Electric Ladyland

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Electric Ladyland
Studio album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Publication
(s)

October 16, 1968

Label (s) Track (UK), Reprise (US);
later: MCA

Format (s)

Double LP

Genre (s)

Psychedelic rock

Title (number)

16

running time

75m47s

occupation see the Contributors section

production

Jimi Hendrix

Studio (s)

Record Plant Studios , New York

chronology
Smash Hits
(1968)
Electric Ladyland Band of Gypsys
(1970)

Electric Ladyland is a rock album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience released in 1968. The album is seen as the pinnacle of Hendrix's guitar playing and one of the most significant rock albums.

meaning

The album is not only the last of the Jimi Hendrix Experience , but also the last studio album that Hendrix himself produced. After Electric Ladyland , he spent the remaining two years of his life putting together a new band and recording another number of tracks.

The double album Electric Ladyland shows the breadth of Hendrix 'musical abilities. The album contains both psychedelic (Burning of the Midnight Lamp) and more " bluesy " pieces ( Voodoo Chile ) , as well as songs that are based on rock 'n' roll of the 1950s (Little Miss Strange) . The album also features a cover version of Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower , which many (including Dylan himself) consider the best version of the song.

admission

The recording of the album turned out to be problematic. After a tour, Hendrix decided to move back to the USA. Frustrated by the limitations of conventional studios, he wanted to set up his own studio in New York where he could realize his musical ideas. However, the construction of the studio was delayed more and more, so that he had to record Electric Ladyland in the Record Plant Studios .

As the previously rather disciplined Hendrix became more and more volatile and the sessions took place only irregularly, the producer Chas Chandler left them in May 1968. Chandler later criticized Hendrix's insistence on making several recordings of the same song ( Gypsy Eyes took 43 attempts and still stopped Hendrix unsatisfied). Guitarist Dave Mason had to play more than 20 versions of the acoustic guitar in All Along the Watchtower . Hendrix was able to recruit Dave Mason, Chris Wood and Steve Winwood from Traffic , drummer Buddy Miles , Jack Casady from Jefferson Airplane and the former Dylan organist Al Kooper to collaborate on the album . In the final production phase, a studio employee renamed the album "Electric Landlady". The album almost came out under this title, but Hendrix found out about it and had the title changed again.

Cover

The cover of the British version featured nineteen naked women, which sparked controversy. In 1993 this cover design was taken up by the band Die Toten Hosen for the album Reich & sexy . Hendrix, however, clearly distanced himself from the cover with the naked women. The photo shoots were made without his knowledge and used for the cover. In the UK edition, some copies actually came out under the name ELECTRIC LANDLADY on the inside and outside cover.

Hendrix wanted to use one of the photos as the cover that are shown today on the last two pages of the CD booklet (remastered version): The recordings with the band members and children on the Alice in Wonderland statue in New York's Central Park . These photos were taken by the photographer Linda Eastman , who later became Paul McCartney's wife .

Charts

Electric Ladyland was released on October 16, 1968 in the United States (October 25, 1968 in England) and became Hendrix's only album that reached number 1 on the charts. In Great Britain it reached number 5. The singles All Along the Watchtower and Crosstown Traffic were released from the album, the former reached number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 in the UK and the latter number 52 in the US and in Great Britain Number 37. The single Voodoo Chile (without the addition 'Slight Return'), released after Hendrix's death, reached number 1 on the UK charts.

Track list

All songs without further information were written by Jimi Hendrix.

  1. And the Gods Made Love (1:21) -  ... And the Gods Made Love on the US version
  2. Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland) (2:12)
  3. Crosstown Traffic (2:25)
  4. Voodoo Chile (15:05)
  5. Little Miss Strange ( Noel Redding ) (2:50)
  6. Long Hot Summer Night (3:30)
  7. Come On ( Earl King ) (4:10) -  Come On (Part I) on the US version
  8. Gipsy Eyes (3:46) - Gypsy Eyes on the US version
  9. Burning of the Midnight Lamp (3:44)
  10. Rainy Day, Dream Away (3:43)
  11. 1983 ... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be) (13:46)
  12. Moon, Turn the Tides ... Gently Gently Away (1:01)
  13. Still Raining, Still Dreaming (4:24)
  14. House Burning Down (4:35)
  15. All Along the Watchtower ( Bob Dylan ) (4:01)
  16. Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) (5:14) - Voodoo Child (Slight Return) on the US version

Contributors

such as:

  • Eddie Kramer & Gary Kellgren: sound engineers

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. UK-LP Track 613 008/9, Polydor Records Ltd. 1968
  2. Chart placements of Electric Ladyland on allmusic.com
  3. Single Voodoo Chile at Discogs