NEWS

A RIP-OFF (2.1.2023)
I came across one of the worst "releases" ever when assembling the Samar discography: "The Samar Records Story 1965-1967".

According to qobuz.com "16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo". In reality this is a collection of poor quality noisy transfers of mono vinyl singles, most likely with the audio taken off YouTube-videos.

One of the worst rip-offs that I have ever seen, there are even tracks included that were NOT released by Samar, the years in the title are wrong and the audio quality is terrible. Perhaps the best bit is that they did not get the name of the record label right for the title of an anthology of the label's output (the company was called "Samar Recordings, Inc.", not "Samar Records").

the samar records story

And this is being sold by "hires" audio download sites Qobus, Apple and Amazon and available for streaming on Spotify etc.

Certainly not the first time that I have seen such a "release" but it does make one wonder - apparently there is no control whatsoever anymore on who is allowed to sell what and where, never mind any quality control?

NO BUSINESS VINYL RELEASE (17.10.2020)

I asked John McDermott of Experience Hendrix about the availability of the vinyl issue of the new Curtis Knight & the Squires -album. The lp WILL also be available outside of the US, the Dagger Records UK store will only stock the cd though.

I take that to mean that some record stores participating in Black Friday will have the album and others won`t, business as usual when it comes to RSD, details on releases are always sketchy and availability random.

CURTIS KNIGHT RETURNS (14.10.2020)
Dagger Records will release a second volume of Curtis Knight / PPX / RSVP -recordings titled No Business on 23 October 2020. Judging by the track listing, press release and the short samples available on the Dagger Records website this will be an extremely interesting release.

No Business

Firstly, the cd will include "UFO" and "Hornet’s Nest [Alternate]". These two tracks were part of the original 1965 - 1966 sessions and were missing from the first volume, they will now get a release here which is great news.

The cd will also include nine demo tracks from October 1965. Four of these were previously issued in 1996 by the German SPV-label on the cd The Authentic PPX Studio Recordings Vol. 3 - Ballad Of Jimi. But it turns out that all of the most interesting tracks were left off that release, probably for legal reasons.

The new demos consist of "Taking Care Of No Business", "Working All Day", "Little Birds", "Suddenly" and "My Best Friend". "Taking Care Of No Business" and "Working All Day" are both Hendrix originals, "Taking Care Of No Business" is the long lost demo version of the song while "Working All Day" is a completely new previously unknown recording with vocals by Jimi.

A selection of tracks from the 1967 sessions will be included, most of these tracks will be familiar to anybody who has collected a few Curtis Knight releases but they will probably be presented in new and hopefully complete mixes. What appears to be new to collectors are "My Best Friend [Takes 3/4/5]" (with piano and apparently including some unheard incomplete takes) and "Gloomy Monday [Alternate]" (the sample sounds like one of the previously released takes but without the later overdubs).

And finally, the two tracks released as a 7" single by Sundazed in 2018, "Suey" by Jayne Mansfield and "Sick And Tired" (aka "I Need You Every Day") by Ricky Mason get a welcome cd release.

No Business LP

As with the first volume there will be a "highlights" -lp release of selected tracks. This time around, however, the vinyl will be harder to find, the lp version will be a RSD Black Friday -release limited to 3000 numbered copies pressed on brown 150g vinyl.

Experience Hendrix does not specify exactly where the vinyl will be available, but it IS included on both the US and UK Record Store Day -website listings, so at least some copies should be available (somewhere) in Europe. The release date for the vinyl is 27 November 2020.


STEAL AWAY (1.10.2019)
Experience Hendrix will release a new Jimi Hendrix -set, "Songs For Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts", on 22 November 2019. The 5 cd / 8 lp boxset will supposedly contain all four concerts performed by the Band of Gypsys on 31 December 1969 and 1 January 1970, unedited and in full (EDIT 12 Oct 2019: the box will not include all songs performed, some have been omitted due to tuning problems etc.).

This is of course very exciting news but the part here that is of particular EarlyHendrix -interest is the inclusion of a new, previously unheard Band Of Gypsys live version of "Steal Away" by Jimmy Hughes.



