Here are all the Dagger Records releases to date. These are available by mail-order from the official Hendrix site (see Links).
LIVE AT OAKLAND COLISEUM ♥♥♥
Released 1999 (Dagger Records) – Mail order only
Fire, Hey Joe, Spanish Castle Magic, Hear My Train A Comin’, Red House, Foxy Lady, Star Spangled Banner, Purple Haze, Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)
A Dagger Records mail order only release. This first release by the label was this remarkably good quality audience recording, in mono, of the Experience (April 27 1969), it was remastered under Eddie Kramer’s supervision. The problem with so many audience tapes (particularly from this era), is that the recordings lack fidelity to fully appreciate the shows. Here however, all instruments come across pretty well (even the drums if one boosts the treble) giving a balanced overall sound.
On “Hey Joe”, Jimi slips in some anti-vietnam war comments into the lyrics. As usual “Spanish Castle Magic” has some fine solo explorations from Jimi. For “Voodoo Chile” Noel Redding plays rhythm guitar when the band are joined again by Jack Casady on bass (as at the Winterland 68 gigs). Jimi introduces him as Jack Bruce (of Cream) by mistake at the end ! This gig took place the night after the LA Forum gig (that was put out in the “Lifelines” box set) and again you can sense Jimi’s more distant manner. He had his reasons, the incessant touring, which he had long since had enough of, aswell as the collapse of relations within the band and with his management.
More concerts, studio tapes and home demos are promised from Dagger Records. Keep in touch with the official web site (www.jimi-hendrix.com) for details of this and future releases.
THE COVER
Lively typo and it does show Jimi at the actual gig – 7/10
> All the Dagger Records releases
LIVE AT CLARK UNIVERSITY ♥♥♥♥
Released 1999 (Dagger Records) – Mail order only
Interview Jimi/Fire/Red House/Foxy Lady/Purple Haze/Wild Thing/Interview Noel/Interview Mitch/Interview Jimi
Another mail-order only release from Dagger records, available on the official Hendrix site. An excellent mono soundboard recording this time, and it’s back to March 1968 and a rare chance to hear the Experience on their 2nd American tour in Worcester, Massachusetts. This is mainly an interview disc (40 minutes of chat for only 30 minutes of music). Excellent interviews in fact, where Jimi talks with enthusiasm and at length about his past, present and future to a meticulous and insistant interviewer (Alan Palmer ?).
The excerpts of the gig are superb, capturing the force of the Jimi Hendrix Experience on a regular tour date in 1968 (“… these are early days” says Jimi in the first interview). “Red House” features the up-tempo arrangement like on the original studio version. The tape slips a little at the beginning of “Purple Haze” and “Wild Thing” (reminding me that those tracks used to be on the “Broadcasts” bootleg all those years ago). “Foxy Lady” is perfect and that “Wild Thing” is even better than the Monterey version (Noel’s co-vocals come across very well). The band played two sets that night and Jimi played “The Star Spangled Banner” for the first known occasion but it is unfortunately absent here.
Some of the gig was filmed by Alan Palmer and sequences turned up in his 55 minute film “All My Loving” later in the year and since then in various documentaries.
THE COVER
Photo from the gig I think. Nice idea to put Jimi’s name in the spotlight – 8/10
> All the Dagger Records releases
The live tracks from this album were released on vinyl (Sony Legacy April 2010) – see Posthumous live releases 2010.
MORNING SYMPHONY IDEAS ♥♥½
Released 2000 (Dagger Records) – Mail order only
Keep On Grooving/Jungle/Room Full Of Mirrors/Strato Strut/Scorpio Woman/Acoustic Demo
The Hendrix estate took the bold decision to distribute a series of CDs (available only on the official site: www.jimi-hendrix.com) which enable them issue material of interest to committed Hendrix fans. The live or studio recordings are generally re-mastered under the supervision of Eddie Kramer for release.
This particular CD is not an unfinished symphony of Jimi’s, as the title misleadingly suggests, but jams with Buddy Miles in late 1969, as the two explore ideas at The Record Plant studio in New York, essentially looking for new riffs.
This stuff was only ever intended for his own ears and I’m sure Jimi would be bloody furious if he knew this sort of thing was being put out. Still, for absolute Hendrix nuts, it’s always a treat to hear him doodling around for ideas. It’s like the privilege of going through a great artist’s sketchbook.
“Keep On Groovin” clocks in at 28 minutes and goes through various rhythmic structures with some nice soloing here and there. It encompasses snippets of “Power Of Soul”, “Burning Desire” and “Tryin’ To Be” (“Steppin’ Stone”) which has a brief vocal, but this jam doesn’t seem to relate to the “Keep On Groovin” that Jimi sometimes worked into “Voodoo Child” or “Midnight Lightning”.
“Jungle” begins a little like “Hey Baby” then merges into the recognisable riffs of “Villanova Junction”, “Ezy Ryder”and “South Saturn Delta”.
The embyonic “Room Full Of Mirrors” from September ’69 has a vocal from Jimi, before it goes into improvisation, finishing off with a little of “Message To Love”.
Billy Cox is a welcome addition when he joins Jimi and Buddy for the funky “Strato Strut”, the most “finished” track here, after which Jimi calls out “Save that”.
“Scorpio Woman” is Jimi alone at Maui, though not from the actual gigs there. It begins with a nice improvised vocal then ambles along for 20 minutes, going through “Midnight Lighning” and “Race with The Devil” (a hit in 1968 for the group Gun) the riff of which Jimi often incorporated into his live shows in 1970.
The last short track is Jimi at home in early 1970 and lasts only a minute as a coda.
