Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) was an American musician who recorded over 170 different songs during his career from 1966 to 1970. Often considered one of the most accomplished and influential electric guitarists, Hendrix wrote most of his own material in a variety of styles. Some show his blues and R&B roots and others incorporate jazz and early funk influences. Some songs, such as "Purple Haze", "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", and "Machine Gun", feature his guitar-dominated hard and psychedelic rock sound, while others including "The Wind Cries Mary" and "Little Wing" take a slower, more melodic approach. Two of his best-known single releases were written by others: "Hey Joe" by Billy Roberts and "All Along the Watchtower" by Bob Dylan. Hendrix supplied his own interpretations, however, which gave them a much different character than the originals.
Hendrix was known for his live performances. While he often played the numbers from his studio albums, several released songs exist only in live recordings. His radical interpretation of "The Star-Spangled Banner", which he performed at the 1969 Woodstock music festival, was a highlight of the event's 1970 documentary film, becoming "part of the sixties Zeitgeist." The live "Machine Gun" is often lauded as Hendrix's greatest achievement, in which he used the guitar to create sounds of a battlefield and noises similar to explosions, bombs dropping, and machine guns. Other songs only performed in concert show his interest in different styles of music. These include interpretations of blues songs by artists such as Howlin' Wolf ("Killing Floor"), B.B. King ("Rock Me Baby"), and Muddy Waters ("Catfish Blues"); the early rock and roll numbers "Johnny B. Goode" and "Blue Suede Shoes"; as well as the more contemporary rock "Sunshine of Your Love" and "Dear Mr. Fantasy".
At the time of his death, Hendrix was writing and recording for a planned fourth studio album. Songs such as "Freedom" and "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" signaled a new direction in Hendrix's music, which included a more integrated mix of hard rock with elements of R&B and multiple guitar parts. He also left behind a large number of partially completed songs, demos, and jams in a variety of styles, which continue to be issued. Although he toured and mostly recorded as a three-piece, several Hendrix songs featured additional musicians, such as background vocalists, percussionists, and keyboardists. The long studio jam "Voodoo Chile", which Hendrix developed into "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", was recorded with organist Steve Winwood and bassist Jack Casady. Jamming was integral to his songwriting process and several posthumous post-1980 albums contain songs that are largely studio jams with various players. How much of this material Hendrix would have completed or released is unknown, but nonetheless has become part of his recording legacy.
In his writings, performances, and in the recording studio, Hendrix often referred to songs using alternate titles. Record companies in the US and UK sometimes issued his songs with differences in the spelling; Track Records (UK) used "Foxy Lady", while Reprise Records (US) spelled it "Foxey Lady". Later album producers changed some titles or supplied their own, when a formal name had not been identified.
Main songs (1966–1970) Sixty songs were issued during Hendrix's lifetime, principally on the first three studio albums, a compilation, and a split live album under the Jimi Hendrix Experience name: Are You Experienced (1967) Axis: Bold as Love (1967) Smash Hits (1968) Electric Ladyland (1968) Historic Performances Recorded at the Monterey International Pop Festival (1970) Additional songs recorded live were issued on Band of Gypsys (1970) and the various artists release Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More (1970). Two songs recorded with the Band of Gypsys lineup were issued as a single in 1970.
