Electric Ladyland Studio

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Lore & Background

Recording for Electric Ladyland began in December 1967 or early 1968 across several studios in the US and UK before resuming on April 18, 1968, at the newly opened Record Plant Studios in New York City. While Chas Chandler initially served as producer alongside engineers Eddie Kramer and Gary Kellgren, tension grew due to Hendrix's studio perfectionism; he and drummer Mitch Mitchell recorded over 50 takes of "Gypsy Eyes" alone. The control room became chaotic as friends and guests filled the space, leading bassist Noel Redding to describe it as a party rather than a session. This environment caused Chandler to sever his professional relationship with Hendrix. Consequently, the album's cover states it was "produced and directed by Jimi Hendrix," which disturbed Chandler since he had produced some songs. As Redding became occupied with his own band, Fat Mattress, starting in mid-1968, Hendrix played many of the bass parts himself.

In Their Own Story

The album's creation involved significant experimentation and collaboration beyond the core trio. In March 1968, Jim Morrison joined Hendrix onstage at New York's Scene Club, while early April saw an impromptu jam with B.B. King, Al Kooper, and Elvin Bishop. For the 15-minute slow-blues jam "Voodoo Chile," Hendrix utilized guest musicians Jefferson Airplane's Jack Casady on bass and Traffic's Steve Winwood on organ. The recording process was marked by innovation; engineer Eddie Kramer employed techniques like backmasking, chorus effect, echo, and flanging to recontextualize the band's psychedelic and funk sounds. This era also saw Hendrix recording his vocals hidden behind studio screens due to insecurity about his voice, though he sang backing vocals on "Long Hot Summer Night" and the title track. The double LP remains unique as the only Experience album mixed entirely in stereo.

Reader's Guide

Electric Ladyland spans a wide range of genres, from the psychedelic "Burning of the Midnight Lamp," which was a UK single in summer 1967, to the New Orleans-style R&B of Earl King's "Come On." The tracklist includes the epic studio production of "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" and social commentary found in "House Burning Down." It also features Noel Redding's sixties-era British pop song "Little Miss Strange" and an electric reworking of Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," which reached number 20 in the US and number 5 (or 6, per conflicting source text) in the UK. The album showcases one of Hendrix's most prominent wah-wah pedal uses on "Burning of the Midnight Lamp." While contemporary critics were initially confused by its dense structure—Melody Maker called it "mixed-up and muddled"—the work was later praised by Robert Christgau as an explosive showcase of rock's "heavy" guitar aesthetic. It has since been ranked 53rd on Rolling Stone's 2020 list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time."

Did You Know?

• The double album was the only record by The Jimi Hendrix Experience to have production solely credited to Jimi Hendrix.
• Hendrix and drummer Mitch Mitchell recorded over 50 takes of "Gypsy Eyes" across three sessions due to perfectionism.
• Bassist Noel Redding noted the studio environment became so crowded with guests that "you couldn't move," prompting producer Chas Chandler to end his professional relationship with Hendrix.
• The album's UK cover features a photograph by David Montgomery depicting nineteen nude women, which Hendrix was involved in selecting and approving; his displeasure was with the UK cover.
• "All Along the Watchtower" became the Experience's best-selling single and their only US top 40 hit.