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Who plays the kazoo on Jimi Hendrix’s 1968 classic ‘Crosstown Traffic’?
Jimi Hendrix played the kazoo-like riff on ‘Crosstown Traffic’ himself, using a comb and a piece of cellophane rather than a conventional kazoo. The detail helps explain how the song created its distinctive traffic-like sound and adds to the inventive studio techniques behind the 1968 track.
‘Crosstown Traffic’ appeared on the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s album *Electric Ladyland*, recorded in London and New York. Hendrix credited himself with “comb and paper” in the liner notes; the makeshift instrument had also been used by artists including the Beatles on ‘Lovely Rita’.
In short
- Hendrix made the kazoo sound with a comb and cellophane.
- He credited the instrument as “comb and paper”.
- The riff helps give ‘Crosstown Traffic’ its traffic-like character.
Explained simply
Jimi Hendrix was a guitarist and singer whose band, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, released the album Electric Ladyland in 1968. The group recorded in London and New York, using the studio to experiment with the sounds on its songs.
A comb covered with paper or cellophane can make a buzzing sound when someone hums against it. Musicians have used this simple technique to imitate other instruments, and the Beatles also used it on “Lovely Rita”. The detail offers a glimpse of the inventive methods behind the Experience’s recording.