Anniversary of Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze

The song that was to become The Jimi Hendrix Experience's second single was reportedly written in late 1966. According to Hendrix's manager, Chas Chandler, Hendrix was playing the riff backstage at a gig and Chandler encouraged him to put lyrics to the music. But there is plenty of debate as to when that happened or what the original lyrics contained. It's been reported that Jimi penned the words while in the dressing room of the Upper Cut Club on Boxing Day in '66. Hendrix later said that the lyrics were shortened later, but Chandler claimed that the words were recorded as written.