43-493: Electric Lady may refer to: Electric Lady Studios , a recording studio opened by Jimi Hendrix Electric Lady (album) , by Elkie Brooks, 2005 Electric Lady , a 1985 album by Con Funk Shun The Electric Lady , a 2013 album by Janelle Monaé "Electric Lady" (song) , the album's title track "Electric Lady", a song by Tesla Boy from Modern Thrills See also [ edit ] Electric Ladyland , an album by
86-427: A Good Old Wagon", a song teasing a worn-out lover, which he ruefully remarked had seemed humorous to him back in 1962. He continued to perform for four decades and gave his last concert just a few months before his death. Van Ronk was married to Terri Thal in the 1960s, lived for many years with Joanne Grace, then married Andrea Vuocolo, with whom he spent the rest of his life. On February 10, 2002, Van Ronk died in
129-485: A New York hospital of cardiopulmonary failure while undergoing postoperative treatment for colon cancer . He died before completing work on his memoirs, which were finished by his collaborator, Elijah Wald , and published in 2005 as The Mayor Of MacDougal Street . Van Ronk's guitar work, for which he credits Tom Paley as fingerpicking teacher, is noteworthy for both syncopation and precision. Revealing similarities to Mississippi John Hurt 's, Van Ronk's main influence
172-427: A famed studio used by many top-selling recording artists from the 1970s onwards, including Led Zeppelin , Stevie Wonder , and David Bowie . At the turn of the 21st century, Electric Lady served as a home for the innovative Soulquarians collective, but fell into financial hardship and disarray in the 2000s. Taken over and renovated by investor Keith Stoltz and studio manager Lee Foster, the studio returned to form as
215-433: A popular location for mainstream artists of the 2010s, such as John Mayer , U2 , Taylor Swift , Lady Gaga and Zach Bryan . Before it became Electric Lady Studios, the building housed The Village Barn nightclub from 1930 to 1967. Abstract expressionist artist Hans Hofmann began lecturing there in 1938, two decades before he turned to painting full-time. In 1968, Jimi Hendrix and his manager Michael Jeffery bought
258-466: A session, but you call me: 'Who's down there?' 'Common's in there today.' So you come down, you order some food, sit down and bullshit, watch a movie, and then it's, 'Let's play something.' And I say, 'Who wants this [track]?' And it would be, 'I want it!' 'No, I want it!'" Eventually, the Soulquarians' period at the studio ended, in part because labels declined to release the experimental music it
301-619: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Electric Lady Studios Electric Lady Studios is a recording studio in Greenwich Village , New York City. It was commissioned by rock musician Jimi Hendrix in 1968 and designed by architect John Storyk and audio engineer Eddie Kramer . It was completed by 1970. Hendrix spent only ten weeks recording in Electric Lady before his death that year , but it quickly became
344-525: The Isle of Wight Festival ; he died less than three weeks later. In the following three decades, many popular artists recorded albums at Electric Lady. "From its inception, [Hendrix']s mother ship served as a rock, funk, disco and soul Olympus where gold and platinum hits were forged", Liesl Schillinger wrote in The Wall Street Journal . Stevie Wonder used the studio extensively in
387-688: The 1960s he supported radical left-wing political causes and was a member of the Libertarian League and the Trotskyist American Committee for the Fourth International (ACFI, later renamed the Workers League ). In 1974, he appeared at "An Evening For Salvador Allende ", a concert organized by Phil Ochs , alongside such other performers as his old friend Bob Dylan, to protest the overthrow of
430-520: The 1970s, when it became what he described as "the self-contained universe" for his work, wanting to depart from the "baby love" sound of his 1960s Motown recordings and "get as weird as possible". Among his recordings there were the 1972 albums Music of My Mind and Talking Book . Others users included Led Zeppelin , Lou Reed , Hall & Oates , the Rolling Stones , and Blondie . In 1971, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley , then with
473-598: The Blues Project . Van Ronk once said, "Painting is all about space, and music is all about time." The Coen brothers film Inside Llewyn Davis follows a folk singer similar to Van Ronk, and incorporates anecdotes based on Van Ronk's life. He is mentioned in David Bowie 's 2013 song ‘(You Will) Set the World on Fire' on The Next Day album and was mentioned among the dead musicians and recording artists in
