First Rays of the New Rising Sun
Encyclopedia
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 (based on recordings and notes he made during the last months of his life). After its release in 1997, the album reached #49 in the US and #37 in the UK.
It was originally projected as a double-LP with a presumed release date of late 1970 or early 1971. Hendrix went off to England
in late August 1970 to play the Isle of Wight festival, followed by a brief European tour, but never returned. He asphyxiated after taking an overdose of sleeping pills in London
on September 18, 1970 at the age of 27.
The last documented working name for the album was Strate Ahead [sic] (the title atop the last documented track list found in Hendrix's notes). The name of this release (First Rays of the New Rising Sun) is referenced in at least two songs intended on the album -- "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" and "Izabella" -- and in several onstage comments Hendrix made during performances that were recorded at that time.
During the recording of his next album Hendrix had written a few conceptual track listings. This tracklist written on a 3M tape box has no title and is not in Hendrix's handwriting:
Side A
Side B
Side C
Side D
This section was blank.
On the tracklisting mentioned above, "Freedom" is both on side A and B, and "Night Bird Flying" is both on side A and C. Also, on the handwritten tracklisting, two songs on side C have lines through them. It is remarkable that Hendrix did not include many other songs which he had been working on during the summer of 1970, including "Izabella", "Lover Man", "Stepping Stone", "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)", "Earth Blues", "In From The Storm", "Bleeding Heart", "Burning Desire", "Can I Whisper In Your Ear", "Hear My Train A'Comin'", "Midnight Lightning" and "Send My Love To Linda".
Other proposed track listings
The last track listing available is for an LP titled Strate Ahead [sic], which is in Hendrix's handwriting. It is unknown what the crosses, ticks and dashes signify:
->Strate Ahead-> x [sic]
These lists include several new songs that were in the process of being created. Some can be heard now on various releases, in early stages of development; others are difficult to identify. It is unknown whether "Sending My Love" is the same song as "Sending My Love to Linda". The song "Burning Desire" only exists in live rehearsal/concert versions and nothing of "Locomotion" is known beyond a couple of early lyric lines on a piece of paper. The identity of the song "Electric Lady-slow" is impossible to ascertain. "This Little Boy" appears to have no references and has disappeared without a trace. Most of the rest of the songs were almost finished when Hendrix died.
and Rainbow Bridge
, both produced by Eddie Kramer and Mitch Mitchell. The remaining three songs were on the third posthumous LP (and last produced by Kramer), War Heroes
.
Release of the original albums was complicated by Hendrix and Jeffery's contract to provide a soundtrack LP for the film Rainbow Bridge. Though misconstrued to be a live album of the famed concert uptop the Haleakala Crater (but actually nowhere near the crater, it was held in pasture not far from Seabury Hall, just outside Makawao); it is, indeed, the original soundtrack to the film as all tracks, apart from the Berkeley performance of "Hear My Train A Comin'", appear in various scenes. Though a version of this song was played in the film's soundtrack in the concert sequence. All other songs are new material from studio sessions. The three tracks used for War Heroes were replaced on Rainbow Bridge by "Look Over Yonder" (a leftover song from 1968 recording sessions), the live "Hear My Train A Comin'," and a multi-tracked instrumental "Pali Gap". A multi-tracked solo studio version of "The Star Spangled Banner" from 1969 was also added.
These tracks were an attempt to give the album more of a "live" feel, as the movie revolved around a small outdoor concert by Hendrix in Maui
, Hawaii
. "Hear My Train A Comin" was an alternate title for "Getting My Heart Back Together Again"; a studio version may have been part of Hendrix's plan for this album, though the cut on Rainbow Bridge is a live performance taken from the May 30, 1970 concert depicted in the movie Jimi Plays Berkeley.
controlled the release of the musician's remaining unreleased tracks. Many of Douglas' choices were controversial, such as his removal of the original backing musicians, replacing them with studio musicians who had never played with Hendrix, overdubbing guitar parts and adding female backing vocalists, reworking most of the songs and claiming co-composer credits on some.