My guess is that the Band of Gypsys -version will have Buddy Miles on vocals (as the song sounds exactly like something that Buddy would do) but please remember that I haven`t heard a single second of the tune yet so that remains to be seen... so in the meantime I did a quick background search on the original release of "Steal Away".

"Steal Away" was first released by Jimmy Hughes in 1964 on the 45 "Steal Away / Lolly Pops, Lace And Lipstick" (Fame Recording Co 6401). Finding the original release date for the single, however, is not a simple matter.

The 16 May 1964 Cash Box -issue reported as follows:

"Vee-Jay Buys Fame Master
HOLLYWOOD - Jay Lasker, Vee-Jay Records vp, has purchased a master from the Fame label. Deck, "Steal Away" by Jimmy Hughes, will remain on Fame and be handled nationally by Vee-Jay. Initial reaction came from the South, where Charlotte, Houston and New Orleans have the current big action, the label said."

Most copies of the single indeed have a Vee-Jay distribution credit on the label but at least one pressing does not:
https://www.discogs.com/Jimmy-Hughes-Steal-Away/release/9495784

Based on the news item about Vee-Jay purchasing the Fame master of "Steal Away" the pressing without the VJ distribution credit is likely to be the first pressing predating the master purchase by Vee-Jay.

As the news of the deal was published in early May 1964 (the cover date for Cash Box was actually roughly a week from the actual publication date) and the label cited "big action" for the single the first Fame pressing must already have been out for awhile, generating enough interest and a reason for Vee-Jay to make an offer.

So it seems likely that the single was probably originally released in April 1964, or even earlier.

The single was reviewed in the Cash Box 6 June 1964 -issue which has led to the release date being listed as May but the review states that "Vee Jay distributes" hence the magazine reviewed a disc distributed by Vee-Jay for a national relaunch and the review cannot be used to date the original Fame release of the single.

This is confirmed by a news item in the 13 June 1964 -issue of Cash Box which details new releases by Vee-Jay:
... "release schedule for May with a last minute issue of three more dates, including three master purchases, before June 1." ... "The master deals were for the Fame label`s "Steal Away" by Jimmy Hughes" ...

So May 1964 can be confirmed as the release date of the Vee-Jay relaunch of the single and April 1964 remains my best guess for the first release, for now.


THE ISLEYS DOWNLOAD (23.9.2019)
This had passed me by: "In The Beginning" by The Isley Brothers & Jimi Hendrix is available as a HD audio download:

https://www.hdtracks.com/in-the-beginning-the-isley-brothers-jimi-hendrix

This is the master used for the recent Isleys boxset. To my knowledge the physical cd version is not available separately, only with the boxset. So if you didn`t / don`t want to buy the boxset there is at least this single album download option.

The only previously available cd release of the album by the Akarma-label was mastered from vinyl, this official version uses an excellent sounding tape source.

In The Beginning

MANSFIELD SINGLE OUT NOW (30.10.2018)
The new Jayne Mansfield / Ricky Mason 7" is now out. You can read a review of the Jayne Mansfield side here and the Ricky Mason side is reviewed here.

JAYNE MANSFIELD - SUEY 2018 (9.9.2018)

Coming soon from Legacy / Sundazed / Experience Hendrix, a new 7" single with "Suey" by Jayne Mansfield and an unreleased track, "I Need You Every Day" by Ricky Mason, on the flip side.

I am not going to review these based just on the short samples on the website, I`ll wait to hear the songs in full but the B-side isn`t the only surprise here, "Suey" is also an alternate mix and/or unedited version. According to Sundazed "This title will be available on or before the street date of 10/26/18". With thanks to Gordon Johnson for the tip. https://sundazed.com/ji…/-i-need-you-every-day-7-single.aspx

Suey Sundazed 2018 vinyl single

ARETHA FRANKLIN (17.8.2018)

RIP Aretha Franklin 25 March1942 - 16 August 2018.

