| "Highway Chile" | |
|---|---|
| Single by the Jimi Hendrix Experience | |
| A-side | " The Wind Cries Mary" |
| Released | May 5, 1967 |
| Recorded | April 3, 1967 |
| Studio | Olympic, London |
| Genre | Blues rock |
| Length | 3:32 [1] |
| Label | Track |
| Songwriter(s) | Jimi Hendrix |
| Producer(s) | Chas Chandler |
"Highway Chile" ( /tʃaɪl/ CHAIL) is a song by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, issued as the B-side to their 1967 third British single " The Wind Cries Mary". The song was written by vocalist and guitarist Jimi Hendrix and titled to reflect his pronunciation of "child" without the "d" (a spelling subsequently used for " Voodoo Chile").
Biographers Harry Shapiro and Caesar Glebbeek describe it as "a joyful autobiographical stomp" about the pursuit of the American Dream. [2] Matthew Greenwald of Allmusic feels that the song is autobiographical: "It's easy to see that Hendrix was writing about himself here, and his life as a musician on the road in the R&B/ soul ' Chitlin' Circuit', and forming his own unique vision and style." [3] He adds that musically, it is "A funky shuffle ... a great place for Hendrix's mid-tempo, R&B riffing, based on a blues pattern." [3]
The song is also included on several Hendrix compilations, such as the UK edition of Smash Hits (1968), War Heroes (1972), and Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix (1997). [4] The single was mixed in monaural, while a true stereophonic version is included on The Jimi Hendrix Experience box set (2000).
References
- ^ From Are You Experienced liner notes (1997 international edition)
- ^ Shapiro, Harry; Glebbeek, Caesar (1995). Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy. New York City: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-13062-7.
- ^ a b Greenwald, Matthew. "Highway Chile". Allmusic. Retrieved April 20, 2009.
- ^ "Jimi Hendrix: 'Highway Chile' – Appears On". AllMusic. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
