Name: JIMI HENDRIX - THE COMPLETE WOODSTOCK 1969
SKU: K61125JH
Availability: BackOrder

Description

Yasgur’s Farm, Bethel, New York, USA 18th August 1969 STEREO SBD

3rd pressing with new artwork.

　If you ask “Which Jimi Hendrix concert is your favorite?” most rock fans would probably answer “Woodstock.” With a group that was neither the Experience nor the Band of Gypsys, this was the stage that closed the biggest rock festival of the 1960s. And above all, it is a legendary stage that will be remembered forever by people for the historic performance of “The American National Anthem” that was used in the festival’s film. The power of film is truly enormous, and it is no wonder that Jimi’s performance there was seen as a symbol of Woodstock. Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, who backed Jimi on this day, were a band that he formed after the Experience broke up, but they unexpectedly ended up being short-lived, and they also appeared at the festival, which left them in the memories of many people.

　It’s been a while since this historic stage was officially released in both audio and video, but the latter is still not the definitive version. The two-disc set released exactly 20 years ago had more songs, but the two songs sung by Larry Lee were not included, and even the part where he played his solo was cut, and in the end the sounds of the two percussionists were almost completely erased.

　Originally, Gypsy Sun and Rainbows was the only big band group in Jimi’s history, with a large number of members, unlike the three-piece Experience. However, all of Jimi’s Woodstock items released so far have had the sidemen’s performances mixed out in a modest way, and in particular “Fire” makes you wonder if it’s really the Experience…

　In 2009, 40 years after the festival began, there was hope that a new version would be released, but in the end, only a remastered version of the 1999 version was released.

　However, seven years ago in 2019, the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, the release of a 38-disc archive set was announced. For the first time, the full stage of artists such as Joe Cocker, The Who and CSN&Y was revealed, as befitting this super-sized volume. If that happens, Jimi’s stage will finally be included… The track list of the 38-disc set that everyone was looking forward to had a track list that was clearly a re-use of the 1999 version. It was reported that only Jimi’s sound source was released by them. Maniacs around the world were disappointed by the disappointing result that the opportunity ended with the re-use of the already released version.

　However, in the underground world, there has long been a rough mix recording of Jimi’s performance that contains almost the entire performance. It was made by Eddie Kramer after the festival and is thought to have been made as a reference for Jimi. This rough mix was leaked in the 1980s and spread on the LP “LORD OF THE STRINGS”. It was the first time that the entire performance of Jimi at Woodstock was revealed, and it was also known that Larry Lee was the lead vocalist on two songs. However, only the opening new song “Message To Love (Universe)” was cut from this recording, which led to the misunderstanding that the first song was “Hear My Train A Comin'”.

　The compilation CD “500,000 HALOS” released 20 years ago corrected the long-standing misunderstanding. Not only was “Message To Love” unearthed there for the first time, but it was also revealed that it was played at the opening from tuning before the performance. This was a rough mix (which was ultimately not used) made by Alan Douglas, who controlled Jimi’s recordings after his death, at the time of the release of the 1994 Woodstock CD. The

　truth of Jimi’s stage has been revealed through these rough mixes, but Kramer’s full-length rough mix in particular has been distributed in a form that has been dubbed considerably, and has problems with pitch deviation and hiss noise that is harsh to the ear. Nevertheless, it has been released on CD due to the value of the sound source, but since it was only an item recorded without addressing such problems, it was only for enthusiasts.

　Finally, in the 21st century, the low-generation version of Kramer’s rough mix was distributed among traders, and in response, Jimi’s sound source circle “ATM” released “WOODSTOCK – NOTHING BUT PRIMARY RHYTHM THINGS …” in 2007. Although it is not as good as the official version, the upper version, which is much easier to listen to than the previous version, greatly pleased Jimi’s enthusiasts. However, that’s not all. Regarding the problem of the biggest drawback of the Kramer sound source, the lack of “Message To Love”, instead of reusing it from the 1999 official version, they adopted the Douglas rough mix excavated in the previous “500.000 HALOS”, which minimized the discomfort in sound quality.

