[INTRO]
- [1965 STUDIO] - [DEMOS] - [1966
STUDIO] - [1967 STUDIO]
- [LIVE]
[PERSONNEL] - [PICTURES]
- [INTERVIEWS] -
[BIO]
Live recordings
The live recordings of Curtis Knight & the Squires (aka the Lovelights) are quite confusing, beginning with the question if they really are live recordings at all. Two tracks, "Last night" and "Killing floor" are available in versions with crowd noise, and versions without, which would seem to suggest that they actually were originally studio takes which were later disguised as live recordings by adding a crowd noise overdub. This leads to the question if the same trick was also performed on other songs.
The presence of introductions to songs that would suggest a live recording has been explained by these tapes actually being rehearsals for the flow and structure of the Squires live set done in a studio and recorded for reviewing purposes. The fact that several songs exist in 2 different versions with different instrumentation would suggest that there were one or more actual live recordings, and a rehearsal tape later worked into sounding like a live recording. Bass and drum overdubs were also added to several of the songs, with versions both with and with the overdubs appearing on various releases.
These live / rehearsal recordings were done between late 1965 - January 1966. The George's Club, Hackensack, New Jersey, 26 December 1965 date often given for these tracks is not correct. The location was taken from a song introduction, but it happens to belong to one of the tracks that was definately recorded in the studio. The date might be correct for some of these songs.
NOTE: A full rundown of all the different edits and mixes of these tracks will follow later.
Ain't
That Peculiar
composers: William "Smokey"
Robinson, Marvin Tarplin, Robert Rogers, Warren Moore
vocals: Curtis Knight
harmony vocals: unknown
tambourine: Curtis Knight?
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
JH?: "???"
CK: "Ain't That Pe-CU-liar. This is for you, baby, Carol."
no outro
Released by Marvin Gaye on the 45 "Ain't That Peculiar / She's Got To Be Real" (Tamla 54122) on the 14 september 1965. Made #1 on the R&B and #8 on the Hot 100 Billboard charts.
Band
Outro
composer(s): unknown
vocals: Curtis Knight
rhythm guitar: Jimi Hendrix
lead guitar: Harry Jensen
bass: Ace Hall
drums: Ditto Edwards
Bleeding
Heart
composer: Elmore James
vocals: Jimi Hendrix
tambourine: Curtis Knight?
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
JH: "Two, Three..."
no outro
Also known as "(My) Bleeding Heart". First released on the Elmore James 45 "It Hurts Me Too / (My) Bleeding Heart" (Enjoy 2015) in 1964. Withdrawn shortly after release and issued again as "Bleeding Heart / Mean Mistreatin' Mama" (Enjoy 2020) in 196?.
Bo
Diddley
composer: Ellas McDaniel aka Bo Diddley
vocals: Jimi Hendrix
tambourine: Curtis Knight?
harmony vocals: Curtis Knight?
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
A-side of Bo Diddley's first single, "Bo Diddley / I'm A Man" (Checker 814) released in 1955 and re-issued as Checker 997 in 1961.
Bright
Lights, Big City
composer: Jimmy Reed
vocals: Jimi Hendrix
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown overdub?
bass: overdub?
drums: overdub?
intro
CK: "Bright Lights, and Big Cities, ya'll."
no outro
The Jimmy Reed single "Bright Lights, Big City / I’m Mr. Luck" (Vee-Jay 398) was released in August 1961 and made #3 on the R&B and #58 on the Hot 100 Billboard charts.
Come
On (Part 1)
composer: Earl King
vocals: Jimi Hendrix & unknown
tambourine: Ace Hall
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: Curtis Knight?
bass: Harry Jensen
drums: George (surname?)
intro
JH?: "Baby let's do this... Baby let's do this
[mumble]
. Two,
one."
no outro
Original version by Earl King was released on the 45 "Come On (Part 1) / Come On (Part 2)" (Imperial 5713) in 1960.
Day
Tripper
composers: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
vocals: Curtis Knight & Jimi Hendrix
tambourine: Curtis Knight?
