Jimi Hendrix Encyclopedia

Revisiting the December 19 recording of “Message To Love,” during an evening session back at the Record Plant, the group completed the final overdubs for this track while Hendrix added a new lead guitar part to the master. The group also revisited “Earth Blues” (Take 11) from the same December 19 session – adding a series of overdubs and a new lead guitar track.

In revisiting take three of “I’m A Man” (January 7), Hendrix retitled the track “Sky Blues Today” while adding new guitar overdubs to the recording. Hendrix also revisited the December 18 recording of “Ezy Ryder.” Rough mixes for each of the session’s recordings were also completed, which would later be revisited at Electric Lady Studios later that summer.

1970 December 19 Earth Blues Electric Lady Studios Ezy Ryder I’m A Man January 20 Message To Love overdubslead guitar track Recording Sky Blues Today Take 11 the Record Plant

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. Instead, Kramer booked Hendrix and the band into the familiar surroundings of the Record Plant’s newly opened “Studio C.” Here Jimi lead the band through a number of recordings including three takes of “Come Down Hard On Me,” a series of rough instrumentals of “Straight Ahead,” the fourth take evolved into a jam of “Night Bird Flying.” An abandoned rendition of “Lower Alcatraz” quickly crumbled before Hendrix dove into unique renditions of “Midnight Lightning” and “Keep On Groovin’.” Playing around on his guitar Jimi plucked a few chords to “Power Of Soul” before jumping full-speed into “Straight Ahead” which was later followed by a feverish rendition of “Freedom.” Jokingly moving forward, Hendrix lightened the mood in the studio with Frankie Laine’s “Catastrophe,” which caused Kramer to remark on the talkback, “at a hundred and fifty dollars an hour, that’s pretty good.” When the laughter died down, Jimi frolicked in a hearty version of “Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) before the session came to an end.

Electric Lady Studios Recording studio

Jimi holds his first recording session in the new Electric Lady Studios at 52 West 8th Street in the heart of Greenwich Village. Hendrix invites his friends Steve Winwood and Chris Wood from Traffic into the studio where they quickly break into an impromptu jam session. With Mitch Mitchell unavailable Eddie Kramer volunteered Dave Palmer to sit in behind the drums for the session. As the night progressed, Jimi was able to coax Wood and Winwood into providing some backing vocals on ”Ezy Rider” which Jimi was carrying over from his stints at the Record Plant. Also put to tape on this night were renditions of Traffic’s own “Pearl Queen” and Winwood’s own “Rhythm Ace.” Work soon progressed to Jimi’s composition, “Valleys Of Neptune” before segueing into a loose untitled jazz-focused jam and later a track titled “Slow Blues.” Jenny Dean, a mutual friend of Jimi and Winwood, offered backing vocals on the later recording.

Chris Wood Electric Lady Studios first recording session Greenwich Village Recording Steve Winwood

Returning to Electric Lady Studios after a series of West Coast tour dates, Hendrix jumped right back into a series of strong recordings kicked off by a playful series of takes of “Astro Man.” As the night progressed Hendrix guided the group through recordings of “Rollin’ Stone,” “In From The Storm,” and a rendition of Cream’s “Politician.” Hendrix then tore into a 26-minute untitled jam before breaking into “Beginnings,” “Hey Baby (New Rising Sun),” “Straight Ahead,” “Midnight Lightning,” and finally “Freedom.”

Astro Man Beginnings Electric Lady Studios Midnight Lightning Politician Recording

Jimi works on overdubs for the track, “Drifting” which Eddie Kramer and second engineer Kim King oversaw at Electric Lady Studios.

Drifting eddie kramer Electric Lady Studios Kim King Recording

In returning to Electric Lady Studios Jimi records “Come Down Hard On Me,” “Bolero,” and “Midnight Lightning.” Despite the work accomplished on this night, Hendrix had the tape boxes marked DO NOT USE.

Bolero Come Down Hard On Me Electric Lady Studios Midnight Lightning Recording

Back at Electric Lady Studios, Jimi once again worked on “Night Bird Flying,” “Straight Ahead,” “Astro Man,” Freedom,” and “Dolly Dagger.”

Astro Man Dolly Dagger Electric Lady Studios Freedom Night Bird Flying Recording Straight Ahead

Back at Electric Lady Studios Hendrix revisited “In From The Storm” before working on “Come Down Hard On Me” and “Just Came In,” with the latter being remixed into “In From The Storm” on the posthumous Cry Of Love.

Come Down Hard On Me Electric Lady Studios In From The Storm Just Came In Recording

This Electric Lady Studios session was devoted entirely to enhancements on the “Dolly Dagger” master.

Dolly Dagger Electric Lady Studios Releases

Electric Lady Studios officially opens with a grand celebration with Jimi in attendance. Reprise Records issues the LP Historic Performances Recorded At The Monterey International Pop Festival (MS 2029), which features the unique pairing of Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding from the 1967 event. Hendrix’s involvement on the release came in the form of recordings of “Like A Rolling Stone,” “Rock Me Baby,” “Can You See Me,” and the incendiary “Wild Thing.” This album marked the very last recordings of Jimi Hendrix to be released during his lifetime.

Electric Lady Studios Monterey International Pop Festival Recording Reprise Records Wild Thing