Voodoo Child Slight Return Jimi Hendrix

Voodoo Child (Slight Return) Album: Electric Ladyland (1968)
by Jimi Hendrix

This was recorded after Jimi Hendrix finished the long, slow blues of "Voodoo Chile," a 15-minute jam that appears earlier on the Electric Ladyland album. An ABC film crew came into the studio to do a piece on The Experience and told them to "make like you're playing, boys." Jimi said, "Okay, let's do this in E." The TV footage was lost, but their impromptu jam gave them the song "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)."
Stevie Ray Vaughan covered "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" on his Couldn't Stand the Weather album, and numerous guitar virtuosos carry out extended versions at their own concerts. Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and John Petrucci played a version on their G3 2001 tour.

This was one of several standout wah-wah popularized songs, alongside Cream's "White Room" and Isaac Hayes' "Theme from 'Shaft'." Hendrix was considered a master of the wah-wah pedal, and this track earned him the #1 spot on Guitar World's greatest wah solos of all time list in 2015.

In 1970, this was released as a single in the UK a week after Hendrix died. It became his only #1 hit.
"Voodoo Child" was the last song Hendrix performed live. On September 6, 1970, which was 12 days before his death, he played it at a concert in Germany.

Hendrix dedicated the album to his groupies, who he called "Electric Ladies."

Steve Winwood played organ on this. He was a member of the band Traffic, and often played on the same bill with Hendrix. When Jimi was recording this in New York, he had Winwood come by and play.

The legendary jazz artist Miles Davis admits being influenced by this song when he made his album Bitches Brew in 1969. One of the songs on that album is called "Miles Runs His Voodoo Down."

On the Live at Fillmore East version, Jimi says: "This is the Black Panthers' national anthem."

In 2012, "Voodoo Child" was voted the best guitar riff in rock and roll history by readers of MusicRadar. The website wrote: "From its wah-wah into the rhythm parts and the astonishing solo, this is still regarded by many as the high watermark of electric guitar expression." Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine" came second in the poll and Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" third.

The original album cover was adorned with naked women, but the ensuing controversy prompted the label (Reprise Records) to swap it out for a photo of Hendrix. The musician wasn't pleased with either version; he wanted to bring in photographer Linda Eastman, who would be more famously known as Linda McCartney, to shoot the cover, but the label nixed the idea.

Thanks to a studio engineer's error on the master tape's label, the album was nearly called "Electric Landlady."

This was used in a 2023 commercial for Acura's electric vehicles. There's no voiceover in the spot, just the song and some driving sounds.

Well, I stand up next to a mountain
And I chop it down with the edge of my hand
Well, I stand up next to a mountain
Chop it down with the edge of my hand
Well, I pick up all the pieces and make an island
Might even raise a little sand, yeah
'Cause I'm a voodoo child
Lord knows I'm a voodoo child, baby

Want to say one more last thing

I didn't mean to take you up all your sweet time
I'll give it right back to you one of these days
I said, I didn't mean to take up all your sweet time
I'll give it right back one of these days, yeah
And if I don't meet you no more in this world
Then I'll, I'll meet you in the next one
Now don't be late, don't be late
'Cause I'm a voodoo child, voodoo child
Lord knows I'm a voodoo child, hey, hey, hey

I'm a voodoo child, baby
I don't take no for an answer
Just want you to know