Eric Schenkman (Spin Doctors) Explores the Electric Guitar’s Legacy and Psychic Debt on Groovy New Single “Recipe”

Guitarist, singer, and a founding member of New York City’s Spin Doctors, Eric Schenkman shares “Recipe,” a groove-driven rock inflected single that expresses the enduring story of the electric guitar and the role it plays as a cultural and emotional archetype. The electric guitar’s pedigree is due to innovators like Charlie Christian, Albert King and, of course, Jimi Hendrix.

At its core, “Recipe” is about every guitarist’s contribution to this legacy. “We inherit a long history of sound,” Eric explains. “It explores the psychic debt associated with the electric guitar.”

“It’s the mixture of elements that lead people to have their own unique expression through an instrument with a pedigree,” Eric says.

Inspired in Little Rock, Arkansas at the home of musician Cody Dickinson, the song’s origin is rooted in a deeply musical environment. Eric’s connection to the Dickinson family – through Cody and his father, renowned Memphis musician and producer Jim Dickinson – helped shape the song’s broader reflection on lineage and artistic inheritance. “The idea of exploring the guitar pedigree grew out of that trip,” Eric shares.

The recording emphasizes feel over precision. “No click track so the music can breathe and be free,” Eric notes. With the badass rhythm section of Al Cross on drums and Stan Miczek on bass, the result is a performance that moves naturally, prioritizing groove, interaction, and spontaneity.

“Essentially,” says Eric, “...in its current incarnation, the electric guitar has become (to reference Jimi Hendrix) a ‘public saxophone’ with which you can do whatever you want.”

Take it to the limit, can’t you see?

You want to do it right cause that’s the pedigree

Eric Schenkman is best known for his work with Spin Doctors, formed in 1986 and responsible for global hits including “Two Princes,” “Jimmy Olsen’s Blues,” “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong,” “What Time Is It?” and “Off My Line.”

Growing up in Toronto after his father, Peter Schenkman, joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as principal cellist in 1967, Eric’s musical foundation was shaped by both North American rock and classical lineage.

Throughout his career, Eric has collaborated with artists including Kip Hanrahan, Phoebe Snow, Carly Simon, and Natalie Merchant, appearing on Merchant’s acclaimed album Tigerlily. He also contributed to the 1995 orchestral tribute project In From the Storm, reimagining the work of Jimi Hendrix.

In 2019, Eric released his debut solo album Who Shot John?, followed by Spin Doctors’ 2023 return Face Full of Cake via Capitol Records.

“Recipe” serves as a mission statement: a celebration of the electric guitar’s legacy, and the endless combinations that give rise to individual expression.

Eric Schenkman is available through Slammin Media, with global distribution via Believe.