"There's got to be some changes. Get it together, gonna be a lot of rearranging" R
PART 3
Released 1980 - 1989
NINE TO THE
UNIVERSE
Released June 1980 (UK-Polydor, US-Reprise)
SIDE 1: Nine To The
Universe, Jimi/Jimmy Jam,
SIDE 2:
Young/Hendrix, Easy Blues,
Drone Blues.
After issuing two faked Hendrix albums in
the seventies, Alan Douglas put together this very interesting
album. There is no after-the-event overdubbing here, but as
unofficial releases (and the recent official "Hear My Music" on
Dagger) have revealed, the jams from which these tracks were
assembled, were heavily edited. That is not necessarily a bad
thing. For years Miles Davis, for example, had left hours of jams
in the hands of his producer Ted Macero, who edited everything
down to make some of the musicians classic albums. Here, Alan
Douglas adopted the same technique (although, unlike Miles, Jimi
was not around to approve it) to create an exciting glimpse of
Jimi working out at the Record Plant in New York, in early to mid
1969.
Douglas wisely edited out some passages (where Jimi perhaps toyed
with a riff repeatedly, searching for ideas) to create something
more uniform. All tracks are instrumental (apart from a brief
vocal on the title track) and the slant is towards "jazz", which
had always been running through Jimi's music anyway ("Up From
The Skies", Rainy Day", "Tax Free") and these jam sessions are
seen to be a pointer as to where Jimi's music might have been
heading for in the future.
Jimi was interested in elements of jazz improvisation but felt
inhibited by the intense academic approach of many top musicians
in the field. Jimi played on his instincts and couldn't read sheet
music ! At one point he met Miles Davis and they planned to work
together, but once money was discussed, negociations unfortunately
fell apart. Also, just before he died, Jimi was lined up to record
with the saxophonist Roland Kirk (they had jammed together) and
arranger Gil Evans (famous for his work with Miles Davis). Evans
in fact later put out a big band tribute to Jimi in the seventies,
which is worth a listen.
Alan Douglas had planned to include a jam with jazz guitarist John
McLaughlin here, but the latter blocked its release (he had played
only on an acoustic guitar unfortunately fitted up with a faulty
pick-up) so the tapes remained on the shelf. In 1970, Douglas had
produced a McLaughlin album ("Devotion") which featured Buddy
Miles and keyboard player Larry Young, who plays with Jimi here
on "Young/Hendrix".
The opening track is a jam on a riff that would become "Message
To Love" later in the year. On the fabulous "Easy
Blues", Jimi's friend Larry Lee plays second guitar (he was of
course part of Jimi's "Woodstock" band). "Jimi/Jimmy Jam"
has Jim McCarty (of
Buddy Miles Express and later Cactus)
on second guitar and perhaps Roland Robinson (who was
Eddie
Flyod's bassist I think) or Dave
Holland. The superb "Drone Blues" features passages that
Jimi had previously used in "Drivin' South" and would later
work into "Midnight Lightning".
Interesting to note that Billy Cox plays bass throughout here
(except on track two) and this happened while The Experience were
still together. The first track, from May 1969, even features
Buddy Miles on drums, "A Band Of Gypsys" therefore, and months
before the band was to officially exist. The rest of the tracks
feature Mitch Mitchell and Rocky Issacs ("Drone
Blues").
Alan Douglas is remembered as someone who took unforgivable liberties with Jimi's left over material. Yes, he tinkered around here again, but he did make a damn good job of it, and from here on, he took pains to deliver authentic quality Hendrix, with some good results.
Check this interesting article on the jazz connection by Bill Montin on Karl J. Geislers site
Deleted
Two tracks from this album resurfaced in November 2004 on the Dagger release "Hear My Music", so unfortunately this album will never have an updated re-release.
This album was re-released in 2006 (unofficially) by the Michael Jeffrey estate on the Reclamation label as "Message From Nine To The Universe). It presented the same timings as here with a second CD of other studio jams.
THE
COVER
This even looks like a jazz
album with it's soft candid photo of Jimi peering into the void.
-
8/10
LIGHTNIN' ROD/JIMI HENDRIX -
"Doriella Du Fontainne"
Released July 1984 (Celluloid Douglas Records CEL 166)
Not an album this time but a 12 inch single track, which is a sort of proto Rap jam, with Jimi on rhythm and bass guitar, Buddy Miles on drums and organ with Lightnin' Rod of The Last Poets on vocals. It is obviously a historically interesting single track, but musically a bit thin on the ground. An extended instrumental version was on the flip side. Later released on CD (see Singles Sleeves Part 3).
