ROCK MOMENT – Jimi Hendrix ‘All Along The Watchtower’
Few cover songs in rock history have so completely overshadowed the original as Jimi Hendrix’s ‘All Along the Watchtower.‘ Written and recorded by Bob Dylan for his 1967 album John Wesley Harding, Dylan’s version was stripped-down and acoustic, giving a haunting, folk-driven frame to its biblical-inspired lyrics. But when Hendrix got hold of it, he transformed it into a thunderous, electrified anthem.
In 1968, Hendrix was in London working on what would become Electric Ladyland, his final studio album with the Experience. Introduced to Dylan’s song by a friend, Hendrix immediately connected with its apocalyptic mood and saw the potential to reinterpret it through electric guitar. At Olympic Studios, Hendrix began recording a new version with bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, but the track quickly expanded beyond the Experience.
Hendrix invited Traffic’s Dave Mason to contribute 12-string acoustic guitar, giving the song its rich underlying texture. Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones also attended the session, reportedly adding percussion, though his role was subtle in the final mix. Hendrix then spent days layering guitar overdubs—using wah-wah, distortion, and pioneering studio techniques—to craft its haunting, cinematic soundscape.
Released in September 1968, Hendrix’s ‘All Along the Watchtower‘ reached No. 20 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 in the U.K., becoming his biggest single. Dylan himself praised the interpretation, later adopting Hendrix’s arrangement in his own live performances, admitting: “It overwhelmed me. He found things in it I never would have thought of.”
Beyond its chart success, the song became a fixture in pop culture. Its ominous tone and explosive guitar work made it a natural fit for film and television, appearing in Forrest Gump (1994), Watchmen (2009), Withnail and I (1987), and the TV series Battlestar Galactica, among others. Each use reinforced the track’s enduring power as a symbol of chaos, change, and upheaval.
The influence of Hendrix’s version extended far beyond its era. Generations of guitarists—from Stevie Ray Vaughan to U2’s The Edge—have cited the recording as a masterclass in reimagining a song. Countless artists covering Dylan’s original have leaned toward Hendrix’s fiery blueprint rather than Dylan’s minimalist take, proving just how completely Hendrix reshaped the song’s identity.
Today, ‘All Along the Watchtower‘ stands as one of the greatest cover songs ever recorded: a fusion of Dylan’s lyrical mysticism and Hendrix’s revolutionary guitar vision that continues to inspire musicians and captivate audiences more than five decades later.