THE COVER
A handsome two-tone blend of Jimi in a relaxed mood and signed with his own handwriting . – 7/10
> All the Dagger Records releases
LIVE IN OTTAWA ♥♥♥½
Released 2001 (Dagger Records) – Mail order only
Killing Floor/Tax Free/Fire/Red House/Foxy Lady/Hey Joe/Spanish Castle Magic/Purple Haze/Wild Thing (incomplete)
This time Dagger Records take us to a performance in Ottawa (March 19, 1968 – second show) recorded just five days after the Clark University gig already featured on a Dagger release. These very good quality soundboard tapes have circulated for years on bootlegs albums such as the aptly titled “Magic Fingers”(which sounded a bit speeded up).
This is a great show with The Experience in good spirits and playing well. There is a lot of tape hiss but the sound is nice and raw with Jimi’s guitar right in your face. The mood is similar to that on “Stages 68” (Paris Olympia) finding Jimi bubbling with energy and humour, his playing rich with inventivity, despite the usual equipment hang-ups. At one stage Jimi treats us to his impersonation of Bill Cosby (he was in the audience that night). “Hey Joe” features the band’s “1948 re-arrangement”. The totally wild version of “Purple Haze” had appeared previously on the officially approved Univibes release “Calling Long Distance” released in the nineties. “Wild Thing” unfortunately cuts out early as the tape ran out (they should have left it off). Great version of “Tax Free” in there.
A helluva good JHE live album, this was nominated for a Grammy in the best “archive release” category! I kid you not.
> Note that this CD runs a little to fast! To compare, see the “Purple Haze” that was on the Univibes CD “Calling Long Distance” which was at the correct speed. Hopefully Experience will correct this error on day.
> Excerpts from the first show released on Dagger Records’ “Live 68 – Paris/Ottawa” – see further down
Higher generation source! Since this Dagger release, a higher generation source turned up in collector’s circles. It features a more balanced sound and Mitch’s drums come across more clearly.
THE COVER
I don’t think the photo of Jimi is from 1968. I believe he only started wearing headbands like that in 1969. That aside, the montage is great and the typo neat, making this a tasteful cover – 9/10
> All the Dagger Records releases
THE BAGGYS REHEARSAL SESSIONS ♥♥
Released 2003 (DAGGER RECORDS) – Mail order only
Burning Desire/Hoochie Coochie Man (Dixon)/Message To Love/Ezy Ryder/Power Of Soul/Earth Blues/Changes (Miles)/Lover Man/We Gotta Live Together (Miles)/Baggy’s Jam/Earth Blues/Burning Desire
This is a candid peek at the ill fated Band Of Gypsys in rehearsals (at Baggys Studios) for their New Years gigs at the Fillmore East 69/70. We had a rather disappointing glimpse of these sessions on “Loose Ends”, and those two sluggish tracks open the proceedings here. With their awkward sound, the band appear rather weak as they drearily feel around their repertoire. Miles and Cox play forcefully but Jimi is very relaxed and a little half-hearted in his approach (these were only rehearsals). A few tracks aren’t too bad, “Message To Love”, “Ezy Ryder” and “Lover Man” for example, and it’s fun to hear the band in good spirits and acting the fool. However, I think it is a good job that this only came out for hard-core fans on Dagger. It is “interesting” with a few neat little solos here and there, but tedious on the whole. On stage at The Fillmore their playing continued in similar fashion but with a little more punch and did produce some very inspired moments.
Jimi had a vision of something original and magnificent but the undoubtably talented Buddy Miles was perhaps not the right ingredient for what he had in mind.
The light hearted “Little Drummer Boy”, “Silent Night” and “Auld Lang Syne” (released on the E.P./CD single “Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year”) were also recorded during these sessions. The band played Auld Lang Syne at he Fillmore East as 1970 began. Also, two extra Baggy’s tracks can be heard on the official website in the “Multimedia” section.
> More takes (including several of “Who Knows”) are to be found on various bootlegs.
THE COVER
Nice to see A Band Of Gypsys clearly presented on a cover. Very tasteful presentation – 8/10
> All the Dagger Records releases
PARIS 1967 / SAN FRANCISCO 1968 ♥♥♥♥
Released 2003 (Dagger records) – Mail order only
Stone Free , Hey Joe , Fire , Rock Me Baby , Red House , Purple Haze , Wild Thing
Live At The Olympia Theater, Paris, France, October 9, 1967
Killing Floor , Red House , Catfish Blues , Dear Mr. Fantasy (Part 1) , Dear Mr. Fantasy (Part 2) (Winwood/Capaldi/Wood) , Purple Haze
Live At The Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA. February 4, 1968 (Second Show)]
A nice surprise from Dagger Records with these fantastic soundboard recordings of The Experience on fine form.
The Paris 67 recordings are superb, the atmosphere being similar to the 1968 show of three months later (already released as “Stages 68”) with Jimi in very good humour, cracking jokes, chatting to the audience and generally having a ball. Noel also chips in with humourous comments and he dedicates “Catfish Blues” to “The Faces”, meaning The Small Faces who were in the audience with P.P. Arnold and Mama Cass (“P.P. Cass & The Small Arnolds” as he calls them at one point).
Two numbers from this 1967 gig were included on the 2000 box set:“The Wind Cries Mary” and “Catfish Blues” which faded out due to sound problems, spoiling the recording on the night. “Burning Of The Midnight Lamp” and “Foxy Lady” suffered the same fate and are also absent here. Those losses are more than compensated by another great “Rock Me Baby” (the only other live one released being from Monterey) and more importantly “Stone Free” (the only early Experience concert recording of the song released to date!). “Red House” was previously on “Live & Unreleased”/”Lifelines”.
