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Band of Gypsys
Live album by Jimi Hendrix
Released	April 1970
Recorded	January 1, 1970 at the Fillmore East
Genre	Psychedelic rock, Blues-rock
Length	45:16
Label	MCA
Producer	Heaven Research
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Pitchfork (9.1/10) 2/1/1998 Rolling Stone 2/2/1998 ThisIsRealMusic.com (Listen Up!) link
Jimi Hendrix chronology
Electric Ladyland (1968) Band of Gypsys (1970) The Cry of Love (1971)

Band of Gypsys is a live album and a project by Jimi Hendrix, backed by Billy Cox and Buddy Miles, that followed Hendrix's Experience project. Released before his death in 1970, it was the last album Hendrix himself authorized, and the only Hendrix album to be released on Capitol Records—the result of a settlement regarding a forgotten recording contract he had signed in 1965 before he became famous. Band of Gypsys was later reissued on MCA Records, along with the rest of his catalog, and is now on Geffen Records.

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After The Jimi Hendrix Experience broke up in mid-1969, Hendrix played with a line-up he called Gypsy Sun and Rainbows at Woodstock. Bassist Billy Cox was already playing on that line-up. The band was short-lived, and was turned to a Band of Gypsys with his drummer friend Buddy Miles. The name "Band of Gypsys" was already mentioned as an alternative name for by Hendrix in his speeches during the Woodstock concert. This name is a tribute to the great jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Searching his musical direction he began to work with Buddy. In the beginning there were three percussionists, but that was scratched because of the jumbled sound. They recorded some studio material, some of which has been posthumously released, and made their live debut at the Fillmore East on New Year's Eve 1969 for a series of four shows, spread over two days. The Fillmore East show is alleged to feature the definitive versions of "Who Knows" and "Machine Gun."

The Fillmore East concert features Hendrix in his element and in peak form, and the songs Hendrix selected for the Band of Gypsys release highlighted new material. The fact that these songs were never properly released as studio versions elevates the significance of this album. (Studio versions of "Message to Love" and "Power of Soul" are available on some posthumous releases.) Specifically, the version of "Machine Gun" from this show is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock guitar performances, 12 minutes of unbroken, sublime genius. Its long, intricate guitar solos and percussive riffs descend into a sonic assault of controlled feedback to simulate the sounds and frenzy of a battlefield: helicopters, dropping bombs, explosions, and most prominently, the titular machine guns. Yet Hendrix always maintains the melodic center of the song and impeccable tone. This great moment in guitar/vocal/blues history was luckily captured on film.

Hendrix selected two Buddy Miles songs for the album as a kind of apology for the break-up of the band. "We Gotta Live Together" is heavily edited for the album. Its original length is about twice of what can be heard on the album (before moving to that song the band seems to play a riff that is taken from Sly and the Family Stone's "Sing a Simple Song"). The full version can be heard on the 2-disc Live at the Fillmore East album.

Due to the demands of four sets over two days, the band faced a lack of material. So, Hendrix did rely on Experience-era favorites "Wild Thing," "Hey Joe," "Purple Haze, "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," "Foxy Lady," "Fire," and "Stone Free" to fill out the sets. In fact, nearing the end of the fourth set, Hendrix said, "We're just trying to figure out something to play, but we only know about six songs right now...seven...nine." He then launched into a blistering version of "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)." Hendrix was energized by his new bandmates, which infused new life into these Experience-era classics not included on this album. ("Foxy Lady" was included on the Japanese/German release (details below). Further, "Wild Thing," "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" and "Stone Free" can be heard on the widely available Live at the Filimore East 2-disc set.)

After a shambolic show at Madison Square Garden on January 28, Band of Gypsys was disbanded. With Experience member Mitch Mitchell on drums and Billy Cox on bass, The Jimi Hendrix Experience was reformed and for the next several months would work on Hendrix's next album, projected to be a double (or even triple) album until the leader's tragically sudden death that September. He had also been due to work with jazz composer and Miles Davis collaborator Gil Evans, and apparently numerous other projects yet to be initiated, including those with Eric Clapton, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Miles Davis, and Duane Allman.

Produced by Hendrix (as "Heaven Research"), Band of Gypsys reached #5 in the U.S. and #6 in the UK and became one of the artist's best-selling albums. In certain foreign markets, including the UK, the album was released with an alternative cover photograph which featured dolls of Hendrix, Brian Jones, Bob Dylan and British DJ John Peel, an early supporter of Hendrix.

Band of Gypsys is also the name of a documentary concerning the album and Hendrix's performances at the Fillmore during New Year's Eve 1969, and New Year's Day 1970.

Contents 1 Songs played on concerts 2 Track listing 3 Personnel 3.1 Production personnel

The recordings included on Band of Gypsys featured selections from the final two shows, which were performed on the evening of January 1, 1970. The set lists for these two shows are as follows with asterisk indicating inclusion on the Band of Gypsys album:

January 1, 1970 (Third Fillmore East set)

1. "Who Knows" *
2. "Machine Gun" *
3. "Them Changes"
4. "Power of Soul"
5. "Stepping Stone"
6. "Foxy Lady"
7. "Stop"
8. "Hear My Train A-Comin"
9. "Earth Blues
10. "Burning Desire"

January 1, 1970 (Fourth Fillmore East set)

1. "Stone Free/Little Drummer Boy"
2. "Them Changes" *
3. "Power of Soul" *
4. "Message to Love" *
5. "Earth Blues"
6. "Machine Gun"
7. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"
8. "We Gotta Live Together" *
9. "Wild Thing"
10. "Hey Joe"
11. "Purple Haze"

All tracks written by Jimi Hendrix except where noted.

