Electric Ladyland was The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s last album. The group began recording it in December 1967 at Olympic Studios in London. After attempting several songs, they moved across the Atlantic and started recording at The Record Plant in New York City. As sessions progressed, producer Chas Chandler became frustrated by Hendrix’s meticulousness. The growing number of friends and guests constantly hanging around the studio was the final straw that caused Chandler to part ways with Hendrix. Bassist Noel Redding had formed his own band called Fat Mattress in mid-1968, causing him not to be available to fulfill his commitments to The Jimi Hendrix Experience. These two developments led to Hendrix producing the album as well as playing a lot of the bass parts.
Videos by American Songwriter
During the making of the album, Hendrix brought in many of his friends and studio guests to appear on the recordings. Al Kooper, Dave Mason, Steve Winwood, Jack Casady, Freddie Smith, Mike Finnigan, Buddy Miles, Larry Faucette, Chris Wood, Brian Jones, and The Sweet Inspirations all contributed to Electric Ladyland. The core trio of Hendrix, Redding, and drummer Mitch Mitchell only recorded a few songs together. Let’s take a look at the story behind one of those songs, “Crosstown Traffic” by The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
You jump in front of my car when you
You know, all the time
Ninety miles an hour, girl, is the speed I drive
You tell me it’s alright, you don’t mind a little pain
You say you just want me to take you for a drive
Comb and Paper
Hendrix used a basic instrument in addition to his electric guitar on “Crosstown Traffic.” He took an ordinary hair comb and pressed a piece of paper to it. When he pressed his lips to the paper pressed against the comb, the vibration of the paper emulated the sound of a car horn in a membranophonic way. Country and western musicians commonly used this technique during dances. Doris Day sang “The Comb and Paper Polka” in 1950, Ivor Kirchin gave us “Comb and Paper Blues” in 1955, The Beatles employed it in their song “Lovely Rita” on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Graham Nash played comb and paper on “Sleep Song” from his 1971 album Songs For Beginners.
You’re just like crosstown traffic
So hard to get through to you
Crosstown traffic
I don’t need to run over you
Crosstown traffic
All you do is slow me down
And I’m tryin’ to get on the other side of town
Background Vocals
Guitarist Dave Mason, a founding member of Traffic, sang the high background vocal part on “Crosstown Traffic.” When Hendrix first heard the Bob Dylan song “All Along the Watchtower,” Mason was with him. When Hendrix recorded his version of the song, Mason supplied an acoustic 12-string part. The 1968 Rolling Stones album Beggars Banquet features Mason playing the Shehnei and bass drum on “Street Fighting Man.” In 1970, he played guitar on All Things Must Pass by George Harrison. Later in the decade he enjoyed a successful solo career. In 1980, Mason released a duet of “Save Me” with Michael Jackson, and in the middle ’90s, joined Fleetwood Mac for a few years. To say Mason has had a storied career is an understatement.
I’m not the only soul who’s accused of hit and run
Tire tracks all across your back
I can. I can see you had your fun
But, darlin’, can’t you see my signals turn from green to red
And with you, I can see a traffic jam straight up ahead
The Last Chart Appearance
As innovative and original as Jimi Hendrix was, he was a little too ahead of his time when it came to charting. In America, only one of his songs reached the Top 20, “All Along the Watchtower,” which peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was followed by “Crosstown Traffic,” which only reached No. 52. This would be the last time Hendrix would appear on the singles chart. Hendrix’s albums fared much better. Electric Ladyland even reached No. 1.
Hendrix, Redding, and Mitchell worked on separate projects after their 1968 album. Hendrix teamed up with bassist Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles to form Band of Gypsys. Feeling pressure to deliver an album to the record label, they recorded a live concert, and Capitol Records released it in March 1970. As a producer, Hendrix struggled with the project. He was not happy with the final product. It reached the Top 10 in both America and the UK but drew mixed reviews. Again, ahead of his time, as rock and funk music developed through the ’70s, Band of Gypsys was often cited as an influential album.
In 1970, Hendrix, Redding, and Mitchell told Rolling Stone magazine they planned on recording together again, but it was not to be. Hendrix died on September 18, 1970, of asphyxia while intoxicated with barbiturates. He was 27.
You’re just like crosstown traffic
So hard to get through to you
Crosstown traffic
I don’t need to run over you
Crosstown traffic
All you do is slow me down
And I got better things on the other side of town
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
