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"Foxy Lady" (or alternatively "Foxey Lady") is a song by
The Jimi Hendrix Experience James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
. It first appeared on their 1967 debut album '' Are You Experienced'' and was later issued as their third single in the U.S. with the alternate spelling. It is one of Hendrix's best-known songs and was frequently performed in concerts throughout his career. ''Rolling Stone'' magazine placed the song at number 153 on its list of the " 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".


Composition and lyrics

Music critic Thomas Ward points out "if one song could be said to encapsulate Hendrix’s entire oeuvre, 'Foxey Lady' is certainly closer than most". The song opens with a fingered note "shaken in a wide exaggerated
vibrato Vibrato (Italian language, Italian, from past participle of "wikt:vibrare, vibrare", to vibrate) is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch (music), pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. ...
" so the adjacent strings are sounded. After the amplifier is allowed to feed back, Hendrix slides down to the rhythm figure, which uses a dominant seventh sharp ninth chord, a
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and
rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...
-style chord, often referred to as the " Hendrix chord". Hendrix's biographer Keith Shadwick writes: Prior to the recording, the group had not worked out an ending for the song and bassist Noel Redding claimed that using the last IV chord was his idea. Hendrix biographer Harry Shapiro suggests that song's lyrics were inspired by Heather Taylor, who later married
Roger Daltrey Sir Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band the Who, known for his powerful voice and charismatic stage presence. His stage persona ear ...
of
the Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
. Hendrix later commented that he did not approach women in such a straightforward manner as the lyrics suggested. Lithofayne "Faye" Pridgon, Hendrix's girlfriend in the mid-1960s, has also been suggested as the inspiration for the song.


Releases and charts

Hendrix's American record company
Reprise Records Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels. Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Green Day, En ...
issued the song as the third single of their debut album in December 1967, one month before the release of the second Experience album, '' Axis: Bold as Love''. Reprise used the title "Foxey Lady", which also appeared on the North American release of ''Are You Experienced''. It was backed with "
Hey Joe "Hey Joe" is a song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and been performed in many musical styles by hundreds of different artists. The lyrics are from the point of view of a man on the run and planning to escape to Mexico after sho ...
", which Reprise had already released as a single in April 1967. Although Hendrix's albums performed quite well on the record charts, "Foxy Lady", along with the other early singles, made a relatively weak showing, peaking at number 67 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 pop singles chart. In 1967,
Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
issued the single in Germany with " Manic Depression" as the B-side, but it did not appear on the charts. '' Record World'' said of the single that "This one has the beat to perk up teen ears. Jimi wails it in nitty gritty fashion." "Foxy Lady" has appeared on numerous Hendrix compilation albums, including ''
Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand ...
'', '' The Essential Jimi Hendrix Volume Two'', '' Cornerstones: 1967–1970'', '' The Ultimate Experience'', '' Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix'', and '' The Singles Collection''. It is also one of the few songs to be performed by each of the different Hendrix lineups, including the Experience, Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, the Band of Gypsys, and the Cry of Love touring group. Live renditions appear on '' Live at Monterey'', '' Live at Woodstock'', '' Band of Gypsys 2'', '' Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight'', and several other live albums. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine ranked "Foxy Lady" at number 153 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2020, '' Far Out'' ranked the song number six on their list of the 20 greatest Jimi Hendrix songs, and in 2021, ''
American Songwriter ''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. History The ''American Songwri ...
'' ranked the song number four on their list of the 10 greatest Jimi Hendrix songs.


Footnotes


References


Sources

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Foxy Lady 1966 songs 1967 singles Reprise Records singles The Jimi Hendrix Experience songs Songs written by Jimi Hendrix Song recordings produced by Chas Chandler