Band of Gypsys

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Band of Gypsys
Live album by Jimi Hendrix
Released	June 12, 1970
Recorded	January 1, 1970 at the Fillmore East
Genre	Hard rock, acid rock, funk rock, R&B
Length	45:16
Label	Capitol (USA), Track Records (UK), Barclay Records (France), Polydor (rest of the world), MCA (now)
Producer	Heaven Research (Jimi Hendrix)
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Pitchfork (9.1/10) 2/1/1998 Robert Christgau (B+) link Rolling Stone 2/2/1998
Jimi Hendrix chronology
Electric Jimi Hendrix (1968) Band of Gypsys (1970) The Cry of Love (1971)

Band of Gypsys is a funk 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 three 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 U.S.). This was the result of a settlement regarding a recording contract he had signed in 1965.^{[citation needed]}

Produced by Hendrix, Band of Gypsys reached #5 in the U.S. and #6 in the UK.

History

After Hendrix disbanded the Jimi Hendrix Experience in mid-1969, he formed Gypsy Sun and Rainbows to fulfill the contract for the Experience to play Woodstock.^{[citation needed]} 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They recorded a single "Stepping Stone" (backed with b/w "Izabella") for Reprise, which was quickly withdrawn after its release.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 on handheld portable B&W video recorders at two different angles.^{[citation needed]}

The set of concerts is notable for being the only known time in which Hendrix used an Octavia pedal, though its effects were recorded on many of his studio songs, including "Purple Haze". Custom made for him, Hendrix rarely brought the Octavia to shows for fear it might get stolen.^{[citation needed]}

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.

Band of Gypsys UK cover (Track Records)

Hendrix selected two Buddy Miles songs and three of his own for the album, not wanting to give away any more of his new songs than he had to.^{[citation needed]} "We Gotta Live Together" is heavily edited to fit on the album. Its original length is about twice that which can be heard on the album. A longer version can be heard on Live at the Fillmore East album; the full version has never been officially released.

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."^{[citation needed]} 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 and then left the stage, Band of Gypsys was disbanded.

A documentary entitles Band of Gypsys was released to 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 black and white footage.

Songs played at concerts

The platinum record of Band of Gypsys on display at the Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood.

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

Wednesday, December 31, 1969 (First Fillmore East set)

1. "Power Of Soul"
2. "Lover Man"
3. "Hear My Train A-Comin'" ~ +
4. "Them Changes" +
5. "Izabella" +
6. "Machine Gun"
7. "Stop"
8. "Ezy Ryder"
9. "Bleeding Heart"
10. "Earth Blues"
11. "Burning Desire"

Wednesday, December 31, 1969 (Second Fillmore East set)

1. "Auld Lang Syne" +
2. "Who Knows" +
3. "Stepping Stone"
4. "Burning Desire"
5. "Fire"
6. "Ezy Ryder"
7. "Machine Gun" +
8. "Power Of Soul"
9. "Stone Free/Nutcracker Suite/Drum Solo/Outside Woman Blues/Cherokee Mist/Sunshine Of Your Love"
10. "Them Changes"
11. "Message To Love"
12. "Stop"
13. "Foxy Lady"
14. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"
15. "Purple Haze"

Thursday, January 1, 1970 (Third Fillmore East set)

1. "Who Knows" *
2. "Machine Gun *
3. "Them Changes"
4. "Power of Soul" +
5. "Stepping Stone" +
6. "Foxy Lady" ~
7. "Stop" ~ +
8. "Hear My Train A-Comin"
9. "Earth Blues"
10. "Burning Desire" +

Thursday, January 1, 1970 (Fourth Fillmore East set)

1. "Stone Free/Little Drummer Boy" +
2. "Them Changes" *
3. "Power of Soul" *
4. "Message to Love" *
5. "Earth Blues" +
6. "Machine Gun" +
7. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" +
8. "We Gotta Live Together" * +
9. "Wild Thing" +
10. "Hey Joe"
11. "Purple Haze"

Track listing

All tracks written by Jimi Hendrix except where noted. The titles of tracks #3, #4, and #5 are misprinted on both the original vinyl and CD re-releases. They should read "Them Changes", "Power of Soul," and "Message of Love" respectively.

1. "Who Knows" – 9:32
2. "Machine Gun" – 12:36
3. "Changes" (Buddy Miles) – 5:10
4. "Power to Love" (Power of Soul) – 6:53
5. "Message to Love" – 5:22
6. "We Gotta Live Together" (Buddy Miles) – 5:46

The German/Japanese release contained these bonus tracks:

7. "Hear My Train A-Comin'" (First set) – 9:02
8. "Foxy Lady" (Third set) – 6:33
9. "Stop" (Howard Tate) (Third set) – 4:47

Personnel

• Jimi Hendrix – guitar, vocals
• Billy Cox – bass, backing vocals
• Buddy Miles – drums, vocals

Production personnel

• Jimi Hendrix (Heaven Research) – producer
• Wally Heider – Live recording engineer
• Eddie Kramer – Studio mixing engineer, mastering, remastering, remixing
• Jan Blom – album cover photography
• Joseph Sia – photography
• Album cover designed by Victor Kahn
• Robert Herman – photography
• George Marino – remastering
• John McDermott – liner notes (later re-release)

External links

• / The complete Band Of Gypsys Fillmore Set List