Jimi Hendrix, session guitarist turned solo superstar, was primed to explode when he landed smack in the middle of London’s burgeoning psychedelic rock scene in September 1966. Former Animals bassist Chas Chandler had imported Hendrix into Britain, impressed with his performances in New York, and it had been decided that his first single would be Hey Joe, a traditional song of uncertain origin made famous by folkie Tim Rose.
The following month, Chandler took Hendrix and his swiftly assembled band – completed by bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell – into De Lane Lea studios in Holborn, with a newly acquired Marshall amplification rig. Chandler had recorded there often with The Animals, but Hendrix immediately took charge, fighting with him over the necessity to record at the high volume essential to the creation of his sound.
