Voodoo Chile
| "Voodoo Chile" | |
|---|---|
| Song by the Jimi Hendrix Experience from the album Electric Ladyland | |
| Released | October 16, 1968(US) |
| Recorded | Record Plant Studios, New York City, May 2, 1968 |
| Genre | Blues rock |
| Length | 15:00 |
| Label | Reprise (no. 2RS 6307) |
| Writer(s) | Jimi Hendrix |
| Producer(s) | Jimi Hendrix |
"Voodoo Chile" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and recorded in 1968 for the third Jimi Hendrix Experience album Electric Ladyland. Music writer John Perry calls it "interstellar hootchie kootchie", which blends Chicago blues and science fiction. At fifteen minutes, it is Hendrix's longest studio recording and features additional musicians in what has been described as a studio jam. It was recorded at the Record Plant in New York City after a late night jam session with Hendrix, Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell, organist Steve Winwood, and bassist Jack Casady. "Voodoo Chile" is based on earlier blues songs and became the basis for "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", recorded by the Experience the next day and one of Hendrix's best-known songs.
"Voodoo Chile" uses a phonetical approximation of "child" pronounced without the "d", a spelling that was also used for Hendrix's song "Highway Chile". For the shorter Experience recording, Track Records in the UK used the title "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" for the British Electric Ladyland and "Voodoo Chile" for the 1970 UK single. Although many live recordings of "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" have been issued, only the three takes of the original studio jam, "Voodoo Chile", are known to exist. A composite of the first two takes is included on the 1994 Blues album.
"Voodoo Chile" evolved from "Catfish Blues", a song which Hendrix performed regularly during 1967 and early 1968. "Catfish Blues" was an homage to Muddy Waters, made up of a medley of verses based on Waters' songs, including "Rollin' Stone", "Still a Fool", and "Rollin' and Tumblin'". In April 1968, Hendrix recorded a number of solo demos in a New York hotel, including an early "Voodoo Chile", which he had been developing for some time. It used elements of "Catfish Blues" with new lyrics by Hendrix and included a vocal and guitar unison line.
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