Band of Gypsys
Encyclopedia
Band of Gypsys was a blues rock band led by Jimi Hendrix
and backed by Billy Cox
and Buddy Miles
. Hendrix formed the band after the dissolution of The Jimi Hendrix Experience
. Band of Gypsys is also the band's eponymous live album
recorded on two separate nights, 31 December 1969 and 1 January 1970, at the Fillmore East
. Released just six months before his death in 1970, it was the last album Hendrix himself authorized, and the only Hendrix-authorized album to be released on Capitol Records
(in the US). Produced by Hendrix, Band of Gypsys reached #5 in the US and #6 in the UK.
. Bassist Billy Cox
(who had played with Hendrix while they were in the army) had been rehearsing and playing with Hendrix since April, but the band was short-lived.
With Cox and his drummer
friend Buddy Miles
, Hendrix next formed the Band of Gypsys, this time to fulfill his obligation to produce an LP of new material for Ed Chalpin, to be released on the Capitol label. Hendrix, in interviews as early as March 1969, had already mentioned a "jam" album to be titled Band of Gypsys. Hendrix also mentioned in his introduction at Woodstock that "Band of Gypsys" was an alternative name for the group performing there.
They recorded a single "Stepping Stone" (b/w "Izabella") for Reprise, which was quickly withdrawn after its release. They also recorded some studio material, and several finished tracks, some of which have been released on First Rays of the New Rising Sun
and elsewhere. They made their live debut at the Fillmore East
on New Year's Eve, 1969, for a series of four shows spread over two nights.
The Fillmore East concerts featured mostly new songs, as the songs for the Band of Gypsys LP would have to be original due to a recent judgment against him in a contractual suit. This performance was captured using the then new portable Sony Portapak
B&W video camera and open-reel 1/2" videotape recorder, from two different angles.
In some markets, including the UK, the album was released with a cover photograph that featured dolls of Hendrix, Brian Jones
, Bob Dylan
and British DJ John Peel
, an early supporter of Hendrix.
Due to the demands of four sets over two days, the band needed a lot of material and played the Experience-era favorites "Wild Thing," "Hey Joe," "Purple Haze, "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," "Foxy Lady," "Fire," and "Stone Free" to fill out the sets. Nearing the end of the fourth set, Hendrix said, "We're just trying to figure out something to play, but we only know about six songs right now...seven...nine." He then launched into a version of "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)." "Foxy Lady" was included on the later Japanese/German re-release (details below). Furthermore, "Wild Thing," "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" and "Stone Free" can be heard on Live at the Fillmore East.
After a disastrous show at Madison Square Garden
on January 28, 1970, where Hendrix insulted a woman in the audience, played just two songs (Who Knows and Earth Blues) and then left the stage, Band of Gypsys was disbanded.
A documentary entitled Band of Gypsys: Live at the Fillmore East was released on DVD in 1999. It focused on the album and Hendrix's performances at the Fillmore during New Year's Eve 1969, and New Year's Day 1970. It contains the original half-inch open-reel black and white video footage shot by a fan at the concerts, and interviews with people that were involved in Hendrix at the time.
The recordings included on Band of Gypsys featured selections from the final two shows. The set lists for the complete Fillmore East shows are as follows.
* indicating inclusion on the Band of Gypsys album 1970
~ indicating inclusion on the Band of Gypsys reissued Polydor CD 1991
+ indicating inclusion on the Live At The Fillmore East CD 1999
^ indicating inclusion on the West Coast Seattle Boy 4 CD 2010
Wednesday, December 31, 1969 (First Fillmore East set)
Wednesday, December 31, 1969 (Second Fillmore East set)
Thursday, January 1, 1970 (Third Fillmore East set)
Thursday, January 1, 1970 (Fourth Fillmore East set)
Length infos by leaked bootlegs called "Box Of Gypsys", inclued all songs from the concert at the Fillmore East and Madison Square Garden, excerpt for Hear My Train a Comin' from the First Show from January 1, 1970.
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and backed by Billy Cox
Billy Cox
William "Billy" Cox is an American bassist, best known for performing with Jimi Hendrix.-Early years:Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, Cox was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Schenley High School. He first met Jimi Hendrix in the early 1960s, when they were both in the United States...
and Buddy Miles
Buddy Miles
George Allen Miles, Jr. , known as Buddy Miles, was an American rock and funk drummer, most known as a founding member of The Electric Flag in 1967, then as a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys from 1969 through to January 1970.-Early life:George Allen Miles was born in Omaha, Nebraska on...