+Key Indicates song released on a single Indicates song released as a live recording +List of songs with title, songwriter(s), original album release, year of release, and reference(s)Original titleWriter(s)Original albumreleaseYear "3rd Stone from the Sun" Are You Experienced 1967 "51st Anniversary" Hendrix Smash Hits(UK edition) 1967 "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" Hendrix Electric Ladyland 1968 "Ain't No Telling" Hendrix Axis: Bold as Love 1967 "All Along the Watchtower" Electric Ladyland 1968 "" Hendrix Electric Ladyland 1968 "Are You Experienced?" Hendrix Are You Experienced 1967 "Bold as Love" Hendrix Axis: Bold as Love 1967 "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" Hendrix Smash Hits(UK edition) 1967 "Can You See Me" Hendrix Are You Experienced(UK edition) 1967 "Castles Made of Sand" Hendrix Axis: Bold as Love 1967 "Changes" Band of Gypsys 1970 "Come On (Part I)" Electric Ladyland 1968 "Crosstown Traffic" Hendrix Electric Ladyland 1968 "Electric Ladyland" see "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)" "EXP" Hendrix Axis: Bold as Love 1967 "Fire" Hendrix Are You Experienced 1967 "Foxy Lady" Hendrix Are You Experienced 1967 "Gypsy Eyes" Hendrix Electric Ladyland 1968 "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)" Hendrix Electric Ladyland 1968 "Hey Joe" Are You Experienced(US edition) 1966 "Highway Chile" Hendrix Smash Hits(UK edition) 1967 "House Burning Down" Hendrix Electric Ladyland 1968 "I Don't Live Today" Hendrix Are You Experienced 1967 "If Six Was Nine" Hendrix Axis: Bold as Love 1967 "Instrumental Solo" see "Villanova Junction" "Izabella" Hendrix War Heroes 1970 "Like a Rolling Stone" Historic Performances 1970 "Little Miss Lover" Hendrix Axis: Bold as Love 1967 "Little Miss Strange" Electric Ladyland 1968 "Little Wing" Hendrix Axis: Bold as Love 1967 "Long Hot Summer Night" Hendrix Electric Ladyland 1968 "Love or Confusion" Hendrix Are You Experienced 1967 "Machine Gun" Hendrix Band of Gypsys 1970 "Manic Depression" Hendrix Are You Experienced 1967 "May This Be Love" Hendrix Are You Experienced 1967 "Message of Love" Hendrix Band of Gypsys 1970 "Moon, Turn the Tides...Gently Gently Away" Hendrix Electric Ladyland 1968 "One Rainy Wish" Hendrix Axis: Bold as Love 1967 "Power to Love" Hendrix Band of Gypsys 1970 "Purple Haze" Hendrix Are You Experienced(US edition) 1967 "Rainy Day, Dream Away" Hendrix Electric Ladyland 1968 "Red House" Hendrix Are You Experienced(UK edition) 1967 "Remember" Hendrix Are You Experienced(UK edition) 1967 "Rock Me Baby" Historic Performances 1970 "She's So Fine" Axis: Bold as Love 1967 "Spanish Castle Magic" Hendrix Axis: Bold as Love 1967 "Star Spangled Banner"Traditional ( by Hendrix) Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More 1970 "" Hendrix Smash Hits(UK edition) 1967 "Stepping Stone" Hendrix War Heroes 1970 "Still Raining, Still Dreaming" Hendrix Electric Ladyland 1968 "Stone Free" Hendrix Smash Hits 1966 "Third Stone from the Sun" see "3rd Stone from the Sun" "Up from the Skies" Hendrix Axis: Bold as Love 1967 "Villanova Junction" Hendrix Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More 1970 "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" Hendrix Electric Ladyland 1968 "Voodoo Chile" Hendrix Electric Ladyland 1968 "Wait Until Tomorrow" Hendrix Axis: Bold as Love 1967 "We Gotta Live Together" Band of Gypsys 1970 "Who Knows" Hendrix Band of Gypsys 1970 "Wild Thing" Historic Performances 1970 "" Hendrix Are You Experienced(US edition) 1967 "You've Got Me Floating" Hendrix Axis: Bold as Love 1967
Songs released posthumously (1971–present) At the time of his death, Hendrix had a large number of songs in various stages of recording. Some were for a planned fourth studio album; 15 songs from his proposed track listings were released on the first three posthumous Hendrix albums produced by longtime associates recording engineer Eddie Kramer and drummer Mitch Mitchell: The Cry of Love (1971) Rainbow Bridge (1971) War Heroes (1972)
