18/12/2025
THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
TODAY WOULD HAVE BEEN THE 87TH BIRTHDAY OF CHAS CHANDLER.
THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
492-Jimi Hendrix Experience-Hey Joe.
1966-Number 6 single.
Best Bit-At 1.51. A warning to old ladies everywhere, don’t go messin’ round with another man. You might end up getting shot.
‘Hey Joe’ was originally written and performed by Billy Roberts, who was born William Moses Roberts Jr. on August 16th, 1935, in Greenville, South Carolina, United States, he died on October 7th, 2017, at the age of 81. Roberts recorded ‘Hey Joe’ himself, but never had it officially released, but he did have it copyrighted in 1962. Billy Roberts was a Folk singer, and was a member of the ‘Driftwood Singers’ between 1964-1965, who played on the same bill as artists of the calibre of Johnny Cash, (1932-2003) (see also best songs 857-428-and 199) and Carmen McRae (1920-1994.) In 1975, Roberts released his one studio Album, called ‘Thoughts of California. It is thought that Billy Roberts got his inspiration for writing ‘Hey Joe’ from an earlier work by his then girlfriend Niela Horn, whose song ‘Baby, Please Don’t Go to Town’ uses the same chord progression. Also the 1953 U.S. Country hit ‘Hey Joe’ written by Felice Bordleaux & Diadorius Bryant shares the same title, and ‘questioning’ format. There is also an early 20th Century traditional ballad called ‘Little Sadie’ that tells of a man on the run after he has shot his wife.
‘Hey Joe’ has been recorded in many different styles, and by numerous artists over the years. The probable first commercially released ‘Rock’ version was in 1966 by the ‘Garage’ band the ‘Leaves,’ who reached Number 31 on the American Billboard Hot 100, the highest chart placing the song has reached in America. ‘Hey Joe’ also reached Number 94 for Cher in 1967, and Number 59 for Wilson Pickett (1941-2006) in 1969. The Jimi Hendrix Experience recording failed to chart on Billboard, but it is the only version of the song to chart in the UK. Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) (see also best songs 983) got to know about the song after seeing the Folk singer Tim Rose (1940-2002) perform a slower version. On the advice of Chas Chandler, (1938-1996) (see also best songs 851 and 649) who was then Hendrix’s manager, ‘Hey Joe’ became the first single release of the ‘Jimi Hendrix Experience.’
‘Hey Joe’ was released as a stand alone single in the UK in December 1966, but was later featured on the American only released version of the Jimi Hendrix Experience debut studio Album ‘Are You Experienced,’ from May 1967. ‘Hey Joe’ would later be added to the UK, and international Compact Disc reissues as one of the bonus tracks in 1997. The Jimi Hendrix Experience version of ‘Hey Joe’ was produced by Chas Chandler, with the musicians playing on the song, who were the ‘Jimi Hendrix Experience,’ being Jimi Hendrix, guitars, and vocals, Noel Redding, (1945-2003) bass guitar, and Mitch Mitchell 1946-2008) drums. There are also backing vocals on the track provided by ‘The Breakaways,’ who were an English female vocal group, whose members included Vicki Brown, (1940-1991) who had also been a member of ‘The Vernon Girls, and the first wife of the English musician Joe Brown, and mother of the singer Sam Brown. ‘The Breakaways’ sang backing vocals on many songs in the 1960’s, including ‘Downtown’ for Petula Clark (see also best songs 838.)
The discography of the Jimi Hendrix Experience includes three studio Albums released between 1967-1968, and 14 singles released between 1966-1970, there are also three official live Albums, and two official compilation Albums available. All three studio Albums made the top 10 in America on Billboard, and in the UK, while in America their only charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 is ‘All Along the Watchtower’ which reached Number 20 in 1968, In the UK, six of their singles have made the top 40, with ‘Purple Haze’ peaking the highest at Number 3 in 1967. After the death of Jimi Hendrix in 1970, there have been numerous posthumous releases of demos, studio outtakes/alternate takes, and jams, which have made up into a further 13 studio Albums released between 1971-2018, there have also been 19 anthologies, 28 live Albums, and 28 singles issued posthumously. In October 1970, exactly five weeks after the death of Jimi Hendrix, the track ‘Voodoo Chile,’ from the 1968 Album ‘Electric Ladyland’ was issued as a single, with ‘Hey Joe,’ and ‘All Along the Watchtower’ as the ‘B’ sides, the single failed to chart in America, but reached Number 1 in the UK. Two further singles have posthumously charted in the UK, ‘Gypsy Eyes,’ (1971-Number 35) and ‘Johnny B Goode’ (1972-Number 35.)
