine focusing on the genres of hard rock, pop, and heavy metal.The magazine was originally started as a pop song lyric magazine by Charlton Publications in 1942. Charlton sold off the magazine before the company went under in 1991...
December 1968, but also with the MacLeod influence being mentioned).
"Hurdy Gurdy Man" was originally written for a Danish group by that name,' Don told me. 'There is a friend of mine in the group — Mac MacLeod — whom I looked to in the early days to learn how to pick the guitar.' I wrote the song especially for them but then we got into a disagreement over how it was to be produced. I wanted to do it one way and they another.
So I said, `Right then - I'll do it myself because I think it's good enough for a single. So I did it. And it's out. And doing very nicely, thank you.
In addition to the above article Donovan also confirmed the history of the Hurdy Gurdy Man song to Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
in July 1968 in an interview with Tony Wilson.
Donovan had originally wanted the song to be gentle and angelic: what Hurdy Gurdy played was more like heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
.
Donovan had written the song before going to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
with The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, and handed a demo tape to MacLeod to work from. It was during Donovan's time in India he taught John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
the finger pick styles he had learned from MacLeod which resulted in songs like "Julia" and "Blackbird" on the so-called White Album (The Beatles
The Beatles (album)
The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
). Donovan has also stated that whilst in India an extra verse was added to the song by George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
. MacLeod encountered problems with work permits for the Danish members of the group whilst in England, so the other members went back to Denmark still under the name Hurdy Gurdy and recorded an album for CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
.
From Skye to Soft Cloud
After the demise of Hurdy Gurdy, MacLeod recorded with the post-The ZombiesThe Zombies
The Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"...
: Argent
Argent (band)
Argent are an English rock band founded in 1969 by keyboardist Rod Argent, formerly of The Zombies.-Career:The first three demos from Argent, recorded in the autumn of 1968 featured Mac MacLeod on bass guitar though he was not meant to become a member of the group.Original members of the band were...
whose song "Telescope" was a lost classic until released on MacLeod's Anthology. Macleod also played bass on two other Argent
Argent (band)
Argent are an English rock band founded in 1969 by keyboardist Rod Argent, formerly of The Zombies.-Career:The first three demos from Argent, recorded in the autumn of 1968 featured Mac MacLeod on bass guitar though he was not meant to become a member of the group.Original members of the band were...
tracks, "To Julia" and "Girl Help Me".
At the end of the 1960s MacLeod was reunited with Donovan who whisked him off, with a group of other old friends, to the Isle of Skye. MacLeod was asked to be a sideman
Sideman
A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform or record with a group of which he or she is not a regular member. They often tour with solo acts as well as bands and jazz ensembles. Sidemen are generally required to be adaptable to many different styles of music, and so able to fit...
once more for Donovan's U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tour with Candy Carr, which was to be the prototype 'Open Road' band. After several weeks of rehearsals all was well acoustically, however when the band went electric it did not work out as well as Donovan hoped. Rather than rehearse the new electric approach, Donovan had a change of heart and went to the U.S. alone.
MacLeod returned to St Albans and formed Soft Cloud-Loud Earth with Mick Softley, 'Candy' John Carr (who also went to Skye for Donovan's U.S. tour line up) and Mike Thomson. Due to the erratic behaviour of Softley, Carr and Thomson jumped ship and soon formed Open Road with Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
, leaving MacLeod to continue with Softley in the duo Soft Cloud. After Soft Cloud had evaporated MacLeod formed a new band, the sitar-drenched Amber
Amber (band)
Amber was a British acoustic world music band.It was often compared to The Incredible String Band. The band consisted of two of Donovan's old friends Julian MacAllister and Mac MacLeod, and they were joined by Ray Cooper on hand drums. Donovan had been given a sitar by George Harrison and had lent...
with Julian McAllister and Ray Cooper. Amber had some tracks produced by former The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
singer Keith Relf
Keith Relf
Keith William Relf , was a musician best known as the lead singer and harmonica player of The Yardbirds. After the Yardbirds broke up Relf formed the acoustic duo Together, with fellow Yardbird Jim McCarty, followed by Renaissance, which also featured his sister, singer Jane Relf, then hard rock...
.
Silverlining
After many years out of the music industry MacLeod returned with a new band Silverlining in 1999. He continues to play live both solo and with a full band line up (sometimes including his old school friend The KinksThe Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
’ and The Zombies
The Zombies
The Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"...
’ bassist Jim Rodford
Jim Rodford
Jim Rodford is a musician who played with The Kinks, The Swinging Blue Jeans and was a founding member of Argent...
) and he is making plans for a forthcoming album. He has also added flute to the new St Albans band Maya on their new album Revelations, and supplied some guitar for the band The Coming. Pete Frame
Pete Frame
Peter 'Pete' Frame is a music journalist, who produced outlines of the history of rock bands for various magazines . He founded the English Alternative rock magazine ZigZag in April 1969 and acted as its editor, from its beginning until February 1973, and again from March 1976 until July 1977...
, author of Rock Family trees, has also written a special edition of Zigzag Wanderer entitled 'Catching Dreams From the Clouds' all about MacLeod's early days.
Recently
MacLeod has recently been in touch with Donovan, first when he co-nominated him for his Honorary Doctorate at the University of HertfordshireUniversity of Hertfordshire
The University of Hertfordshire is a new university based largely in Hatfield, in the county of Hertfordshire, England, from which the university takes its name. It has more than 27,500 students, over 2500 staff, with a turnover of over £181m...
in November 2003. On Donovan's birthday on the 10 May 2005 (where he met up with old friend Gyp Mills), MacLeod was a special guest and on the 9 June Donovan and MacLeod played together again on stage at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
; the last time they played onstage together was during Donovan's first UK tour back in 1965. MacLeod has a new more acoustic based album in the works. MacLeod had a recent reunion with his old Amber partner Julian McAllister and he is also in touch with his old friends John Renbourn and Maddy Prior.
Quotations
"A pivotal influence...” John RenbournJohn Renbourn
John Renbourn is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo career before, during and after that band's existence .While most commonly labelled a...
"He was the best musician around ... I was very honoured to play with him". Maddy Prior
Maddy Prior
Maddy Prior is an English folk singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span.-Early life:...
"The best acoustic guitarist we had ever seen". Pete Frame
Pete Frame
Peter 'Pete' Frame is a music journalist, who produced outlines of the history of rock bands for various magazines . He founded the English Alternative rock magazine ZigZag in April 1969 and acted as its editor, from its beginning until February 1973, and again from March 1976 until July 1977...
ZigZag Wanderer No.5 March 1999
"Mac, of course, was an influence on Don." Gypsy Dave aka Gyp Mills (Record Collector July 2004 issue 299)