If 6 Was 9

• Performances
• History
• Lyrics
• Jam Chart
• Artist
  • Phish
  • Fish
  • Mike
  • Page
  • Trey
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History

There has been a long history of Phish covering (and teasing) Jimi Hendrix songs starting with “Fire” at their first Nectar’s show; to “Bold As Love” debuting on 7/7/88; as well as “Purple Haze” “Third Stone From The Sun” and “Who Knows” all being teased (but never played completely) starting in 1989. 

Then in the 90’s they brought teases of “Foxy Lady” and “Voodoo Child (Slight Return),” then “Izabella” into the fold, the latter getting the full treatment with both teases and complete performances. And we shouldn’t forget the “All Along the Watchtower” featuring Band of Gypsys drummer Buddy Miles.

After “Izabella” debuted on 6/13/97 there wouldn’t be a new Hendrix tune introduced until 2012 when they teased “Machine Gun” inside “AC/DC Bag”. There would be one more solo Hendrix tease in 2016 with “I Don’t Live Today” before they introduced “The Wind Cries Mary” on Jimmies Night of the Baker’s Dozen. And this would be it until…

Phish ”If 6 Was 9” – 10/28/21, Las Vegas, NV. Video by ConceptsIllPonder.

Appropriately, Phish debuted “If 6 Was 9” at the “Numbers Show” in Las Vegas during the 2021 Halloween run at MGM Grand Garden Arena. By the numbers, “If 6 Was 9” was the 11th Hendrix song either covered and/or teased by Phish, and what a great choice it was for the theme of this show as the only debut of the night. A song with a wide variety of interpretations complemented the theme of the night so strongly it can be seen as the centerpiece of the show, and it was further explored in the “Harpua” narration from the “Animals Show” two nights later.  

Phish truly did justice to this Jimi song, particularly with its jam. As Mike and Fish hold the song together, Page’s gnarly synth noises provide accompaniment as Trey works through the song’s solo similar to its presence on the album before falling into a small pool of calm for the band to recollect itself that provides fuel for the band to properly launch this version into its jam chart. 

“If 6 Was 9” was originally written by Jimi Hendrix and released in 1967 on his second album Axis: Bold As Love. While you can find the studio track as the final song on Side A as well as soundtracks for the films Easy Rider and Point Break, what is unfortunately missing are any live performances of the song by Jimi himself. 

But, don’t sleep on the studio version, described as “acid-fueled blues” the song utilizes innovative use of studio technology for the time, with multi-track layering and stereo panning from left to right and vice versa, along with other effects such as slap echo, fuzzbox, distortion, and reverb, not to mention Jimi on recorder at the end of the song.

Jimi Hendrix “If 6 Was 9”

The song’s message of being true to one’s self has consistently struck a chord with other artists, many of whom have explored the song for their ends. There are two from 1976–Roy Buchanan’s funky version and Todd Rundgren’s faithful version. And, you definitely can’t miss Bob Weir singing the song with Henry Kaiser’s Obsequious Cheeselog.

Lenny Kravitz naturally performed it live and released a version on an expanded Let Love Rule release. Tori Amos interpreted the song as a B-side for a “Cornflake Girl” single. Eddy Van Halen lends his searing guitar to the song with keyboardist David Garfield in tribute to Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro. David Lee Roth took a chill shot at the song for his Diamond Dave album. New Orleans trombonist and party-starter Corey Henry released a version featuring Corey Glover.

For more exploratory approaches to the song, clarinetist Don Byron takes the song to a very unique place in medley with The Turtles classic “Happy Together.” Producer Bill Laswell used it interestingly on his Funkcronomicon album featuring Bootsy Collins. Trombonist Joseph Bowie performed the song live with his group Defunkt for their tribute to Muddy Waters and Jimi Hendrix. And, most recently, German jazz musician Nicolai Thaerichen adapted the song for his Hendrixperience Orchestra.

Last significant update: 12/11/23

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