Manic Depression (song)
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| “Manic Depression” | ||
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album cover (Track)
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| Song by The Jimi Hendrix Experience | ||
| Album | Are You Experienced | |
| Released | May 12, 1967 (UK) | |
| Genre | Psychedelic Rock | |
| Length | 3:30 | |
| Label | Track Records (UK) MCA (reissues) |
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| Writer | Jimi Hendrix | |
| Producer | Chas Chandler | |
| Are You Experienced track listing | ||
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Side 1
Side 2
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"Manic Depression" is a song written and recorded by Jimi Hendrix and first released in 1967 on the Are You Experienced? album.
The song's name, "Manic Depression", is an old name for bipolar disorder, a mental health disorder. There is no evidence the Hendrix ever suffered from bipolar disorder himself. Hendrix was doing a press conference in London and his manager at the time, Chas Chandler, told him that he sounded like a manic depressive. So the next day Hendrix wrote this tune.
Musically, the tune is a rare thing: a hard rock waltz. The lack of equilibrium inherent in the 3/4 meter, and when played in such a hard driving style, is appropriate for the subject matter of the song. Its style also owes a lot to blues and jazz influences.
"Manic Depression" has been covered by the Red Hot Chili Peppers; Styx; Blood, Sweat and Tears; Carnivore; Nomeansno; David Ryan Harris; Seal & Jeff Beck; Clawfinger; Jan Hammer; Katharina Franck; King's X; Stevie Ray Vaughan; Yngwie J. Malmsteen; et al. The Hungarian Gypsy band Besh O Drom have a track called Mániás Depresszió on their album Gyi! which uses Hendrix's tune. Rozz Williams and Gitane Demone released a very different version of Manic Depression on their album Dream Home Heartache.
There is also a second, unrelated, song called "Manic Depression (Jimi)" by Ian Dury and the Blockheads on their album Laughter.
The distinctive first three notes were sampled into MC Twix's 1989 song Devastatin 2 Yo Ear. [1]
[edit] References
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