For the Fillmore gig Jimi apologises that the band don’t have their own PA, but the sound captured on tape is just great and he is bubbling with musical ideas even though the performance is rather laclustre and plodding in parts. Jimi does sound tired out as he speaks over the microphone and even the audience seem half asleep. Incredibly, Mitch Mitchell leaves the drum seat to Buddy Miles who sits in for an instrumental cover of Traffic’s “Dear Mr. Fantasy” (Buddy Miles Express were support band to The Experience around this time). So Jimi, Buddy and Noel take off for a fascinating free-form jam (which is unfortunately cut in half as the tape had to be changed in the middle !). A precious document. Tape length apparently also posed a problem for “Purple Haze”, which cuts out just before the final crunch.
Advice: if you have already bought “Blue Wild Angel”, sell it and buy this.
Bravo Dagger !
> You can see Jimi performing “Wild Thing” at this Olympia show on the “Experience” video – see Film section
> The unfortunate “Foxy Lady” from the Olympia concert can be heard on the bootleg “Je vous aime beaucoup” but there is no trace of “Burning Of The Midnight Lamp”.
THE COVER
A nice treatment for this graphically pure design. A good complete package too – 8/10
Re-releases:
2009 – The Paris 67 show as a vinyl L.P. in a lavish box set from Geffen Records (see further down).
2021 – A Dagger Records re-release of the Paris 67 recordings on vinyl for Record Store Day but this time including the two recordings from the show that appeared in the 2000 purple box set!
> All the Dagger Records releases
HEAR MY MUSIC ♥♥♥♥
Released November 2004 (Dagger Records) – Mail order only
Slow Version, Drone Blues (complete), Ezy Ryder/Star Spangled Banner, Jimi/Jimmy Jam (complete), Jam 292 (complete), Trash Man, Message To Love (alternate), Gypsy Blood, Valleys Of Neptune [Guitar], Blues Jam At Olympic, Valleys Of Neptune (piano)
A welcome release from Dagger, with this new collection of studio jams and outtakes recorded in early 1969 in London and New York. Always a pleasure to receive these, complete with a Seattle postmark. It’s in the same vein as “Morning Symphony Ideas” in that it features only instrumentals, but this release is a far more satisfying affair, crammed full of intense guitar workouts from Jimi with many different musicians.
There are a few familiar numbers in there of couse, the fantastic “Jam 292” (previously on “Loose Ends), plus “Drone Blues” and “Jimi/Jimmy Jam” (previously on “Nine To The Universe”) but this time in all their unedited glory. That last one for example lasts 17 minutes and is perhaps the best jam ever captured of Jimi and other musicians in sheer interaction. At the beginning Jimi puts in a few phrases of “Villanova Junction” before the track goes on into uncharted territory. It features Mitch with Jim McCarty (of Buddy Miles Express and later Cactus) and Dave Holland (or perhaps the Express bassist, Roland Robinson). “Jam 292” features the intro this time (like the “Jelly 292” that appeared on “:Blues”) rather than the tedious fade-in of “Loose Ends”. Some stunning guitar on that track.
“Drone Blues” has Cox on bass with some superb drumming by Rocky Isaac (and not Mitch as “Nine To The Universe” stated). It is of course a terrific jam with Jimi throwing in riffs he also used in “Drivin’ South” and “Midnight Lightning”. The recording underlines the sheer brilliance of Jimi’s improvisational abilities.
Unfortunately, now we know that we will not be seeing an expanded re-release of the “Nine To The Universe” album which is a shame in a way.
The nice surprise is four tracks by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, three of which were recorded on the same day at Olympic Studios on February 14, 1969, so just before the Albert Hall gigs. “Slow Version” sets the tone of the album straight away, a heavy blues with some great soloing, similar in feel to “Hear My Train” at the outset. The “Ezy Ryder/Star Spangled Banner” is great fun (not the same as the other and often bootlegged proto “Ezy Ryder” also known as “Mushy Name”). It is Take 25 of 35 takes ! That is a lot of takes to get this far. No wonder Noel couldn’t take recording sessions anymore. This take blasts in with that killer riff and eventually goes into improvisation before Jimi takes it through a superb “Star Spangled Banner”. The “Blues Jam At Olympic” just kills you off, with Jimi laying into his wah-wah as Mitch and Noel drive on a basic rhythm similar to “Message To Love” or “Spanish Castle Magic”. Finally “Trash Man” (which Alan Dougles had overdubbed on his “Midnight Lightning” album, all those years ago) features The Experience in New York’s Olmstead Studios. It begins as “Midnight” then veers off into improvisation before Jimi puts in that lovely passage which sounds a little like a blend of “1983” and “Third Stone From The Sun”.
The four other tracks provide some calmer moments and were all recorded on February 22 at Olympic. They are more like what we got on “Morning Symphony Ideas”, featuring Jimi alone in the studio, going through an early (and monotonous) sketch of “Message To Love”, “Gypsy Blood” (which is a very brief “Little Wing”-like improvisation) and two relatively uninteresting stabs at “Valleys Of Neptune” rhythms, one on guitar, the other with Jimi on piano! Those tracks are “interesting” but do get in way somewhat and the disc would have been neater without them.
The piano player on “Jam 292” was Sharon Layne who was friend of Billy’s from the Memphis region.
I rate this album highly as it is such a good representation of Jimi’s extraordinary abilities of improvisation apart from his talents as a composer. The previous releases of studio material on Dagger (“Baggy’s Reheasals” and “Morning Symphony Ideas”) made it seem that not much of real interest remained in the vault, but the new tracks on “Martin Scorcese Presents” and this excellent release really delivered.
