Jimi Hendrix was on a different level. Nobody has quite matched his guitar-playing magic, and nobody has embodied his cool 60s spirit quite the same way. Plenty of musicians, including Hendrix’s own contemporaries, have done their best to cover his music with the same energy as the originals. Few have come close, but I think the following Jimi Hendrix covers aren’t just great, they’re also underrated. Let’s take a look! You might just love a few of these cover songs as much as the originals.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Manic Depression” by King’s X (1994)
Jimi Hendrix’s original 1967 jazzy rock version of “Manic Depression” is just one of many underrated songs on Are You Experienced. Likewise, King’s X’s version of the song is similarly underrated. Found on the outfit’s alternative metal record Dogman, their cover of “Manic Depression” is a more modern whirlwind. It leans more toward the hard rock edge of the original over alternative metal, but it’s still a good time from start to finish. And those guitar solos? Chef’s kiss.
“Up From The Skies” by Sting (with The Gil Evans Orchestra) (1988)
This is such an underrated cover of a Jimi Hendrix classic, and I’m surprised that I don’t hear or read about it more often. “Up From The Skies” was released in 1968 on Axis: Bold As Love, and it’s a psychedelic romp that touches on rock and jazz fusion gorgeously. It’s honestly a classic Hendrix track, one that deserves as much love as his more commercially successful singles.
Sting’s cover of the track was a measly B-side to “Englishman In New York”, which I think is crazy. This cover deserved to be an A-side, as it featured the incredible talents of Gil Evans, who famously recorded a whole album of Hendrix covers a decade prior.
“May This Be Love” by Emmylou Harris (1995)
Country and folk icon Emmylou Harris delivered a stunning rendition of Hendrix’s “May This Be Love” in 1995. It was probably the best Hendrix song for her to cover, considering it is one of the guitar icon’s most tender and soft ballads. Interestingly enough, Harris’ version has a bit more bite to it. This cover showed off her chops when it came to covering legendary tunes. It also showed off her ability to stretch beyond the confines of the music that was typical of her. I recommend listening to her album Wrecking Ball in its entirety, as it’s an excellent experimental piece of work.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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