LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Jimi Hendrix was that rare breed, a musician who whilst only active for a very short period of time, recorded a body of work that was both innovative and hugely successful. In short, the mans music and indeed his technique still commands respect and continues to influence people over thirty five years on from his untimely death in September 1970.

This series of recordings will no doubt surprise many people who were perhaps merely aware of only the albums released during Jimis lifetime. In many ways The Jimi Hendrix In The Studio series of releases allows us to listen to how some of the most celebrated rock music of the Twentieth Century to come from a single artist was created. The series will be to Jimi Hendrix fans what the Beatles Anthology series was to Beatles fans; a peek beyond the veil as it were.

Jimi Hendrix had actually been born Johnny Allen Hendrix on the 27th of November 1942. Jimi worked professionally as a musician following his discharge on medical grounds from the army, working with artists as diverse as the Isley Brothers, Ike and Tina Turner, Curtis Knight and Little Richard. Despite this he was not discovered until 1966 by Chas Chandler of British band The Animals while they were on an American tour. Legend has it that on one of his nights off Chas Chandler happened to be in the club and saw Jimi (Billed as Jimmy James) playing with his then band the Blue Flames. In truth Linda Keith, a friend of Chas had actually recommended that Chas see Jimi and so in July of 1966 Chas Chandler first saw Jimi play live. The very next day Chas went off on tour for three months. However, when the tour finished in New York in September Chas set about trying to find Jimi again. After four days he found Jimi and put it to him that he should manage him and take him back to England. Chas Chandler and Jimi Hendrix arrived in London on the 24th of September 1966 and so began what can only be described as a whirlwind of activity that was only to end with Jimis death some four years later.

Very early in Jimis career the Rock Royalty if you will, of the Beatles, the Stones, Eric Clapton and the Who all took to Jimi, not only as a person, but also more importantly as an extremely gifted musician. Some if not all of these world famous musicians would be regularly seen at gigs by Jimi who had by now formed a band around himself and called it the Experience. It was at an early gig at a club in London where Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp first saw Jimi. Kit Lambert apparently almost knocked over tables in his rush to get across the club and talk to Chandler about signing the Jimi Hendrix Experience to Track Records. The deal was literally agreed that night on the back of a beer mat.

The other two members of the Experience were Noel Redding on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums. The band performed many incredible concerts across the world including a stunning American debut at the Monterey Pop festival on the recommendation of Paul McCartney, who was to comment that it wouldnt have been a proper festival if the Experience didnt appear at this prestigious series of concerts. More importantly the band and Jimi in particular made the studio their second home with Jimi in particular loving the environment of the studio where he could experiment with new sounds and recording techniques and write songs.

The Jimi Hendrix experience recorded three groundbreaking albums (Are You Experienced, Axis Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland) and played countless live concerts in Europe and more importantly America until June 1969 when Noel Redding left to be replaced by one of Jimis old army buddies Billy Cox. Jimi continued to play with Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell throughout 1969 and they were among an augmented line up including Juma Sultan and Jerry Velez on percussion and Larry Lee on guitar, that played at the legendary Woodstock Festival in August 1969. This larger band called themselves Gypsy Sons And Rainbows with Jimi adding, "Its nothing but a Band Of Gypsys". This turned out to be rather a prophetic name as shortly after Woodstock Jimi and Billy Cox hooked up with another friend of Jimis Buddy Miles to form The Band Of Gypsys.

The Band Of Gypsys only managed to record one live album which itself was a settlement of an early contract with Ed Chalpin to whom Jimi was signed when Chas discovered him in New York in 1966. Shortly after the bands debut at a series of gigs at the Fillmore East in New York, the band split rather spectacularly in the middle of a concert at Madison Square Garden in January 1970. Jimi would however work with Buddy Miles occasionally in the recording studio as some of the recordings featured in the "In The Studio series show. By April 1970 Mitch Mitchell was back in the band and Jimi continued his touring schedule.

During 1970 the band played a great many concerts in America and also managed to take part in a film (Rainbow Bridge). Towards the end of his life Jimi returned to Europe for a series of concerts, which included the famous Isle Of Wight Festival in August. In addition to this concert schedule, Jimi would spend, as much time in the studio as he possibly could, recording with Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell and of course as was Jimis way, anyone else who showed up and wanted to play. Many of these recordings found their way onto the market following his death, spread across a great many posthumous releases overseen in the main by producer Alan Douglas. However, at the time of his death in September 1970, Jimi was working on one particular album that would eventually be released after his death as The Cry Of Love.