“Drone Blues”, Jimi/Jimmy Jam” – previously edited down on “Nine To Universe” (1980)
“Jam 292” – previously edited down on “Loose Ends” (1975) – alternate version on “:Blues”
.THE COVER
Same principal as “Morning Symphony Ideas” with a nice use of Jimi’s handwriting over an appropriate tinted studio photo. Perfect for what it is. – 10/10
LIVE AT THE ISLE OF FEHMARN ♥♥½
Released December 13, 2005 (Dagger records) – Mail order only
Killing Floor, Spanish Castle Magic, All Along The Watchtower, Hey Joe, Hey Baby (New Rising Sun), Message To Love, Foxey Lady, Red House, Ezy Ryder, Freedom, Room Full Of Mirrors, Purple Haze, Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Here come Dagger again with this historic concert. Jimi’s very last* on September 6, 1970 during the Love & Peace Festival held on the Isle Of Fehmarn in Germany. Again, the posters at the time said “The Jimi Hendrix Experience” and the Hendrix Estate perpetuate that annoyingly, attributing this CD to that group. This is of course Jimi, Mitch and Billy!
Recordings of this concert have circulated among collectors for many, many years. Dagger claim that this is a newly discovered tape that was until recently in the possession of the promoters. It is not soundboard unfortunately but from two michrophones that were suspended above the stage. Dagger do state that the quality of their release is similar to their previous Oakland Colisem CD, but this a little better I feel, even if the vocals are slightly diminished. Note however that the beginning of “Purple Haze” is missing here.
This final European tour, which Jimi didn’t want to do (but cash was desperately needed), was pretty catastrophic. It began with the disappointing Isle Of Wight show and continued through some good bad and ugly (Aarhus) concerts to Fehmarn Island in Germany, where the tour was abandoned as Billy Cox became ill (he does look troubled in the booklet photos). The performance at Fehmarn is among the best of the short tour as Jimi was perhaps coming into his stride, his playing precise and more enthusiasatic. Copenhagen is considered to be the best performance of the tour (unfortunately it wasn’t professionally recorded).
As he takes the stage at Fehmarn, he is jeered at by some irate bikers but carries on regardless, responding to them with “Killing Floor”, which he had recently re-introduced into his set-list at Gothenberg five days earlier (he hadn’t performed the song since early 1969). The set continues in good fashion through sun, rain and fighting in the audience. Towards the end, you feel that Jimi is hurrying things along a little. At the close of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” after singing “If I don’t see you no more in this world…” the wild man of rock rears his head for the very last time for a flashy teeth picked guitar climax. Goodbye Jimi.
*After this last gig Jimi did briefly appear as a guest at a gig by Eric Burdon and War at Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club in London , on September 16 only two days before his death. He only jammed loosley on “Mother Earth” and “Tobacco Road”. The following night he was supposed to accompany Mitch to a jam with Sly Stone but uncharacteristically he didn’t turn up. Eric Clapton also planned to meet Jimi to give him a left handed Stratocaster that he had bought for him.
1st edition speed error
Confirming the observations made by certain specialistes, Dagger and Experience Hendrix admitted that the early copies of the CD were mastered too fast ! Some sort of error in the transfering. They rapidly corrected the error and sleeveless replacement copies were sent out to those who received the early pressings (future collector’s items ?).
THE COVER
A very bootleg-like approach, very much like The Who’s classic “Live At Leeds” but compensated by a nice booklet as usual (within the Didgipack), the cover of which is a moving portrait of a jovial Hendrix reclining in the grass at Fehmarn Island. – 1/10
I in fact prefer the audience recording of the concert (which has been widely available in shops for the last year as a bonus on the unofficial Burning Airlines release “LA Forum – 26th April 1969”). That recording, despite the interference of wind and rain, features much clearer vocals and guitar from Jimi, so his emotions come over much better.
Even better is the three source “merge” version, circulating among collectors as “Away From This Rainy Cloud” (ATM). It creates a stereo effect and all instruments and vocals come across well.
> All the Dagger Records releases
BURNING DESIRE ♥♥♥½
Release date: December 12, 2006 (Dagger Records) – Mail order only
Izabella, Ezy Ryder/MLK [aka Captain Coconut], Cherokee Mist/Astro Man, Record Plant 2X, Villanova Junction Blues, Burning Desire, Stepping Stone/Villanova Junction Blues, Slow Time Blues
The fourth release of studio outtakes from Dagger Records and this one features the Band Of Gypsys laying down ideas in November 1969 and January 1970. I find this collection much more interesting than the previous ones covering a similar period, namely “Morning Symphony Ideas” and “Baggys Reheasals”. No vocals here but some more accomplished driving rock jams. Again however, the recordings do reveal the limitations of Buddy Miles’ technique. Some passages really take off but generally his dull metronome drumming is most annoying as it tends to deaden the atmosphere somewhat. Luckily, this sore point is more than compensated by Jimi’s stunning guitar work throughout. Here’s a look at the tracks.
“Izabella” (4:23)
An unspectacular rhythmic run-through with some organ accompanyment (by Miles ?). In the middle, Jimi goes into the riff from “Come Down Hard On Me Baby” and a nice gritty guitar overdub comes in before a snatch of a “Freedom” riff, then back to the main theme. As it ends, Jimi seems to be going into “Machine Gun”.
“Ezy Ryder”/”MLK” (20:01)
This is brilliant. There isn’t much recognisable as “Ezy Ryder” in there, as the band blast away with Jimi freely throwing in everything he’s got. After about 13 minutes, Jimi slows things down as he drifts into the superb and beautiful “MLK”. It is not confirmed that this was a hommage to Martin Luther King, the three letters were simply on the tape box*. Towards the end, Jimi plays some “Cherokee Mist” which points us to the following track.
*Part of “MLK” was used in an experimental collage by Electric Lady engineer John Jansen in the early seventies that eventually turned up on Alan Douglas’ montage album “Crash Landing”, as “Captain Coconut”.
