Today's Beautiful Music is an introduction to the hurdy-gurdy. The unusual string instrument is played with a hand crank, and its ancestor -- the organistrum -- dates back at least to the 12th century ...

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Getty Images/Michael Putland In 1968, folk singer Donovan was in India, studying ...

He is the shaman. Donovan in the David Lynch-directed video for 'I am the Shaman' Despite the hiccups Donovan was established and, ultimately, his ascendancy was about the songs rather than any ...

Donovan’s 1968 song, “Hurdy Gurdy Man” noted “the crying of humanity” over the war in Vietnam and widespread civil unrest. Counter culture balladeers — Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, ...

Future Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones worked on Donovan’s “Hurdy Gurdy Man.” Donovan explained that Jimi Hendrix was originally supposed to work on the song. Subsequently, Donovan ...

The organ grinder, often called a hurdy-gurdy man, was usually accompanied by a small monkey, trained to collect donations in a tin cup. By the time Cincinnatians enjoyed Donovan’s 1968 song, “Hurdy ...

The hurdy-gurdy is one of Europe's oldest musical instruments. A kind of mechanical violin, it uses keys and a crank, along with melody and drone strings. Some call it the medieval synthesizer, and a ...

Over 50 years after its release, Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" is still considered one of the greatest songs in rock and roll history. However, the tune's legendary status owes much to the ...

The only difference was, bagpipes usually sound like a polyphonic assembly while this sound seems like a lone voice shrewdly culled from such an assembly, singled out, groomed up and presented to us ...