The curious case of "Help Me / Save Me" recorded by Ray Sharpe / Owen Gray / Aretha Franklin / King Curtis ALMOST resulted in a Hendrix guitar part being included on an Aretha Franklin record in 1967, read about it here.



LIVE AT GEORGE`S CLUB 20 (28.2.2017)

Dagger Records, the mail order only label operated by Experience Hendrix will issue a new cd, "Live At George’s Club 20", in March 2017. The exact release date is a bit unclear, an exclusive news story on bestclassicbands.com stated that Dagger Records "has released" the cd suggesting the disc is already out but then the article ends with the note that the cd "will be available" at the Jimi Hendrix Store. The Dagger Records website front page says the release is "now available" but the releases listing states "Released: March 3, 2017". The Dagger Records Store (where you actually order the cd) in turn says "This is a pre-order and is expected to ship on or around March 17". It would have been hard to make the release date information more confusing...

live at georges club 20

In any case the disc will come out sometime in March 2017 and is credited to "Curtis Knight featuring Jimi Hendrix". The Lovelights  are credited in the text on the Dagger Records website as the band that is heard on the recordings:

"These raw recordings, made at George’s Club 20 in Hackensack, NJ on December 26, 1965 and January 22, 1966, capture the Lovelights (filled out with bassist Ace Hall, drummer Ditto Edwards and saxophonist Lonnie Youngblood)"

This however is again quite confusing, we know from the already released recordings that there are two sets of band introductions on the tapes, each with different personnel. As the cd is taken from recordings from two different dates the line-up given cannot be correct for all of the recordings.

The track list given for the release on the Dagger Records website is as follows:

1. Introduction - :41
2. Killing Floor - 3:22
3. Last Night - 2:24
4. Get Out of My Life Woman - 3:48
5. Ain't That Peculiar - 4:24
6. Mercy, Mercy - 3:30
7. I'm A Man - 5:17
8. Driving South - 6:03
9. Baby What You Want Me To Do - 3:47
10. I'll Be Doggone - 2:57
11. Sweet Little Angel - 4:33
12. Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go - 3:55
13. Travelin' To California - 4:30
14. What I Say - 4:52
15. Land of 1000 Dances - 4:38
16. Come On (Let The Good Times Roll) - 4:10
17. Band Outro - :57

I am of course very disappointed that the disc will not include all of the recordings, instead apparently only a selection of tracks deemed worthy of release by the producers has been included. Any collector seriously interested in these recordings would have wanted both sets complete and unedited. But neither Experience Hendrix nor Dagger Records releases are aimed at the hardcore collectors so it was inevitable that everything would not be released. After all there are multiple takes of the same songs, some songs are incomplete and others (at least on the tapes that we have heard) have terrible audio quality. Releasing two versions would have been an excellent option, an edited highlights disc and a 2 or 3 disc complete set - but that must not have been considered to make sense commercially and / or artistically.

If you count the timings together you get a playing time that would be just under 64 minutes. According to the bestclassicbands.com news feature the cd will be "followed by a double vinyl LP version for Record Store Day 2017 on April 22". The Dagger Records website makes no mention of a vinyl release but if indeed there will be one then let's hope some bonus tracks will be included, 64 minutes is not very much music for a double lp when you could easily fit 90 minutes over two lps and still have good audio quality. When Experience Hendrix released the "You Can't Use My Name" Curtis Knight studio recordings compilation (50 minutes long on cd) they dropped tracks in order the fit the material on one lp so now releasing a short (but complete) 2lp set would be a surprise move.

The text on the website also mentions that the cd includes "two songs Hendrix would go on to play with the Experience: “Driving South” by Albert Collins and Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor.”". First, there is no Albert Collins song called "Driving South". Jimi lifted the main riff and other bits for "Driving South" from the Albert Collins song "Thaw-Out" so the notes confuse things badly. Secondly, the Experience did indeed later perform "Killing Floor" but they also performed "Mercy, Mercy" and "Come On (part 1)" - so the Jimi Hendrix Experience actually performed live or recorded in the studio four of the songs on the new cd, not just two.

