Jimi Hendrix — “Hey Joe” > “Sunshine Of Your Love”
Here’s a bit of a historic clip. Apparently Jimi was contractually obligated to play “Hey Joe”, Jimi started in on it, thought it “jive” and then led the band through Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love” in homage, as the Clapton-Baker-Bruce ensemble had just called it quits.
43 Years ago today…
Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding played together for the first time and The Jimi Hendrix Experience was formed.
39 Years ago today…
Jimi Hendrix joined Eric Burdon on stage at Ronnie Scott’s in what was to be Hendrix’s last public appearance.
47 Years ago today…
Jimi Hendrix was honorably discharged from the Army’s 101st Airborne after breaking his ankle. Contrary to popular belief at the time, it would not be the last time Hendrix would “kiss the sky”. (Sorry about the weak-ass joke.)
Did You Know??
The bassist and guitarist on the two songs Janye Mansfield recorded in 1965 was none other than Jimi Hendrix. The songs in question are “Suey” and “And The Clouds Drift By”. Here’s “Suey”
40 Years Ago Today…
The Jimi Hendrix Experience performed on “It’s Lulu’s” and started into “Hey Joe”, but then abruptly morphed into Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love” as an homage to the power trio that had split days prior. Clapton and Hendrix were very close friends. Very cool relic.
Happy Birthday — Jimi Hendrix
We’d like to wish a very happy birthday to the most influential rock guitarist of all time, Johnny Allen Hendrix. Hendrix led the way with his cartwheeling, pyrotechnic psychedelic blues rock to generations of guitarists. Hitting the scene in the mid-1960′s, Hendrix was in the public for little over 5 years, but his unmatched prowess on the guitar made him a living legend before his untimely death in September of 1970. From there Hendrix’s legend has grown, soared and reached unparalleled heights. Check out some of MSD’s previous Hendrix posts for some great stuff that hasn’t been made commercially available, namely our recent post which offered studio jams of Hendrix with Traffic. Jimi would have been 66 today and even though he was not alive in our lifetime, he is truly a unique and timeless artist and his influence is heard in pretty much every guitar solo you hear after 1969.
Here’s the Jimi Hendrix Experience with “Hey Joe” and Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love”:
Traffic & Jimi Hendrix — Studio Jam (1969)
Taken from description:
A purely instrumental affair, alternately dated as 1968 or 1970, this studio material is among the most intriguing unreleased pieces of either performer. The lineup is listed as Jimi Hendrix (guitar), Steve Winwood (piano), Chris Wood (flute), Rick Grech (bass), and Jim Capaldi (drums), but the actual lineup of these recordings is uncertain. Only Hendrix is identifiable with certainty. The overall sound resembles Traffic, and the piano and flute parts seem particularly recognizable as Steve and Chris, respectively.
The music on this cd consists of jams that, in contrast to Traffic’s usual melodic sensibilities, range from minor key to almost atonal structure. Some of the magic of the “Voodoo Chile” session is also evident on this recording. The jams sound basically spontaneous, organized around particular keys with shifting tempos, and lack a distinct song structure. None of them sound like they were even intended to have vocal parts. For the most part, the piano and drums drive the rhythms while the guitar and flute solo. The extraordinary aspect of the recording is the complementary interplay between Jimi and Chris. While Jimi builds upon driving vamps that eventually erupt into molten solos, Chris counterbalances with his usual delicate, mellowing flute. The result of this collaboration is at least interesting, and sometimes magical. Unlike other Hendrix jam sessions, Jimi seems to have a lot of respect for Traffic and doesn’t fully dominate the proceedings, which makes the session perhaps unique to both entities.
This bootleg CD consists of three jams of excellent quality studio recordings. The insert states that the session “was recorded at an unknown place in the late 60′s”. Credits are Jimi Hendrix (guitar), Chris Wood (flute and saxophone), Jim Capaldi (drums), and Steve Winwood (organ). In the book Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy (1995), by Harry Shapiro and Caesar Glebbeek, the well researched discography section lists the CD as released in late 1990, and recorded in 1968 or 1969.
