More on "Hey Joe"

It's not actually a Jimi Hendrix original. It was written in the early sixties by a man named Billy Roberts, and was first released by The Leaves. Apparently, there were a few issues with royalties with this first version. You can find the Leaves version fairly readily with it's inclusion in the first Nuggets box set. Personally, I also like the version by love I included in my previous mix. You can read more about the history of this song here.

Also, I heard some clips of the East Village Opera Company on NPR's The World program this afternoon. They've taken popular operas and incorporated elements from the progressive and arena rock world of the seventies and eighties. Though none of this idea is really all that new, rock-ified classical music has been around since Vanilla Fudge and Nice with their work from the late sixties, and The Who's Tommy, and most things by Queen, I found what I heard to be pretty interesting. I plan to get the album when I can and I'll give it a fair listen. Just as long as it's better and more honest than the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, I'll be pleased. There's more here, including samples and video. http://www.eastvillageoperacompany.com/