The Essential Jimi Hendrix

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox album

| name = The Essential Jimi Hendrix

| type = compilation

| artist = Jimi Hendrix

| cover = Essential jimi vol1 1978.jpg

| released = {{Start date|1978|07}}

| recorded = 1966–1970

| genre = Rock

| length = 84:28

| label = Polydor (international)
Reprise (US)

| compiler =

| chronology = Jimi Hendrix US album

| prev_title = Midnight Lightning

| prev_year = 1975

| next_title = The Essential Jimi Hendrix Volume Two

| next_year = 1979

| misc =

{{Extra chronology

| artist = Jimi Hendrix UK album

| type = compilation

| prev_title = Midnight Lightning

| prev_year = 1975

| title = The Essential Jimi Hendrix

| year = 1978

| next_title = Nine to the Universe

| next_year = 1980

}}

{{Extra album cover

| header = Alternative cover

| type = compilation

| cover = Essential jimi uk.jpg

| border =

| alt =

| caption = UK cover

}}

}}

The Essential Jimi Hendrix is a compilation album of songs by American rock musician Jimi Hendrix, released in 1978 by Reprise Records. Some editions in the UK, Japan and Italy also contained a 7-inch 33{{frac|1|3}} rpm one-sided EP single of the Jimi Hendrix Experience performing the song "Gloria".

{{cite book

| last1 = Shapiro

| first1 = Harry

| author-link1 = Harry Shapiro (author)

| last2 = Glebbeek

| first2 = Cesar

| title = Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy

| publisher = St. Martin's Press

| location = New York City

| year = 1990

| edition = 1st. U.S.

| isbn = 0-312-05861-6

| chapter = Appendix 1 – Music, Sweet Music: The Discography

| pages = [https://archive.org/details/jimihendrixelec000shap/page/550 550–551]

| chapter-url-access = registration

| chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/jimihendrixelec000shap/page/550

}}

In 1989, the album was combined with the follow-up compilation, The Essential Jimi Hendrix Volume Two, and issued on compact disc as The Essential Jimi Hendrix Volumes One and Two.

{{Music ratings

|rev2 = Christgau's Record Guide

|rev2Score = C+{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: H|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=H&bk=70|access-date=February 26, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}

}}

Track listing

=LP/Cassette version (1978)=

{{Track listing

| all_writing = Jimi Hendrix, except "All Along the Watchtower", by Bob Dylan

| extra_column = Original release

| headline = Side one

| total_length = 21:27

| title1 = Are You Experienced?

| extra1 = Are You Experienced? (1967)

| length1 = 4:07

| title2 = Third Stone From the Sun

| extra2 = Are You Experienced?

| length2 = 6:37

| title3 = Purple Haze

| extra3 = Single A-side / Are You Experienced? (U.S. Version)

| length3 = 2:47

| title4 = Little Wing

| extra4 = Axis: Bold as Love (1967)

| length4 = 2:24

| title5 = If 6 Was 9

| extra5 = Axis: Bold as Love

| length5 = 5:32

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side two

| extra_column = Original release

| total_length = 21:35

| title1 = Bold as Love

| extra1 = Axis: Bold as Love

| length1 = 4:08

| title2 = Little Miss Lover

| extra2 = Axis: Bold as Love

| length2 = 2:20

| title3 = Castles Made of Sand

| extra3 = Axis: Bold as Love

| length3 = 2:45

| title4 = Gypsy Eyes

| extra4 = Electric Ladyland (1968)

| length4 = 3:39

| title5 = Burning of the Midnight Lamp

| extra5 = Electric Ladyland

| length5 = 3:35

| title6 = Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)

| extra6 = Electric Ladyland

| length6 = 5:08

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side three

| extra_column = Original release

| total_length = 21:13

| title1 = Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)

| extra1 = Electric Ladyland

| length1 = 2:11

| title2 = Still Raining, Still Dreaming

| extra2 = Electric Ladyland

| length2 = 4:22

| title3 = House Burning Down

| extra3 = Electric Ladyland

| length3 = 4:33

| title4 = All Along the Watchtower

| extra4 = Electric Ladyland

| length4 = 4:00

| note4 = Bob Dylan

| title5 = Room Full of Mirrors

| extra5 = Rainbow Bridge (1971)

| length5 = 3:16

| title6 = Izabella

| extra6 = War Heroes (1972)

| length6 = 2:51

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side four

| extra_column = Original release

| total_length = 20:13

| title1 = Freedom

| extra1 = The Cry of Love (1971)

| length1 = 3:24

| title2 = Dolly Dagger

| extra2 = Rainbow Bridge

| length2 = 4:43

| title3 = Stepping Stone

| extra3 = War Heroes

| length3 = 4:11

| title4 = Drifting

| extra4 = The Cry of Love

| length4 = 3:46

| title5 = Ezy Ryder

| extra5 = The Cry of Love

| length5 = 4:09

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Bonus 7-inch EP

Included with some editions in the UK, Japan and Italy.

