$20 Fine

Album: Both Sides of the Sky (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Stephen Stills first befriended Jimi Hendrix at the June 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Two years later, he was invited to a Hendrix session at the Record Plant in New York. Stills contributed "$20 Fine", an original song that featured him on organ and lead vocals Hendrix on multiple guitars, Mitch Mitchell on drums and Duane Hitchings (Buddy Miles Express) on piano.
  • The song was made available to the general public for the first time when it was included on Both Sides of the Sky, a 13 track compilation of previously unheard Hendrix material recorded between January 1968 and February 1970.

    "It sounds like Crosby, Stills & Nash except it's on acid, you know," long-time Hendrix studio engineer and friend Eddie Kramer laughed to Associated Press. "Jimi is just rocking it. It's an amazing thing."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Chris Tomlin

Chris TomlinSongwriter Interviews

The king of Christian worship music explains talks about writing songs for troubled times.

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About Transgenderism

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About TransgenderismSong Writing

A history of songs dealing with transgender issues, featuring Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Morrissey and Green Day.

Phone Booth Songs

Phone Booth SongsSong Writing

Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.