“Cherokee Mist/Astro Man” (4:53)
Only a minute and a half of the “Cherokee Mist” melody before Jimi gets his teeth into that gorgeous descending “Astro Man” riff. This is far from the finished structure of the song but a nice funky jam.
“Record Plant 2X” (11:03)
Another killer rock jam from the band. Just after playing a neat “Villanova Junction Blues” (which is awkwardly placed as the following track on this CD), the band are back at full tilt like on the “Ezy Ryder/MLK” recorded the same day. This just tears along as Jimi plays some searing rock guitar. Then he goes into a flurry of strumming which resembles the “Woodstock Improvisation”. Unfortunately the jam then fades out and the rest of it crops up on the last track as “Slow Time Blues”. It is a shame really that the jam wasn’t delivered here in its complete form as it had been on the unofficial releases that were “Villanova Junction” (Burning Airlines) and “Am I Blue” (Purple Haze Records).
“Villanova Junction Blues” (4:56)
As I said, this is the beginning of the previous track. It does stand alone well, as at the end the band practically stop while Jimi tunes up. This is beautiful and the best studio version of the song which was made famous by the Woodstock performance. As it slows at the end, Jimi instructs the band to “do some jungle sounds”.
“Burning Desire” (9:48)
This complex song was never one of my favourites and this instrumental jab at it doesn’t arrange things. It takes me back to the dreary experience of sitting through “Loose Ends” in the seventies which featured the Baggys rehearsals version.
“Stepping Stone/Villanova Junction Blues” (6:38)
At the beginning of this, the band play the riff from “Calling All Devils Children”. Then things chug along, going into riffs of “Stepping Stone” then “Ezy Ryder” (or at least the old “Dance” riff) as Miles hammers away. It finally slows to “Villanova Junction Blues”.
Slow Time Blues” (3:49)
The conclusion of track four ! Again, it’s a pity it wasn’t left in its right place. That aside, it is a great funky blues jam which Jimi takes momentarily through the “Jam 292” riff among others. It unfortunately fades out at the end.
So, despite the unnecessary splitting up of the “Villanova Junction Blues” jam, this is an overall pleasing collection of jams with some amazing guitar work from the man. Not quite up to level of “Hear My Music” but worthwhile for any keen Hendrix fan with an already established collection.
THE COVER
A nice shot of Jimi in reflexion as he listens to a playback one imagines (or as he chooses a chocolate). Fancy typo for the sake of it and some funky wallpaper. – 7/10
LIVE 1968 – Paris/Ottawa ♥♥♥♥
Release date September 5, 2008 (Dagger Records) – mail order only
L’OLYMPIA THEATRE IN PARIS, FRANCE – JANUARY 29, 1968
Killing Floor, Catfish Blues, Foxy Lady, Red House, Drivin’ South, The Wind Cries Mary, Fire, Little Wing, Purple Haze
CAPITOL THEATRE, OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA – MARCH 19, 1968 [1st SHOW]
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Fire, Purple Haze
The Paris ’68 show had already been available for some time (in the Stages box and on various unoffical labels) but it was nice to get this with the Ottawa bonus tracks.
The concert was recorded in early 1968 at the famous Paris Olympia Theatre where we find the Experience riding on a crest of a wave. The band are in such good humour on this clear mono recording, which captures the excitement of the European concerts of the epoch. It’s a delight to hear Jimi in such a playful mood.
Interesting that on “Red House” , Noel plays his bass parts on a six string guitar (borrowed off Kieth Richards backstage) just like on the original studio version (that track had appeared a year earlier on “Lifelines”). There is a rare live performance of “Drivin’ South” also, which ends dramatically as Jimi creates the sound of a car screaming towards us. A great little show and what a set list !
The real event on this CD is the addition of three songs from the first set at Ottawa in 1968 (Dagger have of course already put out the second set, see further up). Extracts of the songs can be heard on the Authentic Hendrix site and they sound great. Only three songs however. Does this mean that this is all there is ? Here is the setlist for the first show (according to Ben Valkhoff’s book “Eyewitness”: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Fire, Foxy Lady, Red House, I Don’t Live Today, Purple Haze, The Wind Cries Mary . Tony Brown’s “Concert Files” does not mention the last two tracks there.
On Ebay in the 00s, an ex Electric Lady Studios engineer offered for sale some copy tapes that he had made in 1975. The tapes had been authentified by Experience Hendrix who where following the sale, to make sure that the tapes remain simply collectors items. Exerpts of the recordings were on-line and they revealed that the content was essentially work-in-progress studio tracks, very similar to all the material now circulating as bootlegs. However, one track caught my ear. It was a version of “Little Wing” that has never surfaced in any form before! It sounded to me like a studio rehearsal at first. I informed the seller, who promptly withdrew the track from the sale in respect to his obligations to the Hendrix Estate. He was informed by John McDermott that the song in question was from the first show at Ottawa ! “Little Wing” has never been mentioned in archived set lists as being played during the first show. If that is the case, why isn’t the track on this CD ? Is the song incomplete ? Does Jimi mess it up? Perhaps this product was already in fabrication before they had the time to insert the song. Maybe one day the track will resurface and the mystery will be solved.
All in all, this was a very good CD but let’s hope that in future, Experience Handrix will feed us with much rarer recordings rather than use Dagger as an outlet for re-releases.
Paris Olympia 68 previously on Stages 68 and the following unofficial releases:
– Astro Man (Burning Airlines)
– Live At Paris Olympia (Radioactive)
– Axis Bolder Than Love (Purple Haze)
– Live & Unleashed (Rock Of Ages Export)
> Here’s an interview with Jimi by Michel Brillie for Europe 1 on the day of the Paris gig.