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#1732771876121516-660: The Dutch ' Van ' name". He moved from Brooklyn to Queens around 1945 and began attending Holy Child Jesus Catholic School, whose students were mainly of Irish descent. He had been performing in a barbershop quartet since 1949, but left before finishing high school spending time in the Merchant Marine . His first professional gigs were playing tenor banjola, a wooden bodied combination of mandola and banjo, with various traditional jazz bands around New York City, of which he later observed: "We wanted to play traditional jazz in
559-678: The Generation, a newly defunct nightclub in New York's Greenwich Village. Hendrix had frequently joined jam sessions at the venue, which had hosted acts as diverse and legendary as Big Brother & the Holding Company , B.B. King , Chuck Berry , Dave Van Ronk , Sly & the Family Stone , and John Fahey . Hendrix had planned to resuscitate the nightclub, but was persuaded by advisors Eddie Kramer and Jim Marron to convert
602-628: The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Landlady , an album by Kirsty MacColl Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Electric Lady . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Electric_Lady&oldid=1099058472 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
645-625: The Midwest on records and thought he was pretty great, copied some of his recordings phrase for phrase. [...] Van Ronk could howl and whisper, turn blues into ballads and ballads into blues. I loved his style. He was what the city was all about. In Greenwich Village, Van Ronk was king of the street, he reigned supreme". Van Ronk gave guitar lessons in Greenwich Village, including to Christine Lavin , David Massengill , Terre Roche and Suzzy Roche . He influenced his protégé Danny Kalb and
688-477: The New York rock band Wicked Lester , recorded demos at the studio. They returned a few years later to record Kiss 's 1975 album Dressed to Kill . In 1975, John Lennon and David Bowie held an improvisatory session at the studio that produced Bowie's hit single " Fame " for his Young Americans album. That same year, Patti Smith used the studio to record her debut album, Horses . In 1978, Nile Rodgers took his band Chic to Electric Lady and recorded
731-660: The Rising Sun " on his first album which The Animals would later cover and which would become a chart-topping rock single for them in 1964, helping inaugurate the folk rock movement. Van Ronk received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers ( ASCAP ) in December 1997. Van Ronk was born in Brooklyn, New York City , to a family that was "mostly Irish, despite
774-675: The Roots' albums Things Fall Apart (1999) and Phrenology (2002), singer Erykah Badu 's second album Mama's Gun (2000), rapper Common 's Like Water for Chocolate (2000) and Electric Circus (2002), and singer Bilal 's debut album 1st Born Second (2001). Questlove often acted as the director behind the sessions. "I tried to do all in my power that I could to bring people together – to bring Common to Electric Lady, have him record here whenever so that he could record with some of these other artists," he said in 2002. "You'd just come into [the studio's] A Room, you don't even know who has
817-420: The Soulquarians period, said in 2015 that the studio's "glory-days era had sort of ended". According to Schillinger "after the Soulquarians had departed, the place had gone further downhill." After years of financial hardship, the studio was taken over by investor Keith Stoltz and studio manager Lee Foster in 2010. They renovated and expanded the studio, adding a new mixing studio on the second floor and turning
860-624: The air, cacophony—I mean, just screaming and yelling, sirens, strobe lights, the whole spaghetti." The next day, he was arrested and later released on his own recognizance for having thrown a heavy object at a police officer. City records show he was charged with felony assault in the second degree and pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of harassment, classified in 1969 as a violation under PL 240.25. In 2000, he performed at Blind Willie's in Atlanta , speaking fondly of his impending return to Greenwich Village. He reminisced over tunes like "You've Been
903-400: The blues style to Greenwich Village during the 1960s, while introducing the folk music world to the complex harmonies of Kurt Weill with his many Brecht and Weill interpretations. A traditional revivalist who moved with the times, Van Ronk brought old blues and ballads together with the new sounds of Dylan, Mitchell and Leonard Cohen . Dylan says of his impact: "I'd heard Van Ronk back in
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#1732771876121946-429: The building was found to be atop a tributary of an underground river, Minetta Creek . The studio was constructed specifically for Hendrix, with round windows and a machine to generate ambient lighting in myriad colors. It was designed to have a relaxing feel to encourage Hendrix's creativity, but also provide a professional recording atmosphere. Hendrix spent only 10 weeks recording in Electric Lady, most of which during