1. "Who Knows" – 9:32
2. "Machine Gun" – 12:32
3. "Changes" (Buddy Miles) – 5:10
4. "Power to Love" – 6:53
5. "Message to Love" – 5:22
6. "We Gotta Live Together" (Buddy Miles) – 5:46

The German/Japanese release contained these bonus tracks:

7. "Hear My Train A Comin'" (Third set) – 9:02
8. "Foxy Lady" (Third set) – 6:33
9. "Stop" (Howard Tate) (First set) – 4:47

(Track #3 should be "Them Changes" and track #4 should be "Power of Soul". These miss-spellings appear on both original vinyl edition and current CD releases)

• Billy Cox – bass guitar
• Jimi Hendrix – electric guitar, vocals
• Buddy Miles – drums, vocals

• Jan Blom – album cover photography
• Heaven Research – producer
• Wally Heider – engineer
• Robert Herman – photography
• Eddie Kramer – engineer, mixing, mastering, remastering, remixing
• George Marino – remastering
• John McDermott – liner notes
• Joseph Sia – photography
• Album cover designed by Victor Kahn

v • d • e Jimi Hendrix

Bands The Jimi Hendrix Experience • Gypsy Sun and Rainbows • Band of Gypsys • The Cry of Love Related bands: The Dirty Mac • The Noel Redding Band • Ramatam • The Gypsy Sun Experience Personnel Noel Redding • Mitch Mitchell • Billy Cox • Buddy Miles • Larry Lee • Juma Sultan • Jerry Velez Discography Original releases Studio albums: Are You Experienced (1967) • Axis: Bold as Love (1967) • Electric Ladyland (1968) Live albums: Band of Gypsys (1970) Compilations: Smash Hits (1969) Posthumous releases Studio albums: The Cry of Love (1971) • Rainbow Bridge (1971) • War Heroes (1972) • Loose Ends (1973) • Crash Landing (1975) • Midnight Lightning (1975) • Nine to the Universe (1980) Live albums: Monterey International Pop Festival (1970) • "Experience": Original Soundtrack from the Feature Length Motion Picture (1971) • Isle of Wight (1971) • Hendrix in the West (1972) • More "Experience" (1972) • Soundtrack Recordings from the Film "Jimi Hendrix" (1973) • The Jimi Hendrix Concerts (1982) • Jimi Plays Monterey (1986) • Live at Winterland (1987) • Jimi Hendrix: Woodstock (1994) • Live in Denmark (1995) • Live at the Oakland Coliseum (1998) • Woke up this Morning and Found Myself Dead (1998) • Live at the Fillmore East (1999) • Live at Clark University (1999) • Live at Woodstock (1999) • Live in Ottawa (2001) • Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight (2002) • Jimi Hendrix: Live at Berkeley (2003) • Stockholm Concert (2004) • Live at the Isle of Fehmarn (2005) • Live at Monterey (2007) Compilations and box sets: Jimi Hendrix (1972) • The Essential Jimi Hendrix (Vol. 1) (1978) • The Essential Jimi Hendrix (Vol. 2) (1979) • The Singles Album (1983) • Kiss the Sky (1984) • Johnny B. Goode (1986) • Band of Gypsys 2 (1986) • Radio One (1988) • Lifelines: The Jimi Hendrix Story (1990) • Sessions (1991) • Footlights (1991) • Stages (1991) • Stages (1992) • The Ultimate Experience (1993) • Bleeding Heart (1994) • Blues (1994) • Voodoo Soup (1995) • First Rays of the New Rising Sun (1997) • South Saturn Delta (1997) • BBC Sessions (1998) • Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix (1998) • The Jimi Hendrix Experience (2000) • Morning Symphony Ideas (2000) • Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection (2001) • The Summer of Love Sessions (2001) • The Baggy's Rehearsal Sessions (2002) • Astro Man (2003) • Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Jimi Hendrix (2003) • Axis Outtakes (2003) • Live in Copenhagen (2004) • Hear My Music (2004) • 20th Century Masters Millenium Collection: Best of Jimi Hendrix (2005) • Rainy Day Dream Away (2006) • Burning Desire (2006) • Jimi Hendrix His Greatest Hits (2006) Anticipated releases Jimi Hendrix (1973 film) • The Royal Albert Hall film • Jimi and Noel's 8mm films • Black Gold Songs "All Along the Watchtower" • "Angel" • "Astroman" • "Bold as Love" • "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" • "Castles Made of Sand" • "Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)" • "Fire" • "Foxy Lady" • "Freedom" • "Gypsy Eyes" • "Hey Joe" • "I Don't Live Today" • "If 6 Was 9" • "Little Wing" • "Machine Gun" • "Manic Depression" • "My Friend" • "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" • "Purple Haze" • "Red House" • "Spanish Castle Magic" • "The Star-Spangled Banner" • "Stone Free" • "Third Stone from the Sun" • "Up from the Skies" • "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" • "Voodoo Chile" • "Wild Thing" • "The Wind Cries Mary" Related articles Early life of Jimi Hendrix • Electric Lady Studios • Jimi Hendrix's musical equipment • Management: Chas Chandler, Michael Jeffery Monika Dannemann • Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix