Freedom (Jimi Hendrix song)

1971 single by Jimi Hendrix

"Freedom"

Italian single picture sleeve

Single by Jimi Hendrix
from the album  The Cry of Love
B-side| "Angel"
Released| March 5, 1971 (1971-03-05)
Recorded| June–August 1970
Studio| Electric Lady, New York City
Genre| Funk rock
Length| 3:24
Label| Reprise
Songwriter(s)| Jimi Hendrix
Producer(s)|

* Jimi Hendrix
* Mitch Mitchell
* Eddie Kramer

Jimi Hendrix U.S. singles chronology
| "Stepping Stone"
(1970)  | "Freedom"
(1971)  | "Dolly Dagger"
(1971)

|
|

"Freedom" is a rock song by Jimi Hendrix that is often regarded as one of the most fully realized pieces he wrote and recorded in the months before his death.[1] It incorporates several musical styles and the lyrics reflect various situations facing Hendrix at the time.

Hendrix recorded the song in mid-1970 with his post-Band of Gypsys backing lineup of drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Billy Cox, along with additional musicians. "Freedom" became the opening track on The Cry of Love (1971) and, in the U.S., it was released as Hendrix's first posthumous single.

## Lyrics

[edit]

In a song review for AllMusic, Matthew Greenwald writes: "The lyrics seems to be a simple, swaggering lust song (something Hendrix was indeed expert at), but the urban vibe in the title also relates to some of Hendrix's own managerial and business problems at the time."[2] Biographer John McDermott also feels that the lyrics touch upon Hendrix's relationship with Devon Wilson and her heroin addiction:[1]

> You know you hooked my girlfriend,
>  You know the drugstore man
>  Well I don't need it now,
>  I'm just tryin' to slap it out of her hand!
>  Freedom! So I can live![3]

Music writer Keith Shadwick believes that the lyrics are among Hendrix's "strongest" from his last studio efforts and adds, "It could be about freedom in the wider world as much as it is a cry for freedom for two lovers at war with one another.[4]

## Releases and charts

[edit]

"Freedom" was released March 5, 1971, when it was used as the opening track on The Cry of Love, the first posthumous Hendrix album.[5] In the US, the song was also released as a single and was only one of two posthumous Hendrix singles to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached number 59.[6] In Canada the song reached number 70.[7]

Record World said "The late genius' credo of personal liberation is breathtaking to hear again and again."[8]

## Personnel

[edit]

* Jimi Hendrix – lead vocals, guitar, piano
* Billy Cox – bass guitar
* Mitch Mitchell – drums
* Juma Sultan – percussion, conga[5]
* The Ghetto Fighters a.k.a. Arthur and Albert Allen – backing vocals

## Other releases

[edit]

"Freedom" is now one of the more popular songs in the Hendrix catalogue and is included on several compilations. In 1997, it was used to lead off First Rays of the New Rising Sun, the most comprehensive attempt to present Hendrix's planned fourth studio album.[9] The song is also one of the post-Band of Gypsys developed numbers that Hendrix regularly performed in concert.[9][a]

Additional releases include:

Demos

* The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Record Plant, New York City, February 6, 1970[11]
* West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology – Record Plant, May 15, 1970[12]

Performances

* Isle of Wight (1971) – recorded August 31, 1970
* Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight (2002) – as above[13]
* Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival (2015) – recorded July 4, 1970
* Live in Maui (2020) – recorded July 30, 1970

Compilations

* The Essential Jimi Hendrix (1978)
* Cornerstones: 1967–1970 (1990)
* Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix (1997)
* Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection (2001) – live version from Isle of Wight[14]

## Personnel

[edit]

* Jimi Hendrix – lead vocals, guitar, piano
* Billy Cox – bass guitar
* Mitch Mitchell – drums
* Juma Sultan – percussion
* The Ghetto Fighters a.k.a. Arthur and Albert Allen – backing vocals

## Notes

[edit]

Footnotes

1. ^ Others include "Dolly Dagger", "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)", "In from the Storm", and "Straight Ahead".[10]

Citations

1. ^ a b McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, p. 211.
2. ^ Greenwald, Matthew. "Jimi Hendrix: 'Freedom' – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
3. ^ Hendrix 2003, p. 62.
4. ^ Shadwick 2003, p. 234.
5. ^ a b Shapiro & Glebbeek 1990, p. 539.
6. ^ "Jimi Hendrix: Chart History – Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
7. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - April 24, 1971" (PDF).
8. ^ "Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. March 20, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
9. ^ a b McDermott 1997, p. 5.
10. ^ McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, pp. 207–208, 211–215.
11. ^ McDermott 2000.
12. ^ McDermott 2010.
13. ^ McDermott 2002.
14. ^ Loder 2001.

