Lynyrd Skynyrd Channel Jimi Hendrix in the Studio
“Recording should be fun,” says Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Rickey Medlocke. Judging from this behind-the-scenes clip of the Southern rock godfathers cranking out some new tunes in the studio, it seems like all of Skynyrd subscribes to Medlocke’s philosophy. The footage captures the making of their new LP Last of a Dyin’ Breed (out August 21st), as Medlocke and singer Johnny Van-Zant talk about the band’s new material and perform the cut “Good Teacher.”
“We were working ‘Good Teacher’ up and it became apparent to me, that as we were playing it, the song had a Hendrix, ‘Crosstown Traffic’ vibe and feel to it,” says Medlocke. “As a young man growing up in that era, I was very influenced by Hendrix and took to a wah wah and I learned how to really use one effectively as Hendrix did. When we went to do the overdubs, I wanted to pull out my original Cry Baby wah pedal that I still use and put it on the track, not only in the rhythm section but the lead as well. It all worked out as it was supposed to and when you listen to the track, Hendrix was a ‘Good Teacher!'”