For Jimi Hendrix 70th Birthday, an Announcement of a Release of All-New Material in 2013

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For Jimi Hendrix 70th Birthday, an Announcement of a Release of All-New Material in 2013

Jimi Hendrix is perhaps the most famous (or infamous) member of the so-called ’27 club’, promising artists who died way too young. But today (November 27th) also marks his birthday – and he would have turned 70 today! To celebrate, his estate has announced that a new album filled with previously unreleased and newly discovered tracks would be released on March 5, 2013, under the title People, Hell & Angels.

The tracks are all blues-based numbers, mostly featuring his late rhythm section of Buddy Miles and Billy Cox – but also including Steven Stills, Lonnie Youngblood, Larry Lee and others.

It is interesting reading about the tracks to hear about the “long-out-of-print 1981 album Nine To The Universe”. That is a record I bought after I had all of the studio stuff available for Hendrix, and still have digitized in my iTunes library. It is a reminder of just how many ‘newly discovered’ recordings come and go through the years!

Here is a track-by-track listing:

“Earth Blues”:
Totally unlike the version first issued as part of Rainbow Bridge in 1971, this December 19, 1969, master take features just Hendrix, Billy Cox and Buddy Miles playing stripped-down funk at its very origin.

“Somewhere”:
This newly discovered gem was recorded in March 1968 and features Buddy Miles on drums and Stephen Stills on bass. It’s entirely different from any previous version fans have ever heard.

“Hear My Train A Comin'”:
This superb recording was drawn from Hendrix’s first-ever recording session with Billy Cox and Buddy Miles — the powerhouse rhythm section with whom he would later record the groundbreaking album Band of Gypsys. Hendrix shared a deep love for the blues with Cox and Miles. Both musicians understood Hendrix’s desire to create what he described as a “new type of blues.” Hendrix’s menacing lead guitar is the centerpiece of this dramatic addition to his remarkable legacy.

“Bleeding Heart”:
This Elmore James masterwork had long been a favorite of Hendrix’s. He had performed the song earlier that year with the Experience in concert at the Royal Albert Hall and had attempted to capture the song in New York studio sessions during the weeks that followed. Recorded at the same May 1969 session as “Hear My Train A Coming,” the track conveys Hendrix’s firm understanding of the arrangement and tempo he desired. Before they began, Hendrix instructed Cox and Miles that he wanted to establish a totally different beat than the standard arrangement. He then kicked off this amazing rendition that was nothing like any other he had ever attempted.

“Let Me Move You”:
In March 1969, Hendrix reached back to another old friend, saxophonist Lonnie Youngblood. Before he was discovered by Chas Chandler in the summer of 1966, Jimi had contributed guitar as a nondescript studio sideman for Youngblood and such infectious rhythm and blues styled singles such as “Soul Food.” This March 1969 session features Hendrix and Youngblood trading licks throughout this never before heard, high velocity rock and soul classic.

“Izabella”:
In the aftermath of the Woodstock festival, Hendrix gathered his new ensemble, Gypsy Sun & Rainbows, at the Hit Factory in August 1969 with engineer Eddie Kramer. “Izabella” had been one of the new songs the guitarist introduced at the Woodstock festival and Jimi was eager to perfect a studio version. This new version is markedly different from the Band Of Gypsys 45 rpm single master issued by Reprise Records in 1970 and features Larry Lee, Hendrix’s old friend from the famed rhythm & blues ‘chitin’ circuit’, on rhythm guitar.

“Easy Blues”:
An edited extract of this gorgeous, free flowing instrumental was briefly issued as part of the long-out-of-print 1981 album Nine To The Universe. Now nearly twice as long, the track offers fans the opportunity to enjoy the dramatic interplay between Hendrix, second guitarist Larry Lee, Cox and drummer Mitch Mitchell.

“Crash Landing”:
Perhaps known as the title song for the controversial 1975 album that featured Hendrix master recordings posthumously overdubbed by session musicians, this April 1969 original recording has never been heard before. Hendrix is joined here by Cox and drummer Rocky Isaac of the Cherry People to record this thinly veiled warning to his girlfriend, Devon Wilson.

“Inside Out”:
Hendrix was fascinated by the rhythm pattern that would ultimately take form as “Ezy Ryder.” Joined here by Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix recorded all of the bass and guitar parts for this fascinating song — including a dramatic lead guitar part amplified through a Leslie speaker.

“Hey Gypsy Boy”:
The roots of Hendrix’s majestic “Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)” trace themselves to this March 1969 recording. Unlike the posthumously overdubbed version briefly issued as part of Midnight Lightning in 1975, this is original recording that features Hendrix joined by Buddy Miles.

“Mojo Man”:
Hendrix would lend a hand to Albert & Arthur Allen, the vocalists known as the Ghetto Fighters, whom he had befriended in Harlem long before he achieved fame with the Experience. When the two recorded this inspired, previously unreleased master at the legendary Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama they took it back to Hendrix at Electric Lady Studios. Hendrix knew just what to do to elevate the recording beyond contemporary R&B to the new hybrid of rock, rhythm and blues he was celebrated for.

“Villanova Junction Blues”:
Long before his famous performance of this song at Woodstock, Hendrix recorded this studio version with Cox and Miles at the same May 1969 session that yielded “Hear My Train A Comin'” and “Bleeding Heart” also featured on this album. Never fully finished, the song stands as an example of the fertile ideas he hoped to harness and bring to fruition.

There is more info at the official Hendrix site!

Source: GuitarWorld

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About the Author

Michael Anderson
I have loved technology for as long as I can remember - and have been a computer gamer since the PDP-10! Mobile Technology has played a major role in my life - I have used an electronic companion since the HP95LX more than 20 years ago, and have been a 'Laptop First' person since my Compaq LTE Lite 3/20 and Powerbook 170 back in 1991! As an avid gamer and gadget-junkie I was constantly asked for my opinions on new technology, which led to writing small blurbs ... and eventually becoming a reviewer many years ago. My family is my biggest priority in life, and they alternate between loving and tolerating my gaming and gadget hobbies ... but ultimately benefits from the addition of technology to our lives!