Post by BAZanine on Oct 12, 2020 8:43:16 GMT
Johnny Allen Hendrix (27 November 1942 - 18 September 1970)
Years Active: 1963 - 1970
Vocal Range: F2 - E5
{Vocal Summary}Still thought of highly as a musical and cultural figure to this day, Jimi Hendrix is generally considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.
Though most certainly remembered more so for his momentous guitar-playing skills, Hendrix also accompanied himself vocally on many of his recordings. He possessed a rough, bellowing baritone that, though not a technical voice by any means, fit his music quite well. His approaches normally vary from anywhere between pleasant midrange crooning ("Drifting") to his more iconic gritty belts ("All Along the Watchtower", "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"). The latter of these two sheds more light into the diamond-in-the-rough nature of his voice, with Hendrix generally preferring to go for a sort of "raw" vocal that better captures the emotion he was going for. With this in mind, Hendrix's more off-the-wall vocal approach allowed him to better emulate his songs live with less stress put on the technicality of the performance and more put on his ability to produce a manic vocal when it was needed.
This general mentality is reflected when looking at the areas of Hendrix's voice individually. His upper range is the most prominently featured in his music, with him generally able to get belts into the upper 4th octave and even the lower 5th octave on occasion. These belts start to get rather strained above G4 or so, though this again greatly contributes to Hendrix's unique sound. Beyond this, he also manages to get somewhat controlled, heady shrieks on occasion and, despite his more belt-heavy vocals, also has a surprisingly pleasant albeit underused falsetto register that can be heard on tracks such as "Tears of Rage" and "Mannish Boy". His lower range is unfortunately comparably underused and effectively underdeveloped, his 2nd octave not having much at all in the way of strength or resonance.
Looking past the technical flaws in his voice, however, there is a realisation to be had that Hendrix is something of a package deal; though his voice alone may not fare particularly well in the name of analysis, its emotion and power makes it a great contributor to the Hendrix sound, which is arguably one of the most significant in the history of rock music.
Though most certainly remembered more so for his momentous guitar-playing skills, Hendrix also accompanied himself vocally on many of his recordings. He possessed a rough, bellowing baritone that, though not a technical voice by any means, fit his music quite well. His approaches normally vary from anywhere between pleasant midrange crooning ("Drifting") to his more iconic gritty belts ("All Along the Watchtower", "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"). The latter of these two sheds more light into the diamond-in-the-rough nature of his voice, with Hendrix generally preferring to go for a sort of "raw" vocal that better captures the emotion he was going for. With this in mind, Hendrix's more off-the-wall vocal approach allowed him to better emulate his songs live with less stress put on the technicality of the performance and more put on his ability to produce a manic vocal when it was needed.
This general mentality is reflected when looking at the areas of Hendrix's voice individually. His upper range is the most prominently featured in his music, with him generally able to get belts into the upper 4th octave and even the lower 5th octave on occasion. These belts start to get rather strained above G4 or so, though this again greatly contributes to Hendrix's unique sound. Beyond this, he also manages to get somewhat controlled, heady shrieks on occasion and, despite his more belt-heavy vocals, also has a surprisingly pleasant albeit underused falsetto register that can be heard on tracks such as "Tears of Rage" and "Mannish Boy". His lower range is unfortunately comparably underused and effectively underdeveloped, his 2nd octave not having much at all in the way of strength or resonance.
Looking past the technical flaws in his voice, however, there is a realisation to be had that Hendrix is something of a package deal; though his voice alone may not fare particularly well in the name of analysis, its emotion and power makes it a great contributor to the Hendrix sound, which is arguably one of the most significant in the history of rock music.