The bestclassicbands.com feature links to a teaser video clip on the Jimi Hendrixs VEVO / YouTube -site which includes a nice interview with Ace Hall, sound clips ("Killing Floor", "I´m A Man" and "Last Night") used as background music and pictures of the band. Incredibly there are two new photographs, one from Ondine and another from an unknown location (cropped so tight it's not possible to see any of the surroundings).

The new Ondine shot is especially interesting as it shows the whole band including Nate Edmonds on keyboards and Marion Booker on drums who were not visible in the previously seen photos, hence the line-up for this gig is now finally known. The second new picture, in colour, is probably one more from the gig that I have appropriately listed under "unknown location". What can be seen of the background would seem to match the old pictures as would the shirts that Curtis and Jimi are wearing - but again this is very tightly cropped so some speculation is involved here.

So, even though it looks like we will not be getting all of the recordings (and we always want more) the 4 minute teaser video has already provided some quite valuable new bits and pieces of information. Very much looking forward to actually hearing the recordings in what should be best ever quality.

ISLEYS TRACKLIST (14.8.2015)
Here's an "unboxing" video for "The RCA Victor & T-Neck Album Masters (1959-1983)" posted on the Isley Brothers Facebook page and a tracklist for the Hendrix cd (from iTunes). Looks like there won't be any new music with Jimi playing but we might get some new information about the recordings, the booklet looks promising and hopefully will tell us more about Teacho Wilshire's Orchestra:

1 Move Over and Let Me Dance, Pt. 1 (feat. Teacho Wilshire's Orchestra) 2:41
2 Have You Ever Been Disappointed, Pts. 1 & 2 (feat. Teacho Wilshire's Orchestra) 6:21
3 Testify, Pts. 1 & 2 (Mono) 4:12
4 Move Over and Let Me Dance, Pt. 2 (feat. Teacho Wilshire's Orchestra) 2:45
5 Wild Little Tiger 2:26
6 The Last Girl 2:52
7 Simon Says (Mono) 2:29
8 Looking for a Love 3:20
9 Testify, Pt. 1 (Mono Single Version) 2:52
10 Testify, Pt. 2 (Mono Single Version) 3:08

www.facebook.com/isleybrothers/videos/vb.57506198562/10153439117418563/?type=2&theater

itunes.apple.com/…/rca-victor-t-neck-a…/id1015272191

A NEW ISLEY BROTHERS COMPILATION (8.6.2015)
Legacy Recordings will release a new 23 disc box set "The Isley Brothers: The RCA Victor and T-Neck Album Masters (1959-1983)" on 21 August 2015. The boxset will include one cd that is of special interest to Hendrix collectors and that's of course the "In The Beginning…The Isley Brothers & Jimi Hendrix" -lp from 1971. No tracklists are available yet but the lp will feature bonus tracks and the boxset was "mastered from the original analog tapes". The current amazon.com price for pre-order is $179.98, no mention is made in the press release whether the albums will be released separately.

The mock-up picture of the boxset included with the press release shows the cd label for the "In The Beginning…" album. In very small size but if you blow the picture up the tracklist can be compared to the old lp - and it seems to contradict the press release text, it's the old tracklist, no bonus tracks. The picture is of course not a real picture of the finished product so let's hope the text was used as a placeholder by the designer and there actually ARE going to be bonus tracks.

The Isley Brothers boxset

The Isley Brothers boxset cover

boxset mock-up tracklist

The original T-Neck lp tracklist:

Move Over Let Me Dance Part I
Have You Ever Been Disappointed Part I And Part II
Testify Part I And Part II
Move Over Let Me Dance Part II
Wild Little Tiger
The Last Girl
Simon Says
Looking For Love

NO SUCH ANIMAL (19.3.2015)
Third clip from "You Can't Use My Name", "No Such Animal"

GLOOMY MONDAY (17.3.2015)
Second preview clip of the upcoming "You Can't Use My Name" compilation, "Gloomy Monday".

