"Third Stone from the Sun" (or "3rd Stone from the Sun") is a mostly instrumental composition by American musician Jimi Hendrix. It incorporates several musical approaches, including jazz and psychedelic rock, with brief spoken passages. The title reflects Hendrix's interest in science fiction and is a reference to Earth in its position as the third planet away from the sun in the solar system.
Hendrix developed elements of the piece prior to forming his group, the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The Experience recorded versions as early as December 1966, and, in 1967, it was included on their debut album Are You Experienced. Several artists have recorded renditions and others have adapted the guitar melody line for other songs.
Background
In the summer of 1966, Hendrix relocated to New York City's Greenwich Village. There he explored a rock sound outside of the musical confines of the Harlem rhythm and blues scene. While performing with his group Jimmy James and the Blue Flames at the Cafe Wha?, Hendrix played elements or early versions of "Third Stone from the Sun". He continued to develop it after moving to England with new manager Chas Chandler. The two shared an interest in science fiction writing, including that of American author Philip Jose Farmer. Chandler recalled:
Music journalist Charles Shaar Murray associates it with the "hazy cosmic jive straight out of the Sun Ra science fiction textbook." Hendrix chronicler Harry Shapiro suggests that his reference of a hen may have been inspired by "Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens", a jump blues song by Louis Jordan. Jordan's song was one of the biggest hits of 1946 and was popular with rhythm and blues bands in Seattle, where Hendrix grew up and first performed.
Composition
Hendrix biographer Keith Shadwick describes "Third Stone from the Sun" as "a structured group performance" composed of several identifiable passages or sections with further subdivisions.The first section opens with guitar chording, which Murray notes as "sliding major ninth ... arpeggiated chords and Coltranoid mock-orientalisms" with Mitch Mitchell's Elvin Jones-influenced drumming. After several bars of the intro, Hendrix moves to a Wes Montgomery-style octave guitar melody line. It is one of Hendrix's most recognizable guitar figures and is notated in common or 4/4 time in the key of E:
Several writers have noted the jazz influences in the first section. However, Shadwick points out that "at no point does the band sound merely like a group of musicians imitating other styles. They have their own musical identity." Midway, Hendrix adds a bluesy guitar improvisation part with Mitchell and Redding switching to a more standard rock rhythm backing, before returning to the guitar melody.
Around 2:30, Hendrix abruptly changes direction with a vibrato arm swoop, which sets the stage for the second section and his feedback-laden guitar improvisations. Music critic Richie Unterberger described it as an "instrumental freak-out jam" and "a tour de force of psychedelic guitar". Redding anchors the section with a three-note bass ostinato while Mitchell provides rhythmic improvisation. Shadwick describes Hendrix's solo:
Murray notes that he performs largely independent of rhythm, tonality, or notes and enters into pure sound, which he describes as:
To wind down, Hendrix returns to the guitar melody line, although with more distortion and vibrato. The instrumental concludes with "what was possibly the Experience's version of Armageddon" and a fade.
Spoken sections
Spoken sections, often slowed down and otherwise sonically manipulated, run intermittently throughout the piece. Hendrix and Chandler recorded the dialogue, which parodies a science fiction scenario. Shadwick notes the joking nature, although Hendrix described it matter-of-factly: The dialogue opens with a mock communication between alien space explorers slowed to half-speed, which makes it mostly unintelligible.
The alien visitor, voiced by Hendrix at normal speed, makes some observations of the planet. He marvels at the "majestic and superior cackling hen", but dismisses the people and concludes:
Music journalist Peter Doggett notes the irony of the surf music reference. In 1970, business manager Michael Jeffery committed Hendrix to contributing to the soundtrack for Rainbow Bridge; his music is heard during surfing scenes with David Nuuhiwa and others. Pioneer surf guitarist Dick Dale, who claimed to have met Hendrix in Los Angeles in 1964, believed the mention was Hendrix's way of encouraging his recuperation when Dale was seriously ill.