"Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)" is a song by

Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter and record producer. He emerged from the British folk scene in early 1965 and subsequently scored multiple international hit singles ...

. He based it on "Can I Do It For You", a song by

Memphis Minnie Lizzie Douglas (June 3, 1897 – August 6, 1973), better known as Memphis Minnie, was a blues guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter whose recording career lasted for over three decades. She recorded around 200 songs, some of the best known being " ...

and

Kansas Joe McCoy Wilbur Joe "Kansas Joe" McCoy (May 11, 1905 – January 28, 1950) was an American Delta blues singer, musician and songwriter. Career McCoy performed under various stage names but is best known as Kansas Joe McCoy. Born in Raymond, Mississippi ...

. The name "Gyp" refers to Donovan's best friend, Gyp Mills, known then as Gypsy Dave, and is one of many songs that Donovan wrote and recorded as a dedication to his close friends.

Pye Records PYE or Pye Records is an independent British record label. It was first established in 1955 and played a major role in shaping rock 'n' roll and pop music history. The Pye name was dropped in 1980 due to trademark issues, after which it produced ...

first released the song in the UK as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

to Donovan's song "Turquoise" in October 1965. Similar single releases in Canada, France, and Scandinavia followed.

Hickory Records Hickory Records is an American record label founded in 1954 by Acuff-Rose Music, which operated the label up to 1979. Sony Music Publishing (then Sony/ATV) revived the label in 2007. Originally based in Nashville, and functioning as an independ ...

released it as the

A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of vinyl records and cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a single usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or ...

to the

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

-themed "The War Drags On" in July 1966. In France, it was issued as a B-side to "

Colours Color (or colour in Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum. Though color is not an inherent property of matter, color perception is related to an object's light absorpt ...

" in 1975. The song has since been issued on numerous collections of Donovan's music and as a bonus track to his 1965 album ''

Fairytale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful being ...

'' (1996).

Cover versions

The Animals The Animals, currently billed as Eric Burdon & the Animals (featuring original frontman Eric Burdon) and also as Animals & Friends (featuring original drummer John Steel (drummer), John Steel), are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Ne ...

recorded the song in December 1966 for the '' Animalism'' album. After reconfiguring the band as

Eric Burdon and the Animals The Animals, currently billed as Eric Burdon & the Animals (featuring original frontman Eric Burdon) and also as Animals & Friends (featuring original drummer John Steel), are an English rock band formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1962. The A ...

, they continued to perform it in their

live set Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film * ''Live'' (2023 film), a Malayalam-language film *'' Live: Phát Trực Tiếp'', a Vietnamese-langua ...

and released it as the title track of a four-song EP in France in 1967. Others to record the song include the Jim Kweskin & His Jug Band on their 1966 self-titled debut album;

the Soul Survivors The Soul Survivors are an American, Philadelphia-based, soul and R&B group, founded by New York natives Richie and Charlie Ingui along with Kenny Jeremiah. The Soul Survivors are known for their 1967 hit single " Expressway to Your Heart", whi ...

for the B-side to their 1967 hit "

Expressway to Your Heart "Expressway to Your Heart" is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and performed by the Soul Survivors. It appeared on their 1967 album, ''When the Whistle Blows Anything Goes'', which was produced by Gamble and Huff. The song reached N ...

"; Belfast Gypsies (1967); Santa Esmeralda (1977); The Vietnam Veterans on their debut album ''On The Right Track Now'' (1983) and

The Raconteurs The Raconteurs (, also known as The Saboteurs in Australia) are an American rock band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 2005. The band consists of Jack White (vocals, guitar), Brendan Benson (vocals, guitar), Jack Lawrence (bass guitar), and ...

on '' Help Us Stranger'' (2019).

References

{{authority control Donovan songs The Animals songs 1965 songs Songs written by Donovan Song recordings produced by Tom Wilson (record producer) Pye Records singles MGM Records singles 1966 singles