989-544: The democratic socialist government of Chile and to aid refugees from the U.S.-backed military junta led by Augusto Pinochet . After Ochs's suicide in 1976, Van Ronk joined the many performers who played at his memorial concert in the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden , playing his bluesy version of the traditional folk ballad " He Was A Friend Of Mine ". Although Van Ronk was less politically active in later years, he remained committed to anarchist and socialist ideals and
1032-406: The final phases of construction were still occurring. His last studio recording, a new solo demo for "Belly Button Window", was recorded on August 22. The last mix session with Eddie Kramer took place on August 24 on "Freedom", "Night Bird Flying", "Dolly Dagger", and "Belly Button Window". An opening party was held on August 26, 1970. Hendrix then boarded an Air India flight for London to perform at
1075-623: The hit single " Le Freak ". In 1981, The Waitresses recorded their holiday hit " Christmas Wrapping " there. "The enchantment held through the '80s and '90s, as AC/DC and the Clash showed up, then Billy Idol , the Cars , Weezer and Santana ", Schillinger wrote. "The house that Jimi built welcomed them all." From 1997 to the early 2000s, the Soulquarians , an experimental black music collective, held jam sessions and recorded albums at
1118-518: The pace of work by saying "this place is a beating heart". Schillinger wrote in 2015 that "one day last winter, seven sessions proceeded simultaneously, including: Interpol in Studio A; Jon Batiste (the bandleader for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ) in Studio B's live room; and Lana Del Rey , Rod Stewart and producer and singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys all working on
1161-641: The song "Mirror Door" by the Who in 2006 on the album Endless Wire . In 2004, a section of Sheridan Square , where Barrow Street meets Washington Place, was renamed Dave Van Ronk Street in his memory. Van Ronk was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously by the World Folk Music Association in 2004. Joni Mitchell said that Van Ronk's rendition of her song " Both Sides Now " (which he called "Clouds")
1204-508: The space into a professional recording studio. Studio fees for the lengthy Electric Ladyland sessions had been astronomical, and Hendrix was constantly in search of a recording environment that suited him. Architect and acoustician John Storyk oversaw the conversion. Construction of the studio took nearly double the time and money planned. Permits were delayed numerous times, the site flooded due to heavy rains during demolition, and sump pumps had to be installed (then soundproofed) after
1247-489: The studio to record his 2012 album Born and Raised . Taylor Swift has frequently recorded at the studio, notably for the albums Lover (2019), Folklore (2020), Midnights (2022), and the re-recordings of Fearless (2021), Red (2021), Speak Now (2023) and 1989 (2023). Mixing engineer Tom Elmhirst held a residency in Studio C, where in 2014 he mixed the Beck album Morning Phase ; he has commented on
1290-412: The studio, often drawing on the influence of Hendrix and Wonder's recordings. This period at the turn of the 21st century is known in the studio's history as the Soulquarians era. In 1997, the singer D'Angelo and drummer-producer Questlove (of the Roots ) prepared to record the former's second album Voodoo (2000). This led to adjacent sessions at the studio over the next five years that produced
1333-486: The third floor." On December 7, 2020, the band Bleachers , who had recorded the song "Chinatown" at the studio, released a performance video filmed on the roof of the building with Bruce Springsteen . In late 2022, the Rolling Stones performed live in the studio before their future producer Andrew Watt in preparation for the production of their new studio album Hackney Diamonds . Dave Van Ronk David Kenneth Ritz Van Ronk (June 30, 1936 – February 10, 2002)
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1376-476: The third into a self-contained unit including Studio C, a private lounge, and another mixing suite. The studio has since been used by popular recording artists, such as Adele , A$ AP Rocky , Jay-Z , Keith Richards (for the 2011 expanded reissue of the Stones' Some Girls LP), Daft Punk (for their 2013 album Random Access Memories ), and U2 (for their 2014 album Songs of Innocence ). John Mayer used
