The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded “Fire” for their 1967 debut album, Are You Experienced? The story starts with Jimi Hendrix’s visit to bass player Noel Redding’s mother’s house. It was cold, and she had a fireplace, and Hendrix asked if he could stand next to it. Her dog, Rover, was blocking it, so he referenced that in the song. The assumption was always that the song was about sex, but Hendrix was literally singing about access to a live fireplace. Mitch Mitchell’s manic jazz drumming and Hendrix’s guitar, with its fuzzy effect, drive the song “Fire.” The song was another creative blast that made the album an innovative stride in rock music and helped deliver the band to stardom. Rock music and the way the guitar was perceived and played were reinvented by Hendrix through his blues, funk, jazz, and R&B influences and virtuosic guitar playing. They had reached new creative heights, and the album also sold a million copies within seven months of its release  The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice Cooper, and Ghanaian rock band Osibisa have covered “Fire.” Rick Ross, Aladdin, Lupe Fiasco, The D.O.C., Charles Hamilton, and Chumbawamba have all sampled “Fire.” The National Recording Registry added Are You Experienced? to its list in 2005, and it continues to top critic lists.

Jimi Hendrix’s “Ezy Ryder” was included on his first posthumous album The Cry Of Love. It was one of the songs Hendrix was working on when he died in 1970. He started working on “Ezy Ryder” in 1969 at Olympic Studios in London. He debuted the song with his Band Of Gypsys which included drummer Buddy Miles and bass player Billy Cox at the Fillmore East on New Year’s Eve in 1969. The studio recording of “Ezy Ryder” was one of the few times Hendrix was recorded with Cox and Miles. The funk soared with the pyrotechnics of Hendrix’s notes which exhibited his ability to play bass, lead, and rhythm at the same time.  The Cry Of Love was accepted as a legitimate album by critics and fans and reached Gold status within a month of its March 1971 release.  “Ezy Ryder” also appears on the Voodoo Soup compilation which was Alan Douglas’ attempt to construct Hendrix’s planned fourth album and First Rays Of The New Rising Sun. Zayn Malik covered “Angel” in 2022 to honor what would have been Jimi Hendrix’s 80th birthday. 

The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded “Hey Joe” for their 1967 debut album Are You Experienced? Arthur Lee of Love claims that it was his band’s version that introduced Hendrix to the composition. Chas Chandler who discovered Hendrix and managed his group wanted them to record “Hey Joe” because of their previous live performances of it. The JHE cover was the first single released in the U.K. in December of 1966. Hendrix owned “Hey Joe” with his intense vocals and a guitar solo that merged the worlds of blues and rock. He brought genius to the song in the studio and even more flamboyantly when he performed it at The Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. The playing done on “Hey Joe” contributed to Are You Experienced? being one of the most important rock debuts ever. Hendrix’s virtuosic mastery over the guitar and embrace of sound effects created new possibilities for music. The music and set the blueprint for guitarists and artists, in general, to follow in the future. The album topped US and U.K. charts for more than 100 weeks and dazzled critics. In 2005, AYE was added to the National Recording Registry. 

Jimi Hendrix’s discography has grown posthumously since his passing in 1970. Experience Hendrix helmed by family members has controlled Hendrix’s catalog since 1997. In 2020, The Jimi Hendrix Experience Live In Maui documentary was released with the accompanying album. 

Jimi Hendrix’s famous Monterey Pop and Woodstock performances will be immortalized with bobbleheads coming out this summer.  The Jimi Hendrix estate and Kollectico have partnered to create the toys. The Monterrey Pop bobblehead is modeled after Ed Caraeff’s photo of Hendrix setting his guitar on fire. Janie Hendrix, CEO of Experience Hendrix, explained the meaning of the new pieces in a statement.

“Collector’s items are a form of admiration for a beloved artist or person of interest. They can even represent a special bond. We want those who are devoted to Jimi to have something delightful to add life to the spaces where they live and work. Kollectico has created a beautifully artistic and endearing line that we can all enjoy. Jimi was fun-loving. This is a lighthearted way to appreciate him.”

There will be 1,967 hand-painted and sculpted Monterey bobbleheads housed in collector boxes. All of the figures inspired by both Hendrix events will go on sale on August 21st but can be pre-ordered now.