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Back on the West Coast, The Experience was booked into the Berkeley Community Theater in Berkeley, CA by famed promoter Bill Graham. The quaint theater, housing close to 3,400 fans were witness to two sets by The Experience (both professionally filmed) that included, (Set 1) “Fire,” “Johnny B.
Partnering with the Memorial Day Long Weekend release of Woodstock – The Motion Picture, Cotillion Records released the triple-LP set Woodstock (SD350) that featured Hendrix’s live medley of “Star Spangled Banner / Purple Haze / Instrumental Solo.” The collection became an instant classic, entering the Billboard charts at #4 before peaking at the top of the charts, where it sat untouched for a four-week period.
Three concerts (St. Louis, MO; Cincinnati, OH; and Columbus, OH) are canceled due to Jimi getting sick.
Heading east, The Jimi Hendrix Experience stop for a high-spirited performance at Temple University Stadium in Philadelphia, PA where they were supported by a stellar cast including Jam Factory, Cactus, Grateful Dead, and Steve Miller Band. The concert in front of an audience hovering around 10,000 featured performances of “Sgt.
Returning to the “Studio C” at the Record Plant, continued work on “Freedom” was the focus of the group’s attention, resulting in 19 takes of the song, of which 15 were particularly spirited, although no master resulted from these takes Hendrix moved future studio work on “Freedom” over to his own Electric Lady Studios in late June.
Always privy to hitting the studio to try out some new songs, Hendrix led the group back to New York. Although work on Jimi’s own Electric Lady Studios was nearing completion, after a brief test session with Eddie Kramer on piano, it was decided that more tweaking was necessary at the new facility before Hendrix should christen it.
Performing in San Antonio, TX at the Hemisfair Arena The Experience’s 65-minute performance consisted of “Fire,” “Foxey Lady,” “Machine Gun,” “Freedom,” “Red House,” “Message To Love,” “Hear My Train A Comin’,” “Ezy Ryder,” “Room Full Of Mirrors,” “Star Spangled Banner,” “Purple Haze,” and “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).”
Buddy Miles and Juma Sultan join Hendrix at the Record Plant where two recordings of “Blue Suede Shoes” were put to tape. Later, Hendrix sung live, giving a beautiful flamenco-styled flavor to “Hey Baby (Land Of The New Rising Sun).” Afterwards Hendrix breaks into a jam playing “Summertime Blues” which is then followed by “Day Tripper.”
A master mix for “Sky Blues Today” was achieved during the session at the Records Plant. This master, coupled with “Izabella” from the session on the 12th would later be released (April 13, 1970) on the short-run single “Stepping Stone” b/w “Izabella” (Reprise Records, 0905)