The “Golden Hits Of The 60s” 

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JIMI HENDRIX

“ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER”

(Bob Dylan)

Reprise 0767

No. 20   October 19, 1968

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James Marshall Hendrix’s death on Septem­ber 18, 1970 dealt a knock down blow to rock’n’roll fans the

world over.   A truly distinctive, innovative musician, he single-handedly remapped the role of the

electric guitar inventing a sonic vocabulary  drawn upon by rock guitarists to this day.   This psychedelic

voodoo child and a father of Heavy Metal was also a One-Hit Wonder.  Incredible!

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More than a hundred LPs of his music have been issued; most of them were issued post  humously

consisting of unauthorized live recordings, studio out­ takes, multiple replication, and the like.   Several

of them have made Bill­board‘s top pop albums chart:  Are You Experienced (1967), Axis: Bold as Love

(1968),  Electric Ladyland (1968), Smash Hits (1969), Band of Gypsies (1970), and The Cry of Love 

(1971).   Yet despite Hendrix’s superstar status, his success with Top 40 audiences was limited to but one

45–and it is not, as many would guess, “Pur­ple Haze” (#65, 1967).

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Jimi’s version of  “All Along The Watchtower”­ originally penned by one of his heroes, Bob Dylan­ was a

performance of which the guitarist was especial­ly proud.   With the Experience (Mitch Mitchell and Noel

Redding), Jimi made the Hot 100 with five other 45s:  “Foxy Lady” (#67, 1968), “Up From the Skies”

(#82, 1968), “Crosstown Traffic” (#52, 1968), “Freedom” (#59, 1971), and “Dolly Dagger” (#74, 1971).