Hey Joe

"Hey Joe"
The Leaves' third release of "Hey Joe"
Single by the Leaves
B-side
  • "Be With You" (1st pressing)
  • "Girl From The East" (2nd pressing)
  • "Funny Little World" (3rd pressing)
Released
  • November 25, 1965 (1965-11-25)
RecordedLate 1965[1]
GenreHard rock[2]
Length2:40
LabelMira
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Norm Ratner
The Leaves singles chronology
"Love Minus Zero"
(1965)
"Hey Joe"
(1965)
"You Better Move On"
(1965)

"Hey Joe" is an American song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and has been performed in many musical styles by hundreds of different artists. The lyrics tell of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico after shooting his unfaithful wife. In 1962, Billy Roberts registered "Hey Joe" for copyright in the United States.[3]

In late 1965, Los Angeles-based garage band called The Leaves recorded the earliest known commercial version of "Hey Joe", which was released as a single. They re-recorded the song and released it in 1966 as a follow-up single, which became a hit in the US.[4] In October 1966, Jimi Hendrix recorded "Hey Joe" for his first single with the Jimi Hendrix Experience.[5]

  1. ^ Hicks, Michael (2000). Sixties Rock: Garage, Psychedelic, and Other Satisfactions. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-252-06915-4.
  2. ^ Eder, Bruce. "The Leaves: Hey Joe – Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  3. ^ Webb, Robert (January 24, 2003). "Double Take: 'Hey Joe', Tim Rose/Jimi Hendrix". The Independent. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  4. ^ Stax, Mike (1998). Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 (CD box set liner notes).
  5. ^ Ward, Thomas. "Jimi Hendrix Experience: 'Hey Joe' – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 25, 2009.