‘Hey Joe’ is the story of a man who finds out that his woman has been cheating on him, and he takes his revenge by purchasing a gun, and shooting the woman, and her lover. In order to not face trial, and the hangman, he travels down to Mexico. The Hendrix version omits the first verse where ‘Joe’ buys the gun, and he also makes no mention of killing the woman’s lover, which is part of the original version by Billy Roberts.
‘Hey Joe, I said where you goin’ with that gun in your hand. I’m goin’ down to shoot my old lady, you know I caught her messin’ ’round with another man. Yeah, I’m goin’ down to shoot my old lady, you know I caught her messin’ ’round with another man.’
THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
649-Slade-Cum On Feel the Noize.
1973-Number 1 single.
Best Bit-At 0.01. Three very noisy babies. The songs introduction of Noddy Holder shouting ‘Baby, Baby, Baby,’ was only meant to be a microphone test, but it appeared everybody liked it, so they kept it in.
Slade were formed in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, in 1966, by Neville ‘Noddy’ Holder, (lead vocals, and guitar) Dave Hill, (guitar, and vocals) Jim Lea, (bass, and keyboards) and Don Powell (drums.) Between 1966-1969, they were called ‘The N’Betweens,’ which was changed to ‘Ambrose Slade,’ in 1969, then ‘The Slade,’ between 1969-1970, and then just ‘Slade.’ The name ‘Ambrose Slade’ had come about as one of the groups promoters secretary, had named her handbag ‘Ambrose,’ and her shoes ‘Slade.’ In 1992, both Noddy Holder, and Jim Lea, left the group, with Dave Hill, and Don Powell, and three new recruits, continuing as ‘Slade II,’ until reverting to ‘Slade’ in 2002. In 2020, after 54 years Don Powell left ‘Slade,’ leaving Dave Hill as the groups one constant, and at the time of writing with three others, the group remain active for touring. In total there have been 13 different members come and go.
Slade were the biggest selling singles act of the 1970’s in the UK, with their best selling song being ‘Merry Xmas Everybody,’ which has sold in excess of one million copies. The discography of Slade includes 15 studio Albums released between 1969-1994, and 56 singles issued between 1966-2013, there are also 10 official compilation Albums, and six live Albums available. In the UK, 25 of their singles have reached the top 40, with six of those making the Number 1 position, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100, after several unsuccessful attempts in the 1970’s, they finally charted in the top 40 in 1983, with ‘My Oh My,’ reaching Number 37, and then in 1984, with ‘Run Runaway,’ peaking at Number 20.
‘Cum On Feel the Noize’ was released as a stand alone single, in February 1973, and then later included on the groups September 1973 compilation Album ‘Sladest.’ The song was co-written by Noddy Holder, (lyrics) and Jim Lea, (music) who together would write the majority of Slade’s songs, with the production being by Chas Chandler (1938-1996.) Chas Chandler was born Bryan James Chandler, on December 18th, 1938, in Heaton, Newcastle, England, he died on July 17th, 1996, of an aortic aneurysm, at the age of 57. Chandler began his professional music career in 1962, as the bass player with ‘The Alan Price Trio,’ who would become ‘The Animals,’ (see also best songs 851) in 1963, after Eric Burdon joined the band. Despite finding commercial success with ‘The Animals,’ Chas Chandler became disillusioned with the lack of money, recalling that, ‘We toured non-stop for three years, doing 300 gigs a year and we hardly got a penny.’ Chandler turned his attentions to becoming a talent scout, an artist manager, and a record producer, and soon became the manager for a then unknown Jimi Hendrix, (1942-1970) (see also best songs 983 and 492.) By 1968 Chandler had become frustrated with the recording sessions for Jimi Hendrix’s album ‘Electric Ladyland,’ claiming they were self-indulgent, so he parted ways with Hendrix, and by 1969 was working with Slade, with whom he managed, and produced for the next 12 years.
‘Cum On Feel the Noize’ caused controversy, especially with school teachers, who said that the deliberate misspelling of the songs title, and many other Slade songs as well, was not setting a good example to school children. Jim Lea has spoken about how the song came to fruition,’I was at a Chuck Berry (1926-2017) (see also best songs 548-308 and 30) gig in ’72, and everybody was singing his tunes. He kept stopping and letting the crowd sing, and it wasn’t just a few people, it was everyone. I thought it was amazing and thought, why not write the crowd into the songs, and so we got round to ‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now,’ (1972-UK Number 1) and ‘Cum On Feel the Noize,’ and all the chants were written into the tunes.