THE COVER
That is Jimi at Hunter College, NY (2 March 1968). It’s a very nice cover in any case – 8/10
Special re-release:
LIVE 1967/68 – Paris/Ottawa – Combo box set ♥♥♥♥
Released 2009 (Geffen Records Licensed from Dagger Records)
VINYL L.P. – 1967: Paris
Side 1: Stone Free , Hey Joe , Fire , Rock Me Baby Side 2: Red House , Purple Haze , Wild Thing
Live At The Olympia Theater, Paris, France, October 9, 1967
CD – 1968: Paris /Ottawa
L’OLYMPIA THEATRE IN PARIS, FRANCE – JANUARY 29, 1968
Killing Floor, Catfish Blues, Foxy Lady, Red House, Drivin’ South, The Wind Cries Mary, Fire, Little Wing, Purple Haze
CAPITOL THEATRE, OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA – MARCH 19, 1968 [1st SHOW]
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Fire, Purple Haze
A re-release luxury package with the Paris 1967 recording (already issued on the Dagger Records CD Paris 67/San Francisco 68 detailed further up) but this time on splatter patterned vinyl, plus the 1968-Paris 1968/Ottawa Dagger CD, a T-shirt, poster, badges, guitar picks, a poster, ticket reproductions and stickers.
> The Paris 1967 show reappeared on vinyl in 2021, augmented with the two songs from the show that had appeared on the 2000 purple box set – see further down.
THE COVER
That is Jimi performing at The Hollywood Bowl in September 1968. A very nice cover but why the hell didn’t they use a photo from one of the Paris shows? – 8/10
LIVE AT WOBURN ♥♥½
Release date JULY 2009 (Dagger Records) – mail order only
Introduction, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (cut), Fire, Tax Free (cut), Red House, Foxy Lady, Voodoo Child (Slight Return), Purple Haze
What a pleasant surprise it was to find this CD announced for release. Hendrix fans around the planet had been holding their breath in anticipation of the official release of the entire Albert Hall 69 concert and up poped this legendary, previously uncirculated concert recording. For decades, this was known to be in the possession of master Hendrix archivist and writer Caesar Glebbeek, who held on to the tape, waiting to share it with us all when the copyright claim would expire (50 years after the artist’s death). Then came the announcement that the tape had been sold at Christies to an unknown buyer. I had the impression that it was not Experience Hendrix but finally, here it is on Dagger. Many thanks to them for getting this to us so rapidly.
Through 1966 and 1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience performed at around 165 British venues. From then on, Mike Jeffrey maintained bookings in the United States and its more lucrative stadium venues. This performance was important back in 1968 as it was the band’s only UK date of that year. The following UK concerts were to be the February 1969 gigs at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
So here we are at one of the earliest rock festivals in Britain on July 6, 1968 – the Woburn Music Festival in Bedfordshire, England. Also on the bill during the two day festival were John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Alexis Korner, Geno Washington, Pentangle, Roy Harper, and the man who inspired Jimi to play “Hey Joe” back in 1966, Tim Rose! The Experience were top of the bill for the Saturday evening show in front of 14,000 people. This came right in the middle of a “holiday period” for the band (as far as concerts were concerned). They had wound up their last tour with a gig at the Zurich Beat Monster Festival at the end of May and would not return to the gig circuit proper until the end of July. So this festival appearance does catch them a little out of their stride.
The performance was not professionally recorded but it is very good quality soundboard, despite the presence of a few technical glitches and buzzings at the beginning. Jimi and Noels’ vocals are very clear and the guitars come over well. Only Mitch’s cymbols lack sparkle. Jimi and Noel apologise for the technical hang-ups all the way through. Unfortunately, after famous D.J. Emperor Roscoe’s introduction,“Sgt. Peppers” cuts in at 30 seconds from the end of the song as the tape recorder was a little late in starting. “Fire” has a wonderfully furious beginning as if Jimi is forcibly challenging the dodgy P.A. system. To drown out the buzzing, he improvises heavily over the usual opening riffs. Great stuff.
“Tax Free” has some very nice wah-wah explorations from Jimi but the end of the song is missing. “Red House” is pretty unspectacular but interesting as always. At one point, Jimi slows it right down and settles into improvisation as if he were alone or in a small club. He gets very laid back until he brings it back for a rather hurried end.”Foxy Lady” is on automatic pilot but with some great soloing before“Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)” chugs in rather hesitantly. This was a new addition to the set of course and the band don’t seem to have it fully nailed down. Jimi seems to have tuning problems and the sound gets pretty muddy. Finally “Purple Haze” has a nice long feedback introduction, continues through the rough sounding P.A. and finishes with a very long tooth-picked solo, which was obviously a visual treat but doesn’t satisfy on record.
So, not a “great” performance but a welcome addition to any hard-core fan’s collection.
THE COVER
A pretty simple patchwork of photos of Jimi performng at the concert. – 7/10
> A 12 page booklet which thanks Caesar Glebbeek for his help and research.
Bonus CD with the Winterland box (through certain distributors):
SAN FRANCISCO 1968 ♥♥♥♥
Released September 2011 (Dagger)
Killing Floor , Red House , Catfish Blues and Dear Mr. Fantasy (Parts 1 & 2)
This was nice little gift from Experience Hendrix to the fans who don’t already have the Dagger CD “Paris 67/San Francisco 68” from which these tracks are taken. This was recorded at the Fillmore West, San Francisco on February 4th, 1968.
The original 2003 Dagger CD of this featured one extra track, “Purple Haze” but it was incomplete, missing the very end of the song, so this must be why they decided to drop it here, to keep things neat for a regular industry distribution.
