Have you ever been to Electric Ladyland? Not like this.
Today marks the release of the 50th anniversary box set for The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s timeless 1968 double album. Subscribers of Apple Music and Spotify can stream a sampler version below. You can purchase a physical copy of the set here.
Remastered from the original analog tapes and featuring a new 5.1 surround sound mix, the deluxe edition spans three unique releases, specifically the original album, a collection of previously unreleased demos and alternate versions dubbed Electric Ladyland: The Early Takes, and an unreleased live album titled Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live At the Hollywood Bowl 9/14/68, which includes a cover of Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love”.
Fans who pick up the physical box set also get At Last… The Beginning: The Making of Electric Ladyland, a definitive documentary that features on-screen recollections from the likes of drummer Mitch Mitchell, manager Chas Chandler, Buddy Miles, Steve Winwood, and many others. Also included is a book of unpublished photos, handwritten lyrics, and essays by music critic David Fricke and producer John McDermott.
Another intriguing facet to this release is the new cover art, which stays true to Hendrix’s vision. Originally, he wanted to use a photograph by the late Linda McCartney, who snapped the band with a bunch of children surrounding a statue of Alice in Wonderland in New York’s Central Park. While the photo made its way inside the album as a black and white shot, this set places it on the front with full color.
Electric Ladyland marked the final studio album to be released during Hendrix’s lifetime, seeing him become a complete auteur, who meticulously oversaw every step of the production. As Fricke writes in his essay for the box set, “Electric Ladyland is the guitarist at a visceral, pictorial peak in his playing and his exploration of the recording studio as an instrument of composition and narrative.”
Electric Ladyland 50th Anniversary Cover Artwork:
Electric Ladyland Deluxe Edition Tracklist:
Side A:
01. … And the Gods Made Love
02. Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)
03. Crosstown Traffic
04. Voodoo Chile
Side B:
01. Little Miss Strange
02. Long Hot Summer Night
03. Come On (Part I)
04. Gypsy Eyes
05. Burning of the Midnight Lamp
Side C:
01. Rainy Day, Dream Away
02. 1983….(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)
03. Moon, Turn the Tides….Gently Gently Away
Side D:
01. Still Raining, Still Dreaming
02. House Burning Down
03. All Along the Watchtower
04. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
At Last…The Beginning: The Making of Electric Ladyland: The Early Takes:
Side A:
01. 1983…(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)
02. Voodoo Chile
03. Cherokee Mist
04. Hear My Train A Comin’
Side B:
01. Angel
02. Gypsy Eyes
03. Somewhere
04. Long Hot Summer Night [Demo 1]
05. Long Hot Summer Night [Demo 3]
06. Long Hot Summer Night [Demo 4]
07. Snowballs At My Window
08. My Friend
Side C:
01. At Last…The Beginning
02. Angel Caterina (1983)
03. Little Miss Strange
04. Long Hot Summer Night [Take 1]
05. Long Hot Summer Night [Take 14]
Side D:
01. Rainy Day, Dream Away
02. Rainy Day Shuffle
03. 1983…(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)
Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live At The Hollywood Bowl Sept. 14, 1968 (Dagger Records)
Side A:
01. Introduction
02. Are You Experienced
03. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Side B:
01. Red House
02. Foxey Lady
03. Fire
Side C:
01. Hey Joe
02. Sunshine of Your Love
03. I Won’t Live Today
Side D:
01. Little Wing
02. Star Spangled Banner
03. Purple Haze