LATEST NEWS
and unreleased recordings

JEAN "MOEBIUS" GIRAUD DIES
A special mention here for the great graphic artist Jean Giraud (alias Moebius) who passed away in March 2012.
He is known in Hendrix circles as the illustrator of this famous French re-issue sleeve, the back cover
of which was later used as the cover of the contraversial Alan Douglas produced album "Voodoo Soup".
In the 90's, with the help of journalist Jean-Noël Coghe, he published a number of superb illustrations inspired by
Coghe's photographs of Jimi, in a book titled "JIMI HENDRIX - Emotions Electriques".
Beyond that, I am a huge fan of the "Blueberry" series of graphic novels, that he put together with writer Jean Charlier.
Giraud is also known for his designs for films such as including Alien, Tron, The Abyss and The Fifth Element.



The Jimi Hendrix Experience at The Royal Albert Hall

Infuriatingly, this release is still delayed by contractual complications. 2011 was the rumoured year of release year but the legal battle seems to be continuing with the announcement that Experience Hendrix are to bring the dossier to the courts to settle the rights issue once and for all.

After the Monterey releases it was announced by Janie Hendrix that work was under way to release the Albert Hall 69 recordings and film ! We will see footage of both performances at the famous venue (February 18th and 24th of February aswell as the group backstage, in rehearsal and film of Jimi on the road during the European tour of early 1969. There is also film of a jam at The Speakeasy I believe.

There was a film made in the early seventies ("Experience") which was never released but this will be a totally new creation. Soundtrack recordings have already been exploited since the seventies of course on a multitude labels but it is about time that this was done properly (perhaps with the addition of the February 18th gig ?). The rumour had circulated that the 110 minute film has only 40 minutes of concert footage but inside information has now dispelled those fears with the confirmation that the complete February 24th concert will be featured! It has also been stated that the entire February 18 th performance and the Berlin concert of January 1969 were also filmed in their entirety aswell as parts of some of the other dates on that European winter tour.

So many exciting things will be coming our way in the near future.



MIAMI POP FESTIVAL 68

In the January edition of Rolling Stone magazine, Experience Hendrix revealed that they are working on the restoration of a video tape of The Jimi Hendrix Experience live at the Miami Pop Festival in 1968!
This is very exciting news as only a snippet of newsreel footage has ever been seen of this date. In fact there were two shows by The Experience at the festival. A soundboard recording of part of the first show has been  on bootlegs for years.
Will this be released push back the release of the much touted Royal Albert Hall CD/DVD?

Release is rumoured for 2012 (patience, patience,…)

Dallas 1970
They also put out a call for anyone who has information about a video recording of Jimi at Dallas in 1970. If you have any information about that please contact Experience Hendrix.







Stills/Hendrix - CD to appear ?

Yes, Stephen had some tapes stashed away of the recording sessions (and jams ?)
that he did with Jimi in 1970, when he was putting his first solo album together.
There was a lot of media buzz about this but again, the Sony deal must have slowed its release.

This appeared recently in Billboard:

"He's also been working with the Jimi Hendrix family's Experience Hendrix company on a tape recordings
the two guitarists made together, which Stills claims "doesn't have as much as people think is on there."
There are two mostly finished tracks, though, "Old Times Good Times" and another with only a working title,
which Stills says might be part of a Hendrix sessions disc for which he's also overdubbed some new bass parts on
recordings Hendrix made with Johnny Winter."

That last part could be a reference to"The Thing I Used To Do" which had appeared on "Lifelines" back in the early 90s
and is familiar from a multitude of bootlegs.

Univibes magazine has revealed that Jimi left his (reproduction) Hussars jacket at Stephen's home in the summer of 1967
and that normally, it is still there! Come on Stephen, let us have a look at it (and let us hear these tapes!!).

> See Guest Appearences section



Purple Haze Records

After a court battle in 2006, this label (which recuperated the music rights from Yameta) were silenced.
However, they will be appealing to the courts and new releases are planned.





New Dagger release?

A new Dagger release for 2012 ? Something had been in preparation for release at the end of 2009 but held back because of the fixing of the Sony deal. Since then there has been no hint of a new Dagger CD.

 


 

More Band Of Gypsys projects in preparation?


Janie Hendrix had also announced that Eddie Kramer had been working on 19 reels of tape of the Band Of Gypsys Fillmore concerts so it looks like complete shows might be released in the future. In an interview with Jon Grayson she stated that four projects were planned using the tapes (which is difficult to picture).
Three new tracks have already been featured on the "West Coast Seattle Boy" box set. Other releases may repeat the material that is already on "Band Of Gypsys"  and "Live At The Fillmore East" and the latter did reveal some pretty lacklustre performances. Collectors are also very familiar with the complete shows  thanks to the "Box Of Gypsys" bootleg, however the complete shows with top sound quality would be very interesting after all. One could imagine a box set like the recent Winterland collection.



 


Further releases ?

Other rare recordings that have been mentioned in various sources.


Black Gold

As stated above, Experience Hendrix have spoken of their intention to release this legendary personal demo tape by Jimi at sometime over the next decade.  One track "Suddenly November Morning" has appeared on the 2010 box set "West Coast Seattle Boy"
Here is more information about "Black Gold".

 

 

 

The Frank Zappa Tape
Jimi once dropped round to see Frank at his house and the two jammed together with a tape deck rolling. The Zappa family own the tape and have expressed interest in releasing it. This hit the press a couple of years ago but nothing has been heard about it since.
Hey Dweezil, any news?




Jagger

The Mick Jagger Tape

On November 27th 1969, after dropping by to see The Rolling Stones at Madison Square Gardens, a party was thrown for Jimi at TV presenter Flip Wilson's apartment in the Hotel Navarro. After the party Jimi and Mick Jagger went round to the home of Deering Howe. They got the guitars out and with Howe on harmonica, the three of them played tracks from The Stones new album "Let It Bleed"! A proto "Dolly Dagger" was also captured on the tape machine which recorded the whole thing. The tape remains in the possession of Mr. Howe who promised to Mick that that was where it would remain (unfortunately for us).
Many thanks to Yazid Manou for bringing this information to us.



Little Richard live tape - no Hendrix!

One rumoured tape was an early 60s Little Richard concert that had been aired on MIT's WTBS radio station (now WMBR). Said to be on the tape are the band playing "Lucille", "Send Me Some Lovin'", The Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There" and five other tunes with perhaps Hendrix on guitar.
However, the validity of this tape has been put into question. Apparently it was not recorded when Jimi was with the band. Shame.

After much debating and research (by members of Crosstown Torrent's forum)
the above photo has been confirmed as being of Little Richard and not Gorgeous George.


Timelinepic

JIMI HENDRIX TIMELINE
September 1966 - September 1970

Check out my new Hendrix timeline.




BACK TO INDEX