By the 1960s, Greenwich Village had become the heart of the bohemian counterculture. Although Jimi Hendrix had been living and creating in Jazz-steeped Harlem, he knew that “The Village” was quickly becoming the place to be: enter Electric Lady Studios.
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Hendrix commissioned the studio in 1970 on a plot that already had a deep-seated history. The abstract expressionist Hans Hofmann previously occupied the space, opening The Village Barn Nightclub and welcoming in avant-garde thinkers from far and wide. When it went bust in 1967, Hendrix reclaimed the spot and created space for a number of classic records with that singular New York appeal.
Below, we’re taking a look at some of the best tracks that have been produced within the hallowed halls of Electric Lady. From David Bowie to Taylor Swift here are 7 classic and contemporary songs that have defined or been inspired by the New York scene.
1. “Fame” – David Bowie, 1975
David Bowie shed his glam rock style for his ninth studio album, Young Americans, in 1975. In its place, he infused a healthy amount of soul and R&B. Though initial recording sessions took place at Sigma Sound in Philadelphia, it was Electric Lady that inspired arguably the top track of the album: “Fame.”
With help from a newly befriended John Lennon, Bowie was as funky as he ever had been on “Fame” while discussing the pitfalls of stardom—a fact Bowie knew all too well as his star was reaching insurmountable heights. Though Bowie would later recall the song as being almost too malicious, it has stood the test of time and is still one of his signature tracks.
2. “Should I Stay or Should I Go” – The Clash, 1982
The onslaught of punk was on the wane by the early ’80s. Punk stewards, The Clash, tried to combat the cultural shift by swaying far and wide on their fourth studio album Sandinista!—covering a range of genres. For their next effort, Combat Rock, they focused on honing rather than experimenting, resulting in a concise, yet hit-laden record recorded at Electric Lady.
Though the album features a number of perennial Clash records, we have to go with “Should I Stay or Should I Go” for this list. Arguably the band’s biggest song ever (as evident by the over 700 million Spotify streams), the song shot straight up to the top 40 upon its release and has since received a Stranger Things-fuelled rebirth.
3. “Everybody Dance” – CHIC, 1977
With just seven songs, CHIC created the soundtrack for the hippest weekend in New York circa 1977. Drenched in floor-filling disco beats and flashy bass work, Nile Rodgers delivers a swirling wall of sound that both excites and gives listeners deep musicology to dissect.
Grounded all the prowess, is a comedic streak with Rodgers playfully singing out lyrics with ease. One such song is “Everybody Dance.” The track found a comfortable home at the top of the Billboard Dance Club chart upon its release and is still one of CHIC’s top hits.
4. “Gloria: In Excelsis Deo” – Patti Smith, 1975
When Patti Smith shared her debut album in 1975, it quickly became a fixture in the ’70s underground rock scene in New York. She enlisted former Velvet Underground member John Cale for production duties on Horses and Electric Lady Studios for the recording process.
The deeply experimental album saw Smith give her take on a number of rock standards like “Land of 1000 Dances” and “Gloria: In Excelsis Deo.” The latter song was originally written by Van Morrison but instead of going with his title, simply “Gloria,” Smith went for the name of a Catholic hymn. Staying true to her punk rock roots, Smith is clearly going for shock value with the title paired with the opening line, Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine.
5. “Lover” – Taylor Swift, 2019
Taylor Swift has taken to Electric Lady for her past three original studio albums – Lover, Folklore, and Evermore. As to what keeps her coming back to the space, it could be the influence of her long-time collaborator and producer Jack Antonoff. Antonoff has produced a number of albums at Electric Lady including Lorde’s pop opus Melodrama and Lana Del Rey’s Norman F––ing Rockwell!
While all three Swift albums have received a lauded reaction from critics and fans alike, we’re taking a look at her ode to domesticity —”Lover.” From the album of the same name, Swift delivers arguably the wedding song of the past decade and lulls about spending her life with a partner by her side. At every table, I’ll save you a seat, she sings.
6. “Million Reasons” – Lady Gaga, 2016
Lady Gaga momentarily departed from her ubiquitous dance music for her 2016 album, Joanne. Inspired by her aunt who died of Lupus, the LP took an emotional turn and brought in a country-inspired sound. Across the album, including the title track, Gaga sings about returning to her roots and mourning her losses.
One of the singles from the album, “Million Reasons,” remains one of the most stirring ballads in Gaga’s discography. Touching on the singer’s past relationships and her own religious faith, the song introduced fans to a new side of Gaga—the whistful balladeer.
7. “Superstition” – Stevie Wonder, 1972
Stevie Wonder had shrugged off the control of Motown by 1971 with Where I’m Coming From, but he truly stepped out of its shadow with Talking Book the following year. As he recalled in 2000: “It wasn’t so much that I wanted to say anything except where I wanted to just express various many things that I felt—the political point of view that I have, the social point of view that I have, the passions, emotion, and love that I felt, compassion, the fun of love that I felt, the whole thing in the beginning with a joyful love and then the pain of love.”
That unbridled creativity found a home at Electric Lady, producing perennial Wonder tracks like “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” and the song we’ve chosen for this list, “Superstition.” From the opening swampy bass riff, you can’t help but, at the very least, bob your head along to this funk classic. A crowd pleaser since its release, very few songs retain as much charm.
(Photo: Steve Schapiro)
