NME: Jimi Hendrix's sister promises another decade of previously unreleased music

Last I heard it's been pushed back to next year.

 

Yes, it is like 1997 all over again....

 

You mean step-sister. Half sister would mean they have one blood parent in common.

BTW did Jimi even KNOW Janie at all, apart from his very few visits home once his music career began in earnest?

I highly doubt that Janie would have been Jimi's first choice (or even anywhere near the top ten) to oversee his musical legacy. Plus wasnt she accused of using company funds for personal use a couple years back?

Plus putting his name on all sorts of non-music related crap - Jimi Hendrix GOLF BALLS?!?!?!

But at least she hired Jimi's engineer to mix, so that's something.

And unlike Alan Douglas she doesnt seem to have a hostile attitude towards Jimi's hardcore fans.

I read an interview with him in Guitar World at the time of Voodoo Soup's release. Yikes!

He was saying how his whole focus (not to mention his justification for his modern overdubs) was to make Jimi "current" and "relevant" for the "kids of today" (saying that some of the choices of what went on Voodoo Soup were based partly on the tastes of his 22 year old daughter!!), and that he is not at all interested in catering to the hard core completist collectors.

So I guess Janie was the lesser of two evils........but still..........

 

I know, I was just letting out some frustration..........

 

Concerning Janie's attitude towards the hardcore fans, she has made negative references to the people who used to be on the Hey Joe list in the past. I don't even know if they exist anymore. I used to be a member of their group. I left eventually.

 

+1

 

You mean from the thank you's section of the Woodstock CD liner notes?:

"Peter & Reed, keep on keepin' those "Hey Joe's" off our doorstep."

That was puzzling to me. What was that supposed to mean? The Hey Joe list was a great mailing list.

 

I do give Janie credit for bringing Eddie Kramer on board and deleting crap like Voodoo Soup. Overdubbing The Knack's drummer on vintage tracks (and claiming that he did so because Mitch Mitchell didn't know what he was doing) is the height of conceit.

 

Jimi in a box!

Ha, ha!
That would only be done if they did things right!
(LUV your ideas)
Ain't gonna happen.
(color me purple)

 

I just got one of these babies last week, only 1000 made they say.
It's called "Studio Sessions 2" MSIG 0453-8. I got issue 0740. I have not had the chance to hear it yet, anyone know anything about it?

 

Well, as an unabashed Hendrix geek I'd love complete releases of the 3 nights at Winterland shows and all 4 BOG Fillmore East shows but having heard the complete shows many times I think there are several performances nowhere near worthy of release.

Take BOG for example...a complete BOG box would have 4 versions of Changes, 3 of Stop, 17 minutes of We Got To Live Together, 2 songs with vocals that weren't recorded, a breakdown of Burning Desire and several songs from the second show that Jimi abrupty halts before complete. The second 12/31 show is a bit of a mess. Lots of very tenative performances. Jimi ends 4 songs early with "we haven't finished that one yet" and "I forgot the words, I'm sorry". The playing is ok but I don't think those add to the legacy. That said the first 12/31 show is solid all the way through and contains several excellent performances that haven't been released and only circulate as aud performances. The BOG versions of Lover Man, Ezy Ryder and Bleeding Heart (the slow arrangement) NEED to be heard. Here's Lover Man. Dig the short and sassy solo and the killer groove.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7F1w1bKHG0&feature=player_embedded

The Winterland run is full of amazing playing, most of it unreleased, but some of that stuff really shouldn't be released. Major equipment problems at times, Jimi trying several times to get the Foxy Lady opening feedback to catch without success, some 10 minute drum solos, incredibly sloppy versions of Purple Haze. I'd say there is enough for a killer 4CD box of Winterland performances. 6CD's would just dilute the impact of the good stuff.

 

Mandy Moon? Is Keith Moon major enough? I'm sure there's some arrangement for royalties from past releases set for Keith Moon's estate. Gram Parsons had at least one daughter. Hey, I'm pulling at straws.

 

Miami Pop definitely exists. Professional multitrack audio and pro shot outdoor daytime color 16MM film. Woodstock quality. If they captured the entire (short) performances were talking pro shot versions of Tax Free, I Don't Live Today and Red House.

They must have the Randall's Island multitracks since Red House is (IIRC) remixed on the VC Collection. It was pro shot as well but I don't know if they have it. Very uneven show but with some great highlights. Red House is one of the best versions ever (same version as the Concerts LP) so pro shot film of that performance would be a score. The second solo on the Randall's Island Voodoo Child (SR) is probably in my personal top 10 Jimi solos. With the chaos around he stage and Jimi telling off the unruly crowd it would probably make a compelling concert film. Kind of like a NY version of Altamont without the murder. Watch out for North Dakota!

 

The same Polydor AYE that some tracks running WAY too fast, a stereo spread that slowly drifts to one side and clock radio fidelity? I'll pass. The alt mix Axis does sound nice but that mix is inferior IMO. A nice curio but you need the original stereo mix. I haven't heard the Polydor EL but people seem to dig it.

 

Got it. It's pretty good.

