Fanspot
Electric Lady
Jimi dreamed of amassing musicians from all over the world in Woodstock and they would sit in a field in a circle and play and play. It didn’t matter what key or tempo or what melody, they would keep on playing through their discordance until they found a common language. Eventually they would record this abstract universal language of music in his new studio. The language of peace.
Patti Smith
October 25, 1968. Electric Ladyland, the third album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, the band formed by the legendary guitarist, drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Noël Redding, was released. Tired of having to adapt to recording conditions that he sometimes considered unsuitable, and in order to free himself from the exorbitant fees of studios such as the Record Plant, where he produced his last album, Jimi Hendrix decided to create his own working environment. In partnership with Michael Jeffery, his manager, the musician bought the Generation Club in Greenwich Village. Rather than simply renovating it, the two men set about transforming it into a recording studio.
From the beginning, the problems follow one another. Concerns about the premises at 52 West 8th Street because they are located above the tributary of an underground river. Floods delayed the work and the cost of the operation, which was constantly increasing, forced Jimi Hendrix to ask Warner Bros. for a large loan. Designed by renowned acoustical architect John Storyk, the studio is a reflection of its owner, with psychedelic murals and state-of-the-art equipment. Naturally, the name chosen is that of Jimi Hendrix’s last record. In a hurry to be able to work there, he took over the place while the work was not finished, taking his marks during ten weeks and recording a song entitled Slow Hand, known today as his last one captured in this mythical place.
On August 26, 1970, a party was held for the inauguration, before the guitarist left for England, where he was to play at the Isle of Wight Festival. He was found dead shortly afterwards, on September 18, 1970 at the Samarkand Hotel in London… The death of Jimi Hendrix did not mean the end of the Electric Lady. Over the years, many artists have passed through and enjoyed the atmosphere and acoustics. “Between the two studios, which were virtually running around the clock, you could go into either one and someone who you admired or who was one of your heroes was in there working. At any given time, twenty-four hours a day, Zeppelin could be in there, the Stones could be there, Mountain, Jeff BecK, Stevie Wonder…” recalled Paul Stanley of KISS in Nothin’ To Lose, the band’s autobiography.
Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons worked there before recording the demo of Wicked Lester, their first combo. Expanded and renovated, the Electric Lady has certainly evolved since the 1970s, but the magic still remains. The same one that Jimi Hendrix personified with his music during his short but flamboyant career. A tangible magic, printed forever in the walls of this rock and roll sanctuary…
Electric Ladyland went platinum twice in the U.S. and went gold once in France and the U.K.
Electric Lady Studios
Designed by Jimi Hendrix and opened shortly before his death, the Electric Lady Studios is one of the most famous studio complexes in Manhattan.
It was when he realized how difficult it was for him to work in the studio, subject to constraints over which he had no control, that Jimi Hendrix decided to form a partnership with his manager Michael Jeferry. They bought a place in Greenwich Village where they created a recording studio. Unfortunately, Jimi Hendrix did not have time to work on an album. The opening of the studio shortly before the artist’s death. Over the years, famous musicians such as Peter Frampton, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Patti Smith, The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Kiss, Van Halen or US and Lady Gaga have recorded there.
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Fanspots Stories New York
Discover the secrets of the cult places of the greatest masterpieces of pop culture in New York!
The world capital of pop culture, New York embodies unbridled creative freedom. The city that never sleeps has been the muse of a large number of directors, actors, screenwriters, singers, musicians, cartoonists and writers…
Many have passed on their fascination for the city to the general public and made some of its places famous worldwide, making them into the legend of pop culture. These are the secrets of a hundred of them revealed in this first volume of the Fanspots Stories collection.
Did you know that?
Did you know that the filming of Rage Against The Machine’s Music Now in the Fire caused Wall Street to shut down for the first time since 1929?
Fanspots Stories New York is also
Spider-Man, Ghostbusters, Superman, Leonard Cohen, Led Zeppelin…
Directed by a team of pop culture specialists and embellished with many anecdotes, Fanspots Stories New York tells more than just a story: these are some of the most fascinating stories in pop culture.
Fanspot Stories New York
100 pop cults
a unique and new concept
224 pages of fun
a beautiful large-format book 24 x 30, round back slicefil
Content quality
Interest for fans
Value for money
Discover all the places Electric Ladyland on our map
By Gilles Rolland
Passionné de cinéma, de rock and roll, de séries TV et de littérature. Rédacteur de presse et auteur des livres Le Heavy Metal au cinéma, Paroles de fans Guns N' Roses, Paroles de fans Rammstein et Welcome to my Jungle : 100 albums rock et autres anecdotes dépareillées. Adore également voyager à la recherche des lieux les plus emblématiques de la pop culture.