Third Stone from the Sun

Template:Short description Template:Good article Template:Template other "Third Stone from the Sun" (or "3rd Stone from the Sun") is a mostly instrumental composition by American musician Jimi Hendrix. It incorporates several musical approaches, including jazz and psychedelic rock, with brief spoken passages. The title reflects Hendrix's interest in science fiction and is a reference to Earth in its position as the third planet away from the Sun in the Solar System.

Hendrix developed elements of the piece prior to forming his group, the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The Experience recorded versions as early as December 1966, and, in 1967, it was included on their debut album Are You Experienced. Several artists have recorded renditions and others have adapted the guitar melody line for other songs.

Background

In the summer of 1966, Hendrix relocated to New York City's Greenwich Village. There he explored a rock sound outside of the musical confines of the Harlem rhythm and blues scene. While performing with his group Jimmy James and the Blue Flames at the Cafe Wha?, Hendrix played elements or early versions of "Third Stone from the Sun".Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn He continued to develop it after moving to England with new manager Chas Chandler. The two shared an interest in science fiction writing,Template:Sfn including that of American author Philip Jose Farmer.Template:Efn Chandler recalled: Template:Quote Music journalist Charles Shaar Murray associates it with the "hazy cosmic jive straight out of the Sun Ra science fiction textbook."Template:Sfn Hendrix chronicler Harry Shapiro suggests that his reference of a hen may have been inspired by "Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens", a jump blues song by Louis Jordan.Template:Sfn Jordan's song was one of the biggest hits of 1946 and was popular with rhythm and blues bands in Seattle, where Hendrix grew up and first performed.Template:Sfn

Composition

Hendrix biographer Keith Shadwick describes "Third Stone from the Sun" as "a structured group performance" composed of several identifiable passages or sections with further subdivisions.Template:SfnThe first section opens with guitar chording, which Murray notes as "sliding major ninth ... arpeggiated chords and Coltranoid mock-orientalisms" with Mitch Mitchell's Elvin Jones-influenced drumming.Template:Sfn After several bars of the intro, Hendrix moves to a Wes Montgomery-style octave guitar melody line.Template:Sfn It is one of Hendrix's most recognizable guitar figures and is notated in common or 4/4 time in the key of E Mixolydian:

File:Third Stone from the Sun chorus.svg

Several writers have noted the jazz influences in the first section.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn However, Shadwick points out that "at no point does the band sound merely like a group of musicians imitating other styles. They have their own musical identity."Template:Sfn Midway, Hendrix adds a bluesy guitar improvisation part with Mitchell and Redding switching to a more standard rock rhythm backing, before returning to the guitar melody.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Around 2:30, Hendrix abruptly changes direction with a vibrato arm swoop, which sets the stage for the second section and his feedback-laden guitar improvisations.Template:Sfn Music critic Richie Unterberger described it as an "instrumental freak-out jam" and "a tour de force of psychedelic guitar". Redding anchors the section with a three-note bass ostinato while Mitchell provides rhythmic improvisation.Template:Sfn Shadwick describes Hendrix's solo: Template:Quote Murray notes that he performs largely independent of rhythm, tonality, or notes and enters into pure sound, which he describes as:Template:Sfn Template:Quote To wind down, Hendrix returns to the guitar melody line, although with more distortion and vibrato.Template:Sfn The instrumental concludes with "what was possibly the Experience's version of Armageddon" and a fade.Template:Sfn

Spoken sections

Spoken sections, often slowed down and otherwise sonically manipulated, run intermittently throughout the piece. Hendrix and Chandler recorded the dialogue, which parodies a science fiction scenario. Shadwick notes the joking nature,Template:Sfn although Hendrix described it matter-of-factly: Template:Quote The dialogue opens with a mock communication between alien space explorers slowed to half-speed, which makes it mostly unintelligible.Template:Sfn

Hendrix: Star fleet to scout ship, please give your position. Over.

Chandler: I am in orbit around the third planet of star called the Sun. Over.

Hendrix: You mean it's the Earth? Over.

Chandler: Positive. It is known to have some form of intelligent species. Over.

Hendrix: I think we should take a look.Template:Sfn

The alien visitor, voiced by Hendrix at normal speed, makes some observations of the planet.Template:Sfn He marvels at the "majestic and superior cackling hen", but dismisses the people and concludes:Template:Sfn Template:Poemquote Music journalist Peter Doggett notes the irony of the surf music reference.Template:Sfn In 1970, business manager Michael Jeffery committed Hendrix to contributing to the soundtrack for Rainbow Bridge; his music is heard during surfing scenes with David Nuuhiwa and others.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn Pioneer surf guitarist Dick Dale, who claimed to have met Hendrix in Los Angeles in 1964, believed the mention was Hendrix's way of encouraging his recuperation when Dale was seriously ill.Template:Sfn

Recording

File:Olympic Studios, London.jpg

Olympic Studios, Barnes, London, 2008.