Many other albums were released during the seventies and beyond with some recordings being overdubbed by musicians other than those featured on the original recordings. To some Hendrix fans this was considered sacrilegious. On the In The Studio series one thing is certain - this is Jimi Hendrix in its purest form.

The recordings featured on Volume 1 of the In The Studio Series cover the time period May 1967 through to early 1968. During this period Jimi had blazed a trail across Europe performing at many concerts where his brand of musicianship, allied to a strong sense of showmanship drew acclaim and respect in equally large amounts. More importantly Jimi had played at the Monterey Festival in the summer of 1967 where he was an unqualified success, stealing the show from bigger and more established performers.

Recording wise Jimi had also recorded and released two exceptional albums in Are You Experienced and Axis Bold As Love. In early 1968 he would begin work on the monumental double album that would become Electric Ladyland. This album would be the final album from the original Experience but at this point in time Jimi had also started to play with many other musicians and Jack Cassidy of Jefferson Airplane, Dave Mason and Steve Winwood of Traffic and Al Kooper were just some of the people who guested on this landmark album

The earliest recording featured here is Shes So Fine. Recorded 4th May 1967 at Olympic Studios 1967 with overdubs laid down on 30th October of that year. This is an alternate mix with different vocals by Noel Redding (who wrote the song).

Other songs of note are Spanish Castle Magic, Bold As Love, and Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland).

The sonic quality of some of these recordings is not all the compilers of this series would wish for but some of the recordings have been included for historical reasons with the thinking that it is better to hear these recordings than to leave them on the shelf to gather dust.

The recordings contained on Volume 1 are listed here with the track details included to place the recordings into context

1. Wait Until Tomorrow
Recorded 26th October 1967 at Olympic Studios alternate mix using automatic double tracking on the vocal part

2. Spanish Castle Magic
Recorded 27th October 1967 at Olympic Studios

3. Golden Rose (One Rainy Wish)
Recorded 3rd October 1967 at Olympic Studios with overdubs on 29th October. This is a slightly longer alternate mix

4. Aint No Telling #1
Recorded 26th October 1967 at Olympic Studios this version includes rhythm guitar in a more central mix as opposed to at the side

5. South Saturn Delta
Recorded December1967 at Olympic Studios with Dave Mason and an unknown drummer

6. Little One #1
Recorded 30th December1967 at Olympic Studios with Brian Jones, Dave Mason and Mitch Mitchell

7. Little One #2
Recorded 30th December1967 at Olympic Studios with Brian Jones, Dave Mason and Mitch Mitchell. This version has different bass parts and Dave Mason plays slide guitar on this version
8. Castles Made Of Sand
Recorded 29th October 1967 at Olympic Studios this is an alternate mix

9. Aint No Telling #2
The second take of this song, which runs pretty much as the first version although with this take is slightly longer

10. Shes So Fine
Recorded 4th May 1967 at Olympic Studios 1967 with overdubs laid down on 30th October of that year. This is an alternate mix with different vocals by Noel Redding (who wrote the song)

11. Up From The Skies
Recorded 29th October1967 at Olympic Studios, this is an alternate mix with the vocals on one channel

12. Bold As Love
Recorded 29th October 1967 at Olympic Studios, this version has a totally different vocal take and an early fade out and does not have the phasing effect at the end

13. Little Miss Lover
Recorded 1st October 1967 at Olympic Studios this is an alternate take with a wolf-whistle at the beginning of the track

14. Waterfall (May This Be Love)
Recorded 3rd April 1967 at Olympic Studios, this is an alternate mix

15. Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)
Recorded at some point in January1968 at Olympic Studios Jimi with unknown musicians rumoured to be Dave Mason of Traffic on bass. Although the song would go on to appear on the Electric Ladyland album this session took place before the real sessions for Electric Ladyland began in New York in early April.

16. Dream
Noel Redding penned track and featuring him on vocals. Recorded 20th December1967 at Olympic Studios, was cut as an acetate with a single in mind but was never issued

17. Dance
Recorded 20th December1967 at Olympic Studios featuring Mitch Mitchell on vocals