In 1995, Douglas had produced an album of Hendrix's work titled Voodoo Soup
. This collection covers much of the same material as First Rays of the New Rising Sun but leaves out several important tracks, replaced by songs that have no connection to the original project. In addition, its tracks were heavily edited. For example, some drum parts were removed and replaced with new overdubs by Bruce Gary
(best known as drummer for pop-rock group The Knack
), who had never played with Hendrix.
After a long legal struggle initiated by Al Hendrix and his adopted daughter Janie, they finally gained control of Jimi's recorded works in 1995 (under the name "Experience Hendrix LLC") and hired Eddie Kramer—who had recorded most of Hendrix's music, including his last songs—to put these tracks back together on one album, where previously they had been separated onto three.
in New York City
. Many songs seemed to be missing just their finishing touches, but Hendrix was a perfectionist who had already spent two years developing this album, making it hard to be sure. Mitchell and Kramer have claimed that only the changes that had been discussed with Hendrix have been made for the unfinished tracks.
Recording engineer Eddie Kramer
used the same tracks with the same posthumous overdubs, production and mixing that he and Mitch Mitchell had applied on the "Cry of Love", "Rainbow Bridge" and "War Heroes" albums (apart from the removal of the drum beats at the beginning of "Easy Rider"). For First Rays of the New Rising Sun Kramer remastered and resequenced these tracks.
Many songs only needed a final mix, which was made posthumously. However, "Belly Button Window" was possibly intended to have more overdubs. Both "Beginnings" and "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" are in early stages of production, featuring basic tracks which might ultimately have been re-recorded. (In the latter song, Hendrix can be heard asking "Is the microphone on?") Some tracks, such as "Straight Ahead", feature a preliminary vocal track that Hendrix had intended to re-record. A vibraphone track was added to "Drifting" like Hendrix had planned - though he also had an idea of using another guitar track instead of vibraphones.
Other songs planned for the album were left out of this compilation as simply too raw, including "Come Down Hard On Me" and "Cherokee Mist" (both released on 2000's four-CD The Jimi Hendrix Experience
), "Drifter's Escape" (later found on the 1997 compilation South Saturn Delta
) and "Valleys of Neptune" (released on the 2010 album Valleys of Neptune
). "Can I Whisper In Your Ear" is in too early a stage of development to be considered for a mainstream release.
The song "My Friend
", is an exception. It was recorded much earlier than the rest of the material (during Electric Ladyland
sessions in 1968), and some people have raised doubts as to whether Hendrix had ever intended to include it. "Ezy Ryder" was not used in the similarly named movie Easy Rider
but was inspired by Hendrix's viewing of it.
Note: "Straight Ahead" used the music from the earlier "Pass It On" but had completely new lyrics.
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
was working on at the time of his death in 1970, as closely as is feasible to how he would have wanted it (based on recordings and notes he made during the last months of his life). After its release in 1997, the album reached #49 in the US and #37 in the UK.
It was originally projected as a double-LP with a presumed release date of late 1970 or early 1971. Hendrix went off to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in late August 1970 to play the Isle of Wight festival, followed by a brief European tour, but never returned. He asphyxiated after taking an overdose of sleeping pills in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on September 18, 1970 at the age of 27.
Hendrix's original plan for the album
The original plans for the album changed many times and were never finalized. Hendrix was looking towards releasing a double or even triple-LP. During mid-summer 1970, Hendrix even talked about releasing an additional LP of new songs that didn't fit the project, under the name "People, Hell And Angels."The last documented working name for the album was Strate Ahead [sic] (the title atop the last documented track list found in Hendrix's notes). The name of this release (First Rays of the New Rising Sun) is referenced in at least two songs intended on the album -- "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" and "Izabella" -- and in several onstage comments Hendrix made during performances that were recorded at that time.
During the recording of his next album Hendrix had written a few conceptual track listings. This tracklist written on a 3M tape box has no title and is not in Hendrix's handwriting:
Side A
- Dolly Dagger
- Night Bird Flying
- Room Full Of Mirrors
- Belly Button Window
- Freedom
Side B
- Ezy Rider
- Astro Man
- Drifting
- Straight Ahead
- Freedom
Side C
- Night Bird Flying
- (Drifter's EscapeDrifter's Escape"Drifter's Escape" is a song written by Bob Dylan and released on his 1967 album John Wesley Harding. In some European countries, including the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, it was released as a single in 1968 backed by "John Wesley Harding". It was released as a single in the US in...