Remembering Mitch Mitchell
Rolling Stone:
Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell was found dead in a Portland, Oregon hotel this morning at the age of 62. Early reports indicate he died due to natural causes. Raised in London as John Mitchell, he and bassist Noel Redding comprised Jimi Hendrix’s rhythm section from 1966 until 1969, with Mitchell joining the guitar great on all three Experience albums — Are You Experienced?, Axis: Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland — as well as legendary performances at the Isle of Wight and Woodstock. Mitchell also played in the Dirty Mac with John Lennon, Eric Clapton and Keith Richards for The Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Circus. (more…)
Did You Know??
Neil Young and Jimi Hendrix stole a truck to get to Woodstock in time to perform.
RIP — Mitch Mitchell
We are sad to report that original Jimi Hendrix Experience member, Mitch Mitchell has died. He was found dead in his Portland, OR hotel room earlier today. He was the last surviving member of The Experience, after Jimi Hendrix died in 1970 and Noel Redding passed in 2003. Here he is with Jimi and Noel at Woodstock playing Villanovia Junction.
Did You Know??
On Jimi Hendrix’s 1968 recording of “Crosstown Traffic” he plays a comb and wax paper “kazoo”.
Jimi Hendrix — Shotgun
Performing “Shotgun” in the backing band for Buddy & Stacey in 1965. This is the oldest known footage of Jimi performing.
Jimi Hendrix — Voodoo Chile
Jimi’s “Voodoo Chile” is the Mona Lisa of blues rock. With an impossibly wicked lick, the song draws you in instantly. Here’s some info on the song.
From Wiki:
“Voodoo Chile” is a song by The Jimi Hendrix Experience from the album Electric Ladyland. Recorded on May 2, 1968 at the Record Plant Studios in New York City, the recording session included Mitch Mitchell, drummer of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Steve Winwood of Traffic on B3 organ, and Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane on bass duties. The song, basically a 15-minute blues jam, evolved into the final product over the course of an hour.
After many of the late night Electric Ladyland recording sessions, Hendrix and the band went to one of the New York City clubs to jam with whoever was there. One such jam at The Scene Club included Steve Winwood and Jack Casady. Noel Redding was not present as he had stormed out of the Record Plant studio earlier that evening. They spent the night playing “Voodoo Chile”, and when the club closed, Hendrix invited everyone back to the studio. At about 7 a.m. the next morning they began to formally record “Voodoo Chile”. It took only three takes and the final 15 minute version was Hendrix’s longest studio recording. The second take did not come out well, since a string broke. The first and second takes are used in “Voodoo Chile Blues” that is a combination of two takes released on Hendrix leftovers-album called Blues.
While “Voodoo Chile” sounds like a live recording, the crowd noise was actually recorded afterwards. Some twenty people were brought to the studio to record appropriate background noise.
Some notable video recordings:
From the BBC’s Happening’s For Lulu 1969:
Stevie Ray Vaughan in 1983:
Zakk Wylde and Slash from 1994:
Jimi again at Woodstock:
Ben Harper:
Jimmy becomes Jimi – 9/24/66
- Jimi Hendrix and Chas Chandler (1967)
On this day in 1966, Jimi Hendrix and Chas Chandler (the Animals’ former bassist) flew from New York to London. En route, they decided to change the Jimmy’s name to Jimi.
Chandler continued to be influential in Jimi’s career. While in London, Hendrix formed the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Chandler recruited other musicians to join the group, managed the group and produced their first two albums.
RIP — Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix died on this date in 1970. There have been many theories to how he passed, from crazy government conspiracies to bitter, angry management settling a score. Whatever the case, Jimi was only in the spotlight for four years, but his influence is heard in almost every guitar solo you hear. RIP Jimi.
The Beatles, Hendrix & Elvis Items To Be Auctioned
From AP:
LONDON – A guitar burned onstage by Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles‘ first contract with Brian Epstein are up for sale Thursday, and auctioneers predict bidding could run to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Elvis Presley’s fingerprints and the audio archive of legendary music producer Joe Meek are also included in the big-bucks London sale, which suggests the market in rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia is booming.