1419-422: The work of earlier artists and his folk revival peers. He became noted both for his large physical stature and for his expansive charisma which bespoke an intellectual, cultured gentleman of diverse talents. Among his many interests were cooking, science fiction (he was active for some time in science fiction fandom , referring to it as "mind rot", contributing to fanzines ), world history, and politics. During
1462-568: The worst way ... and we did!" But the trad jazz revival had already passed its prime, and Van Ronk turned to performing the blues he had stumbled across while shopping for jazz 78s by artists like the Reverend Gary Davis , Furry Lewis and Mississippi John Hurt . By about 1958, he was firmly committed to the folk-blues style, accompanying himself with his own acoustic guitar. He performed blues , jazz and folk music , occasionally writing his own songs but generally arranging
1505-401: Was [Dylan]'s first New York guru. Van Ronk was a walking museum of the blues. Through an early interest in jazz, he had gravitated toward black music—its jazz pole, its jug-band and ragtime center, its blues bedrock.... His manner was rough and testy, disguising a warm, sensitive core." For an in depth, illustrated discography, see https://www.wirz.de/music/vanronk.htm Van Ronk was author of
1548-601: Was a dues-paying member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) almost until his death. Van Ronk was among 13 people arrested at the Stonewall Inn June 28, 1969, the night of the Stonewall Riots , which is widely credited as the spark of the contemporary gay rights movement. He had been dining at a neighboring restaurant and joined the riot against the police occupation of the club and
1591-478: Was a widely admired avuncular figure in the Village, presiding over the coffeehouse folk culture and acting as a friend to many up-and-coming artists by inspiring, assisting, and promoting them. Folk performers he befriended include Jim and Jean , Bob Dylan , Tom Paxton , Patrick Sky , Phil Ochs , Ramblin' Jack Elliott , and Joni Mitchell . Dylan recorded Van Ronk's arrangement of the traditional song " House of
1634-541: Was an American folk singer. An important figure in the American folk music revival and New York City 's Greenwich Village scene in the 1960s, he was nicknamed the "Mayor of MacDougal Street ". Van Ronk's work ranged from old English ballads to blues , gospel , rock , New Orleans jazz , and swing . He was also known for performing instrumental ragtime guitar music, especially his transcription of "St. Louis Tickle" and Scott Joplin 's " Maple Leaf Rag ". Van Ronk
1677-427: Was dragged from the crowd into the building by police deputy inspector Seymour Pine . The police slapped and punched Van Ronk to the point of near unconsciousness, handcuffed him to a radiator near the doorway, and decided to charge him for assault. Recalling the expanding riot, Van Ronk said, "There were more people out there [outside the building] when I came out than when I went in. Things were still flying through
1720-512: Was frequently seen on stage next to him in his early days. Critic Robert Shelton described Van Ronk as "the musical mayor of MacDougal Street" - ..."a tall, garrulous, hairy man of three quarters, or, more accurately, three fifths Irish descent. Topped by light brownish hair and a leonine beard which he smoothed down several times a minute, he resembled an unmade bed strewn with books, record jackets, pipes, empty whiskey bottles, lines from obscure poets, finger picks, and broken guitar strings. He
1763-467: Was her favorite version of the song. Van Ronk refused for many years to fly and never learned to drive (he took trains or buses or, when possible, recruited a girlfriend or young musician as his driver), and he declined to ever move from Greenwich Village for any extended period of time (having stayed in California for a short time in the 1960s). Van Ronk's trademark stoneware jug of Tullamore Dew
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1806-457: Was producing. Bilal held improvisatory jam sessions at the studio for his second album, Love for Sale , which the label hesitated to release, and then shelved after it leaked . Common's similarly experimental Electric Circus sold disappointingly, which discouraged his and the Roots' shared label, MCA Records , from letting the artistically free environment at the studio continue. Producer Mark Ronson , who often visited Electric Lady during
1849-474: Was the Reverend Gary Davis , who conceived the guitar as "a piano around his neck." Van Ronk took this pianistic approach and added a harmonic sophistication adapted from the band voicings of Jelly Roll Morton and Duke Ellington . Van Ronk was among the first to adapt traditional jazz and ragtime to the solo acoustic guitar with arrangements of such ragtime staples as "St. Louis Tickle", " The Entertainer ", "The Pearls" and " Maple Leaf Rag ". Van Ronk brought
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