Purple Haze Introduction
In a Nutshell
"Purple Haze" has just about everything.One of the most iconic opening notes in the history of rock. Perhaps the greatest mondegreen of all time. (Did he just say, "Scuse me while I kiss this guy"?) Enough electric guitar gymnastics to compete in the Olympics. So much psychedelic craziness that an entire strain of marijuana was named after it.
"Is it tomorrow or just the end of time?" With this song ringing in our headphones, we honestly have no idea.
About the Song
| Artist | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | Musician(s) | Jimi Hendrix (vocals, guitar), Noel Redding (bass, backup vocals), Mitch Mitchell (drums). |
| Album | Are You Experienced | ||
| Year | 1967 | ||
| Label | Track Record (UK), Reprise Records (U.S.) | ||
| Writer(s) | Jimi Hendrix | ||
| Producer(s) | Chas Chandler | ||
|
Learn to play: Tablature Buy this song: Amazon iTunes |
Try Listen and Learn (BETA) | ||
Shmoop Connections
If you wanted to make a soundtrack to the history of drugs in America, "Purple Haze"—which has been adopted as a stoner national anthem—would surely play over the credits.But the true story of the song is a bit more complicated; the strain of pot called "Purple Haze" was named after the song, not vice versa, and Hendrix had never even tried LSD yet when he wrote the song's famously psychedelic lyrics.
So, what if "Purple Haze" isn't really about drugs at all but is actually just an old-fashioned love song? What if Hendrix really ought to be remembered less for his wild-man image than for the immense technical skills that made him perhaps the greatest guitar player in the history of rock and roll?
On the Charts
"Purple Haze" only reached #65 on the U.S. pop chart, but it reached #3 in the UK.The song ranked #17 in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.