Hendrix was one of the pioneers of the rock and guitar world. Many still, follow his shadow to pursue the same kind of recognition he got. Many decide to begin their career after being inspired by others. And, they actually succeed in doing so. Then, they pay their homage to the ones who inspired them.
The same thing happened with Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan. Jimi was a huge fan of Bob Dylan and he inspired the way of songwriting for Hendrix. During Hendrix’s career, he always listened to Bob’s songs. It was revealed that the records were ‘Highway 61 Revisted’ and ‘Blonde on Blonde’.
Jimi also covered Bob’s songs such as ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ and ‘All Along The Watchtower’. His cover of ‘All Along The Watchtower’ also appeared on his final studio album ‘Electric Ladyland’. It became his highest-selling single and even received the Grammy Hall of Fame award in 2001.
He also once admitted that he envied a Bob Dylan song. Speaking about Dylan’s song he said that it was filled with joy and sadness of life. He praised the musician because his music made him write music. As reported by the Society of Rock Hendrix said the following things about ‘All Along The Watchtower’.
“All those people who don’t like Bob Dylan’s songs should read his lyrics. They are filled with the joys and sadness of life. I am like Dylan; none of us can sing normally. Sometimes, I play Dylan’s songs, and they are so much like me that it seems to me that I wrote them.
I feel that ‘Watchtower’ is a song I could have come up with, but I’m sure I would never have finished it. Thinking about Dylan, I often consider that I’d never be able to write the words he manages to come up with, but I’d like him to help me because I have loads of songs I can’t finish. I just lay a few words on the paper and can’t go forward. But now things are getting better; I’m more self-confident.”
The feeling was reciprocated by Dylan too. He said that he loved Hendrix’s version of ‘All Along The Watchtower’. He wrote the following in his ‘Biograph’.
“I liked Jimi Hendrix’s record of this, and I’ve been doing it that way ever since he died. Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it’s a tribute to him in some kind of way.”
Back in 2015, that’s when he revealed his big wish. It was during the event of the MusiCares Person of the Year award. He thanked all his collaborators and then began talking about Hendrix. He said he couldn’t forget to mention him.
He had one wish about Hendrix and while accepting his award, he said the following that night.
“We can’t forget Jimi Hendrix. I actually saw Jimi perform when he was with a band called Jimmy James and the Blue Flames. Something like that. And Jimi didn’t even sing. He was just the guitar player. He took some small songs of mine that nobody paid any attention to and brought them up into the outer limits of the stratosphere, turned them all into classics. I have to thank Jimi, too. I wish he was here.”
Bob has always praised Hendrix for his talent. And likewise, the same happened with Bob, as Jimi loved him.
Watch the cover of ‘All Along The Watchtower’ covered by Jimi Hendrix.
2 Comments
Well I got to say I learned more about these two men tonight reading what each had said about the other then just about anything I’ve ever experienced in Rock as far as historical interaction and interpenetration of two specific artists of which I know far more than I can put into words at this particular spot although you can find what I write at unicorn 144 on WordPress but regardless of all that the fact always was with me was that we had a black cat who was part Cherokee singing songs by someone that was Jewish who had borrowed an idiom that came mainly from the Blues but also from almost every single Walk of Life due to Dylan running into Dave and wrong and a few other people in the village
Isn’t there some way to bloody edit the stuff that I wrote just now it took the name of Dave Van Ronk and turned into Dave and wrong son of a gun so this is what people are going to look at I hope there’s something way to edit this damn crap oh never bloody mind