| extra_column = Original release

| title1 = Gloria

| extra1 = Previously unreleased

| length1 = 8:47

| note1 = Van Morrison

}}

=CD version (1989)=

{{Track listing

| all_writing = Jimi Hendrix, except where otherwise noted

| headline = Disc one

| extra_column = Original release

| total_length = 66:06

| title1 = Are You Experienced?

| extra1 = Are You Experienced? (1967)

| length1 = 4:07

| title2 = Third Stone From the Sun

| extra2 = Are You Experienced?

| length2 = 6:37

| title3 = Purple Haze

| extra3 = Single A-side / Are You Experienced? (U.S. Version)

| length3 = 2:47

| title4 = Hey Joe

| extra4 = Single A-side / Are You Experienced? (U.S. Version)

| length4 = 3:25

| note4 = Billy Roberts

| title5 = Fire

| extra5 = Are You Experienced?

| length5 = 2:41

| title6 = Foxey Lady

| extra6 = Are You Experienced?

| length6 = 3:15

| title7 = The Wind Cries Mary

| extra7 = Single A-side / Are You Experienced? (U.S. Version)

| length7 = 3:15

| title8 = I Don't Live Today

| extra8 = Are You Experienced?

| length8 = 3:49

| title9 = Little Wing

| extra9 = Axis: Bold as Love (1967)

| length9 = 2:24

| title10 = If 6 Was 9

| extra10 = Axis: Bold as Love

| length10 = 5:32

| title11 = Bold as Love

| extra11 = Axis: Bold as Love

| length11 = 4:08

| title12 = Little Miss Lover

| extra12 = Axis: Bold as Love

| length12 = 2:20

| title13 = Castles Made of Sand

| extra13 = Axis: Bold as Love

| length13 = 2:45

| title14 = Gypsy Eyes

| extra14 = Electric Ladyland (1968)

| length14 = 3:39

| title15 = Burning of the Midnight Lamp

| extra15 = Electric Ladyland

| length15 = 3:35

| title16 = Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)

| extra16 = Electric Ladyland

| length16 = 5:08

| title17 = Crosstown Traffic

| extra17 = Electric Ladyland

| length17 = 2:17

| title18 = Still Raining, Still Dreaming

| extra18 = Electric Ladyland

| length18 = 4:22

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Disc two

| extra_column = Original release

| total_length = 68:29

| title1 = Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)

| extra1 = Electric Ladyland

| length1 = 2:11

| title2 = All Along the Watchtower

| extra2 = Electric Ladyland

| length2 = 4:00

| note2 = Bob Dylan

| title3 = House Burning Down

| extra3 = Electric Ladyland

| length3 = 4:33

| title4 = Room Full of Mirrors

| extra4 = Rainbow Bridge (1971)

| length4 = 3:16

| title5 = Izabella

| extra5 = War Heroes (1972)

| length5 = 2:51

| title6 = Freedom

| extra6 = The Cry of Love (1971)

| length6 = 3:24

| title7 = Dolly Dagger

| extra7 = Rainbow Bridge

| length7 = 4:43

| title8 = Stepping Stone

| extra8 = War Heroes

| length8 = 4:11

| title9 = Drifting

| extra9 = The Cry of Love

| length9 = 3:46

| title10 = Ezy Ryder

| extra10 = The Cry of Love

| length10 = 4:09

| title11 = Wild Thing

| extra11 = Live at the Monterey Pop Festival, Monterey, California, June 18, 1967

| length11 = 6:44

| note11 = Chip Taylor

| title12 = Machine Gun

| extra12 = Live at Fillmore East, New York City, January 1, 1970; released on Band of Gypsys (1970)

| length12 = 12:09

| title13 = The Star-Spangled Banner

| extra13 = Live at the Woodstock Festival, Bethel, New York, August 18, 1969; released on Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More (1970)

| length13 = 3:45

| note13 = {{Trad.}}{{arr.|link=yes}} Hendrix

| title14 = Gloria

| extra14 = Bonus 7-inch single included with some vinyl editions

| length14 = 8:47

| note14 = Van Morrison

}}

Personnel

  • Jimi Hendrix{{snd}}guitar, vocals
  • Noel Redding{{snd}}bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Mitch Mitchell{{snd}}drums
  • Buddy Miles{{snd}}drums on "Still Raining, Still Dreaming", "Room Full of Mirrors", "Ezy Ryder", "Machine Gun"
  • Billy Cox{{snd}}bass guitar on "Room Full of Mirrors", "Izabella", "Freedom", "Dolly Dagger", "Stepping Stone", "Drifting", "Ezy Ryder", "Machine Gun"

References

{{Reflist}}