The star lot at the sale, run by specialist auctioneer Fame Bureau, is a Fender Stratocaster that Hendrix set alight during a concert at London’s Astoria in March 1967. The musician burned another guitar at the Monterey Pop festival later the same year, where the stunt was caught on film.
The Fame Bureau says the scorched guitar was found last year in a garage at the home of a relative of one of Hendrix’s business associates. It is predicted to sell for up to 500,000 pounds (US$900,000).
Also going under the hammer is Epstein’s copy of his management contract with The Beatles, a pact that proved to be worth millions.
Fame Bureau managing director Ted Owen said the contract was “the most important music contract to have ever appeared.”
The four-page document, signed on Jan. 24, 1962 by John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Richard Starkey — Ringo Starr‘s real name — is expected to sell for 250,000 pounds (US$450,000).
The contract, also signed by Harold Hargreaves Harrison and James McCartney on behalf of their underage sons, marked the moment when all the pieces were in place for a global outbreak of Beatlemania.
The contract entitled Epstein to 25 percent of the group’s earnings once each band member was making more than 200 pounds (US$360) a week. Epstein did not sign it until Oct, 1, 1962 — after he had fulfilled a promise to get the band a deal with a record label. The Beatles signed to EMI, and their first single, “Love Me Do,” was released Oct. 5. Continue Reading….
Woodstock — 39 Years Ago Today
As we metioned yesterday, the Woodstock Music And Arts Festival started on this weekend in 1969. The festival ran from the 15th through the 17th on Max Yasgur’s farm in the rural town of Bethel, NY. It’s widely regarded as one of, if not the most influential event in rock and roll history. Tickets for the three day event cost the princely sum of $18, but most didn’t pay for their tickets and for most intents and purposes, Woodstock has been considered a free event. Concert organizers had expected 200,000 patrons, but what they got was roughly 500,000(!). Obviously the festival was not prepared for such an enormous turnout, so water supply, toilet facilities, etc., were creature comforts the concert goers had to do without.
The festival started with Richie Havens plucking and singing his version of soulful folk music and wove through several different genres and styles throughout the weekend. Some of the highlights were: Crosby, Stills & Nash- performing an acoustic set and an electric set, Canned Heat, Janis Joplin, Santana, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sly And The Family Stone, The Who (Yippie Activist, Abbie Hoffman stormed the stage and stole the microphone before it was regained), The Grateful Dead (whose set was marred by technical difficulties), Jefferson Airplane, Ten Years After, The Band, Paul Butterfield, and of course, Jimi Hendrix’s career defining early morning set.
The Beatles were asked to play, but John Lennon refused unless Yoko’s Plastic Ono Band could play as well. John and Yoko were turned down…Cold. Others that declined for various reasons were: The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Frank Zappa, Spirit, Bob Dylan, etc., etc.
The festival was filmed and released in 1970 as “Woodstock”.
Santana’s Soul Sacrifice:
Janis Joplin’s Try:
Joe Cocker’s With A Little Help From My Friends:
Ten Years After’s I’m Going Home:
Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit:
Crosby, Stills & Nash’s Suite: Judy Blue Eyes:
The Who’s Pinball Wizard:
Sly And The Family Stone’s I Want To Take You Higher:
….. and of course, Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Child:
Jimi Hendrix — The Wind Cries Mary
Just a classic performance here, folks. Jimi, 1967, The Wind Cries Mary. I’ve probably heard this song 5000 times in my life, but I still love it. And I guess I always will.
Ben Harper — Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Ben takes on the Hendrix classic at Austin City Limits.
Jimi Hendrix — Machine Gun
Fillmore East, 1970.
Jimi Hendrix — All Along The Watchtower
Classic video of Jimi shredding Bob Dylan’s song. I felt it was my duty to post it after posting the Clapton version.
Jimi Hendrix — Studio Outtakes
Tracks
01. Jam with Larry Young (AKA fuzzy guitar jam) (20.18)
02. Jam with Keyboards (13.40)
03. Jam with Chris Wood and Dave Palmer (19.01)
04. Stepping Stone – I’m A Man Jam (16.00