) - (Come Down On Me)
- Beginnings [scored out]
- Cherokee Mist [scored out]
- (Angel)
Side D
This section was blank.
On the tracklisting mentioned above, "Freedom" is both on side A and B, and "Night Bird Flying" is both on side A and C. Also, on the handwritten tracklisting, two songs on side C have lines through them. It is remarkable that Hendrix did not include many other songs which he had been working on during the summer of 1970, including "Izabella", "Lover Man", "Stepping Stone", "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)", "Earth Blues", "In From The Storm", "Bleeding Heart", "Burning Desire", "Can I Whisper In Your Ear", "Hear My Train A'Comin'", "Midnight Lightning" and "Send My Love To Linda".
Other proposed track listings
The last track listing available is for an LP titled Strate Ahead [sic], which is in Hendrix's handwriting. It is unknown what the crosses, ticks and dashes signify:
->Strate Ahead-> x [sic]
- Ezy Ryder x
- Room full of Mirrors x-
- Earth Blues - Today ✓
- Valleys of Neptune -
- Have you heard* - ✓ *aka "Straight Ahead"
- Cherokee Mist - instr.
- Freedom x ✓
- Steppin Stone ✓
- IZABella ✓
- Astroman x -
- Page 2/3
- Drifters Escape
- Angel
- Burning Desire
- Nightbird Flying
- Electric Lady - Slow.
- Getting My Heart Back Together Again
- Lover Man
- Midnight Lightning
- Can I Whisper In Your Ear - slow
- Sending My Love - slow to medium
- This Little Boy
- Locomotion
- Dolly Dagger
- The New Rising Sun (Hey Baby)
These lists include several new songs that were in the process of being created. Some can be heard now on various releases, in early stages of development; others are difficult to identify. It is unknown whether "Sending My Love" is the same song as "Sending My Love to Linda". The song "Burning Desire" only exists in live rehearsal/concert versions and nothing of "Locomotion" is known beyond a couple of early lyric lines on a piece of paper. The identity of the song "Electric Lady-slow" is impossible to ascertain. "This Little Boy" appears to have no references and has disappeared without a trace. Most of the rest of the songs were almost finished when Hendrix died.
Initial releases
All but three of the songs on this album were released on the first two posthumous Hendrix albums, released seven months apart in 1971: The Cry of LoveThe Cry of Love
-Personnel:Band members*Jimi Hendrix – lead vocals, guitars, backing vocals on tracks 3 and 9, piano on track 1, production on all tracks except 5*Billy Cox – bass on all tracks except 5 and 10...
and Rainbow Bridge
Rainbow Bridge (album)
-Non album tracks that appear in the film:*"Bleeding Heart" Released on War Heroes in 1972....
, both produced by Eddie Kramer and Mitch Mitchell. The remaining three songs were on the third posthumous LP (and last produced by Kramer), War Heroes
War Heroes
-Personnel:*Jimi Hendrix – guitars, lead vocals, bass on track 1, backing vocals on "Izabella"*Mitch Mitchell – drums*Billy Cox – bass*Noel Redding – bass on "Highway Chile", "Tax Free" & "Midnight"-Recording details:...
.
Release of the original albums was complicated by Hendrix and Jeffery's contract to provide a soundtrack LP for the film Rainbow Bridge. Though misconstrued to be a live album of the famed concert uptop the Haleakala Crater (but actually nowhere near the crater, it was held in pasture not far from Seabury Hall, just outside Makawao); it is, indeed, the original soundtrack to the film as all tracks, apart from the Berkeley performance of "Hear My Train A Comin'", appear in various scenes. Though a version of this song was played in the film's soundtrack in the concert sequence. All other songs are new material from studio sessions. The three tracks used for War Heroes were replaced on Rainbow Bridge by "Look Over Yonder" (a leftover song from 1968 recording sessions), the live "Hear My Train A Comin'," and a multi-tracked instrumental "Pali Gap". A multi-tracked solo studio version of "The Star Spangled Banner" from 1969 was also added.