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
The single "We can work it out / Day tripper" (Capitol 5555) by the Beatles was released in the USA on 6th of December 1965.
Driving
South
composer: Jimi Hendrix
vocals: Curtis Knight
tambourine: Curtis Knight?
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
[riffs]
CK: "Yeah! Right now we're gonna feature Jimmy James. Jimmy's gonna do a
little tune for you, of his own selection. You're gonna like it. Gonna feature
Jimmy here. What're you gonna do for the people, Jimmy, on Christmas plus one?"
JH: "Little thing called Drivin' South."
CK: "A little thing called Driving South."
JH: "In D, ya'll know ."
CK: "In D."
JH: "One."
CK: "If you ain't never been there, you're gonna take a trip with us now,
baby. If you ain't got no car, put on some skates."
JH: "Get 99 pairs of shoes and walk the rest of the way! Lawd have mercy,
ya'll ready? One, two..."
outro
CK: "How bout it, ladies and gentlemen? Take a bow, Jimmy! That's an original
tune wrote by Jimmy, a little thing entitled - written, i should say, wrote, written,
written, wrote... called Drivin' South, going home where they got sweet potatoes,
fatback, and ?. Down there where all the soul food and all the swingin' people
come from. Can i get a witness to that? Is anybody from down there besides me?"
Get Out Of My Life, Woman
composer: Allen Toussaint
vocals: Jimi Hendrix
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
First relesed by Lee Dorsey on the 45 "Get Out Of My Life, Woman / So Long" (Amy 945) in late december 1965 / early january 1966 (it makes it's first entry on the Cash Box Top 100 singles chart on the week ending January 8, 1966)
Hang
On Sloopy
composer: Bert Russell (Bert
Berns), Wes Farrell
vocals: Curtis Knight
tambourine: Curtis Knight?
harmony vocals: unknown
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
CK: "Gonna do a tune for ya. Hang On..."
JH: "Say something else in there."
CK: "Sloopy."
no outro
The McCoys single
"Hang on Sloopy / I Can't Explain it" (Bang 506)
debuts on the Cash Box Top 100 singles chart week ending August
14, 1965 and makes number 1 on the week ending October 2, 1965 .
Hold
What You've Got
composer: Joe Tex
vocals: Curtis Knight
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
CK: "All right, we're gonna do a little Joe Tex tune here...
You'd better Hold on to What You Got, baby. If you got anything
to hold on to, that is."
no outro
The Joe Tex
45 "Hold What You've Got / Fresh Out of Tears" (Dial 45-4001)
first appears on the Cash Box Top 100 singles chart week ending
December 19, 1964.
I
Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)
composers: Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward
Holland
vocals: Curtis Knight
harmony vocals: Jimi Hendrix
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
CK: "All right, a tune made popular by the ever-popular Four Tops. It was
Number One in the nation, not too far back. We'd like to give you our rendition
of..."
JH: "One, two, one two three four."
no outro
The original single by the Four Tops, "I Can't Help Myself / Sad Souvenirs" (Motown 1076) was released in May 1965. It made number 1 on the Cash Box Top 100 singles chart week ending June 19, 1965.
I
Got You (I Feel Good)
composer: James Brown
vocals: Lonnie Youngblood
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
sax: Lonnie Youngblood
The James Brown & Famous Flames 45 "I Got You (I Feel Good) / I Can't Help It (I Just Do-Do-Do)" (King 6015) makes it's first entry on the Cash Box Top 100 singles chart week ending ending November 6, 1965.
I
Got You (I Feel Good)
composer: James Brown
vocals: Lonnie Youngblood
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
sax: Lonnie Youngblood
The James Brown & Famous Flames 45 "I Got You (I Feel Good) / I Can't Help It (I Just Do-Do-Do)" (King 6015) makes it's first entry on the Cash Box Top 100 singles chart week ending ending November 6, 1965.
I'll
Be Doggone
composer(s):
vocals: Curtis Knight
tambourine: Curtis Knight?
harmony vocals: unknown
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
CK: "Gonna do a Marvin Gaye tune, ladies and gentlemen. I'll
Be Doggone!"
no outro
Single by Marvin Gaye "I'll Be Doggone / You've Been A Long Time Coming" (Tamla 54112), released 26 February 1965. #1 on the R&B and #8 on the Hot 100 Billboard chart.
I'll
Be Doggone
composer(s):
vocals: Curtis Knight
tambourine: Curtis Knight?
harmony vocals: Jimi Hendrix
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
overdubbed drums: unknown
sax: Lonnie Youngblood
Single by Marvin Gaye "I'll Be Doggone / You've Been A Long Time Coming" (Tamla 54112), released 26 February 1965. #1 on the R&B and #8 on the Hot 100 Billboard chart.
I'm
A Man
composer: Ellas McDaniel aka Bo Diddley
vocals: Jimi Hendrix
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
JH: "Ok then, ya'll, here we go"
no outro
B-side of Bo Diddley's first single, "Bo Diddley / I'm A Man" (Checker 814) released in 1955 and re-issued as Checker 997 in 1961.
I'm
A Man
composer: Ellas McDaniel aka Bo Diddley
vocals: Jimi Hendrix
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
sax: Lonnie Youngblood
B-side of Bo Diddley's first single, "Bo Diddley / I'm A Man" (Checker 814) released in 1955 and re-issued as Checker 997 in 1961.
Just
A Little Bit
composer:
vocals: Curtis Knight
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
Killing
Floor
composer:
vocals: Jimi Hendrix
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
sax: Lonnie Youngblood
Killing
Floor (studio)
composer:
vocals: Jimi Hendrix
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
Land
Of A Thousand dances
composer:
vocals: Jimi Hendrix
tambourine: Curtis Knight?
harmony vocals: unknown
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
JH: "The drums! One, two, rock and roll, one two three."
no outro
Last
Night (studio)
composer:
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
Let's
go, Let's go, Let's go
composer:
intro
CK: "All right, wake up."
no outro
Mercy,
Mercy
composer: Don Covay, Horace Ott or Ronald Miller
vocals: Curtis Knight
harmony vocals: Jimi Hendrix
tambourine: Curtis Knight?
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
?: "What's the number on there, the number is wrong here. (???)"
outro
JH?: "Yeah!"
Don Covay & the Goodtimers release the single "Mercy, Mercy / Can't Stay Away" (Rosemart 45-801) in August 1964.See the Don Covay section of this site.
Money
composer:
vocals: Curtis Knight
tambourine: Curtis Knight?
harmony vocals: unknown
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
CK: "Continuing on, we're gonna do a song that's a subject that everybody
is... it's a controversial subject, as a matter of fact. It's something everybody
needs. Money."
no outro
Money
composer:
vocals: Curtis Knight
harmony vocals: unknown
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
CK: "All right, we're gonna continue on. We're gonna do a tune I think you
might remember and enjoy. It's a tune that's pretty appropriate, entitled Money."
JH: "Lawd have mercy, we're gonna do a thing, Money, and one, two, one two
three four."
outro
CK: "Oh yeah, a little thing called Money."
Mr
Pitiful
composer:
vocals: Lonnie Youngblood
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
sax: Lonnie Youngblood
One
Night With You
composer:
vocals: Curtis Knight
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
Satisfaction
composer:
vocals: Curtis Knight
harmony vocals: Jimi Hendrix
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar???: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
CK: "Continuing on, we're gonna do a tune made popular by the Rolling Stones.
A very fabulous British group. We're British, also."
JH: "West Indies."
CK: "West British, South British."
JH: "British West Indies."
CK: (laughs)
JH: "That's down there close to Georgia, isn't it? Isn't it down there close
to - "
CK: "That's pretty close to Georgia. A little tune entitled I Can't Get None."
outro
CK: "Oh yeah, a little bit of I Can't Get None."
Shotgun
composer: Autry DeWalt
vocals: Curtis Knight
harmony vocals: unknown
rhythm guitar: Jimi Hendrix
lead guitar: Harry Jensen
bass: Ace Hall
drums: Ditto Edwards
intro
CK?: "Ditto you got it"
no outro
Something
You Got
composer: Chris Kenner
vocals: Curtis Knight
harmony vocals: unknown
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
JH: "Right now we're gonna do one of them little Alvin Robinson tunes, a
little thing called Something You Got, in D-flat."
no outro
Originally recorded by Chris Kenner, the version Hendrix is referring to in his introduction was released by Alvin Robinson in May 1964 as a 45 "Something you got / Searchin' " (Tiger 104).
Stand
By Me
composer:
vocals: Curtis Knight
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
Sweet
Little Angel
composer:
vocals: Curtis Knight
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
CK: "We're gonna slow things down a bit for all the lovers. I'm gonna dedicate
this to my lady. A little tune entitled I Got a Sweet Little Angel. This is for
you, Carol."
JH: "One, two, three."
no outro
There
Is Something On Your Mind
composer: ("Big Jay" Cecil James McNeely)
vocals: Curtis Knight
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
sax: Lonnie Youngblood
Original version released by Big Jay McNeely as a single "There is something on your mind / Back" (Swingin' 614) in 1959. McNeely was a pioneering sax player in the 50s music scene, so the inclusion if this song into the Squires live set might well have been partly Lonnie Youngblood's initiative, in addition to the fact that it had been a big hit. King Curtis also performed the song, a live recording from 1966 appears on the lp "Live at Small's Paradise", recorded the same year that Hendrix was a member of Curtis's backing band the Kingpins, so Jimi might well have played this song also with King Curtis.
Travelin' To California (aka California Night)
composer: Albert King
vocals: Jimi Hendrix
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
Hendrix's adaptation of an Albert King track. Originally (?) released on the 45 “Traveling To California / Dyna Flow” (King 5588).
Travelin' To California (aka California Night)
composer: Albert King
vocals: Jimi Hendrix
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
sax: Lonnie Youngblood
Hendrix's adaptation of an Albert King track. Originally (?) released on the 45 “Traveling To California / Dyna Flow” (King 5588).
Twist
And Shout
composer:
vocals: Curtis Knight
harmony vocals: unknown
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
sax: Lonnie Youngblood
Baby,
What You Want Me To Do
composer: Jimmy Reed
vocals: Curtis Knight
harmony vocals: Jimi Hendrix?
tambourine: Curtis Knight?
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
CK: "Well all right! We're gonna do a little thing, a little
Jimmy Reed thing, talkin' about... you know what I'm sayin', here
we go, Jimmy Reed."
no outro
Also known as "You Got Me Running". Jimmy Reed*s original 45 "Baby, What You Want Me To Do / Caress Me" (Vee-Jay 333) was released in November 1959 (R&B #10, Pop #37)
You
Got What It Takes
composer:
vocals: Curtis Knight
tambourine: Curtis Knight?
harmony vocals: Jimi Hendrix
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
rhythm guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
CK: "You're being recorded live, we're making an album right here... fabulous
Club 20 in Hackensack, New Jersey. We'd like to continue on if we may, and do
a tune entitled, Some Boys Say."
no outro
Walkin'
The Dog
composer:
vocals: Jimi Hendrix
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
sax: Lonnie Youngblood
What
I'd Say
composer:
vocals: Jimi Hendrix
harmony vocals: Curtis Knight?
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
JH: "Right now we're gonna do a little thing by Ray Charles called What'd
I Say, goes like something like this here..."
no outro
Wooly
Bully
composer: Domingo Samudio
vocals: Curtis Knight
harmony vocals: unknown
lead guitar: Jimi Hendrix
2nd guitar: unknown
bass: unknown
drums: unknown
intro
[riffs]
JH?: "Oh."
CK: "All right, here we go."
?: "Hey!"
CK: "Gonna get things underway by a tune that goes like this in the key of
G."
?: "Hey."
?: "Quattro!"
outro
JH?: "Yeah!"
Original version released by Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs in march 1965 on the single "Wooly Bully / Ain't Gonna Move" (MGM K13322). Lonnie Youngblood cut his own solo version of Wooly Bully.