References

* Hendrix, Janie (2003). Jimi Hendrix: The Lyrics. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Hal Leonard. ISBN 0-634-04930-5.
* Loder, Kurt (2001). Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection (CD compilation booklet). Jimi Hendrix. Universal City, California: MCA Records. 066 112 603-2.
* McDermott, John (1997). First Rays of the New Rising Sun (CD booklet). Jimi Hendrix. Universal City, California: MCA Records.
* McDermott, John (2000). The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Box set booklet). Jimi Hendrix. Universal City, California: MCA Records. 08811 23162.
* McDermott, John (2002). Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight (DVD booklet). Jimi Hendrix. Santa Monica, California: MCA Records. OCLC 806443759. 088 170 341-9.
* McDermott, John; Kramer, Eddie; Cox, Billy (2009). Ultimate Hendrix. New York City: Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-938-1.
* McDermott, John (2010). West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology (CD set booklet). Jimi Hendrix. New York City: Legacy. 88697769272.
* Shadwick, Keith (2003). Jimi Hendrix: Musician. San Francisco, California: Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-764-1.
* Shapiro, Harry; Glebbeek, Cesar (1990). Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy. New York City: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-05861-6.

* v
* t
* e

Jimi Hendrix singles discography

(1967–1982)

| 1967|

* "Purple Haze" / "51st Anniversary"
* "Hey Joe" / "51st Anniversary"†
* "Purple Haze"† / "The Wind Cries Mary"
* "Foxey Lady" / "Hey Joe"†

|

1968|

* "Up from the Skies" / "One Rainy Wish"
* "All Along the Watchtower" / "Burning of the Midnight Lamp"
* "Crosstown Traffic" / "Gypsy Eyes"

1969|

* "Stone Free" / "If 6 Was 9"

1970|

* "Stepping Stone" / "Izabella"

1971|

* "Freedom" / "Angel"
* "Dolly Dagger" / "The Star-Spangled Banner" (studio)

1972|

* "Johnny B. Goode"‡ / "Lover Man"‡
* "The Wind Cries Mary"‡ / "Little Wing"‡

1982|

* "Fire"‡ / "Little Wing"‡

(1966–1990)

| 1966|

* "Hey Joe" / "Stone Free"

|

1967|

* "Purple Haze" / "51st Anniversary"
* "The Wind Cries Mary" / "Highway Chile"
* "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" / "The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam's Dice"

1968|

* "All Along the Watchtower" / "Long Hot Summer Night"

1969|

* "Crosstown Traffic" / "Gypsy Eyes"
* "Let Me Light Your Fire" [sic] / "Burning of the Midnight Lamp"†

1970|

* "Voodoo Chile" [sic] / "Hey Joe"† & "All Along the Watchtower"†

1971|

* "Angel" / "Night Bird Flying"
* "Gypsy Eyes"† & "Remember" / "Purple Haze"† & "Stone Free"†

1972|

* "Johnny B. Goode"‡ / "Little Wing"‡

1973|

"Hear My Train A Comin'"‡ (solo acoustic) / "Rock Me Baby"‡

1982|

* "Fire"‡ / "Are You Experienced?"‡

1990|

* "Crosstown Traffic"† / "Voodoo Chile"† [sic]
* "All Along the Watchtower"† / "Voodoo Chile"† [sic] & "Hey Joe"†

International

(1997–present)

| 1997|

* "Dolly Dagger"† / "Night Bird Flying"†

|

1999|

* "The Star-Spangled Banner"‡ / "Purple Haze"‡

2010|

* "Valleys of Neptune" / "Cat Talkin' to Me"
* "Bleeding Heart" / "Jam 292"
* "Love or Confusion" / "12 Bar with Horns"