Beginning in 1975, more unfinished songs were released on albums produced by Alan Douglas. Most of the original recordings were edited and often had overdubs by musicians who had never played with Hendrix. In 1997, Experience Hendrix, a family company, took control of his recording legacy. Its first release, First Rays of the New Rising Sun (1997), combined songs from the 1971–1972 albums in the most complete attempt at presenting his unfinished fourth studio album. Experience Hendrix continues to issue additional unfinished songs, alternate takes, demos, and jams (including restored recordings from the Douglas era). All songs listed are from official releases. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWY +Key Indicates song released on a single Indicates song released as a live recording +List of songs with title, songwriter(s), original album release, year of release, and reference(s)Original titleWriter(s)Original albumreleaseYear "3 Little Bears" War Heroes 1972 "12 Bar with Horns" Hendrix Non-album singleB-side of "Love or Confusion" 2010 "" Both Sides of the Sky 2018 "Acoustic Demo" Hendrix Morning Symphony Ideas 2000 "All God's Children" Hendrix West Coast Seattle Boy 2010 "Angel" Hendrix 1971 "Angel Caterina" See "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" "Astro Man" Hendrix 1971 "Auld Lang Syne" Traditional(adapted by Hendrix) (EP) 1974 "Baggy's Jam" Hendrix 2002 "Beginning" Woodstock Two 1971 "Belly Button Window" Hendrix 1971 "Bleeding Heart" Experience 1971 "Blue Suede Shoes" Hendrix in the West 1972 "Blue Window" Hendrix Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues 2003 "Blues Jam at Olympic" Hendrix Hear My Music 2004 "Bolero" Hendrix West Coast Seattle Boy 2010 "Born Under a Bad Sign" William Bell Blues 1994 "Burning Desire" Hendrix Loose Ends 1974 "Calling All the Devil's Children" Hendrix West Coast Seattle Boy 2010"Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" BBC Sessions 1998 "Captain Coconut" See "MLK" "Cat Talking to Me" Hendrix West Coast Seattle Boy 2010 "Catfish Blues" ( Muddy Waters) Radio One 1988 "Cherokee Mist" Hendrix 2000 "Come Down Hard on Me Baby" Hendrix Loose Ends 1974 "Country Blues" Hendrix 2000 "Crash Landing" Hendrix People, Hell and Angels 2013 "Crying Blue Rain" Hendrix Valleys of Neptune 2010 "Day Tripper" John LennonPaul McCartney Radio One 1988 "Dear Mr. Fantasy" Steve WinwoodChris Wood Paris 1967/San Francisco 1968 2003 "Dolly Dagger" Hendrix Rainbow Bridge 1971 "Drifter's Escape" Loose Ends 1974 "Drifting" Hendrix 1971 "Drivin' South" ( Curtis Knight) Radio One 1988 "Drone Blues" Hendrix Hear My Music 2004 "Earth Blues" Hendrix Rainbow Bridge 1971 "Easy Blues" Hendrix People, Hell and Angels 2013 "Electric Church Red House" Hendrix Blues 1994 "Ezy Ryder" Hendrix 1971 "Farther Up the Road"HendrixElectric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision2024 "Freedom" Hendrix 1971 "Georgia Blues" Hendrix Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues 2003 "Getting My Heart Back Together Again" see "Hear My Train A Comin'" "Gloria" Gloria(EP UK) 1978 "Gypsy Blood" Hendrix Hear My Music 2004 "Gypsy Boy" see "Hey Baby" "Hear My Freedom" Hendrix West Coast Seattle Boy 2010 "Hear My Train A Comin'" Hendrix Woodstock Two 1971 "Heaven Has No Sorrow"HendrixElectric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision2024 "Here He Comes" see "Lover Man" "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" Hendrix Rainbow Bridge 1971 "Hound Dog" Jerry LeiberMike Stoller Radio One 1988 "Hound Dog Blues" Hendrix West Coast Seattle Boy 2010 "I Was Made to Love Her" Lula Mae HardawayHenry CosbySylvia Moy BBC Sessions 1998 "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" Loose Ends 1974 "In from the Storm" Hendrix 1971 "Inside Out" Hendrix People, Hell and Angels 2013 "It's Too Bad" Hendrix 2000 "Jam 292" Hendrix Loose Ends 1974 "Jam Back at the House"