Voodoo Chile

David Morton

Lifetime Supporter
It never got any better than this:



Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child named best guitar riff of all time

Voodoo Child, by Jimi Hendrix has been named the greatest guitar riff of all time, more than 40 years after he first recorded the classic jam.



Published: 7:00AM GMT 27 Nov 2009

jimi____1531530c.jpg
Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child has been named the greatest guitar riff of all time Photo: REUTERS


Late guitar guru Hendrix, who topped the singles chart with the track in 1970, triumphed in a poll of musicians.
The track - full title Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - edged past Guns N'Roses song Sweet Child O'Mine which finished second in the poll by musicians' website MusicRadar.com.
<!-- BEFORE ACI -->


Voodoo Child - with its distinctive 'wah-wah' opening - was first released on Hendrix's Electric Ladyland album and led on from an earlier track, Voodoo Chile, which was a 15-minute blues jam. Confusingly, by the time it was released as a single in 1970 it too had been named Voodoo Chile.
MusicRadar.com's editor-in-chief Mike Goldsmith said: ''Nearly 40 years after his untimely death, Jimi Hendrix is still the undisputed heavyweight champion of rock guitar.


Voodoo Chile" is a song by The Jimi Hendrix Experience from the album Electric Ladyland. Recorded on May 2, 1968 at the Record Plant Studios in New York City, the recording session included Mitch Mitchell, drummer of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Steve Winwood of Traffic on B3 organ, and Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane on bass duties. The song, basically a 15-minute blues jam, evolved into the final product over the course of an hour.
After many of the late night Electric Ladyland recording sessions, Hendrix and the band went to one of the New York City clubs to jam with whoever was there. One such jam at The Scene Club included Steve Winwood and Jack Casady. Noel Redding was not present as he had stormed out of the Record Plant studio earlier that evening. They spent the night playing "Voodoo Chile", and when the club closed, Hendrix invited everyone back to the studio. At about 7 a.m. the next morning they began to formally record "Voodoo Chile". It took only three takes and the final 15 minute version was Hendrix's longest studio recording. The second take did not come out well, since a string broke. The first and second takes are used in "Voodoo Chile Blues" that is a combination of two takes released on Hendrix leftovers-album called Blues.
While "Voodoo Chile" sounds like a live recording, the crowd noise was actually recorded afterwards. Some twenty people were brought to the studio to record appropriate background noise.
 
Love "Hey Joe", too.

But my all time favourite line is
" If I don´t see you no more in this world...
...I'll meet you in the next one. Don't be late."
 

Charlie Farley

Supporter
David,

I have to say that the result doesn't surprise me. Don't get me wrong, not through any form of arrogance, just that it was musicians that were asked to vote this time around.
I once asked Toni Iommi ( Black Sabbath ) prior to a gig, who he rated as the best. His reply was Hendrix and he then went to great length, with much passion,to explain why there would never be an innovator of the electric guitar, ever to touch him.
I can still remember reading the article in the newspaper announcing his death.
It's kind of like where were you when JFK died.
His manager Mike Jeffrey's died a couple of years later in a mysterious plane crash. One fact that says it all about the murky dealings in that industry, was Hendrix never received 1 cent royalties for all the records he sold outside the USA.
This quote comes to mind :

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."

Attributed to Hunter S. Thompson.
 

David Morton

Lifetime Supporter
Yes - I remember where I was when I heard because I'd been at the Isle of Wight
over the weekend. We had been tech delayed and I was strapping in, in the back of a Victor BK1 in Marham, Norfolk and the crew chief out on the long lead told me over the intercom (as we were previously talking in the coffee bar about the Hendrix weekend) while the aeroplane was being fixed. I recall he used to have one of these Sinclair or somesuch mini radios taped onto his headset and wired into one of his headphones listening to pop music all day long. I'd seen Hendrix live probably in excess of eight maybe nine times and I though it was really devastating news for music at large. Whether you liked his music or not, he was the most influential guitarist ever.
 

Jim Rosenthal

Supporter
I heard this on the BBC today, and I don't disagree that the opening riff of VC is a great piece of guitar playing. But I thought they missed the boat on a few other great guitar openings: like that Chuck Berry riff that opens "Johhny B. Goode" and "Rollover Beethoven", for example. AND, the syncopated beat riff that's called the "Bo Diddley" riff-the one that's in "Maybellene", "Who Do You Love", etc.

While I'm glad they're looking at this kind of popular music geneology, I think they haven't done their homework. I've played the guitar for a long time, and I've played all these tunes with my bands, and I wish they'd asked more guitar players what they thought about all this. The longer I think about it, the more examples I think of that they left out- here's another: the opening riff of "Walk This Way"- another example of something that the minute you hear it, you can't get it out of your head.

You think my taste in CARS is old? I'll post a photo of the 1950s Fender Bandmaster I use on some gigs. It will still blow the back wall out of the room...
 
All of this may be wasted on the younger generation. I recall an evening several years ago when a kid came up to the lead guitar player in the band I was working for and asked him if they played a tune called Voodoo 'Chilly'. Apparently he just looked at the song name on the record/CD jacket and never equated it with the pronounced lyric. And for Tom, check out Stevie Ray's version of Little Wing.
 