2011|

* "Fire" / "Touch You"
* "Johnny B. Goode"‡† / "Purple Haze"‡
* "Like a Rolling Stone"‡ / "Spanish Castle Magic"‡

2012|

* "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?"‡ / "Burning of the Midnight Lamp"‡
* "Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)" / "Calling All the Devil's Children"

2013|

* "Somewhere" / "Foxy Lady"
* "Fire"‡ / "Foxey Lady"‡
* "Dolly Dagger"† / "The Star-Spangled Banner"† (studio)

2015|

* "Purple Haze"‡ / "Freedom"‡

2018|

* "Mannish Boy" / "Trash Man"

Notes: † indicates a re-release, ‡ indicates a live recording

* v
* t
* e

Jimi Hendrix

* Original discography
* Posthumous discography
* Songs
* Videography
* Death

Original studio albums|

* Are You Experienced
* Axis: Bold as Love
* Electric Ladyland

Posthumous studio albums|

* The Cry of Love
* Rainbow Bridge
* War Heroes
* Loose Ends
* Crash Landing
* Midnight Lightning
* Nine to the Universe
* Voodoo Soup
* First Rays of the New Rising Sun
* South Saturn Delta
* Valleys of Neptune
* People, Hell and Angels
* Both Sides of the Sky

Live albums|

* Band of Gypsys
* Historic Performances Recorded at the Monterey International Pop Festival
* Experience
* Isle of Wight
* Hendrix in the West
* More Experience
* The Jimi Hendrix Concerts
* Jimi Plays Monterey
* Johnny B. Goode
* Band of Gypsys 2
* Live at Winterland
* Radio One
* Stages
* Live Isle of Wight '70
* Woodstock
* BBC Sessions
* Live at the Fillmore East
* Live at Woodstock
* Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight
* Live at Berkeley
* Live at Monterey
* Winterland
* Miami Pop Festival
* Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival
* Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show
* Songs for Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts
* Live in Maui
* Los Angeles Forum: April 26, 1969
* Live at the Hollywood Bowl: August 18, 1967

Anthologies and
retrospective
albums|

* Smash Hits
* Soundtrack Recordings from the Film Jimi Hendrix
* The Essential Jimi Hendrix
* The Essential Jimi Hendrix Volume Two
* The Singles Album
* Kiss the Sky
* Live & Unreleased: The Radio Show
* Cornerstones: 1967–1970
* Lifelines: The Jimi Hendrix Story
* The Ultimate Experience
* Blues
* South Saturn Delta
* Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix
* The Jimi Hendrix Experience
* Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection
* The Singles Collection
* Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Jimi Hendrix
* West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology
* Fire: The Jimi Hendrix Collection

Official bootlegs|

* Live at the Oakland Coliseum
* Live at Clark University
* Morning Symphony Ideas
* Live in Ottawa
* Baggy's Rehearsal Sessions
* Paris 1967/San Francisco 1968
* Hear My Music
* Live at the Isle of Fehmarn
* Burning Desire
* Live in Paris & Ottawa 1968
* Live at Woburn
* Live in Cologne

Concert tours|

* The Cry of Love Tour

Films, books,
and tributes|

* Rainbow Bridge
* Jimi Hendrix
* Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix
* Hendrix
* Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix
* Room Full of Mirrors
* An Illustrated Experience
* Becoming Jimi Hendrix
* Jimi: All Is by My Side

Related people
and acts|

* Curtis Knight
* Lonnie Youngblood
* Jimmy James and the Blue Flames
* The Jimi Hendrix Experience
* Noel Redding
* Mitch Mitchell
* Chas Chandler
* Eddie Kramer
* Roger Mayer
* Michael Jeffery
* Billy Cox
* Buddy Miles
* Alan Douglas
* Leon Hendrix
* Kathy Etchingham
* Monika Dannemann

Related articles|

* Canadian drug charges and trial
* Handel & Hendrix in London
* Fender Stratocaster
* Electric Lady Studios
* Black Gold
* Unfinished fourth album

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

|

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