Deleted
RADIO
ONE
Released 1988 (Rykodisk)
SIDE 1: Stone Free,
Radio One (You're The One For Me), Day
Tripper(Lennon/McCartney), Killing
Floor(Burnett), Love Or Confusion, Catfish
Blues (Robert Petway)
SIDE 2:
Drivin' South
(Collins), Wait Until Tomorrow, Gettin' My Heart Back
Together, Hound Dog (Leiber/Stoller),
Fire
SIDE 3:
Hoochie Coochie Man
(Dixon), Purple Haze, Spanish Castle Magic,
Hey Joe (Roberts), Foxy Lady, Burning Of The
Midnight Lanp
That's BBC Radio One of course, and this
was a stunning collection of the Experience's many studio
recordings from February to December 1967, for radio transmission
in the UK (lucky Brits !). This album captured all the excitement
and enthusiasm of the band during the wild and wonderful year of
1967. Despite the live feel of these tracks, the band in fact made
an effort to do overdubs on some numbers (a tradition at the BBC)
creating excellent versions of their songs, some of which even
rival the original album versions. We are also treated to many
rarer songs from their repertoire. There is a nicely finished
studio version of "Killing Floor" for example. Then there
are "Day Tripper", "Love Or Confusion", "Catfish Blues",
"Drivin' South", "Wait Until Tomorrow", "Hound Dog", "Hoochie
Coochie Man", ... an amazing selection of tracks.
The legendary British bluesman Alexis Korner, who welcomed the
band to his own radio show, accompanies them on slide guitar for
"Hoochie Coochie Man" (on that track Noel plays an eight
string bass of all things). For "Day Tripper", the band are
joined by Soft Machine's Robert Wyatt on backing vocals (and not
John Lennon as often stated). When John Peel introduced
"Catfish Blues" during a seventies retransmission of these
recordings he called it "Experiencing The Blues", perhaps
the title Jimi had given it on the day (he also called it
"Muddy Water Blues" and it eventually evolved into
the"Voodoo Chile" on "Electric Ladyland"). Older Brits will
recognize the Radio One DJ Alan Freeman talking over the intro to
"Fire" and Brian Mathew on "Purple Haze".
This wonderful record was originally a (three sided) double
vinyl. Everything here was later re-released with
thirteen extra tracks as "BBC Sessions", a double CD, in
1998 on MCA (see Studio 90s).
> The japanese version had alternate versions of "Drivin' South" and "Hear My Train A Comin" (thanks to Electric Thing for that info).
Deleted
Available today on: "BBC Sessions" (MCA)
THE
COVER
The cover shot is I think from
the free open air afternoon gig at Golden Gate Park San Francisco
(25/06/67) after which the band played 2 more shows at the Filmore
West ! The photo projects all the excitement and flash of the Wild
Man Of Rock circa '67
-
9/10
No longer available on CD in this form.
The Peel
Sessions
Radio One Theme, Day Tripper, Wait Until Tomorrow, Hear My Train A
Comin, Spanish Castle Magic
Some tracks also appeared as part of the series of CDs "The Peel Sessions" (recordings broadcast by the famous BBC presenter John Peel).
Deleted
THE FIRST CDs
The mid 80s were the early days of CD technology and a number of albums from the old Polydor and Reprise catalogues were issued. This included an "Electric Ladyland" double CD (which got the running order wrong !) and many other albums which were deleted in the mid 90s when the Hendrix family gained control of the estate. So that meant that "Cry Of Love", "War Heroes", "Loose Ends", "Crash Landing", "Midnight Lightning", "Isle Of Wight", "Jimi Plays Monterey", "Live At Winterland", "Jimi Hendrix Concerts", "Jimi Hendrix - Film Soundtrack" and "The Singles Album" all disappeared from the catalogue. Also note that "Rainbow Bridge" and "Nine To The Universe" were never officially released as a CD.