These tracks were an attempt to give the album more of a "live" feel, as the movie revolved around a small outdoor concert by Hendrix in Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. "Hear My Train A Comin" was an alternate title for "Getting My Heart Back Together Again"; a studio version may have been part of Hendrix's plan for this album, though the cut on Rainbow Bridge is a live performance taken from the May 30, 1970 concert depicted in the movie Jimi Plays Berkeley.
Controversy over control of Hendrix's music
For many years after Jimi Hendrix's death, producer Alan DouglasAlan Douglas (record producer)
Alan Douglas is an American record producer who has worked with Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Lenny Bruce and the Last Poets. He runs his own record label, Douglas Records....
controlled the release of the musician's remaining unreleased tracks. Many of Douglas' choices were controversial, such as his removal of the original backing musicians, replacing them with studio musicians who had never played with Hendrix, overdubbing guitar parts and adding female backing vocalists, reworking most of the songs and claiming co-composer credits on some.
In 1995, Douglas had produced an album of Hendrix's work titled Voodoo Soup
Voodoo Soup
Voodoo Soup is a posthumous album by Jimi Hendrix. It was released on April 11, 1995 by MCA Records and was compiled by Alan Douglas, who was also responsible for the posthumous Hendrix releases Midnight Lightning and Crash Landing in the 1970s...
. This collection covers much of the same material as First Rays of the New Rising Sun but leaves out several important tracks, replaced by songs that have no connection to the original project. In addition, its tracks were heavily edited. For example, some drum parts were removed and replaced with new overdubs by Bruce Gary
Bruce Gary
Bruce Gary was best known as the drummer for the music group The Knack. He was nominated for two Grammy Awards as a stage performer, producer, and recording artist....
(best known as drummer for pop-rock group The Knack
The Knack
The Knack was an American New Wave rock quartet based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international number one hit in 1979.-Founding :...
), who had never played with Hendrix.
After a long legal struggle initiated by Al Hendrix and his adopted daughter Janie, they finally gained control of Jimi's recorded works in 1995 (under the name "Experience Hendrix LLC") and hired Eddie Kramer—who had recorded most of Hendrix's music, including his last songs—to put these tracks back together on one album, where previously they had been separated onto three.
Reconstructing the album
The tracks for this album ranged from finished to skeletal at the time of Hendrix's death. Much of the material had been recorded over the summer of 1970 at Jimi's just-completed Electric Lady StudiosElectric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios, at 52 West 8th Street, in New York City's Greenwich Village, is a recording studio originally built by Jimi Hendrix and designed by John Storyk in 1970...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Many songs seemed to be missing just their finishing touches, but Hendrix was a perfectionist who had already spent two years developing this album, making it hard to be sure. Mitchell and Kramer have claimed that only the changes that had been discussed with Hendrix have been made for the unfinished tracks.
Recording engineer Eddie Kramer
Eddie Kramer
Edwin 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...
used the same tracks with the same posthumous overdubs, production and mixing that he and Mitch Mitchell had applied on the "Cry of Love", "Rainbow Bridge" and "War Heroes" albums (apart from the removal of the drum beats at the beginning of "Easy Rider"). For First Rays of the New Rising Sun Kramer remastered and resequenced these tracks.
Many songs only needed a final mix, which was made posthumously. However, "Belly Button Window" was possibly intended to have more overdubs. Both "Beginnings" and "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" are in early stages of production, featuring basic tracks which might ultimately have been re-recorded. (In the latter song, Hendrix can be heard asking "Is the microphone on?") Some tracks, such as "Straight Ahead", feature a preliminary vocal track that Hendrix had intended to re-record. A vibraphone track was added to "Drifting" like Hendrix had planned - though he also had an idea of using another guitar track instead of vibraphones.
Other songs planned for the album were left out of this compilation as simply too raw, including "Come Down Hard On Me" and "Cherokee Mist" (both released on 2000's four-CD The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Box Set)
MCA continued the series of definitive masters of the Jimi Hendrix catalogue in 2000, releasing the self-titled box set The Jimi Hendrix Experience, consisting of four discs. The material includes alternate recordings, live performances and some rarities...