 

WG AYE

I had the WG Polydor AYE, too, and noticed all the problems you mention, though you forgot the two? needledropped tracks. Sold it quick as I could. Polydor EL has amazing sound, as does WB Axis non-RE-1 first edition.

This is what I want more than anything: The Complete Band of Gypsys with all takes from the (formerly) Paul Allen multitracks. Deluxe on 180g vinyl, too, in velvet box with replica windowpane and headband.

 

Thanks for the info, Chris.

Well, I want to see all of these including the remastered July 4th night performance at the Atlanta Pop Festival on Blu-ray (well, I can dream, can't I?).

BTW, the songs listed from the two sets (afternoon & evening) Jimi played at the Miami Pop Festival don't mention any of those performances, so I'm a little confused (supposedly he just repeated four numbers: Fire, Foxy Lady, Hear My Train A Comin' and Purple Haze, ...if I'm not mistaken), but maybe we're talking about two different concerts (separate dates).


Cat

 

They were taken from a multitrack source. I guess there were gaps in the film material of the 1st show, since only Johnny B. Goode and Purple Haze are the only complete songs on the Jimi Plays Berkeley video.

BTW what was that "official story" you are referring to?

 

Hey Cat, only 4 songs circulate but they shows and recordings are longer than that. IIRC there are 12 performances total (6 for each show) with Tax Free, Red House, I Don't Live Today, Hear My Train, Hey Joe and a couple versions of Purple Haze, Fire and Foxy. Ultimate Hendrix has the setlists in performance order. The link below has some amazing photos from Miami Pop. You can see the film crew pointing their cameras right at Jimi.

http://www.themiamipopfestival.com/

This is Fire from Miami Pop. Not sure when the mix was done. Supposedly a reel of 4 rough mixes from the JHE set were found in a studio that was closing in Florida several years ago. Not sure how accurate that is though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfxJxiwV_Nw&feature=player_embedded

And some silent 8MM footage shot by a kid in the front of the stage. This has bits of footage of Arthur Brown, Zappa, Blue Cheer and Jimi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBC5iOleCfc&feature=related

 

FWIW they weren't really student filmmakers. Mike Jefferey hired a guy named Peter Pilafian to document the shows. Pilafian played on some Mama's & The Papa's sessions and had some involvement with Monterey Pop. He had a 4 man crew but as you mention for some reason they apparently didn't capture many complete performances. John McDermott goes into the great detail on the saga of the film in the DVD liners.

Apparently Dougas had/has the outtakes. Peter Pilafian mentions that he filmed an interview with Jimi and some backstage stuff that wasn't used in the film. If the outtakes are recovered I'm sure it would still lots of the performance not covered but it would be more complete and have much better edits. There is some really good audience footage that fans have synced to the audio that could be used as well. It is shot from close to the stage and has a stable image right on Jimi.

 

We did a test some time ago on the Polydor AYE because of the lies floating around here about it and it was concluded that only 1 song was running to fast, Foxy Lady i think, also Third Stone has the channels reversed apart from that the rest is the same as the Reprise, the polydor is essential for Red House and Remember in decent fidelity !!

 

My personal guess is that the footage was lost even before Alan Douglas had it. He would have definately released something, but the only Berkeley visuals he used (Johnny B. Goode VHS, Are You Experienced promo and On the Road video compilation) was taken from the Jimi Plays Berkeley film. Besides, material was usually lost after Douglas had "worked" on them.

We need that!

I'd be glad if the 1st set audio would be released. There are some pretty neat versions of Message of Love and Ezy Ryder (albeit Jimi brokes a string and Mitch plays a pretty horrible drum solo to cover him up). And of course Johnny B. Goode and Hear My Train a Comin'.

 

Here is the Gibson Hendrix guitar.....



Hehe is that a Fender he's playing on the box..

I stopped Janie bashing a while ago and just hoped she wouldn't make anymore stupid merchandising decisions but this is a disgrace.

It is, according to Janie Hendrix (Jimi's half-sister) "designed with one question in mind: 'What if the world's greatest guitarist was still alive today, what guitar would he want to play?'

I'd take a bet and say he wouldn't be playing these garbage Strat rip offs.
I'm probably making more of a big deal out of it than I should but this pisses me off. WTF are Gibson and EH thinking?

I can't wait for the Fender Jimmy Page Les Paul.

 

Sign me up for the BB King Telecaster...

 

We're not going to get any of the "complete" sets in the way we want them. Hendrix's legacy is going to recede somewhat because of the way it is being handled.

Look at how the Doors are doing their vault material. Look at how the Grateful Dead does theirs. The difference is that these vault releases have input from some of the artists themselves. They don't always get it exactly right but most of the time the releases are great. Hendrix's sister doesn't appear to have a clue about what his appeal is to his audience.

Someone who understands the music, the time period it was done, and the people who like and will buy it, needs to at least control the way the music is released. His work deserves the highest quality presentation, with excellent sound, and complete historical accuracy. He needs to be presented in a way that reflects the way he might have done it. He is a major figure who needs major work done on his complete catalogue. Multiple box sets with beautiful artwork and excellent sound could be possible.

Golf balls..........??