The early CDs were released in various countries and with mastering differences. Details can be read here:
Forum
Jimi Hendrix
Steve
Hoffman Forums
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LIVE & UNRELEASED- THE
RADIO SHOW
Released November 1989 (Castle Communications)
Disc 1 - I Don't Live Today (L. A. Forum, Apr 26, 1969), Cherokee Mist (Home Demo, early 1968, NYC), Testify (with Isley Brothers, 1964), Lawdy Miss Clawdy (with Little Richard, 1964), I'm A Man (with Curtis Knight and the Squires, 1964), Like A Rolling Stone (Generation Club, NYC, Apr mid, 1968), Little One (Olympic Sound Studios, London, Jan 26 1968), Red House (L'Olympia, Paris, Oct 9, 1967), Hey Joe (De Lane Lea Studios, London, Oct 23, 1966), Purple Haze (De Lane Lea Studios, London, Jan 11, 1967), Hoochie Koochie Man ("Rhythm and Blues" BBC, Oct 17, 1967), The Wind Cries Mary (De Lane Lea Studios, London, Feb 7, 1967), Foxy Lady ("Saturday Club" BBC, Feb 13, 1967)
Disc 2 - Third Stone From The Sun (CBS Recording Studios, Dec 13, 1966), Wild Thing ("Monterey International Pop Festival", June 18, 1967), Mister Bad Luck (Look Over Yonder)(Olympic Sound Studios, London, May 4 1967), Burning Of The Midnight Lamp (Mayfair Recordings Studio, NYC, July 6, 1967), Spanish Castle Magic (Olympic Sound Studios, London, Oct 27, 1967), Bold As Love (Olympic Sound Studios, London, Oct 29, 1967), One Rainy Wish (Olympic Sound Studios, London, Oct 29, 1967), Little Wing (Olympic Sound Studios, London, Oct 25, 1967), Drivin' South ("Top Gear", Oct 6, 1967), The Things I Used To Do (Record Plant, NYC, May 15, 1969, with Johnny Winter), All Along The Watchtower (Olympic Sound Studios, London, Jan 21, 1968), Drifter's Escape (Recorded Spring 1969 +Electric Lady Studios, NYC1970), Cherokee Mist (Record Plant, NYC, May 2, 1968), Voodoo Chile (Home Demo, early 1968, NYC), Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (Record Plant, NYC, May 3, 1968 (Take Four), 1983...(A Merman I Should Turn To Be) (Record Plant, NYC, Apr 23, 1968)
Disc 3 - Voodoo Chile (Record Plant, NYC, May 2, 1968), Come On (part 1) (Record Plant, NYC, Aug 27, 1968 (Take Nine), Manic Depression (Winterland Arena, Oct 12, 1968 (2nd show), Machine Gun (Fillmore East, Dec 31, 1969 (2nd show), Room Full Of Mirrors (Record Plant, NYC, Nov 17, 1969 alternate mix), Angel (Home Demo, early 1968, NYC), Rainy Day Shuffle (Record Plant, NYC, June 10, 1968), Valley Of Neptune (Electric Lady Studios, NYC, Jan, 1970/Hit Factory, NYC, Sept, 1969), Send My Love To Linda (Electric Lady Studios, NYC, Aug, 1970), South Saturn Delta (Record Plant, NYC, June 14, 1968), Dolly Dagger (Isle Of Wight Festival, Aug 30, 1970), Night Bird Flying (Electric Lady Studios, NYC, June 16, 1970)
A curious boxed set of 3 CDs featuring a
Hendrix tribute in 1988 by an American radio station. Note that
these are not recordings especially laid down for radio shows (as
with the BBC sessions) but familiar songs from Jimi's albums plus
many unissued or alternate studio (and a few live) takes from the
vaults, some of which found their way onto future CD releases.
Amongst all the narration and interviews (many with Jimi), there
are some interesting moments. For hard core fans only.
Track listing is practically identical to the release "Lifelines"
which was more widely available - see "Studio Releases -
90s".
Many previously unreleased
tracks appeared on this box set, though not always in their
complete form, which is why I don't highlight them in yellow here.
Note the inclusion of "Little One" (an instrumental outtake
with Dave Mason on sitar), "Like A Rolling Stone" from a
jam at The Generation Club in 68, an early "Look Over
Yonder" called "Mister Bad Luck", "Things That I
Used To Do" is a jam with Johnny Winter and Steve Stills.
"Cherokee Mist" and "Rainy Day Shuffle "are
instrumental jams. "Valleys Of Neptune" and "Send My
Love To Linda" are early sketches of songs and "South
Saturn Delta" is an extraordinary experiment of Jimi's, with a
small brass section* (he had been impressed with the work of Blood
Sweat and Tears and Chicago in this direction).
All in all a frustrating exercise with many tracks incomplete.
Nearly all this stuff came out in a complete form over the years
officially or otherwise.
*Not the Brecker Brothers
as the sleeve claimed
Deleted
THE
COVER
Very old fashioned graphic
approach here but a nice photo of Jimi's shadow across his
Marshall stacks (used later on the "Searching For Hendrix" tribute
album)
-
4/10
That second one is a
re-release from somewhere and is an improvement
-
6/10