STATION BREAK (9.3.2015)
Experience Hendrix have released the first preview clip of the upcoming "You Can't Use My Name" compilation of Curtis Knight material and it's the sole new unheard track on the disc, "Station Break".

YOU CAN`T USE MY NAME (20.2.2015)
The first volume of "official" Curtis Knight recordings, "You Can't Use My Name",  will be released 24 March 2015, a press release is now available on the Experience Hendrix website. Not much information about the actual musical content available yet except for the tracklist.


you cant use my name

1) How Would You Feel
2) Gotta Have A New Dress
3) Don’t Accuse Me
4) Fool For You Baby
5) No Such Animal
6) Welcome Home
7) Knock Yourself Out [Flying On Instruments]
8) Simon Says
9) Station Break
10) Strange Things
11) Hornet’s Nest
12) You Don’t Want Me
13) You Can’t Use My Name
14) Gloomy Monday

Of course I cannot "review" this release not having heard a single second of it yet but it does look very promising. In addition to the Ed Chalpin tapes Experience Hendrix seem to have also purchased the recordings that Jerry Simon did not sell to Chalpin and from that stash "No Such Animal" and the unreleased "Station Break" will be included here. According to Eddie Kramer (posted on his Facebook page) "Jimi Hendrix's "the knight" tapes were quite literally, a battle.... Finally coming your way. #‎jimihendrix‬ Recordings of Jimi from 65 - 67! Can't wait for you to hear it." This suggests that the master tapes were a mess like was to be expected after decades of edits, mixes and overdubs...

Assuming the artwork & title for the release are final Experience Hendrix have made the right decision and are marketing this disc as the historical Curtis Knight recordings that they are instead of a big "HENDRIX" on the front, calling the release "You Can't Use My Name" is a nice touch. There will probably be a sticker emphasizing the Hendrix involvement but the packaging has clearly been very carefully thought out so that it does not mislead the buyers. There will be cd and lp releases, the picture of the (finished?) artwork on Amazon is differently cropped compared to the Experience Hendrix website version suggesting a digipak?

PPX FOR SALE (26.3.2014)
The whole PPX operation is being offered for sale at hollywoodfunding.com

PURDIE BOOK - UPDATE (22.3.2014)

A kickstarter project for the funding of the Bernard Purdie biography-book is now live: www.kickstarter.com


BERNARD "PRETTY" PURDIE BOOK (19.2.2014)
Bernard Purdie is working on a book with Ed Dennis, see here for details: www.bernardpurdie.com/book

LONNIE YOUNGBLOOD SUES EXPERIENCE HENDRIX (20.7.2010)

Associted Press circulated a press release on the 13th of July announcing a lawsuit involving Lonnie Youngblood, MCA, Martin Scorsese and Experience Hendrix, the original press release is here. The lawsuit (actually filed already on the 29th of  April 2010) concerns the 1969 track "Georgia Blues" aka "Mother, Mother". A quote from the press release:

"The tunes recorded during those two or three days are the subject of a lawsuit Youngblood filed this spring that claims one of the songs, "Georgia Blues," was included on a 2003 compilation without his permission and without crediting him as its author."

LONNIE YOUNGBLOOD - PSYCHODELIC FUNK (11.6.2010)

I only found out about this today although this release has apparently been out for 12 months already, a download only collection of mainly Hendrix (or related) covers done by Lonnie Youngblood.


psychodelic_funk


The tracklist of the version sold by Amazon.co.uk (original release date 2 June 2009) is as follows:

1. Changes 5:22
2. All Along The Watchtower 3:58
3. Bold As Love 4:06
4. Little Wing 3:17
5. Purple Haze 3:16
6. Changing Lanes 3:58
7. Down By The River 7:16
8. We Got To Live Together 4:18
9. Fire 2:44
10. If Six Was Nine 2:43
11. Foxey Lady 3:18
12. Red House 5:54
13. Stone Free 3:37
14. The Wind Cries Mary 3:16
15. National Anthem 1:47

JOHN LEGEND (27.6.2009)
A bit of (quite old) news: John Legend released "Once Again" in 2006. The cd includes a track titled "Slow Dance" which samples & covers a large chunk of "(My Girl) She's A Fox". The cd booklet does have the sampling properly credited although the original track is listed as "performed by Lonnie Youngblood featuring Jimi Hendrix". It was of course actually originally credited to / performed by the Icemen with Lonnie Youngblood on sax and Jimi Hendrix on guitar. The track is used courtesy of "Shout / Turbo Records".

