"May This Be Love" is a song written by

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

for

the Jimi Hendrix Experience James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

debut album ''

Are You Experienced ''Are You Experienced'' is the debut studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released in 1967, the LP was an immediate critical and commercial success, and it is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time. The album feature ...

'' (1967). It is a soft ballad that demonstrates Hendrix's ability to write thoughtful lyrics and subtle melodies.

Background and recording

'' and its preceding singles were recorded over a five-month period from late October 1966 through early April 1967. The album was completed in sixteen recording sessions at three London locations, including

De Lane Lea Studios Warner Bros. De Lane Lea Studios is a recording studio, based in Dean Street, Soho, London. Although the studios have mainly been used for dubbing feature films and television programmes, major artists such as the Animals, the Beatles, Soft M ...

, CBS, and

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

. The group's manager

Chas Chandler Bryan James "Chas" Chandler (18 December 1938 – 17 July 1996) was an English musician, record producer and manager, best known as the original bassist in The Animals, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. He ...

booked many of the sessions at Olympic because the facility was acoustically superior and equipped with most of the latest technology, though it was still using four-track recorders, whereas American studios were using eight-track. On April 3, 1967, the Experience returned to Olympic, adding overdubs and completing final mixes on several unfinished masters. During the eight-hour session, the band recorded three new songs, including "

Highway Chile "Highway Chile" is a song by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, issued as the B-side to their 1967 third British single "The Wind Cries Mary". The song was written by vocalist and guitarist Jimi Hendrix and titled to reflect his pronunciation of "child" ...

", "May This Be Love", and "

Are You Experienced? ''Are You Experienced'' is the debut studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released in 1967, the LP was an immediate critical and commercial success, and it is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time. The album feature ...

Composition and lyrics

"May This Be Love" is a soft ballad that demonstrates Hendrix's ability to write thoughtful lyrics and subtle melodies. Author and musicologist Keith Shadwick wrote: "This is a melodic, romantic composition that borders on the sentimental". Author David Stubbs described the song as "far and away the prettiest track on" the album, and an example of Hendrix's versatility as a guitarist. According to musicologist Dave Whitehill, the song is characteristic of Hendrix's "gentler side", utilizing the E and A

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

pentatonic scale A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave, in contrast to the heptatonic scale, which has seven notes per octave (such as the major scale and minor scale). Pentatonic scales were developed independently by many ancien ...

s to create a "pastorale setting befitting the lyrical content". Whitehill described the guitar solo as "one of Jimi's most lyrical and lovely".

Releases and critical reception

"May This Be Love" was first released on both the UK and US editions of ''

'' (May 12, and August 23, 1967, respectively). An alternate version was recorded during the same session in which Hendrix doubled his vocal and the guitars were mixed differently. In 2010, it was included on the '' West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology'' box set. In a song review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, Thomas Ward called the original recording "one of the most musically sophisticated tracks on ''Are You Experienced?''". He praises Hendrix's vocal, lyrics, and guitar work and concludes "'May This Be Love' is essentially a beautiful love song, one of the finest love songs in Hendrix’s canon. The guitar solo at the song’s conclusion is outstanding."

Notes

Citations References * * * * * * Documentaries * * * {{authority control The Jimi Hendrix Experience songs Songs written by Jimi Hendrix 1967 songs Song recordings produced by Chas Chandler