THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE 'ELECTRIC LADYLAND'

50th Anniversary

Electric Ladyland is the third and final studio album by English-American rock band the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released by Reprise Records in North America and Track Records in the UK on my 10th birthday, October 16, 1968, 50 years ago, the double LP was the only record from the band produced by Jimi Hendrix and mixed entirely in stereo.

By mid-November, it had charted at number one in the United States, where it spent two weeks at the top spot. Electric Ladyland was the Experience's most commercially successful release and their only number one album. It peaked at number six in the UK, where it spent 12 weeks on the chart.

Electric Ladyland included a cover of the Bob Dylan song, 'All Along the Watchtower', which became the Experience's highest selling single and their only top 40 hit in the US, peaking at number 20; the single reached number five in the UK.

Although the album confounded critics in 1968, it has since been viewed as Hendrix's best work and one of the greatest rock records of all time.

In November 1968, a handful of British record stores banned the new album from their shelves due to its cover art. According to John Perry's 'Electric Ladyland' book, while Jimi Hendrix was otherwise occupied overseas, label boss Chris Stamp sent a celebrity photographer David Montgomery to a local speakeasy and offered the girls £5 to appear topless or £10 to go fully nude for the photo shoot. He shot the portrait depicting nineteen naked women adorning the front and back cover, one of whom is holding a copy of Experiences' ‘Axis:Bold As Love’, lounging in front of a black background, reminding the listener of the ‘blip’ in form from Jimi Hendrix, after the explosive entry of ‘Are You Experienced’. The idea, of course, was to generate publicity.

The unusual thing is Jimi probably hated this 'Electric Ladyland' photograph in question even more than those retailers did saying the unflattering image of 19 naked women had "nothing to do with him". Jimi immediately made it pretty clear that his U.K. label, Track Records, was behind the artwork. "Folks in Britain are kicking against the cover. Man, I don’t blame them. I wouldn’t have put this picture on the sleeve myself, but it wasn’t my decision. It’s mostly all bullshit."

The incident prompted Hendrix to write an extremely passionate and detailed letter, complete with sketches like the one pictured, to his American record label Reprise, explaining exactly how he wanted the 'Electric Ladyland' art to look when they released it. Jimi had expressly asked for a color photo by Linda Eastman of the group sitting with children on a sculpture from Alice in Wonderland in Central Park, and drew a picture of it for reference. The company instead used a blurred red and yellow photo of a close-up of the guitarist's face while performing at Saville Theatre, taken by Karl Ferris, and relegating most of the photographs he sent them to the inside panels.

As was common with multi LP albums, sides one and four were pressed back to back on the same platter, likewise sides two and three. This was called auto-coupling or automatic sequence and was intended to make it easier to play through the entire album in sequence on automatic record-changers. In this case it has led to some CD releases of Electric Ladyland that have the sides in the incorrect one-four-two-three order. The cassette tape version altered the running order to keep both sides of the tape as equal as possible, a standard practice.

Original double LP Track listing:
[All tracks written by Jimi Hendrix except where noted]

Side One
1. "And the Gods Made Love" 1:21
2. "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)" 2:11
3. "Crosstown Traffic" 2:25
4. "Voodoo Chile" 15:00
Total length : 20:57

Side Two
5. "Little Miss Strange" (Noel Redding) 2:52
6. "Long Hot Summer Night" 3:27
7. "Come On (Part I)" (Earl King; originally titled "Come On" on UK Track release [nb 5]) 4:09
8. "Gypsy Eyes" (Originally titled "Gipsy Eyes" on UK Track release) 3:43
9. "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" 3:39
Total length : 17:50

Side Three
10. "Rainy Day, Dream Away" 3:42
11. "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)[nb 6]" 13:39
12. "Moon, Turn the Tides...Gently Gently Away" 1:02
Total length : 18:23

Side Four
13. "Still Raining, Still Dreaming" 4:25
14. "House Burning Down" 4:33
15. "All Along the Watchtower" (Bob Dylan) 4:01
16. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" (Originally titled "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" on UK Track release) 5:12
Total length : 18:11

Personnel
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Jimi Hendrix – lead vocals, guitar, piano, percussion, comb and tissue paper kazoo, electric harpsichord, bass on "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)", "Long Hot Summer Night", "Gypsy Eyes", "1983", "House Burning Down", and "All Along the Watchtower"
Noel Redding – backing vocals, bass on "Crosstown Traffic", "Little Miss Strange", "Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)", "Burning of the Midnight Lamp", and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", acoustic guitar and lead vocals on "Little Miss Strange"
Mitch Mitchell – backing vocals, drums (except on "Rainy Day Dream Away" and "Still Raining, Still Dreaming"), percussion, lead vocals on "Little Miss Strange"

