Bob Dylan (1967) vs Jimi Hendrix (1968)
John Wesley Harding (1967)
"There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke..."
Electric Ladyland (1968)
Dylan himself later said: "Jimi's version... made me feel that it wasn't the same song anymore."
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Bob Dylan wrote "All Along the Watchtower" during his retreat in Woodstock following his 1966 motorcycle accident. The song appeared on John Wesley Harding, a stark departure from the electric sound of his previous albums.
The stripped-down, acoustic arrangement reflects the album's biblical themes and Dylan's return to simplicity. The cryptic lyrics describe a conversation between a joker and a thief.
Jimi Hendrix heard Dylan's version and immediately knew he had to record it. His interpretation, released on Electric Ladyland, transformed the song into a psychedelic rock epic.
Hendrix's version became his highest-charting single in the US. Dylan was so impressed that he adopted elements of Hendrix's arrangement for his own live performances of the song.
Dylan's Verdict:
"I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way... Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."
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