Significant High Notes:
E5 ("51st Anniversary", "Fire", "Little Miss Lover" BBC Sessions)
E♭5 ("Changes" live New York 1970, "Earth Blues", "I Don't Live Today", "In from the Storm", "Izabella", "Manic Depression", "Room Full of Mirrors", "Straight Ahead", "We Gotta Live Together" live New York 1970, "Wild Thing" live Paris 8/10/1966)
D5 ("51st Anniversary", "Fire", "Hey Joe", "Long Hot Summer Night", "Message to the Universe (Message to Love)", "Stone Free", "Straight Ahead", "Three Little Bears", "Voodoo Chile")
C♯5 ("Astro Man", "Earth Blues", "Ezy Ryder", "Little Miss Lover" BBC Sessions, "Manic Depression", "Mannish Boy", "She's So Fine")
C5 ("Bleeding Heart", "Changes" live New York 1970, "Drifter's Escape", "Foxey Lady", "Gypsy Eyes", "In from the Storm", "Purple Haze" live Atlanta Pop Festival 1970, "Valleys of Neptune", "Who Knows" live New York 1970)
B4 ("1983…(A Merman I Should Turn to Be)", "51st Anniversary", "Astro Man", "Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)", "Crash Landing", "Fire", "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)", "Hound Dog" BBC Sessions, "Johnny B. Goode" live Berkeley 1970, "Little Miss Lover", "Here He Comes (Lover Man)" live Berkeley 1970, "Message to the Universe (Message to Love)", "Purple Haze", "Three Little Bears")
B♭4 ("All Along the Watchtower", "Catfish Blues" BBC Sessions, "Crash Landing", "Crosstown Traffic", "Day Tripper" BBC Sessions, "Dolly Dagger", "Earth Blues", "Ezy Ryder", "Freedom", "Hear My Train a-Comin'", "Here He Comes (Lover Man)", "If 6 Was 9", "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man" BBC Sessions, "In from the Storm", "Look Over Yonder", "Mannish Boy", "Power of Soul", "She's So Fine", "Spanish Castle Magic", "Stepping Stone", "Straight Ahead", "Valleys of Neptune", "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", "We Gotta Live Together" live New York 1970, "Who Knows" live New York 1970)
A4 ("Astro Man", "Blue Suede Shoes" live, "Can You See Me", "Fire", "Foxey Lady", "I Don't Live Today", "Izabella", "Long Hot Summer Night", "Love or Confusion", "Machine Gun" live New York 1970, "Message to the Universe (Message to Love)", "Mr. Bad Luck", "Night Bird Flying", "One Rainy Wish", "Room Full of Mirrors", "Somewhere", "The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice", "Stone Free", "Tears of Rage", "Voodoo Chile")
G♯4 ("1983…(A Merman I Should Turn to Be)", "Astro Man", "Bleeding Heart", "Bold as Love", "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" BBC Sessions, "Catfish Blues" BBC Sessions, "Crash Landing", "Day Tripper" BBC Sessions, "Dolly Dagger", "Drifter's Escape", "Ezy Ryder", "Freedom", "Gypsy Eyes", "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)", "Hear My Train a-Comin'", "Here He Comes (Lover Man)", "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)", "Hey Gypsy Boy", "Hey Joe", "Highway Chile", "Hound Dog" BBC Sessions, "House Burning Down", "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man" BBC Sessions, "Johnny B. Goode" live, "Little Miss Lover", "Look Over Yonder", "Manic Depression", "Mannish Boy", "Power of Soul", "Power to Love" live New York 1970, "Red House", "Remember", "Ships Passing Through the Night", "Spanish Castle Magic", "The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice", "You Got Me Floatin'")
G4 ("Ain't No Telling", "All Along the Watchtower", "Angel", "Are You Experienced?", "Burning of the Midnight Lamp", "Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)", "Crosstown Traffic", "Freedom", "Hear My Freedom", "Killing Floor" BBC Sessions, "Little Wing" live, "Lonely Avenue", "Long Hot Summer Night", "Love or Confusion", "Machine Gun" live New York 1970, "Night Bird Flying", "Purple Haze", "Room Full of Mirrors", "Stepping Stone", "Stone Free", "Tears of Rage", "Valleys of Neptune", "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", "We Gotta Live Together" live New York 1970, "Who Knows" live New York 1970)
