On Friday, we’ll be playing six #1 songs from 1968 but today feels like a good day to celebrate a few songs that weren’t “top of the chart” hits but still left an indelible mark on the music of that year.

We start with a song Donovan wrote while in Rishikesh, India, where he was studying Transcendental Meditation (along with the Beatles) under the tutelage of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Donovan wrote the song with the intent of giving it to Jimi Hendrix.
Next up is Canned Heat with their adaptation of a 1953 tune by legendary blues legend Floyd Jones. Lead guitarist Alan Wilson handled the vocals instead of usual lead singer Bob Hite.
After that, we have a then 19-year old guitarist named Ted Nugent powering his Detroit-based band the Amboy Dukes to their one and only Top 40 hit, followed by The Who with a song written in 1965 by guitarist Pete Townshend but not recorded until three years later.
We finish with the only Top 40 song Jimi Hendrix ever recorded. Hard to believe that a guy who recorded Hey Joe, Purple Haze, The Wind Cries Mary and Foxy Lady only had a Top 40 hit with a cover of a Bob Dylan song!

I have included each song’s highest charting position in parentheses next to the artist name below.

Play button is on the left … Volume slider is on the right

Vintage 1968 Medley / Part 5

Donovan (#5) – Canned Heat (#16)
Amboy Dukes (#16) – The Who (#25)
Jimi Hendrix Experience (#20)