There are covers, and then there is Jimi Hendrix‘s “All Along the Watchtower.” Though this song was originally Bob Dylan’s, the guitar god adapted it so well that you’d never really know it. There isn’t a definitive list, but this Hendrix cover is widely considered one of the best renditions of any song ever. It became inseparable from Hendrix’s legacy. Below, revisit Hendrix’s cover and the challenging collaborative experience that shaped the song, for better or worse.
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Jimi Hendrix’s Version of “All Along the Watchtower“
Hendrix was a well-known Dylan superfan. Though Hendrix’s music was far edgier than Dylan’s ever has been, Hendrix admired his lyricism and point of view.
“All Along the Watchtower” isn’t the only Dylan song Hendrix ever sang. According to those closest to him, he regularly covered or was strumming along to an effort from The Bard. But there’s only one Dylan cover from Hendrix that has reigned supreme.
There are several stories about the first time Hendrix heard “All Along the Watchtower,” but the pervasive one involves Dylan’s manager, Albert Grossman, giving his publicist an unreleased cassette.
“I had a party, and Jimi was there,” Michael Goldstein, Hendrix’s publicist, once said. “I said, ‘How would anybody like to hear something from Dylan that you haven’t heard?’ and I played the tape. Jimi came up to me and said, ‘Hey Mike, can I take that home with me? I really want to listen to that again.’ I said, ‘Sure you can have it, what the hell do I care?’”
The Recording Session
Hendrix recorded “All Along the Watchtower” on January 21, 1968. He set up shop at Olympic Studios in London alongside Traffic’s Dave Mason and The Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones.
The success of this cover was hard-won. Hendrix struggled to work alongside Jones, who was battling addiction at the time. According to those in the room, Jones was fumbling around with the instruments.
“He was completely out of his brain,” Hendrix’s engineer Eddie Kramer once said. “Poor Brian, he was a good mate of Jimi’s, and we all loved him. Jimi could never say no to his mates, and Brian was so sweet. He came in and said, ‘Oh, let me play,’ and he got on the piano…and we could just hear ‘clang, clang, clang, clang, clang…’ It was all bloody horrible and out of time, and Jimi said, ‘Uh, I don’t think so.’ Brian was gone after two takes. He practically fell on the floor in the control room.”
Despite his failings on the piano, Jones is credited on the track, adding an extra layer of intrigue to this famous cover.
(Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)
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