DON COVAY (19.5.2008)
Atlantic / Rhino has released a new Don Covay compilation cd, "The Platinum Collection". I can't comment on the sound quality or contents as I haven't heard it yet but with Rhino being involved it should be good. Amazon.com & Play.com amongst other shops are selling the cd.

don_covay_rhino_cd.jpg

1. Seesaw
2. Mercy Mercy
3. Come on In
4. Take This Hurt off Me
5. Sookie Sookie
6. Boomerang
7. Please Do Something
8. Sweet Pea (Don't Love Nobody But Herself)
9. Everything I Do Goin' Be Funky
10. You Must Believe Me
11. Fat Man
12. Iron out the Rough Spots
13. Come See About Me
14. You're Good for Me
15. Mad Dog Blues
16. But I Forgive You
17. Key to the Highway
18. I'll Be Satisfied
19. I Never Get Enough of Your Love
20. Usual Place

UPDATE (12.6.2006)
The site has not been updated for quite a while and most emails have gone unanswered. My apologies for this, the hosting had to be renewed and I took the opportunity to change the hosting company at the same time which didn't go quite as planned. Access to email has been on and off and some emails have probably gotten lost altogether. If you did email me in the past 6 months and never got a reply please send another mail, i might have not received the message you send at all.

The site is back now on a new server by a company that I know provides a good stable service so everything should now be back to normal...

WOODSTOCK DVD (22.7.2005)
A new deluxe edition of Woodstock will be released 12th of September 2005. According to the press release one of the new bonus features is "NASHVILLE ROOTS - Band members Billy Cox and Larry Lee recall their friendship with Jimi Hendrix and their shared journey from the fabled R&B 'chitlin circuit' to the greatest rock festival ever conceived."

DOCUMENTARY (19.3.2005)
A film about Jimi's Nashville years is in production. Edit 10 feb 2008: the newsitem at http://www.tennessean.com has been deleted.

RSVP (16.2.2005)
Jerry Simon is auctioning a 6-song reel of Curtis Knight recordings on eBay. The listing includes a load of new info, see updates in the 1965 & 1966 Curtis Knight studio recordings and the Curtis Knight Timeline-entries.

PRESS RELEASE (26.11.2004)
Interesting press release from Gold Star Studios: http://steveeastis.tripod.com/id19.html
This contains some suspicious info, contradictions and sensationalism which is no surpise as Gold Star Studios is about to make it into a book so it's time for some good publicity. Compare to the Timeline and the Rosa Lee Brooks artists-entry. Main problems are that Hendrix probably wasn't in LA yet in January 1965, the original single does credit Arthur Lee which would be strange if he had nothing to do with the composing of "My Diary" and that Jimi had already recorded with the Isley Brothers previous to this session.

DVD - ONCE MORE WITH FEELING (26.11.2004)
I finally saw the "Last 24 Hours". The artwork was changed one more time before release, and there is no bonus cd. Ed Chalpin apparently also pulled out of this project, no sight of him anywhere on the disc. Wise move as this "documentary" is a load of rubbish. Only Early Hendrix content that eventually made it to the finished product are a couple of photos that have been published several times before. Don't buy this disc.

DVD AGAIN (24.9.2004)
The "Last 24 Hours" DVD has finally been released, and contrary to the press releases the finished product doesn't include a bonus audio cd or the advertised 40min Hendrix interview. The sleeve art has also been replaced with yet another design. I haven't got the disc yet so can't say if it actually has any "Early Hendrix" content after all.

