Jimi Hendrix Encyclopedia

Hit Factory, New York Studio Recording 1 ) Message To The Universe 2 ) Lover Man 3 ) Izabella 4 ) Message To The Universe 5 ) Izabella 6 ) Burning Desire 7 ) Easy Blues 8 ) Izabella 9 ) Beginnings Jimi returned to the recording studio for the first time in nearly three months. The guitarist was accompanied by his expanded ensemble Gypsy Sun & Rainbows, as well as engineer Eddie Kramer. Jimi had readied a slate of promising new material and looked to make progress on his next studio album. A number of recordings from this session were later issued on disc. The two most prominent were “Message To The Universe”, now a part of South Saturn Delta and “Izabella” from the box set The Jimi Hendrix Experience. While no longer in print, two other recordings from this session have been previously released. An edited version of “Easy Blues” was part of the 1980 compilation Nine To The Universe. “Beginnings” was posthumously overhauled in 1974 and fitted with new overdubs as part of the ill advised [and long since deleted] Midnight Lightning album produced by Alan Douglas.

Beginnings Burning Desire Izabella lover man Message To The Universe Recording

Back at the Record Plant several spirited recordings were put to tape this evening, including six takes of Buddy Miles signature track, “Them Changes” plus a dozen meandering takes of “Burning Desire.” Hendrix was troubled by the tone of his guitar, resulting in few memorable highlights from the night’s session. Despite some technical problems the group continued recording, pressing through two takes of “Lover Man,” described here as “Here Comes Your Lover Man,” plus three lack-luster renditions of “Hear My Train A Comin’.” Prior to the session collapsing, Hendrix returned the group to “Burning Desire” and “Them Changes,” both of which were met with genuine disinterest.

Buddy Miles Burning Desire lover man Record Plant Recording Them Changes

Record Plant, New York Studio Recording Born Under A Bad Sign Lover Man Earth Blues Message To Love Changes Lover Man Burning Desire Back in New York, Hendrix returned to the Record Plant for an extended evening session. Jimi led Buddy Miles and Billy Cox through takes of “Lover Man,” “Izabella,” “Earth Blues,” “Message To Love,” “Changes,” and “Burning Desire”, although no masters were achieved. One recording from this session, an impromptu rendition of Albert King’s “Born Under A Bad Sign” was issued posthumously as part of the 1994 compilation Jimi Hendrix :Blues (Experience Hendrix/MCA, 11060).

Born Under A Bad Sign Burning Desire Changes Earth Blues lover man Message To Love Record Plant Recording

In a session at the Record Plant, overseen by engineer Bob Hughes and second engineer Dave Ragno, Hendrix crafted a rough sketch of “Send My Love To Linda” which featured Miles on drums and Cox on bass. As the track progressed it extended into a lively extended jam. Additionally, twelve takes of “Paper Airplanes” (AKA “Power Of Soul”) and five takes of “Burning Desire” were also put to tape.

1970 billy cox Bob Hughes Buddy Miles Burning Desire Dave Ragno January 16 Paper Airplanes Power Of Soul Record Plant Recording Send My Love To Linda

Returning to the Record Plant Hendrix begins experimenting with different backward guitar effects. This session also saw additional work on “Burning Desire” but with little noticeable advancement on finalizing a basic track.

1970 Burning Desire January 19 Record Plant Recording

Record Plant, New York Studio Recording A wild evening of inspired jamming by Jimi. One of the evening’s many highlights was a remarkable “Villanova Junction Blues” that lasted over fifteen minutes. Several other extended jams were recorded on this evening including “MLK,” “Slow Time Blues,” “Country Blues,” and “Burning Desire.” In addition to Cox and Miles, an unidentified harmonica player would also join Hendrix. Jimi and company launched into a lengthy workout of Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes.” An edited version of this recording was later included as part of the 1973 international compilation Loose Ends. Hendrix also made efforts at “Freedom,” “Midnight Lightning,” and “Highways Of Desire”. This work gradually segued into “Seven Dollars In My Pocket,” an impromptu blues. Following the blues groove already set in place, Hendrix then began “Country Blues”. This extraordinary recording was not a numbered take, but rather another inspired jam session. Hendrix, Cox, and Miles relished such interplay and “Country Blues” is a joyous example of their shared musical vocabulary. This recording would become one of the highlights of The Jimi Hendrix Experience box set issued in September 2000. One other song from this session, an edited version of the blues workout “Once I Had A Woman,” has also been released, last included as part of the 1994 collection Jimi Hendrix :Blues (Experience Hendrix/MCA, MCAD-11060).

Burning Desire Country Blues MLK Recording Slow Time Blues Villanova Junction Blues

With Bob Hughes and Dave Ragno monitoring the control desk, Hendrix guided the band through lively renditions of “Villanova Junction Blues” including one take lasting in excess of fifteen minutes. Several extended jams were recorded on this evening including “MLK,” “Slow Time Blues,” and “Burning Desire.”

Later joined by an unidentified harp player, Hendrix leads the session through another extended track, this time Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes.” Joined by Billy Cox, Hendrix also dabbled around “Freedom” and “Highways Of Desire” the later which gradually segued into “Seven Dollars In My Pocket.”

Following the blues groove already set in place, Hendrix then began to tackle “Midnight Lightning,” “Freedom,” “Country Blues,” and “Once I Had A Woman.” In 1974, an edited take of “Once I Had A Woman” featuring overdubbed harmonica parts by Buddy Lucas was prepped for 1975’s compilation Midnight Lightning (Reprise Records, MS 2229). An extended rendition was also later included on 1994’s Jimi Hendrix :Blues (Experience Hendrix/MCA, MCAD-11060).

1970 billy cox Blue Suede Shoes Bob Hughes Burning Desire Carl Perkins Country Blues Dave Ragno Freedom Highways Of Desire January 23 MLK Once I Had A Woman Recording Slow Time Blues Villanova Junction Blues