. Hendrix formed the band after the dissolution of The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
. Band of Gypsys is also the band's eponymous live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
recorded on two separate nights, 31 December 1969 and 1 January 1970, at the Fillmore East
Fillmore East
The Fillmore East was rock promoter Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue near East 6th Street in the East Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City. It was open from 1968 to 1971, and featured some of the biggest acts in rock music at the time...
. Released just six months before his death in 1970, it was the last album Hendrix himself authorized, and the only Hendrix-authorized album to be released on Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
(in the US). Produced by Hendrix, Band of Gypsys reached #5 in the US and #6 in the UK.
History
After Hendrix disbanded the Jimi Hendrix Experience in early-1969, he formed Gypsy Sun and Rainbows to fulfill the contract for the Experience to play WoodstockWoodstock Festival
Woodstock Music & Art Fair was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969...
. Bassist Billy Cox
Billy Cox
William "Billy" Cox is an American bassist, best known for performing with Jimi Hendrix.-Early years:Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, Cox was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Schenley High School. He first met Jimi Hendrix in the early 1960s, when they were both in the United States...
(who had played with Hendrix while they were in the army) had been rehearsing and playing with Hendrix since April, but the band was short-lived.
With Cox and his drummer
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
friend Buddy Miles
Buddy Miles
George Allen Miles, Jr. , known as Buddy Miles, was an American rock and funk drummer, most known as a founding member of The Electric Flag in 1967, then as a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys from 1969 through to January 1970.-Early life:George Allen Miles was born in Omaha, Nebraska on...
, Hendrix next formed the Band of Gypsys, this time to fulfill his obligation to produce an LP of new material for Ed Chalpin, to be released on the Capitol label. Hendrix, in interviews as early as March 1969, had already mentioned a "jam" album to be titled Band of Gypsys. Hendrix also mentioned in his introduction at Woodstock that "Band of Gypsys" was an alternative name for the group performing there.
They recorded a single "Stepping Stone" (b/w "Izabella") for Reprise, which was quickly withdrawn after its release. They also recorded some studio material, and several finished tracks, some of which have been released on First Rays of the New Rising Sun
First Rays of the New Rising Sun
First Rays of the New Rising Sun is a "concept compilation" attempting to recreate the album Jimi Hendrix was working on at the time of his death in 1970, as closely as is feasible to how he would have wanted it...
and elsewhere. They made their live debut at the Fillmore East
Fillmore East
The Fillmore East was rock promoter Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue near East 6th Street in the East Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City. It was open from 1968 to 1971, and featured some of the biggest acts in rock music at the time...
on New Year's Eve, 1969, for a series of four shows spread over two nights.
The Fillmore East concerts featured mostly new songs, as the songs for the Band of Gypsys LP would have to be original due to a recent judgment against him in a contractual suit. This performance was captured using the then new portable Sony Portapak
Portapak
A Portapak is a battery powered self-contained video tape analog recording system that can be carried by one person. Earlier television cameras were large and relatively immovable, but the Portapak made it possible to record television images while moving around...
B&W video camera and open-reel 1/2" videotape recorder, from two different angles.
In some markets, including the UK, the album was released with a cover photograph that featured dolls of Hendrix, Brian Jones
Brian Jones
Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and British DJ John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, an early supporter of Hendrix.
Due to the demands of four sets over two days, the band needed a lot of material and played the Experience-era favorites "Wild Thing," "Hey Joe," "Purple Haze, "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," "Foxy Lady," "Fire," and "Stone Free" to fill out the sets. Nearing the end of the fourth set, Hendrix said, "We're just trying to figure out something to play, but we only know about six songs right now...seven...nine." He then launched into a version of "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)." "Foxy Lady" was included on the later Japanese/German re-release (details below). Furthermore, "Wild Thing," "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" and "Stone Free" can be heard on Live at the Fillmore East.
After a disastrous show at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
on January 28, 1970, where Hendrix insulted a woman in the audience, played just two songs (Who Knows and Earth Blues) and then left the stage, Band of Gypsys was disbanded.
A documentary entitled Band of Gypsys: Live at the Fillmore East was released on DVD in 1999. It focused on the album and Hendrix's performances at the Fillmore during New Year's Eve 1969, and New Year's Day 1970. It contains the original half-inch open-reel black and white video footage shot by a fan at the concerts, and interviews with people that were involved in Hendrix at the time.