), "Drifter's Escape" (later found on the 1997 compilation South Saturn Delta
South Saturn Delta
South Saturn Delta is a posthumous Jimi Hendrix album compiled by the Hendrix estate that consists of material such as demo tapes, unfinished takes and alternate mixes, previously released material, most of which Hendrix had been working on prior to his death in 1970.When the Hendrix family...
) and "Valleys of Neptune" (released on the 2010 album Valleys of Neptune
Valleys of Neptune
-Recording details:All recording details are included in the Valleys of Neptune booklet, except for the Target tracks, which are listed on the inside of the Digipack behind the CD.Target bonus tracks-Album artwork:...
). "Can I Whisper In Your Ear" is in too early a stage of development to be considered for a mainstream release.
The song "My Friend
My Friend
"My Friend" is a song written and recorded by Jimi Hendrix in New York City in 1968 during the recording sessions for Electric Ladyland. The song was first released in 1971 on the posthumous album The Cry of Love and later appeared on the CD First Rays of the New Rising Sun. It was mixed...
", is an exception. It was recorded much earlier than the rest of the material (during Electric Ladyland
Electric Ladyland
Electric Ladyland is the third and final album of new material by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, released in October 1968 on Reprise Records, catalogue 2RS 6307. It is the only Hendrix studio album professionally produced under his supervision. It topped the Billboard 200 album chart for two weeks in...
sessions in 1968), and some people have raised doubts as to whether Hendrix had ever intended to include it. "Ezy Ryder" was not used in the similarly named movie Easy Rider
Easy Rider
Easy Rider is a 1969 American road movie written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern, produced by Fonda and directed by Hopper. It tells the story of two bikers who travel through the American Southwest and South with the aim of achieving freedom...
but was inspired by Hendrix's viewing of it.
Track listing
All songs were written by Jimi Hendrix- "FreedomFreedom (Jimi Hendrix song)"Freedom" is a Jimi Hendrix song released in 1971 from the album The Cry of Love. The album was released posthumously in 1971 and became a major hit. This was the only single released from the album and was somewhat successful on the charts, reaching number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart...
" – 3:27 - "Izabella" – 2:50
- "Night Bird Flying" – 3:50
- "AngelAngel (Jimi Hendrix song)"Angel" is the name of a song written and recorded by Jimi Hendrix, first released in February 1971 on the posthumous LP The Cry of Love. In April it was released as a single, which failed to chart...
" – 4:22 - "Room Full of Mirrors" – 3:20
- "Dolly Dagger" – 4:44
- "Ezy RyderEzy Ryder"Ezy Ryder" is a song by American rock musician Jimi Hendrix, featured on his 1971 first posthumous studio album The Cry Of Love...
" – 4:09 - "Drifting" – 3:48
- "Beginnings" – 4:13
- "Stepping StoneStepping Stone (song)"Stepping Stone" is a song by American psychedelic rock musician Jimi Hendrix, featured on his 1972 third posthumous studio album War Heroes. It was originally released as a single in the United States backed with "Izabella" on April 8, 1970 – the last single released by Hendrix before his...
" – 4:12 - "My FriendMy Friend"My Friend" is a song written and recorded by Jimi Hendrix in New York City in 1968 during the recording sessions for Electric Ladyland. The song was first released in 1971 on the posthumous album The Cry of Love and later appeared on the CD First Rays of the New Rising Sun. It was mixed...
" – 4:36 - "Straight Ahead" – 4:42
- "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" – 6:04
- "Earth Blues" – 4:21
- "Astro Man" – 3:34
- "In From the Storm" – 3:41
- "Belly Button Window" – 3:36
Note: "Straight Ahead" used the music from the earlier "Pass It On" but had completely new lyrics.