F♯4 ("1983…(A Merman I Should Turn to Be)", "Bleeding Heart", "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" BBC Sessions, "Can You See Me", "Catfish Blues" BBC Sessions, "Drifter's Escape", "Drifting", "Foxey Lady", "Gypsy Eyes", "Hear My Train a-Comin'", "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)", "Hey Gypsy Boy", "Hound Dog" BBC Sessions, "House Burning Down", "I Don't Live Today", "If 6 Was 9", "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man" BBC Sessions, "Izabella", "Johnny B. Goode" live, "Killing Floor" BBC Sessions, "May This Be Love", "Midnight Lighting", "Mr. Bad Luck", "Power of Soul", "Remember", "Send My Love to Linda", "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" live, "Shame, Shame, Shame", "Things I Used to Do", "Voodoo Chile", "You Got Me Floatin'")
F4 ("Are You Experienced?", "Blue Suede Shoes" live, "Bold as Love", "Burning of the Midnight Lamp", "Dolly Dagger", "Drifting", "Hear My Freedom", "Here He Comes (Lover Man)", "Highway Chile", "Hound Dog Blues", "House Burning Down", "Love or Confusion", "My Friend", "Power to Love" live New York 1970, "Rainy Day, Dream Away", "Red House", "Ships Passing Through the Night", "Still Raining, Still Dreaming", "Things I Used to Do", "The Wind Cries Mary")
Significant Low Notes:
E♭3 ("1983…(A Merman I Should Turn to Be)", "Ain't No Telling", "Are You Experienced?", "Bleeding Heart", "Bold as Love", "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" BBC Sessions, "Can You See Me", "Catfish Blues" BBC Sessions, "Drifter's Escape", "Drifting", "Hear My Train a-Comin'", "Here He Comes (Lover Man)", "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)", "Hey Joe", "Highway Chile", "House Burning Down", "If 6 Was 9", "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man" BBC Sessions, "Izabella", "Little Miss Lover", "Little Wing", "Long Hot Summer Night", "Manic Depression", "May This Be Love", "Midnight Lighting", "Night Bird Flying", "One Rainy Wish", "Power of Soul", "Power to Love" live New York 1970, "Send My Love to Linda", "Shame, Shame, Shame", "Ships Passing Through the Night", "Sweet Angel (Angel)", "Up from the Skies", "Valleys of Neptune", "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" live San Diego 1969, "You Got Me Floatin'")
D3 ("Angel", "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" BBC Sessions, "Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)", "Drifter's Escape", "Fire", "Hound Dog" impromptu jam, "Love or Confusion", "Machine Gun" live New York 1970, "Purple Haze", "Rainy Day, Dream Away", "Red House" live San Diego 1969, "Somewhere", "Stone Free", "Tears of Rage", "Things I Used to Do", "Up from the Skies", "Voodoo Chile", "The Wind Cries Mary")
C♯3 ("Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" BBC Sessions, "Catfish Blues" BBC Sessions, "Fire" BBC Sessions, "Hear My Train a-Comin'", "If 6 Was 9", "Little Wing", "Send My Love to Linda")
C3 ("Angel", "Dolly Dagger", "Hey Joe" BBC Sessions, "Highway Chile", "I Don't Live Today", "Lonely Avenue", "Manic Depression" BBC Sessions, "May This Be Love", "Spanish Castle Magic", "Wild Thing" live Paris 8/10/1966, "The Wind Cries Mary")
B2 ("Earth Blues", "Ezy Ryder", "My Friend", "Power to Love" live New York 1970, "Stone Free" BBC Sessions)
B♭2 ("Love or Confusion", "My Friend", "One Rainy Wish", "Sweet Angel (Angel)", "Tears of Rage")
A2 ("Belly Button Window", "Burning of the Midnight Lamp", "Foxey Lady", "Voodoo Chile")
G♯2 ("Third Stone from the Sun")
G2 ("Hound Dog" impromptu jam, "Spanish Castle Magic")
F♯2 ("Dolly Dagger", "Foxey Lady", "Hear My Train a-Comin'", "Rainy Day, Dream Away", "Three Little Bears")
F2 ("If 6 Was 9")
…………………………………………………………………….
*Blue marks clear falsetto notes.
*Italics mark non-melodic notes.
*Boldface marks notes that are considered impressive in relation to this person's vocal capabilities.
*Underlines mark notes obscured in the mix of the song.