Songs played at concerts
* indicating inclusion on the Band of Gypsys album 1970
~ indicating inclusion on the Band of Gypsys reissued Polydor CD 1991
+ indicating inclusion on the Live At The Fillmore East CD 1999
^ indicating inclusion on the West Coast Seattle Boy 4 CD 2010
Wednesday, December 31, 1969 (First Fillmore East set)
- "Power of Soul" – 7:01
- "Lover Man" – 3:10
- "Hear My Train A Comin'Hear My Train A Comin'"Hear My Train A Comin'" is a blues song written by Jimi Hendrix that he recorded several times between 1967 and 1970 but was not released until after his death...
" ~ + – 9:29 - "Them Changes" + – 6:04
- "Izabella" + – 3:23
- "Machine Gun" – 9:10
- "Stop" – 5:09
- "Ezy Ryder" – 5:53
- "Bleeding Heart" – 6:23
- "Earth Blues" – 6:26
- "Burning Desire" – 9:15
Wednesday, December 31, 1969 (Second Fillmore East set)
- "Auld Lang Syne" + – 7:23
- "Who Knows" + – 9:13
- "Stepping Stone" – 5:29
- "Burning Desire" – 2:43
- "Fire" ^ – 5:13
- "Ezy Ryder" – 4:44
- "Machine Gun" + – 13:49
- "Power of Soul" – 6:41
- "Stone Free/Nutcracker Suite/Drum Solo/Outside Woman Blues/Cherokee Mist/Sunshine Of Your Love" ^ – 17:21
- "Them Changes" – 10:09
- "Message of Love" – 3:52
- "Stop" – 7:23
- "Foxy Lady" ^ – 13:10
- "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" – 4:20
- "Purple Haze" – 3:46
Thursday, January 1, 1970 (Third Fillmore East set)
- "Who Knows" * – 10:49
- "Machine Gun * – 12:33
- "Them Changes" – 7:22
- "Power of Soul" + – 6:15
- "Stepping Stone" + – 5:31
- "Foxy Lady" ~ – 7:09
- "Stop" ~ + – 5:42
- "Hear My Train A Comin" – Unreleased Version
- "Earth Blues" – 4:52 (Uncompleted Version)
- "Burning Desire" + – 8:21
Thursday, January 1, 1970 (Fourth Fillmore East set)
- "Stone Free/Little Drummer Boy" + – 12:52
- "Them Changes" * – 5:08
- "Power of Soul" * – 6:53
- "Message of Love" * – 5:21
- "Earth Blues" + – 5:57
- "Machine Gun" + – 12:06
- "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" + – 6:01
- "We Gotta Live Together" * + – 16:43
- "Wild Thing" + – 3:13
- "Hey Joe" – 4:03
- "Purple Haze" – 4:48
Length infos by leaked bootlegs called "Box Of Gypsys", inclued all songs from the concert at the Fillmore East and Madison Square Garden, excerpt for Hear My Train a Comin' from the First Show from January 1, 1970.
LP Track listing
All songs by Jimi Hendrix, except where noted. The titles of side two tracks 1-3 are often incorrectly listed on various LP and CD releases. They should read as "Them Changes", "Power of Soul" and "Message of Love", as evidenced from pre-song announcements by Hendrix and Miles, song lyrics as well as their names on the Live at the Fillmore East release.Personnel
- Jimi HendrixJimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
– electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, vocals - Billy CoxBilly CoxWilliam "Billy" Cox is an American bassist, best known for performing with Jimi Hendrix.-Early years:Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, Cox was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Schenley High School. He first met Jimi Hendrix in the early 1960s, when they were both in the United States...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Buddy MilesBuddy MilesGeorge Allen Miles, Jr. , known as Buddy Miles, was an American rock and funk drummer, most known as a founding member of The Electric Flag in 1967, then as a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys from 1969 through to January 1970.-Early life:George Allen Miles was born in Omaha, Nebraska on...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals
Production personnel
- Jimi Hendrix – producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, liner notesLiner notesLiner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
(original release) - Wally HeiderWally HeiderWally Heider was an American recording engineer and recording studio owner - History :After a distinguished career as an engineer in the 1940s and 1950s, he was instrumental in recording the San Francisco Sound in the late 60s and early 70s...
– live recording engineer - Eddie KramerEddie KramerEdwin H. Kramer is an audio engineer and producer who has worked with, among others, Led Zeppelin, Triumph, Kiss , Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Spooky Tooth, Peter Frampton, Curtis Mayfield, Santana, Anthrax, Carly Simon, Loudness, and Robin Trower.-1960s:Eddie...
– studio mixing engineer, mastering, remastering, remixing - Jan Blom – album cover photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Joseph Sia – photography
- Album cover designed by Victor Kahn
- Robert Herman – photography
- George Marino – remastering
- John McDermott – liner notesLiner notesLiner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
(later re-release)