Recording details
- Track 1 recorded at Electric Lady StudiosElectric Lady StudiosElectric Lady Studios, at 52 West 8th Street, in New York City's Greenwich Village, is a recording studio originally built by Jimi Hendrix and designed by John Storyk in 1970...
in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on Jun. 25, Jul. 14 and 19, Aug. 14 and 20, 1970 - Track 2 recorded at Record Plant in New York City, New York on Jan. 17, 1970; overdubs were recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York in June 1970
- Track 3 recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York on Jun. 16, Jul. 19 and Aug. 22, 1970
- Track 4 recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York on Jul. 23, 1970
- Track 5 recorded at Record Plant in New York City, New York on Nov. 17, 1969; overdubs were recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York in June, July, and on Aug. 20, 1970
- Track 6 recorded at at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York on Jul. 1, 15, 19, and 20, 1970 and Aug. 14, 18, 20 and 24, 1970
- Track 7 recorded at Record Plant in New York City, New York on Dec. 18, 1969 and Jan. 20, 1970; overdubs were recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York on Jun. 15 and 18, Jul. 2 and Aug. 22, 1970
- Track 8 recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York on Jun. 25 and 29, Jul. 23 and Aug. 20, 1970
- Track 9 recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York on Jul. 1 and Aug. 22, 1970
- Track 10 recorded at Record Plant in New York City, New York on Jan. 7, 17 and 20, 1970; overdubs were recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York on Jun. 26, 1970
- Track 11 recorded at Sound Center in New York City, New York on Mar. 13, 1968
- Track 12 recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York on Jun. 17, Jul. 19 and Aug. 20, 1970
- Track 13 recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York on Jul. 1, 1970
- Track 14 recorded at Record Plant in New York City, New York on Dec. 19, 1969; overdubs were recorded at Record Plant in New York City, New York on Jan. 20, 1970 and at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York on Jun. 26, 1970
- Track 15 recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York on Jun. 25, Jul. 19 and Aug. 22, 1970
- Track 16 recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York on Jul. 22 and Aug. 20 and 24, 1970
- Track 17 recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York on Aug. 22, 1970
Personnel
- Jimi HendrixJimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
– guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals, bass, piano, producer, mixing - Billy Cox – bass, backing vocals
- Mitch MitchellMitch MitchellJohn Ronald "Mitch" Mitchell was an English drummer, best known for his work in The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Early life and the Jimi Hendrix Experience:...
– drums, producer, mixing - Juma SultanJuma SultanJuma Sultan is an American percussionist best known for his brief stint playing with rock legend Jimi Hendrix....
– percussion
- 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 ....
(on tracks 5 & 7 ), backing vocals - Albert Allen (The Ghetto Fighters) – backing vocals on "Freedom"
- Arthur Allen (The Ghetto Fighters) – backing vocals on "Freedom"
- Billy Armstrong – percussion on "Ezy Rider"
- Buzzy LinhartBuzzy LinhartBuzzy Linhart is an American rock performer and musician.Born William Linhart in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he began honing his craft playing percussion for symphony at the age of seven, switching to vibraphone at ten...
– vibraphone on "Drifting" - Emmeretta Marks – backing vocals
- The RonettesThe RonettesThe Ronettes were a 1960s girl group from New York City, best known for their work with producer Phil Spector. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett ; her older sister, Estelle Bennett; and their cousin Nedra Talley...
– backing vocals - Steve WinwoodSteve WinwoodStephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
(Traffic)– backing vocals on "Ezy Rider" - Chris WoodChris Wood (rock musician)Christopher Gordon Blandford 'Chris' Wood was a founding member of the English rock band Traffic, along with Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, and Dave Mason....
(Traffic) – backing vocals on "Ezy Rider" - Ken Pine (The Fugs) – 12 string guitar on "My Friend"
- Stephen StillsStephen StillsStephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...
– piano on "My Friend" - Paul CarusoPaul Caruso (Drummer)Paul Caruso was a drummer who played for Boston band, The Atlantics.Paul joined the Atlantics in 1979, as a replacement for Ray 'Boy' Fernandes, and played on the group's best selling record Lonelyhearts....
– harmonica on "My Friend" - Jimmy Mayes – drums on "My Friend"
- 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...
– producer, engineer, mixing, photography, remastering - Tony Bongiovi – engineer
- Jack Adams – engineer
- Bob Cotts – engineer
- Bob Hughes – engineer
- John Jansen – engineer
- John McDermott – liner notes, remastering supervisor