Additional personnel
Jack Casady – bass on "Voodoo Chile"
Brian Jones – percussion on "All Along the Watchtower"
Al Kooper – piano on "Long Hot Summer Night"
Dave Mason – twelve-string guitar on "All Along the Watchtower", backing vocals on "Crosstown Traffic"
The Sweet Inspirations – backing vocals on "Burning of the Midnight Lamp"
Steve Winwood – Hammond organ on "Voodoo Chile"
Chris Wood – flute on "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)"
on "Rainy Day, Dream Away" and "Still Raining, Still Dreaming"

with
Larry Faucette – congas
Mike Finnigan – organ
Buddy Miles – drums
Freddie Smith – tenor saxophone

A new 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Box Set was issued yesterday, November 9, 2018. It features Jimi's originally intended cover, and will be available as a box-set with either a Blu-ray disc and 3 x CD or a Blu-ray disc and 6 X Vinyl. The Blu-ray includes a 5.1 surround mix.
The 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Box Set contains:
* 'Electric Ladyland' album (newly remastered); the original double album LP set is an all analog direct to disc vinyl transfer of the album, preserving the authenticity
* 'Electric Ladyland: The Early Takes', which presents unreleased demos and studio outtakes from this period in Hendrix’s career, plus a new 5.1 surround sound mix of the entire original album by Hendrix’s original engineer Eddie Kramer. This marks the first and only time this has been done with a Hendrix studio album, and gives listeners the original stereo mixes in uncompressed 24 bit/96 kz high resolution audio
* 'Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live At the Hollywood Bowl' 9/14/68 (unreleased concert), part of Experience Hendrix’s Dagger Records official bootleg series, is another exclusive component. The never before released recording captures the band and the mounting excitement that took place just weeks before the release of Electric Ladyland
* 'At Last...The Beginning' film (40 minutes of new footage)
* 5.1 surround sound mix of Electric Ladyland album
* Linda Eastman McCartney’s original cover photo as chosen by Jimi
* The acclaimed, feature length documentary 'At Last...The Beginning: The Making of Electric Ladyland'
* A full color, 48-page book containing Jimi’s handwritten lyrics, poem and instructions to his record label, as well as never before published photos from the recording sessions that were shot by Eddie Kramer himself
* New essays by David Fricke & John McDermott

https://www.jimihendrix.com/electric-ladyland-50/

Jimi had expressly asked for a color photo by Linda Eastman of the group sitting with children on a sculpture from Alice in Wonderland in Central Park, and drew a picture of it for reference. The company instead used a blurred red and yellow photo of a close-up of the guitarist's face while performing at Saville Theatre, taken by Karl Ferris as the front cover.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Electric Ladyland’ [Back Cover]

The Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Electric Ladyland’ [Inner Cover]

In November 1968, a handful of British record stores banned the new album from their shelves due to its cover art. According to John Perry's 'Electric Ladyland' book, while Jimi Hendrix was otherwise occupied overseas, label boss Chris Stamp sent a celebrity photographer David Montgomery to a local speakeasy and offered the girls £5 to appear toplessor £10 to go fully nude for the photo shoot. He shot the portrait depicting nineteen naked women lounging in front of a black background, adorning the front and back cover, one of whom is holding a copy of Experiences' ‘Axis:Bold As Love’, reminding the listener of the ‘blip’ in form from Jimi Hendrix, after the explosive entry of ‘Are You Experienced’. The idea, of course, was to generate publicity.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Electric Ladyland’ [Naked Cover}

The Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Electric Ladyland’ [Naked Front Cover / Record 1]

The Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Electric Ladyland’ [Naked Back Cover / Record 2]

The Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Electric Ladyland’ [Gold Record]

The Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Electric Ladyland’ [in the studio]

Jimi Hendrix

lead vocals, guitar, piano, percussion, comb and tissue paper kazoo, electric harpsichord, bass on "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)", "Long Hot Summer Night", "Gypsy Eyes", "1983", "House Burning Down", and "All Along the Watchtower"
Noel Redding

backing vocals, bass on "Crosstown Traffic", "Little Miss Strange", "Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)", "Burning of the Midnight Lamp", and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", acoustic guitar and lead vocals on "Little Miss Strange"
Mitch Mitchell

backing vocals, drums (except on "Rainy Day Dream Away" and "Still Raining, Still Dreaming"), percussion, lead vocals on "Little Miss Strange"

The cover that JImi had expressly asked for - a color photo by Linda Eastman McCartney of the group sitting with children on a sculpture from Alice in Wonderland in Central Park.

