Freedom (Jimi Hendrix song)
| "Freedom" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Italian single picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by Jimi Hendrix | ||||
| from the album The Cry of Love | ||||
| B-side | "Angel" | |||
| Released | March 8, 1971 | |||
| Recorded | June–August 1970 | |||
| Studio | Electric Lady, New York City | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 3:24 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jimi Hendrix | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Jimi Hendrix U.S. singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Freedom" is a rock song by Jimi Hendrix that is often regarded as one of the most fully realized pieces he wrote and recorded in the months before his death.[1] It incorporates several musical styles and the lyrics touch upon his relationship with Devon Wilson and her heroin addiction:[1]
You know you hooked my girlfriend,
You know the drugstore man
Well I don't need it now,
I'm just tryin' to slap it out of her hand!
Freedom! So I can live![2]
The song is one of the post-Band of Gypsys developed numbers that Hendrix regularly performed in concert.[3][4] In 1971, "Freedom" was used as the opening track on The Cry of Love. In the US, the song was also released as a single and was only one of two posthumous Hendrix singles to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached number 59.[5]
"Freedom" is now one of the more popular songs in the Hendrix catalogue and is included on several compilations. In 1997, it was used to lead off First Rays of the New Rising Sun, the most comprehensive attempt to present Hendrix's planned fourth studio album.[3]
Other releases of "Freedom" include:
Demos
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Record Plant, New York City, February 6, 1970[6]
- West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology – Record Plant, May 15, 1970[7]
Performances
- Isle of Wight (1971) – recorded August 31, 1970
- Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight (2002) – as above[8]
- Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival (2015) – recorded July 4, 1970
- Live in Maui (2020) – recorded July 30, 1970
Compilations
- The Essential Jimi Hendrix (1978)
- Cornerstones: 1967–1970 (1990)
- Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix (1997)
- Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection (2001) – live version from Isle of Wight[9]
Notes
Citations
- ^ a b McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, p. 211.
- ^ Hendrix 2003, p. 62.
- ^ a b McDermott 1997, p. 5.
- ^ Others include "Dolly Dagger", "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)", "In from the Storm", and "Straight Ahead". McDermott, Kramer, Cox; 2009, pages 207–208, 211–215.
- ^
"Jimi Hendrix: Chart History – Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
{{cite web}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - ^ McDermott 2000.
- ^ McDermott 2010.
- ^ McDermott 2002.
- ^ Loder 2001.
References
- Hendrix, Janie (2003). Jimi Hendrix: The Lyrics. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Hal Leonard. ISBN 0-634-04930-5.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Loder, Kurt (2001). Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection (CD compilation booklet). Jimi Hendrix. Universal City, California: MCA Records. 066 112 603-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - McDermott, John (1997). First Rays of the New Rising Sun (CD booklet). Jimi Hendrix. Universal City, California: MCA Records.
- McDermott, John (2000). The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Box set booklet). Jimi Hendrix. Universal City, California: MCA Records. 08811 23162.
{{cite AV media notes}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - McDermott, John (2002). Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight (DVD booklet). Jimi Hendrix. Santa Monica, California: MCA Records. OCLC 806443759. 088 170 341-9.
{{cite AV media notes}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - McDermott, John; Kramer, Eddie; Cox, Billy (2009). Ultimate Hendrix. New York City: Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-938-1.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - McDermott, John (2010). West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology (CD set booklet). Jimi Hendrix. New York City: Legacy. 88697769272.
{{cite AV media notes}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Shadwick, Keith (2003). Jimi Hendrix: Musician. San Francisco, California: Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-764-1.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Shapiro, Harry; Glebbeek, Cesar (1990). Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy. New York City: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-05861-6.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)