Although Slade never broke through fully in America, they were influential on many ‘Rock,’ and ‘Heavy Metal’ groups of the 1980’s. In 1983 the American Heavy Metal group ‘Quiet Riot’ covered ‘Cum On Feel the Noize,’ taking it to Number 5 on Billboard, and selling in excess of one million copies, which finally brought Slade to the attention of the wider American record buying public.
‘So you think I got an evil mind, well, I’ll tell you honey, and I don’t know why, and I don’t know why. So you think my singing’s out of time, well it makes me money, and I don’t know why, and I don’t know why anymore, oh no.’
THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
851-The Animals-The House of the Rising Sun.
1964-Number 1 single. In 1972 the song was re-issued, and reached Number 25, and then again in 1982, it was re-issued and made Number 11.
Best Bit-At 1.54. As a traditional Folk song recorded by an Electric Rock band, this song has been described as the first ever ‘Folk Rock’ hit.
The Animals were formed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in 1963, when Eric Burdon, (vocals) (see also best songs 756) joined the ‘Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo,’ who were made up of Alan Price, (organ, and keyboards) Hilton Valentine, (1943-2021) (guitar) John Steel, (drums) and Chas Chandler (1938-1996) (bass) (see also best songs 983-649 and 492.) They originally formed as the ‘Alan Price Combo,’ but changed their name to ‘The Animals,’ in tribute to a mutual friend of their’s who was known as ‘Animal Hogg.’ The Animals formed just as ‘Beatlemania,’ and the ‘Beat Boom’ were taking over British Pop Music, and The Animals would go on to be one of the most successful acts in the ‘British Invasion’ of the American music charts. Initially The Animals performed ‘Blues Rock,’ and ‘R&B’ cover versions of artists such as John Lee Ho**er, (1912 or 1917-2001) and Nina Simone, (1933-2003) (see also best songs 227) but after the departure of Alan Price in 1965, The Animals style changed to a more ‘Psychedelic,’ and ‘Progressive Rock’ sound. The Animals remained active until 1969, but there have been three reformations since, as well as members touring under ‘The Animals’ banner, including,’Eric Burdon and the Animals,’ and ‘Animals and Friends,’ which was led by co-founding member John Steel. In total there have been 22 different official members of The Animals come and go, and at the time of writing they remain active as those two splinter groups.
The discography of The Animals includes five studio Albums released between 1964-1968, and 25 singles, issued between 1964-1983, there are also six official compilation Albums, and five EP’s available. In the UK, 14 of those singles have reached the top 40, with ‘House of the Rising Sun’ making the Number 1 spot, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, they have also charted within the top 40 on 14 occasions, with ‘House of the Rising Sun’ also being their only chart topper.
‘The House of the Rising Sun’ is a traditional Folk song, sometimes called ‘Rising Sun Blues.’ Like many classic ‘Folk’ ballads, the song has uncertain authorship, which is probably one of the reasons why it has been recorded so many times, as an artist doesn’t have to pay royalties on a song of unknown authorship. There are several schools of thought as to what kind of establishment the ‘Rising Sun’ was, with some saying it was a place of gambling, drinking, and prostitution, in New Orleans, around 1860, while others have claimed that the ‘Rising Sun’ is about a women’s prison in New Orleans, called the ‘Orleans Parish’ women’s prison, which had an entrance gate adorned with rising sun artwork, the songs lyrics include the line ‘ball and chain,’ which would be an explanation for their inclusion.
The oldest known recording of the ‘House of the Rising Sun’ under the title ‘Rising Sun Blues,’ is by Appalachian artists, Clarence ‘Tom’ Ashley, (1895-1967) and Gwen Foster, (1903-1954) who recorded their version on September 6th, 1933, on the ‘Vocalion’ record label. The Animals recorded their version in one take on May 18th, 1964, with the production credited to Mickie Most, (1938-2003) (see also best songs 686) and the arrangement credited to Alan Price, who played the songs instrumental breaks on a ‘Vox Continental organ.’ Mickie Most has said,’Everything was in the right place. It only took 15 minutes to make, so I can’t take much credit for the production.’ In America ‘House of the Rising Sun’ was released in edited form of 2.59, as the radio were reluctant to play songs in excess of three minutes, but in the UK, Mickie Most insisted that it should be issued in it’s full length version. At 4.29 ‘House of the Rising Sun’ became the longest song to reach Number 1 in the UK up until that point.
