Track Records Advertisement for the Jimi Hendrix Experience Song "The Wind Cries Mary" from Record Retailer & Music Industry News, May 11, 1967

This Track Records promotional poster for “The Wind Cries Mary” was included in the May 11, 1967 issue of Record Retailer & Music Industry News. 

Following the success of the hit single “Purple Haze,” the Jimi Hendrix Experience released their third single, “The Wind Cries Mary” on May 5, 1967. Inspired by Hendrix’s girlfriend, Kathy Etchingham (whose middle name is Mary), and recorded early that year, the beautiful Blues-inflected ballad was a marked contrast to the frenetic rave-up “Purple Haze,” illustrating Hendrix’s breadth as a songwriter. Backed with the rocker “Highway Chile,” the single spent 11 weeks on the charts, peaking at #6, which gave Hendrix two hit singles just prior to the release of his band’s debut album. 

Record Mirror, in the May 6, 1967 issue, reviewed the new song, saying: “A new side of Mr. Hendrix. The hitherto wild man of beat has slowed down, and reveals that he does have a most expressive ballad voice – and that he can write songs of quietness and peace.” 

Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter who gained mainstream prominence in the late 1960s with hits such as “Hey Joe,” “Purple Haze,” “All Along the Watchtower,” and “Fire,” and is now celebrated as one of the most influential electric guitarists of all time.