DVD (10.6.2004)
A new Hendrix dvd is about to be released on the 14th of June entitled "The Last 24 Hours". This one was first announced as "Feedback", then that title disappeared from upcoming releases and the dvd re-appeared with a new title and identical contents. The package will include a documentary, 40min audio Hendrix interview and a bonus cd. Tracklist of the disc has been given as follows:

Ballad of Jimi, Spanish Castle Magic, Don’t Accuse Me, Little Wing, Future Trip, You’ve Got Me Floating, Blue Me Monday, She’s So Fine, Hush Now, Little Miss Lover, Level, Bold As Love, No Business, Better Times Ahead, Takin’ Care Of No Business, Flashing, Get That Feeling, Happy Birthday, Instrument Fever, Love, Odd Ball

Feedback 24 Hours

The documentary will apparently include an interview with Ed Chalpin, and the bonus cd will include several Curtis Knight tracks. The disc seems to include 2 new titles, but a fair guess would be that "Blue Me Monday" is actually "Gloomy Monday" and "Instrument Fever" probably is one of the existing instrumentals. Rest of the disc seems to continue with the "official" bootlegging of recent years.

Overall at this point it looks like another rip-off release, though actually getting to see & hear an Ed Chalpin interview will be interesting as he's always kept an extremely low profile.

P.S. If anybody has the withdrawn "Feedback" cover art in a larger size than above please let me know...This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

BLUES & SOUL POWER (29.8.2003)
Got this cd now, "Blues & Soul Power - Funky R&B And Rockin' Soul Crossovers 1964-72 (Warner 0927-49064-2)", if the liner notes are to be trusted this has also been released on vinyl. It does contain both sides of the Ray Sharpe 45, in mono. Recommended disc, nicely put together and with good sound quality.

NEW CD (28.7.2003)
A new compilation of tracks recorded by various artists for Atlantic has just been released, "Blues & Soul Power". Included are both sides of the Ray Sharpe 45 (according to the tracklist that is, I haven't heard the cd yet)

Blues Power

1 Mojo Hannah - Little Esther Phillips
2 Help The Bear - Ted Taylor
3 Help Me (Get The Feeling) Pt.1 - Ray Sharpe
4 Help Me (Get The Feeling) Pt.2 - Ray Sharpe
5 Maggie's Farm - Solomon Burke
6 Polk Salad Annie - Tony Joe White
7 Let's Get An Understanding - Wilson Pickett
8 What You Got (Is Good For Me) - The Soul Brothers Six
9 Sweet Pea (Don't Love Nobody But Herself) - Don Covay & The Jefferson Lemon Blues Band
10 Cross Cut Saw - John Hammond
11 Man Of Many Words - Buddy Guy
12 Me - Otis Rush
13 Funky - Freddy King
14 Whole Lotta Love - King Curtis & The Kingpins
15 Born To Be Wild - Wilson Pickett
16 Everything I Do Goin' Be Funky - Don Covay
17 Sardines & Turnip Greens - The Dynamic Eight
18 Freedom Blues - Little Richard
19 The Weight - Aretha Franklin
20 Stud-Spider - Tony Joe White


TWO GREAT EXPERIENCES (27.7.2003)
Just a note as I might not bother with a full review of this cd. Released on Empire Records / BMG in April 2003 (82876 51686 2). The only new thing on this cd is the track "Mother, Mother", and it's pretty much the only reason for buying it. It's nice but not earth shattering, and as customary with releases of this material one instrument has been wiped, there are faint traces of a sax solo at circa 6.09 - 6.45. Very interesting why the producers would have done this if they had the multitrack masters. "Mother, Mother" was recorded years later than the other tracks, possibly in 1969.

The Fairmount singles and the instrumental mix of "That Little Old Groovemaker" are another reason as they haven't been released on cd before, although "Groovemaker" has been quite poorly de-noised making the vinyl versions still preferable.

None of these tracks come from original multitrack masters and although it's claimed that these are free of overdubs it's not true, the same posthumous sax & guitar overdubs that every release of these tracks has had are still here. Many of the tracks have been spoiled by de-noising, and one of the versions of "Under The Table" is in a new mix as the producer tried to remove a guitar overdub by mixing only one of the stereo channels into mono.

