| Band of Gypsys | ||||
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| Live album by Jimi Hendrix | ||||
| Released | March 25, 1970 (US) June 12, 1970 (UK) |
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| Recorded | January 1, 1970 at the Fillmore East | |||
| Genre | Psychedelic rock, hard rock, acid rock, funk rock, heavy metal, R&B | |||
| Length | 45:16 | |||
| Label | Capitol (US), Track Records (UK), Barclay Records (France), Polydor (International), MCA (now) | |||
| Producer | Heaven Research (Jimi Hendrix) | |||
| Jimi Hendrix chronology | ||||
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| Additional Artwork | ||||
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Band of Gypsys UK cover (Track Records)
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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[1] and #6 in the UK.[2]
Contents |
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 Woodstock. 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They recorded a single "Stepping Stone" (b/w "Izabella") for Reprise, which was quickly withdrawn after its release.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.[3]
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."[3] 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.[3] 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.[3]
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.
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | link |
| Pitchfork Media | (9.1/10) 2/1/1998 |
| Robert Christgau | (B+) |
| Rolling Stone | 2/2/1998 |
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.
| Side one | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "Who Knows" | Miles, Hendrix | 9:32 | ||||||
| 2. | "Machine Gun" | Hendrix, Miles | 12:36 | ||||||
| Side two | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "Them Changes" (Miles) | Miles | 5:10 | ||||||
| 2. | "Power of Soul" | Miles, Hendrix | 6:53 | ||||||
| 3. | "Message of Love" | Hendrix | 5:22 | ||||||
| 4. | "We Gotta Live Together" (Miles) | Miles, Hendrix, Cox | 5:46 | ||||||
| German/Japanese bonus tracks | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "Hear My Train A-Comin' (first set)" | Hendrix | 9:02 | ||||||
| 2. | "Foxy Lady (third set)" | Hendrix | 6:33 | ||||||
| 3. | "Stop (third set)" (Howard Tate) | Miles | 4:47 | ||||||