{Questionable Notes}E♭6 ("Ezy Ryder"[2b])
D6 ("Day Tripper" BBC Sessions[2c])
C6 ("You Got Me Floatin'"[1a])
B5 ("Spanish Castle Magic"[1a])
A5 ("Mr. Bad Luck"[2c])
G5 ("Fire"[1a] & [2c], "If 6 Was 9"[2c], "Stone Free"[2c])
F♯5 ("Foxey Lady" BBC Sessions[2b], "Little Miss Lover" BBC Sessions[2c])
F5 ("Stepping Stone"[2c])
F2 ("Radio One" BBC Sessions[2a])
E♭2 ("Three Little Bears"[2a])
D2 ("Belly Button Window"[2a])
.......................................................
[1] Questionable quality.
a. Cracked-into notes.
[2] Questionable representativeness.
a. Speaking.
b. Shrill shrieks.
c. Brief exclamations.
D6 ("Day Tripper" BBC Sessions[2c])
C6 ("You Got Me Floatin'"[1a])
B5 ("Spanish Castle Magic"[1a])
A5 ("Mr. Bad Luck"[2c])
G5 ("Fire"[1a] & [2c], "If 6 Was 9"[2c], "Stone Free"[2c])
F♯5 ("Foxey Lady" BBC Sessions[2b], "Little Miss Lover" BBC Sessions[2c])
F5 ("Stepping Stone"[2c])
F2 ("Radio One" BBC Sessions[2a])
E♭2 ("Three Little Bears"[2a])
D2 ("Belly Button Window"[2a])
.......................................................
[1] Questionable quality.
a. Cracked-into notes.
[2] Questionable representativeness.
a. Speaking.
b. Shrill shrieks.
c. Brief exclamations.
{Notewatched Discography & Album Ranges}Are You Experienced (1967) (F♯2 - E5)
Axis: Bold as Love (1967) (F2 - G2 - B4 - C♯5)
Electric Ladyland (1968) (F♯2 - A2 - D5)
Band of Gypsys (1970) (B2 - E♭5)
The Cry of Love (1971) (A2 - D5 - E♭5)
Rainbow Bridge (1971) (F♯2 - E♭5)
Hendrix in the West (1972) (C♯3 - C♯5)
War Heroes (1972) (F♯2 - C3 - E♭5) - Track 4 unavailable
South Saturn Delta (1997) (B♭2 - C5 - D5)
BBC Sessions (1998) (G2 - E5)
Morning Symphony Ideas (2000) (E3 - E♭5) - All tracks but 2, 3 unavailable
The Summer of Love Sessions (2001) - Unavailable
Lonnie Youngblood and the So-Called Jimi Hendrix Tapes (2003) - Unavailable
Valleys of Neptune (2010) (F♯2 - C♯5)
West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology (2010) (B♭2 - E5)
People, Hell, and Angels (2013) (B2 - E♭5)
Both Sides of the Sky (2018) (F♯2 - B♭4 - C♯5)
Axis: Bold as Love (1967) (F2 - G2 - B4 - C♯5)
Electric Ladyland (1968) (F♯2 - A2 - D5)
Band of Gypsys (1970) (B2 - E♭5)
The Cry of Love (1971) (A2 - D5 - E♭5)
Rainbow Bridge (1971) (F♯2 - E♭5)
Hendrix in the West (1972) (C♯3 - C♯5)
War Heroes (1972) (F♯2 - C3 - E♭5) - Track 4 unavailable
South Saturn Delta (1997) (B♭2 - C5 - D5)
BBC Sessions (1998) (G2 - E5)
Morning Symphony Ideas (2000) (E3 - E♭5) - All tracks but 2, 3 unavailable
The Summer of Love Sessions (2001) - Unavailable
Lonnie Youngblood and the So-Called Jimi Hendrix Tapes (2003) - Unavailable
Valleys of Neptune (2010) (F♯2 - C♯5)
West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology (2010) (B♭2 - E5)
People, Hell, and Angels (2013) (B2 - E♭5)
Both Sides of the Sky (2018) (F♯2 - B♭4 - C♯5)