Jimi wrote an extremely passionate and detailed letter, complete with sketches like the one pictured here, to his American record label Reprise, explaining exactly how he wanted the 'Electric Ladyland' art to look when they released it. Jimi had expressly asked for a color photo by Linda Eastman of the group sitting with children on a sculpture from Alice in Wonderland in Central Park, and drew a picture of it for reference.Jimi had expressly asked for a color photo by Linda Eastman of the group sitting with children on a sculpture from Alice in Wonderland in Central Park, and drew a picture of it for reference.

Jimi hated this 'Electric Ladyland' photograph saying the unflattering image of 19 naked women had "nothing to do with him". Jimi immediately made it pretty clear that his U.K. label, Track Records, was behind the artwork. "Folks in Britain are kicking against the cover. Man, I don’t blame them. I wouldn’t have put this picture on the sleeve myself, but it wasn’t my decision. It’s mostly all bullshit."

The Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Electric Ladyland’ 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Box Set

'Electric Ladyland: The Early Takes', which presents unreleased demos and studio outtakes from this period in Hendrix’s career, plus a new 5.1 surround sound mix of the entire original album by Hendrix’s original engineer Eddie Kramer. This marks the first and only time this has been done with a Hendrix studio album, and gives listeners the original stereo mixes in uncompressed 24 bit/96 kz high resolution audio

The Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Electric Ladyland’ 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Box Set

'Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live At the Hollywood Bowl' 9/14/68 (unreleased concert), part of Experience Hendrix’s Dagger Records official bootleg series, is another exclusive component. The never before released recording captures the band and the mounting excitement that took place just weeks before the release of Electric Ladyland

The Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Electric Ladyland’ 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Box Set

'At Last … The Beginning' film

(40 minutes of footage)

The Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Electric Ladyland’ 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Box Set

6LP + Blu-Ray set

The Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Electric Ladyland’ 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Box Set

4CD + Blu-Ray set

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition teaser

Electric Ladyland 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition: The Early Takes

Electric Ladyland 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition with Eddie Kramer

Electric Ladyland 50th Anniversary Edition: 5.1 Surround Mix

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along The Watchtower

THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE 'ARE YOU EXPERIENCED'

The Jimi Hendrix Experience 'Are You Experienced' is their debut studio album. Released in 1967, the LP was an immediate critical and commercial success, and it is widely regarded as one of the greatest debuts in the history of rock music. The album features Jimi Hendrix's innovative approach to songwriting and electric guitar playing which soon established a new direction in psychedelic and hardrock music.

The album and its preceding singles were recorded over a five-month period from late October 1966 through early April 1967.

[Original North American edition - August 23, 1967]
Side One
1. Purple Haze
2. Manic Depression
3. Hey Joe
4. Love or Confusion
5. May This Be Love
6. I Don't Live Today
Side Two
7. The Wind Cries Mary
8. Fire
9. Third Stone from the Sun
10. Foxy Lady
11. Are You Experienced?

CD reissue bonus tracks (1997)
12. Stone Free6
13. 51st Anniversary
14. Highway Chile
15. Can You See Me
16. Remember
17. Red House

Personnel:
Jimi Hendrix Experience
Jimi Hendrix – guitar, lead vocals
Noel Redding – bass guitar; backing vocals on "Foxy Lady," "Fire," and "Purple Haze"
Mitch Mitchell – drums; backing vocals on "I Don't Live Today" and "Stone Free"
Additional personnel:
The Breakaways – backing vocals on "Hey Joe"
Chas Chandler – producer
Dave Siddle – engineering on "Manic Depression," "Can You See Me," "Love or Confusion," "I Don't Live Today," "Fire," "Remember," "Hey Joe," "Stone Free," "Purple Haze," "51st Anniversary," and "The Wind Cries Mary"
Eddie Kramer – engineering on "The Wind Cries Mary," "Are You Experienced?," and "Red House"; additional engineering on "Love or Confusion," "Fire," "Third Stone from the Sun," and "Highway Chile"
Mike Ross – engineering on "Foxy Lady," "Red House," and "Third Stone from the Sun"