Jeff Young

GT40s Supporter
We're starting to lose "guitar rock" unfortunately. It's been a rut for a long time. No real innovators like Hendrix, Clapton, Page, Iommi, Blackmore, etc. Hell, I'll give Edge and Billy Duffy (Cult) and Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) and Kim Thayil (Soundgarden) for doing "different" things with the e-guitar, but it's been quiet since.

My favorite Hendrix riffs...I love Ezy Rider and Freedom from Cry of Love....

My favorite licks of all time to listen to/play: Cult - She Sells Sanctuary/Sabbath - Supernaut/Billy Squier! -- Lonely is the Night/Rainbow -- L.A. Connection.....

My equipment:

06 Gibson Firebird VII
07 Gibson SG Classic (P90s)
87 Gibson Les Paul Custom
83 Fender Stratocaster Contemporary (two humbuckers!)

84 Laney Pro Tube Lead AOR 50 half stack
early 60s Sears Silvertone 1484
Mid 80s Fender Princeton
 
David, we also need to mention some of Jimi's other tunes that show his versatility such as Angel, Castles Made of Sand and his version of Red House.
 

Chris Kouba

Supporter
this is my favorite interpretation of that great song

YouTube - Stevie Ray Vaughan - Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)

much better than the original ( sounds familiar doesn´t it)

TOM

+1!!

Hendrix was a fantastic innovator without a doubt, but my personal opinion puts SRV at the pinnacle of the guitar player stack. He never ran out of things to say with the guitar but also wasn't forceful or gratuitous with it either.

And I may only be a mediocre guitarist, but love playing VC at a gig. I even usually play it well enough to enjoy it and not offend any true Hendrix or SRV fans...

CK

Small fleet of Les Pauls
Trio of Strats
Tele
Gretsch 6120
Guild Bluesbird
A couple other Gibsons

Marshall Half Stack
Fender Deville combo
Other stuff... Yeah, I'm addicted.
 

Chris Kouba

Supporter
Hey Jeff,

I like the 6120 well enough and had been thinking about doing another like a Falcon or Penguin. In the end, I am a Gibson fan though and found a similarly (re-)finished ES175 and took it home. It was a distinct white with creme binding and gold hardware/bigsby. GREAT ax!

I love the Gretsch for what it is though. It has a signature sound and feel, just don't play it too much- have only done a very few jazz-type gigs with it.
 

Jeff Young

GT40s Supporter
Dang, we think alike! I am a Gibson guy too. My Firebird is my favorite (my LP Custom needs a refret), but I've played ES335s/355s and if I don't go White Falcon I have been on the lookout for an Alex Lifeson ES355.....

How do you like the 175? For semi hollow bodies, the Gibsons are pretty damn good rock guitars.
 

Chris Kouba

Supporter
I pretty much love all my Gibsons, but if I could only have 1 electric it would be the most under-rated (in my opinion) and no longer made Guild Bluesbird. Check them out. Great sound, great feel, oversized chambered body, great tone, excellent playability and the example I have is visually stunning! I really recommend them.

It's a crappy shot to show it off but this one is mine. It's beautifully figured:
aIMG_0028-crop.jpg

(I'm the dork on the left)

The 135 and the 175 are nice and I do like them a lot. I put a Bigsby on the 175 and have also been contemplating one for the 135. I have a friend who does jazz stuff on a B3 and we've played out a handful of times. That's usually when those two or the Gretsch usually come out- I can't confess to having rocked them too hard.

It's tough to justify another guitar with the wifey but I am very casually watching for either another Bluesbird or a custom LP at the right price to replace my 1980 which was stolen several years ago. I haven't spent any time with a Firebird or a 355 but imagine they play pretty well too!
 
'76 Ibanez 'Howard Roberts' custom (gold hardware and neck mount P90)which spent time in later incarnation of Les Brown's orchestra;'62 Gibson J200 once played by Mississippi John Hurt,Taylor 514 C (cedar top,stereo Fishman);Fender dsce 31. I love the Taylor for acoustic stuff,especially for acoustic duet of Little Wing with the band's lead guitarist.
 
Last edited:

JimmyMac

Lifetime Supporter
I haven't played with these for a while but I own a Gibson Les Paul Custom and two tiger stripe Standards plus an original PRS CE24 with birds.
These go through a little Mesa Boogie.
As I am left handed, I also made my own guitars and use the originals to copy.
 

Attachments

  • PRS.jpg
    PRS.jpg
    280.9 KB · Views: 163
  • LES PAUL 01.jpg
    LES PAUL 01.jpg
    277.6 KB · Views: 176

David Morton

Lifetime Supporter
Left Handed eh? Well you are going to have to sort something out when it comes to driving your car. Maybe you will have to let me do it !!!
Those Guitars you have made they're a work of art.
I once went to LA with a friend who bought a Fender - rather sought after apparently
and Not Modern. I think the upset price was about $5,000 and he brought it home, dismantled it, had it resprayed in a bodyworks place nearby. I think his 5k went to 2c in one simple move. He did something similar to a Manx Norton. I saw the frame a couple of weeks ago - all rusty and the tank dented beyond repair. I won't get into what he did with his E type.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top