Mac MacLeod
Keith MacLeod (known as Mac MacLeod) is a British musician . An important part of the Hertfordshire Folk and Blues scene from 1959 onwards . Played in St Albans along side Mick Softley,Maddy Prior and toured with John Renbourn. Influences include Softley , Ramblin Jack Elliot , Jesse Fuller , Big Bill Broonzy , Snooks Eaglin , Rev Gary Davis and Davey Graham .
Mac was a major influence on Donovan Leitch from 1961 onwards . 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' . Mac joined Donovan's first national tour of Britian which kicked off at the NME poll winners Party ,Donovan's set has been called the first Folk Rock gig by music writer Richie Unterberger . After Donovan's first UK tour Mac teamed up with Maddy Prior to form Mac & Maddy.
Mac also is known for being the the inspiration for the Donovan song Hurdy Gurdy Man . Mac was in a power trio style group in Denmark (inspired by Cream ) he named Hurdy Gurdy. The group sound was heading in a similar direction to The Jimi Hendrix Experience who had also started at the same time . After a run in with the law Mac had asked Donovan to pen them a song, Hurdy Gurdy Man was the result . Donovan changed his mind on the song and recorded it himself . Donovan explained the story to Keith Altham of Hit Parader in December 1968. '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 .'
Donovan had originally wanted the song to be gentle and angelic, what Hurdy Gurdy played was more like Heavy Metal . In the end Donovan's recording was not far from the sound of Mac's Hurdy Gurdy version .
Donovan had written the song while in India with The Beatles, it was during this time he taught John Lennon the finger pick stlyes he had learnt from Mac which resulted in songs like Julia and Dear Prudence on the White album ( The Beatles ). Mac encounted 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.
Mac's Odyssey was to take him around Britain, and across Sweden and Denmark, where he first formed Hurdy Gurdy . The group became an underground favourite and went on to headline at Middle Earth, supporting Pink Floyd at the same venue . The anthology Mac MacLeod – The Incredible Musical Odyssey Of The Original Hurdy Gurdy Man on RPM /Cherry Red records contains many of Mac's rare recordings, from the acoustic folky beginnings through a succession of one-off groups like The Other Side (with Boz Scaggs) and Exploding Mushroom to the legendary Hurdy Gurdy (with producers Rod Argent and Chris White ) and the post-The Zombies: Argent.The Argent song Telescope was a lost classic until released on Mac's Anthology.
At the end of the 1960's Mac was reunited with Donovan who whisked him off ,with a group of other old friends, to the Isle of Skye . Mac was asked to be a side man once more for Donovans U.S.tour . After several weeks of rehearsals all was well then Donovan had a change of heart and went to the U.S. alone.
Mac 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 to form Open Road with Donovan leaving Mac to continue with Softley in the duo Soft Cloud .After Soft Cloud had evaporated Mac formed a new band, the sitar-drenched Amber with Julian MacAllister and Ray Cooper . Amber had some tracks produced by former The Yardbirds singer Keith Relf . After many years out of the music business Mac returned with a new band Silverlining in 1999 . Mac continues to play live both solo and with a full band line up (including The Kinks and The Zombies bassist Jim Rodford) and he is making plans for a forthcoming album . Pete Frame author of Rock Family trees has also written a special edition of Zigzag Wanderer entitled 'Catching Dreams From the Clouds' all about Mac's early days .
Quotations
A pivotal influence... John Renbourn
He was the best musician around... I was very honoured to play with him. Maddy Prior
A review of The Incredible Musical Odyssey Of The Original Hurdy Gurdy Man [1]