Manic Depression (song)

"Manic Depression"
Song by The Jimi Hendrix Experience from the album Are You Experienced
Released	May 12, 1967
Recorded	March 29, 1967
Genre	Psychedelic rock, blues rock, acid rock[1]
Length	3:30
Label	Track Records (UK) MCA (reissues)
Writer	Jimi Hendrix
Producer	Chas Chandler
Are You Experienced track listing
(UK) Side 1 "Foxy Lady" "Manic Depression" "Red House" "Can You See Me" "Love or Confusion" "I Don't Live Today" (UK) Side 2 "May This Be Love" "Fire" "3rd Stone from the Sun" "Remember" "Are You Experienced"

"Manic Depression" is a song written and recorded by Jimi Hendrix and first released in 1967 on the Are You Experienced album.

Overview

The song's name is an old name for bipolar disorder, a mental health disorder. There is no evidence that Hendrix ever suffered from (or did not suffer from) bipolar disorder himself,^{[citation needed]} but when he was doing a press conference in London his manager at the time, Chas Chandler, told him that he sounded like a manic depressive.^{[citation needed]} So the next day Hendrix wrote this tune.^{[citation needed]} One interesting aspect to the song is that it is in 3/4 time signature.

At Winterland in 1968, Jimi explains to the crowd: "I'd like to do a frustrating type of song for you, it's called Manic Depression, a story about a cat wishing he could make love to music, instead of the same old everyday woman."

Covers

"Manic Depression" has been covered by the Red Hot Chili Peppers; Styx; Blood, Sweat and Tears; Tanya Donelly; Carnivore; Nomeansno; David Ryan Harris; Jeff Beck and Seal; Clawfinger; Jan Hammer; Katharina Franck; King's X; Stevie Ray Vaughan; Yngwie J. Malmsteen; Type O Negative; 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. Singer/comedian Sandra Bernhard combined the song with the song "Everything's Alright" from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar to create the song "Manic Superstar" on her album Excuses For Bad Behavior (Part One).

In 2006, jazz fusion guitarist Larry Coryell covered the song on his album Traffic.^[2][3]

There is also an 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."^[4]

References

1. ^ "Acid rock". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/explore/style/acid-rock-d2690/songs. Retrieved 2011-06-05. 
2. ^ "Traffic overview". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r856937. 
3. ^ "Traffic by Larry Coryell, Victor Bailey, Lenny White". Chesky Records. http://www.chesky.com/core/details.cfm?PRODUCTCODE=SACD322&productcategoryid=3. 
4. ^ IRS #23937 1989 MC Twix "Devastatin 2 Yo Ear"