Hey Joe by The Jimi Hendrix Experience was the band's debut single, recorded on October 23, 1966.
It was a cover, and Hendrix was far from the first musician to record it.
His slow, menacing arrangement reached No. 6 in the UK in early 1967.
Table of Contents
- Who Wrote Hey Joe?
- How Hendrix Found the Song
- Recording and Release
- What Is the Song About?
- Chart Run and Legacy
- FAQ
Who Wrote Hey Joe?
A Song With Disputed Roots
Billy Roberts registered the song for US copyright in 1962.
Dino Valenti later copyrighted it in Los Angeles as his own.
Folk singer Tim Rose recorded it in 1966 and copyrighted his version as an arrangement of a traditional song.
No documentary evidence shows that it was ever wholly traditional.
The Hendrix single credits Billy Roberts.
The Versions Before Hendrix
The Leaves, a Los Angeles garage band, released the earliest known recording on November 25, 1965.
It sold poorly.
Their third attempt reached No. 31 on the Hot 100, the only version of the song to make the US Top 40.
Love recorded it in January 1966 and released it that April.
The Byrds cut it on April 28, 1966, with David Crosby singing lead.
It appeared on Fifth Dimension on July 18, 1966, and Crosby later called it a mistake.
How Hendrix Found the Song
Hendrix was playing the song in New York with Jimmy James and the Blue Flames.
His slower tempo resembled Tim Rose's single, which he had heard on a jukebox.
Chas Chandler, the former bassist of The Animals, watched him perform it.
Chandler took Hendrix to England in September 1966 and set out to record it.
Recording and Release
Two Hours at De Lane Lea
The band recorded Hey Joe on October 23, 1966, at De Lane Lea Studios in London.
Chandler produced and booked the room.
He knew it from his Animals days: "I knew the studio well, that's why I took him there."
Money was tight, so the session ran about two hours.
More than 30 takes went down before a basic track was approved.
Chandler and Hendrix also argued over how loud the vocals should sit in the mix.
Two Releases, Two Fates
Polydor issued the single in the UK on December 16, 1966, with "Stone Free" on the B-side.
It entered the chart at No. 41 and peaked at No. 6.
Reprise released it in the US on May 1, 1967, backed with "51st Anniversary."
It did not chart there.
What Is the Song About?
The lyrics are a conversation between a bystander and Joe, a man on the run.
Joe has shot his unfaithful wife and plans to flee to Mexico before the police catch him.
Hendrix's slow tempo turns the exchange into something close to a confession.
Chart Run and Legacy
| Chart | Result |
|---|---|
| UK singles chart | No. 6 |
| Billboard Hot 100 | Did not chart |
Honors and Covers
- Total Guitar, 13th greatest cover version of all time, 2000
- VH1, 22nd greatest hard rock song, 2009
- Rolling Stone, No. 201 on its 2010 list of the 500 greatest songs
- Cher, No. 94 on the Hot 100 in 1967
- Wilson Pickett, No. 59 on the Hot 100 in 1969
Deep Purple recorded a slower take for Shades of Deep Purple in 1968.
Frank Zappa parodied it as "Flower Punk" the same year.
At Woodstock in 1969, it was the last song Hendrix played and the festival's final number.
Where It Fits
The record belongs to 1966, when British rock was crossing into psychedelia.
Its follow-up, "Purple Haze," went one place higher in the UK.
Read the full Jimi Hendrix Experience biography, or explore the Psychedelic Rock hub.
FAQ
Who wrote Hey Joe?
Billy Roberts registered it for US copyright in 1962, and Hendrix's single credits him.
Dino Valenti and Tim Rose later copyrighted their own versions, so authorship is still disputed.
Was Hey Joe a Hendrix song?
No, it was a cover.
The Leaves released the earliest known recording in November 1965, and Hendrix based his slow arrangement on Tim Rose's single.
What is Hey Joe about?
A bystander questions Joe, a man on the run.
Joe has shot his unfaithful wife and plans to flee to Mexico.
When was Hey Joe released?
Polydor issued it in the UK on December 16, 1966, with Stone Free on the B-side.
The US release followed on May 1, 1967, backed with 51st Anniversary.
How high did Hey Joe chart?
It entered the UK chart at No. 41 and peaked at No. 6.
The US single did not chart.
A borrowed song, a borrowed arrangement and a two-hour session launched one of rock's great careers.
Wikipedia's entry on the song traces its many versions.
Press play above and hear Hey Joe by The Jimi Hendrix Experience the way Britain heard it in December 1966.