THE COVER
This is a simple cardboard sleeve and that must be Jimi in action at the Fillmore West. Nice. – 8/10
LIVE IN COLOGNE ♥♥
Released 2012 on vinyl and 2013 on CD (Dagger Records) – mail order only
Come On (Let The Good Times Roll), Foxy Lady, Red House, Voodoo Child (Slight Return), Fire, Spanish Castle Magic, Hey Joe, Sunshine Of Your Love: Star Spangled Banner: Purple Haze
After a long wait came a new Dagger release. I knew this would appear one day and came out on what would have been Jimi’s 70th birthday. The recording was in the audio streaming section of the official site a few years ago. It was the best sounding show that they had on streaming so that’s why it was quickly pulled, to keep it aside for an eventual Dagger release. So it’s a familiar show that has also been circulating for years as a bootleg.
This was initially a double vinyl only release a CD version followed later.
This recording of the performance at the Sporthalle, Cologne Germany (13 January 1969) from the short North European tour has quite good sound. It’s from a very good quality audience tape but it sounds more like a rough soundboard recording. There are some fluctuations but on the whole, all instruments come across well and Jimi’s guitar is nice and raw.
It’s great to hear Jimi blast in with “Come On (Part 1)” (as it was titled on “Electric Ladyland”) and this is the first appearance of a live version of the song on an official release. The rest is the regular repertoire of the 1969 tours with Jimi still leaning heavily on his 1967 material. It’s a standard tour date for the band (they had announced their up-coming split in order to persue personnal projects), so it does sound a little “routine” here and there, with Jimi sometimes hurrying things along. As usual however, the performance is loaded with some stunning guitar playing. “Red House” is fantastic but has slight drop in loudness at one point. “Purple Haze” features a simply amazingly frantic and extreme finale from Jimi.
THE COVER
A nice photo but we have seen it so many times before (it was used in the late 80s for the cover of “Live & Unreleased – The Radio Show” and the various artists tribute album “Searching For Jimi Hendrix”). I would have preferred a more exhuberant stage photo. 5/10
CURTIS KNIGHT / JIMI HENDRIX – Live At George’s Club 20, 1965 & 1966 ♥♥
Released: March 2017 (Dagger Records)
Killing Floor, Last Night, Get Out Of My Life Woman, Ain’t That Peculiar, Mercy, Mercy, I’m A Man, Driving South, Baby What You Want Me To Do, I’ll Be Doggone, Sweet Little Angel, Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Travelin’ To California, What I Say, Land Of 1000 Dances, Come On
These precious live recordings (Georges Club 20, Hackensack, New Jersey on December 26 1965 and January 22 1966) provide a fascinating snapshot of where Jimmy was at, nine months before he left for London with Chas Chandler. These songs have of course been released a multitude of times on various labels by Ed Chalpin of PPX Enterprises since the late 60s but it’s interesting to hear what Eddie Kramer has done with his mixing of the original tapes (which Chalpin finally handed over in a deal shortly before his death).
On these dates it seems that the band (in fact called The Lovelights at that point) were playing to an empty hall as Knight pretends to address an audience. You can hear that this made Jimmy crack up, laughing presumably at the absurdity of it all. So it would seem that the recordings were done as a demonstration tape to help the band get club engagements. The numerous Ed Chalpin releases of these recordings featured rather intrusive overdubs of club noise and even an additional rhythm section, in an attempt to improve the sound. On this Dagger album however, the instrumental overdubs have been taken off (although it seems that a little bass is still present on a couple of songs but it’s quite subtle). Some of the fake club background noise is still in there, though much more subdued (perhaps the original raw tapes are lost forever?). Sometimes it sounds like the band are in an empty club, or at least with a handful of people and there is no applause whatsoever throughout the recordings presented here. So the tapes are more honestly presented but it’s not as if there’s a great improvement on the overall sound. The quality varies in fact, as the two “gigs” were recorded on different tape recorders. You could say that this is the Hendrix equivalent of The Beatles’ Star Club tapes.
Despite the rough sound, this is definitely the most interesting pre-Experience album there is giving us a clear picture of what was to follow for Jimmy James. Interestingly, four songs played here for example were later in The Experience’s repertoire – “Killing Floor”, “Driving South”, “Mercy Mercy” and “Land Of A 1000 Dances” (they played the latter song during one or two of their very early gigs according to Noel Redding). Also, the cover of Albert King’s “Travelling To California” comes over as a sort of blueprint of “Red House” (which was also partially built around Elmore James’ “The Sky Is Crying”). However, the song listed as “Come On” isn’t an early version of the song that Jimi covered on Electric Ladyland at all. On some past releases the song has also been titled “Hard Night” but it’s in fact built on Freddie King’s “Just Pickin”. It’s really just a platform for Jimmy to showcase his soloing.
It’s important to understand that, unlike the other pre-Experience recordings, Jimmy is no longer the stifled guitarist in the back row here. He’s up-front as the co-frontman of the band. He even sings the lead vocals on many songs here: “Killing Floor”, I’m A Man”, “What’d I Say”, “Get Out My Life Woman”, “Land Of A 1000 Dances”, “Come On” and “Travellin’ To California” (also known as “California Night”). He sounds very confident on these recordings, singing very well and playing some brilliant guitar solos on practically every song (the exceptions being “Aint That Peculiar”, “Mercy Mercy”, “I’ll Be Doggone” and “What’d I Say”).
Alongside Jimmy and Curtis Knight on these recordings are Harry Jensen (rhythm guitar), Ace Hall (bass), Ditto Edwards and George Bragg (drums) plus Lonnie Youngblood (sax on a few songs). Jimmy would of course team up with Youngblood for later studio work (pre and post Greenwich Village).
