But Mac’s been at it himself, too. We got a sneak preview of half a dozen works in progress last week and we’re VERY excited about what’s on the way. Delicate fingerpicking, gorgeous chord choices, it’s all there - he’s not lost his touch! With a notepad bulging with expressive lyrics, everyone’s keeping the pressure on Mac to pull these great new tunes together asap.

If you make it down to The Halfmoon in Putney on Sunday 16th April (make sure it’s in your diaries) you might even catch one of these brand new MacLeod compositions in person... Talking of which, tickets are shifting and with a 20% discount for advance tickets available, it’s well worth snapping them up while you can to secure your very own place in this legendary venue. You can find them at www.halfmoon.co.uk or call them on 020 8780 9383. Don’t miss out!

So, we’ve got new gigs, new songs, new music, new recordings to look forward to. Mac certainly doesn’t stand still! Keep up with all the goings on here at Mac’s only official website. And a new addition to the site is the online store where you can purchase your own vinyl and CD copies of Mac’s back catalogue from 1965 to the present day. We’ve got the Anthology and White Angel CDs and both the Copenhagen Lites and Pearls of Amber vinyl releases. If you note it on your order, Mac’ll be happy to sign them, too. (And he doesn’t charge either, unlike some....!). We’re also looking to getting demos of Mac’s new material up online for your enjoyment as it becomes available... Watch this space!

Before he departs these rainy shores, however, Mac’s agreed to contribute an interview to an upcoming BBC Radio 2 documentary on Donovan’s folk roots. It is to be produced by Above The Title Productions, who have made shows about The Byrds, The Kinks and Stevie Wonder in recent years. It should be interesting to see how the finished broadcast turns out (see last update, below, for more details on this story!).

We’ve also just had confirmation of a couple of gigs for your diaries. First up is a special ‘secret’ warm-up gig with the band back together at The Half Moon in Putney, London on Sunday 16th April. You can find this famous music venue at 93 Lower Richmond Road, London SW 15 1EU, tel 020 8780 9383. Doors open at 8.30pm and tickets are £8.00 in advance or £10.00 on the door. If you want any further details, feel free to email us here, or email direct to www.halfmoon.co.uk

We’ve also got our first festival date confirmed for ‘06 and we’ll put full details online as soon as we have ticket availability - watch this space!

Even more perplexing is that there is no mention of how the song “Hurdy Gurdy Man” came to be written in the first place. To recap: Mac had his own band in 1967/68 called (coincidentally?) Hurdy Gurdy and wrote to Don in Dec ‘67 asking him if he could do anything for the band as he was about to be deported from Copenhagen. When Don returned from India he had a song written for his old mate, so Mac and the band learned the song and performed a suggested arrangement in Donovan’s own back garden in Little Berkhampstead. However, Don thought it too ‘heavy’ and felt that a light breezy arrangement, with celeste, would be better suited than crashing electric guitars. The next Mac knows about it, he’s hearing Don’s own version on the radio featuring... yes, heavy crashing guitars. Coincidence? Unlikely. In fact we’ve tracked down a rare and accurate contemporary interview with Don in Melody Maker where he gives a factual account of how the song and subsequent recording came into being.

The first paragraph, from 6th July 1968, reads “Donovan’s current hit single, ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’, was originally written for a group called ‘Hurdy Gurdy’. a trio from Denmark and which includes in its line-up Mac MacLeod, a one-time folk singer who taught Don some of his guitar techniques”. You can see a scan of the original page here.

Mac’s not so much upset as confused and a wee bit hurt. When Donovan received his honorary degree from the University of Hertfordshire in 2003 (following Mac’s letter of recommendation which you can see by clicking here), they caught up and reminisced about the old days, including the stories recounted above. This led to renewed contact between them culminating in Mac’s attendance at Don’s surprise birthday party and his guest performance during Don’s Oxford tour stop. Such a bizarre turnaround in so short a time has led some people to wonder how much Donovan really did smoke in those heady days...!

All that aside, Mac’s been busy writing and recording demos in his studio bunker whilst getting ready for his winter break in sunnier parts. Mac’s back in March and it’ll be a little quiet around here until then. But there’s much to come in 2006. Oh yes! Watch out Australia - here comes the ORIGINAL Hurdy Gurdy Man!