“Hey Joe” is an American popular song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and as such has been performed in many musical styles by hundreds of different artists. “Hey Joe” tells the story of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico after shooting his unfaithful wife. However, diverse credits and claims have led to confusion as to the song’s true authorship and genesis. The earliest known commercial recording of the song is the late-1965 single by the Los Angeles garage band The Leaves; the band then re-recorded the track and released it in 1966 as a follow-up single which became a hit.

Currently, the best-known version is The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s 1966 recording, their debut single. They released the single 49 years ago today.

Bob Dylan recorded the song twice back in 1992:

• Unidentified recording studio
  New York City, New York
  January 1992
  no tape in circulation from this session
• Acme Recording
  Chicago, Illinois
  3-5 June 1992
  Produced by David Bromberg
  not in general circulation

He has only performed it once live:

Pinede de Juan-les-Pins
Juan-les-Pins, France
12 July 1992
Jazz à Juan 1992

• Bucky Baxter (pedal steel guitar & electric slide guitar)
• John Jackson (guitar), Tony Garnier (bass)
• Ian Wallace (drums)
• Charlie Quintana (drums & percussion)