Mary Hopkin--no "s"! Mary was a several-times winner of Hughie Green's (those Canajuns get everywhere!) "New Faces" talent show (on account of her having talent and the other contestants not). Paul McCartney took her under his wing and he produced TWTD. I know the song was already a few years old when Mary recorded it in 1967 or '68; it had the kind of built-in nostalgia that suited her style. There was a hammered dulcimer on it, thus qualifying it for discussion by folkies.

Sandie Shaw covered it, and her version was released on the same day. She'd been given it by her record company; you know how they used to work, finding material by unheard of no-hopers and passing on to "real" stars--except that Mary Hopkin was about to take off in her own right. Sandie said afterwards that she hadn't seen MH, but when she realised what a sweet young innocent etc. etc. she was, she "felt like the Queen of the Big Blue Meanies". Quite right too!

Mary married her manager, Tony Visconti, but I think they got divorced some years ago.

Steve