One big error in the sleeve-notes which says “This is what Chas Chandler heard when he first encountered Jimmy James in the summer of 1966”. That is incorrect as Chas saw Jimmy for the first time in July ’66 at The Café Wha? playing with his own band (6 months after the George Club recordings). In fact Jimi had played his last gig with Curtis Knight in May ’66. These tapes are closer to what Linda Keith saw when she discovered the unknown Jimmy at The Cheetah Club in May 1966. The recordings are even closer to what Les Paul saw in December 1965 when he saw Jimmy playing in a Lodi (New Jersey) night club. Soon after the performance, Paul tried to track Jimmy down in order to sign him but couldn’t find any trace of him. In 1967 he saw his face on the cover of Are You Experienced and realised it was the ace guitarist that he had seen in that New Jersey club in December 1965!
> Here’s an in-depth look at the Curtis Knight live recordings > earlyhendrix.com
Highlights:
Killing Floor, Last Night, Get Out Of My Life Woman, I’m A Man, Driving South, Sweet Little Angel, Travelin’ To California, Come On (Just Pickin)
> The radio documentary which was released as a box set titled “Lifelines” in 1990 featured this version of “I’m A Man”.
Other live Knight/Hendrix recordings
More live recordings of The Lovelights/Squires have surfaced over the years on the numerous PPX exploitation albums and bootlegs/collector’s discs. These are recordings from more than one source. Some tracks do in fact sound like actual concert recordings as the audience noise appears to be authentic(as opposed to the obviously over-dubbed party noises on some of the other tracks). Certain songs feature overdubs and sound quality varies.
Live At The Hollywood Bowl – 4 September 1968♥♥½
Released as part of the Electric Ladyland 50th Anniversary box set.
Are You Experienced, Voodoo Child (Slight Return), Red House, Foxy Lady (# cuts out half-way through), Fire (# cuts in near the end of the song), Hey Joe, Sunshine of Your Love, I Don’t Live Today, Little Wing, Star Spangled Banner, Purple Haze
A very strange decision to include this raggedy live recording in a box set of the greatest album of all time. Another album of studio outtakes and jams would’ve been more appropriate! Curiously, this is a Dagger Records item, within the box. So it comes over as a cheap marketing ploy to create furher incentive for Hendrix fans to purchase the box. Poor quality live recordings have no place next to the euphoric richness that is Electric Ladyand. It is nice to have but it’s in the wrong place. It will probably be available as a stand-alone on Dagger later.
An audience recording of this gig has been circulating for years but this is from a newly discovered two-track soundboard feed. It is a vast improvement in sound quality compared to the bootleg in some respects but it suffers from distortion, cut outs and general roughness. Still, it’s a fascinating historical document and a good performance from the band facing an over-excited audience that invaded the decorative water basin in front of the stage. The end of the show sounds like a riot is going on, with the band pleading for the crowd to calm down, otherwise everyone could be electrocuted!
Generally great playing from Jimi throughout and his vocals are very up-front in the mix (guitar less so) but they are distorted at times. Noel’s bass is too loud and Mitch is a little far back and we rarely hear his cymbals (it sounds like he’s playing dustbins at times) so I play this with the bass turned way down and treble way up. It’s a great set-list, kicking off with an nice raw “Are You Experienced” which is preceeded by a nearly four minute free-form feedback fanfare (with Noel and Mitch backing it) which Jimi introduces as “Call Of The Black Panther”! This is followed by a fresh “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)”, the only song from Ladyland of course. Jimi apologises that he was out of tune when it finishes.
“Red House” is great as usual and comes over better as it is more laid-back. Tape problems must have occured during “Foxy Lady” as it cuts out half-way through, then cuts back in towards the end of “Fire”. Sound quality deteriotes somewhat as the tape progresses and the crowd gets more heated. “Hey Josephine” as Jimi introduces it is a regular rendition but the sound is very rough indeed (the roughest you’ve ever heard on an official release). “…and now we have the breast stroke” jokes Noel when it finishes. Mitch appeals for calm.
“Sunshine of Your Love” is raggedy with a tedious bass solo from Noel. A raucous “I Don’t Live Today” next then Jimi tries to calm things down and goes rather awkwardly and out of tune into “Little Wing” which soon aborts with him saying that he can’t hear anything. He then goes back in and delivers a good version under the chaotic circumstances.
As he goes into “Star Spangled Banner”, Jimi shouts “This is America, right?” which is title that he gave the piece at the Winterland concerts the following month. It’s a wonderfully crazy, distorted feedback blast which ends in “Purple Haze” madness, with the tape cutting out just before the final crunch (they should have faded out really).
So, despite the various faults, this is good fun and nice to have as an “official bootleg” and I prefer to listen to this than Isle Of Wight (but again, it shouldn’t be in this box).
THE COVER
There were some great photos taken that night but instead the focus is on the spectacle of the audience which invaded the decorative pond that was in front of the stage. It captures the atmosphere of the night. 7/10
PARIS 67 – Record Store Day exclusive vinyl ♥♥♥♥
Released: November 26 2021 (Dagger Records) – mail order only?
Side A – Stone Free, Hey Joe Fire, Catfish Blues, The Wind Cries Mary
Side B – Rock Me Baby, Red House, Purple Haze, Wild Thing
Live At The Olympia Theater, Paris, France, October 9, 1967
A (Record Store Day) re-release of the Paris Olympia tracks (that were previously on the Dagger Records CD Paris 67/San Francisco 68) but this time augmented with the two tracks from the performance that were initially released on the 2000 purple box set. These recordings had already appeared on vinyl (without Catfish Blues and The Wind Cries Mary) in a limited edition Geffen Records box set, along with the Dagger CD Live 68 – Paris/Ottawa CD , T-shirt, badges, picks,…
THE COVER
A bootleg-like look to this one. A rather glum shot of the band… in Munich! Oh what a silly mistake. – 5/10