In the latter half of 1967, recording sessions got underway for what would become one of the most groundbreaking albums of the 20th century. The music that resulted is undoubtedly incredible and funky as f**k, but the reason I start with this is what transpired in terms of studio recording techniques that turned it into a psychedelic masterpiece.
If you hadn’t guessed, I am of course talking about Electric Ladyland, the third and final album from the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The reverberations from this album were profound and felt through all forms of music right up to the current day.
Temptations producer Norman Whitfield’s Undisputed Truth and San Francisco outfit Sly & The Family Stone took soul music screaming into the 70’s with psychedelic undertones. You only have to listen to ’Theres A Riot Going On’ album from 1971 by the latter to see what I mean. Its difficult to imagine that bands such as Funkadelic and Parliament would be quite what they became without it.
In Europe, hypnotic experimental rock music sprinkled with electronics, often now referred to as Krautrock, was taking psychedelia in other directions. Bands such as Neu! and Can with their epic trance workouts would have a similar resounding impact on music as the 1970’s progressed.
One music genre that felt all I have talked about was disco music. In the States artists such as Dexter Wansel, Norman Connors and Arthur Russell took on a spaced out jazz/funk sound. Over in Europe Krautrock was one of the foundations that led to space disco and Italo disco.
But whichever side of the pond music was being created with an element of psychedelia, what Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Kramer started in the studio in 1967 underpins it all. This is why I chose the introduction I did for my latest disco show.