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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 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.
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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.
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

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.