Band of Gypsys

For the Gwyneth Jones novel, see Band of Gypsys (novel).

Untitled

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Pitchfork	9.1/10
Robert Christgau	B+
Rolling Stone

Band of Gypsys is the eponymous live album by the blues rock band that Jimi Hendrix formed after the dissolution of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Hendrix is backed by Billy Cox and Buddy Miles. Songs were recorded at the Fillmore East on two separate nights (December 31, 1969, and January 1, 1970), totaling four concerts, with songs from the final two appearing on the album. Produced by Hendrix and released just six months before his death in 1970, this was the last album he authorized, and the only Hendrix-authorized album to be released on [Polydor] (in the US). Band of Gypsys reached number five in the US and number six in the UK.

History

After Hendrix disbanded the Jimi Hendrix Experience in early 1969, he formed Gypsy Sun and Rainbows to fulfill the contract for the Experience to play Woodstock. Bassist Billy Cox (who had played with Hendrix while they were in the army) had been rehearsing and playing with Hendrix since April, but the band was short-lived.

With Cox and drummer friend Buddy Miles, Hendrix next formed the Band of Gypsys, this time to fulfill his obligation to produce an LP of new material for Ed Chalpin, to be released on the Capitol label. Hendrix, in interviews as early as March 1969, had already mentioned a "jam" album to be titled Band of Gypsys. Hendrix also mentioned in his introduction at Woodstock that "Band of Gypsys" was an alternative name for the group performing there.

They recorded a single "Stepping Stone" (b/w "Izabella") for Reprise, which was quickly withdrawn after its release. They also recorded some studio material, and several finished tracks, some of which have been released on First Rays of the New Rising Sun and elsewhere. They made their live debut at the Fillmore East on New Year's Eve, 1969, for a series of four shows spread over two nights.

The Fillmore East concerts featured mostly new songs, as the songs for the Band of Gypsys LP would have to be original due to a recent judgment against him in a contractual suit. This performance was captured using the then new portable Sony Portapak B&W video camera and open-reel 1/2" videotape recorder, from two different angles.

In some markets, including the UK, the album was released with a cover photograph that featured dolls of Hendrix, Brian Jones, Bob Dylan and British DJ John Peel, an early supporter of Hendrix.

Due to the demands of four sets over two days, the band needed a lot of material and played the Experience-era favorites "Wild Thing", "Hey Joe", "Purple Haze", "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", "Foxy Lady", "Fire", and "Stone Free" to fill out the sets. 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 version of "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)". "Foxy Lady" was included on the 1991 European/Japanese re-release (details below). Furthermore, "Wild Thing", "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" and "Stone Free" can be heard on Live at the Fillmore East.

After a disastrous show at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 1970, where Hendrix insulted a woman in the audience, played just two songs ("Who Knows" and "Earth Blues") and then left the stage, Band of Gypsys was disbanded.

A documentary entitled Band of Gypsys: Live at the Fillmore East was released on DVD in 1999. It focused on the album and Hendrix's performances at the Fillmore during New Year's Eve 1969, and New Year's Day 1970. It contains the original half-inch open-reel black and white video footage shot by a fan at the concerts, and interviews with people that were involved in Hendrix at the time.

Setlists

The platinum record of Band of Gypsys on display at the Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood. (As is usual, the album in the display is not really Band of Gypsys: the banding of the record shows five songs, not two or four as on the LP.)

The recordings included on Band of Gypsys featured selections from the final two shows. The set lists for the complete Fillmore East shows are as follows.

* indicating inclusion on the Band of Gypsys album 1970
~ indicating inclusion on the Band of Gypsys reissued Polydor CD 1991
+ indicating inclusion on the Live at the Fillmore East CD 1999

^ indicating inclusion on the West Coast Seattle Boy 4-CD set 2010

Wednesday, December 31, 1969 (First Fillmore East set)

1. "Power of Soul" (7:01)
2. "Lover Man" (3:10)
3. "Hear My Train A Comin'" (9:29) ~ +
4. "Changes" (6:04) +
5. "Izabella" (3:23) +
6. "Machine Gun" (9:10)
7. "Stop" (5:09)
8. "Ezy Ryder" (5:53)
9. "Bleeding Heart" (6:23)
10. "Earth Blues" (6:26)
11. "Burning Desire" (9:15)

Wednesday, December 31, 1969 (Second Fillmore East set)

1. "Auld Lang Syne" (7:23) +
2. "Who Knows" (9:13) +
3. "Stepping Stone" (5:29)
4. "Burning Desire" (2:43)
5. "Fire" (5:13) ^
6. "Ezy Ryder" (4:44)
7. "Machine Gun" (13:49) +
8. "Power of Soul" (6:41)
9. "Stone Free / Nutcracker Suite / Drum Solo / Outside Woman Blues / Cherokee Mist / Sunshine of Your Love" (17:21) ^
10. "Changes" (10:09)
11. "Message of Love" (3:52)
12. "Stop" (7:23)
13. "Foxy Lady" (13:10) ^
14. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" (4:20)
15. "Purple Haze" (3:46)

Thursday, January 1, 1970 (Third Fillmore East set)

1. "Who Knows" (10:49) *
2. "Machine Gun (12:33) *
3. "Changes" (7:22)
4. "Power of Soul" (6:15) +
5. "Stepping Stone" (5:31) +
6. "Foxy Lady" (7:09) ~
7. "Stop" (5:42) ~ +
8. "Hear My Train A Comin' " (unreleased version)
9. "Earth Blues" (4:52) (cut version)
10. "Burning Desire" (8:21) +

Thursday, January 1, 1970 (Fourth Fillmore East set)

1. "Stone Free / Little Drummer Boy" (12:52) +
2. "Changes" (5:08) *
3. "Power of Soul" (6:53) *
4. "Message of Love" (5:21) *
5. "Earth Blues" (5:57) +
6. "Machine Gun" (12:06) +
7. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" (6:01) +
8. "We Gotta Live Together" (16:43) * +
9. "Wild Thing" (3:13) +
10. "Hey Joe" (4:03)
11. "Purple Haze" (4:48)

Track length info from bootlegs called Box of Gypsys. These included all songs from the concerts at the Fillmore East and Madison Square Garden, except for "Hear My Train a Comin'" from the First Show from January 1, 1970.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jimi Hendrix, except where noted. (The LP sleeve erroneously lists "Power of Soul" as "Power to Love")

Side one

No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Who Knows"	Hendrix, Miles	9:34
2.	"Machine Gun"	Hendrix, Miles	12:38

Side two

No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Changes" (Buddy Miles)	Miles	5:11
2.	"Power of Soul"	Hendrix, Miles	6:55
3.	"Message of Love"	Hendrix	5:24
4.	"We Gotta Live Together" (Miles)	Miles, Hendrix, Cox	5:51

European/Japanese re-release bonus tracks

No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Hear My Train (first set)"	Hendrix	9:02
2.	"Foxy Lady (third set)"	Hendrix	6:33
3.	"Stop (third set)" (Howard Tate)	Miles	4:47

Personnel

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

Production personnel

• Jimi Hendrix – producer, liner notes (original release)
• Wally Heider – live recording engineer
• Eddie Kramer – studio mixing engineer, mastering, remastering, remixing
• Jan Blom – album cover photography
• Joseph Sia – photography
• Album cover designed by Victor Kahn
• Robert Herman – photography
• George Marino – remastering
• John McDermott – liner notes (later re-release)

External links

• The complete Band Of Gypsys Fillmore Set List