The liner notes are rubbish with (apart from the Fairmount singles) Lonnie taking credit for composing, singing and producing all of the tracks. If you don't know yet what the real credits for these tracks should be you can find them here.

So this cd just continues the good old rip-off tradition and adds some new variations, compare for example the picture on the back of the cd to the one on the front of the original Maple lp release and you'll notice that the conga player and Lonnie's mike stand have mysteriously disappeared along with a few other items...

NEW CD (13.4.2003)
Two Great Experiences

A cd called "Two great experiences" has just been released. Apparently this should be the old Maple lp with bonus tracks including the Fairmount 45 mixes and a previously unreleased 1969 Hendrix & Youngblood recording "Mother, Mother", all taken from the master tapes. What it really contains I don't know as I haven't got it yet, I'll include a review & information here once I get the disc. The tracklist:

01 Mother, Mother 08:01
02 Under The Table (Take 1) 01:35
03 Under The Table (Take 2) 02:54
04 Wipe The Sweat (Take 1) 02:49
05 Wipe The Sweat (Take 2) 03:32
06 Wipe The Sweat (Take 3) 02:46
07 Go Go Shoes 02:50
08 Go Go Place 02:04
09 Soul Food 03:31
10 Goodbye Bessie Mae 02:24
11 Sweet Thing 02:33
12 Groove Maker (Take 1) 02:19
13 Groove Maker (Take 2) 02:16
14 She's A Fox 02:39
15 Go Go Shoes (Fairmount 45) 02:36
16 Go Go Place (Fairmount 45) 01:49
17 Soul Food (Fairmount 45) 02:48
18 Goodbye Bessie Mae (Fairmount 45) 02:30

GOLDMINE (13.4.2003)
Issue 591 (or Vol 29 No 6 March 21 2003) of Goldmine magazine features an article written by Steve Roby, "Jimi Hendrix the R&B years 1962-66". Also included is a short interview with Lonnie Youngblood where he claims that the Jimmy Norman, Billy LaMont & the Icemen tracks were demo recordings done by him where the vocals where later overdubbed on...

PPX (28.12.2002)
Rolling Stone reported about the ongoing Leon Hendrix vs Experience Hendrix law suit and included this interesting bit: "Dieffenbach recently secured rights to the "PPX" tapes, sixty-six titles recorded between 1965 and 1967, featuring Curtis Knight on vocals, and Hendrix on guitar and vocals. "This is an impressive body of work that few people know about," Dieffenbach says."

Craig Dieffenbach bought Jimi's Seattle childhood home a while back, and is now financing the Leon Hendrix lawsuit. One wonders what is meant by "securing rights"?

DON COVAY AGAIN (7 AUGUST 2001)
Whoops, wrong info. The "Yo Yo" cd is actually a compilation of tracks with only two of them from the Don Covay lp "Funky Yo Yo". The title of the cd is "Yo Yo 70s jazz, soul & funk rarities from the old school" CMRCD104, and it has already been released on 26th of march 2001. The Covay tracks included are "Yo Yo part 1" & "Yo Yo part 2".

DON COVAY (8 JULY 2001)
Sanctuary Records Group is going to release the Don Covay album "Funky Yo Yo" on cd. The release will be titled "Yo Yo" with catalog number CMRCD104. Release date is not known.

JUNGLE RECORDS (8 JULY 2001)
Experience Hendrix has forced Jungle records to withdraw it's two releases of Curtis Knight material, "Driving south" & "Knock yourself out", on the grounds that they contain live tracks, which EH says weren't part of the settlement made in 1968 which granted Ed Chalpin the right to issue and licence the Curtis Knight studio material. This is the first time that Experience Hendrix has taken action against a release of Curtis Knight material.

LITTLE RICHARD LIVE TAPE (6 JUNE 2001)
This is actually old news, but anyway...A live tape of Jimi Hendrix playing with Little Richard apparently exists, recorded by Little Walter. Date and location unknown. John McDermott reportedly listened to the tape in september 2000.