"Third Stone from the Sun" was one of the earliest recordings attempted by the Experience.Template:Sfn They recorded a demo version at CBS studios in London on December 13, 1966.Template:Sfn However, because of a dispute over studio fees, it was left unfinished.Template:Sfn On January 11, 1967, several takes were recorded at De Lane Lea Studios in London, but a master was not realized.Template:Sfn Work on the track resumed on April 4, 1967, at Olympic Studios in London.Template:Sfn Session engineer Eddie Kramer recalls that the original recording was largely abandoned and replaced with new overdubs.Template:Sfn

The master for the track was finally completed on April 10, 1967, also at Olympic.Template:Sfn At this session, the spoken sections and sound effects were recorded and the final audio mixing took place.Template:Sfn Several takes were required since Hendrix and Chandler were joking and laughing throughout the session.Template:Sfn Hendrix biographer and later producer John McDermott notes that it shows the camaraderie enjoyed by the two during the early days of the Experience.Template:Sfn

The instrumental makes novel use of recording and mixing. Hendrix contributed to the sound effects by moving his headphones around the microphone to alter the sound of his whispers and breathing.Template:Sfn In preparing the final mix, Kramer experimented with the track's sound imaging or an instrument's apparent placement, but was limited by the existing technology.Template:Sfn He later explained: Template:Quote

Releases and performances

File:Are You Experienced - US cover-edit.jpg

Are You Experienced, US Reprise album cover, 1967

"Third Stone from the Sun" was released on the Experience's debut album, Are You Experienced. It appears as the third track on side two of the LP record.Template:Sfn Track Records issued the album in the UK on May 12, 1967, using "3rd Stone from the Sun" as the title. It also used a monaural mix, which includes an extra line, "War must be war".Template:Sfn Reprise Records issued the album in the US on August 23, 1967, with a stereo mix.Template:Sfn

In 1982, the instrumental was included on the UK Voodoo Chile 12-inch single and the following The Singles Album (1983).Template:Sfn It also appeared on compilations, such as Re-Experienced (1975), The Essential Jimi Hendrix (1978), Template:Sfn Kiss the Sky (1984),Template:Sfn and Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection (2001 UK bonus track). In 2000, a version with some different overdubbed dialogue (and without sound processing) was released on The Jimi Hendrix Experience boxed set.Template:Sfn

Mitchell recalled that the instrumental was only played live occasionally.Template:Sfn A performance at Blaise's club in London shortly after the December 1966 release of "Hey Joe"Template:Sfn was reviewed by music journalist Chris Welch for Melody Maker.Template:Sfn It was the only original piece among several songs he mentioned in the article.Template:Sfn Hendrix played some of the guitar melody line during "Spanish Castle Magic" at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Canada, shortly after his arrest for drug possession on May 3, 1969.Template:Sfn Hendrix biographer Steven Roby identifies a 1969 concert recording, possibly from Germany in January, as the only recorded complete performance of "Third Stone from the Sun".Template:Sfn None of the live recordings have been officially released.Template:Sfn

Reception and influence

Music writers have described the instrumental's jazz elementsTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn and Murray questions whether Hendrix's approach was studied or more organic.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn Bassist Jaco Pastorius felt that Hendrix's impact on jazz was obvious: "All I got to say is ... 'Third Stone from the Sun'. And for anyone who doesn't know about that by now [1982], they should have checked Jimi out a lot earlier."Template:Sfn

According to music educator William Echard, "Third Stone from the Sun" "closely resemble[s] later space-rock norms and was likely influential in putting these into place".Template:Sfn Shadwick feels that the freak-out sections may have inspired countless less-imaginative imitators.Template:Sfn In a song review for AllMusic, Unterberger saw the potential for a more fully realized piece: Template:Quote

Musicians from a variety of backgrounds have recorded versions of the instrumental. A live recording by guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan appears on Live at the El Mocambo (1991 video). Music critic Bret Adams wrote in an album review for AllMusic, "Vaughan pays tribute to Hendrix again with 'Third Stone from the Sun'; he thrashes on his famously mangled sunburst Stratocaster and coaxes unholy noises out of it. It's as if Pete Townshend took possession of him in that moment." The more complete version is included on Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (2004). AllMusic's Sean Westergaard calls it "a blistering live medley of 'Little Wing' and 'Third Stone from the Sun'... Vaughan absolutely nails it. There are some flubs in his performance, but the amount of feeling he plays with easily overcomes them".

The guitar melody has been quoted in a number of different recorded songs, such as "Baby, Please Don't Go" (the Amboy Dukes, 1968), "Dance with the Devil" (Cozy Powell, 1973),Template:Sfn and "I'm Too Sexy" (Right Said Fred, 1991).Template:Sfn In 1995 museum designer Neal Potter used a version of the Third Stone from the Sun within London's Natural History Museum. Visitors heard the music as they travelled on an escalator through the centre of a large creation of the Earth set within the stars and planets.Copyright was granted for 10 years after which the music was changed.

Notes

Footnotes Template:Notelist

External links

• Stevie Ray VaughanTemplate:Snd"Third Stone from the Sun" (from Live at the El Mocambo, 1991) on Vevo