In the traditional ‘Folk’ version of ‘House of the Rising Sun,’ the songs main character is either a pr******te or a prisoner, but The Animals changed it to a gambler, in order to make the lyrics more radio friendly. Bob Dylan (see also best songs 792-621-358-103-36 and 7) had recorded ‘House of the Rising Sun’ for his self titled 1962 debut Album, using a Folk’ arrangement. It is said that on hearing The Animals version on the radio, he was inspired to go out and buy an Electric Guitar, where famously at the 1965 ‘Newport Folk Festival’ he did an Electric set for the first time.
‘Now the only thing a gambler needs is a suitcase and trunk, and the only time he’s satisfied, is when he’s on a drunk. Oh mother tell your children not to do what I have done, spend your lives in sin and misery, in the House of the Rising Sun.’
THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
983-Jimi Hendrix Experience-Crosstown Traffic.
1968-Number 37 single.
Best Bit-At 1.14. The guitar part just before the chorus impressed a young David Bowie so much, that he pinched it for ‘Starman.’
Jimi Hendrix (see also best songs 492) was born Johnny Allen Hendrix on November 27th, 1942, in Seattle, Washington, United States, he died on September 18th, 1970, from asphyxia, while intoxicated with barbiturates, at the age of 27. In 1946 his parents changed his name to James Marshall Hendrix, after his father James, and his father’s late brother Leon Marshall. Hendrix is held in the highest regard by both music journalists, and fellow artists alike, with many publications citing him as the greatest guitarist of all time. It was probably his experimentation with ‘amplifier feedback,’ making the guitar sound like it had never sounded before, that sets him apart. His influence has led the way in the development of ‘Hard Rock,’ Heavy Metal,’ and ‘Grunge’ music.
Jimi Hendrix had been fascinated with the guitar from an early age, and this developed further during his time in the Army between 1961-1962, where he, and fellow recruit Billy Cox, who played bass guitar, would regularly jam together. Hendrix first appeared on record in March 1964, playing the guitar parts on ‘The Isley Brothers’ (see also best songs 823-508-382 and 176) single ‘Testify,’ which failed to chart, the American music critic Richie Unterberger described the song as ‘One of the best examples of his (Hendrix) pre-‘Experience’ recordings.’
It was Chas Chandler, (1938-1996) (see also best songs 851-649 and 492) the former bass player in ‘The Animals,’ and future manager of ‘Slade,’ who took Hendrix under his wing in 1966, when forming the band the ‘Jimi Hendrix Experience,’ with two other musicians that Chandler had also hand picked to work alongside him, the English guitarist Noel Redding, (1945-2003) and the English drummer Mitch Mitchell (1946-2008.) Together they would record and release three studio Albums between 1967-1968 as the ‘Jimi Hendrix Experience,’ for a fuller discography of Jimi Hendrix, see best songs 492.
‘Crosstown Traffic’ was written and produced by Jimi Hendrix, and was the second of the two singles released from the double Album ‘Electric Ladyland,’ from October 1968, which was the third and final Album issued by the ‘Jimi Hendrix Experience.’ The first single which was a cover of the Bob Dylan song ‘All Along the Watchtower’ had made Number 20 on Billboard in America, and Number 5 in the UK, while ‘Crosstown Traffic’ would only reach Number 52 in the States, and Number 37 in the UK. Chas Chandler had been the producer of both the first two ‘Jimi Hendrix Experience’ studio Albums, and he had also produced the original demo of ‘Crosstown Traffic,’ but he was finding it increasingly more and more difficult to work with Hendrix, due to Hendrix being a perfectionist, who insisted on several takes of each track, which eventually forced Chandler to leave during the recording of ‘Electric Ladyland.’ The musicians who played on ‘Crosstown Traffic’ were Hendrix, Redding, and Mitchell, with Dave Mason, who was a member of the English Rock band ‘Traffic,’ guesting on the twelve-string guitar, and also providing backing vocals alongside Hendrix.
‘Crosstown Traffic’ is the perfect example of the way Jimi Hendrix experimented with the electric guitar, mixing ‘Blues’ music with ‘Psychedelic Rock.’ The songs lyrics are similar to many ‘Blues’ songs in that they are filled with sexual innuendo,’Crosstown Traffic’ is about a girl who is hard to get rid of. The narrator has spent time with her, but now he wants to move on. Getting his intentions through to her that she is not wanted anymore, is as difficult as getting through crosstown traffic.
‘I’m not the only soul who’s accused of hit and run, tyre tracks all across your back, I can, I can see you had your fun. But, darlin’ can’t you see my signals turn from green to red, and with you I can see a traffic jam straight up ahead.’
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT.
For a list of all the best 1000 songs Google Barry Philips Discos Blog.