　On top of that, the workmanship of “NOTHING BUT~”, which was compiled by carefully patching further missing parts from the 1999 version, is excellent, and it is evaluated as a masterpiece that complements the official in both mix and content. It was even described as “ATM’s best title” in a specialist magazine.

　Originally, the ATM series was created with the assumption that it would be shared online, and “NOTHING BUT…” was easily available for at least a few years from 2007. However, since most of the performances at Woodstock had already been released in 1999, it was caught up in so-called “official content” on the Internet, and recently it has become a difficult-to-obtain online item. However, this time, a Jimi scholar provided us with the original file, and we applied only minimal equalization to it, based on “NOTHING BUT…”. That is how highly perfect the title was.

　The rough mix is overwhelmingly more representative of the original sound of Gypsy Sun and Rainbows. For example, the first string of Jimi’s Strat broke during the performance of “Red House,” and the scene where Lee played a solo to fill the gap was cleverly cut from both the audio and video in the official release, but if you listen to this release, you’ll be outraged that they cut out the most important part of all. It’s also clear that Lee’s “Mastermind” was played here to buy time for Jimi to change the string. His singing voice on this song and the Impressions cover “Gypsy Woman” is superb. It’s really interesting to see Lee singing traditional R&B in front of the large Woodstock crowd while Jimi is playing cutting-edge rock sounds.

　The fact that Larry sang two songs at Woodstock is now a known fact even for non-maniacs, but now that the possibility of an official release has been dashed, we are reminded of the preciousness of what can be heard here again. “Mastermind” itself was a studio take that saw the light of day in the “WEST COAST SEATTLE BOY” box, but the live version at the official big event has still only been heard on the original sound source!

　In addition, the scene where the percussion team plays an active role from Larry’s solo in the second half of “Spanish Castle Magic” was changed in the official version, but this was the original performance. Even in the official version, Lee played many solos in “Lover Man”, but in the actual stage, Jimi and Lee shared the solos in most songs, which was a live performance unique to the big band composition, and this is a realistic scene that can be conveyed only because of the original sound source.

　And Jimi’s playing, in which he gave orders to the band while playing his own solos, was a once-in-a-lifetime masterpiece, considering that all the members except Mitch Mitchell were performing on a big stage for the first time. More than anything, there are probably many enthusiasts who feel that the analog-like sound quality suits Jimi better than the 1999 version and its current remaster, which had a stronger digital feel.

Finally, as a bonus track, “Message To Love” is the only existing audience recording of Woodstock. Although it was a well-known sound source among traders, this is the first time it has been included in an item, and it is likely that the majority of people will be hearing it for the first time. Before the performance began, Taper’s own comments were heard, and he testified that he “recorded it from the wings of the stage,” so the precious sound source with the vivid sound of Jimi’s guitar is also worth paying attention to. 50 years after Woodstock, this release is a stereo soundboard album that can be called a true document! Dedicated to all rock fans, not just Jimi maniacs.

★The original release was in June 2019, and the 2nd Press in April 2021, all of which have sold out. Now, for the first time in four years, the long-awaited 3rd Press is available in limited quantities with a new jacket. A must-listen masterpiece for all rock fans. Fans who haven’t heard it yet, don’t miss it!

Disc 1 (67:00)
1. Intro by Chip Monk
2. Message To Love ★
3. Hear My Train A Comin’
4. Spanish Castle Magic ★
5. Red House ★
6. Mastermind (sung by Larry Lee)★
7. Lover Man★
8. Foxy Lady
9. Jam Back At The House

Disc 2 (66:31)
1. Izabella
2. Gypsy Woman / Aware Of Love (sung by Larry Lee)★
3. Fire
4. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
5. Star Spangled Banner
6. Purple Haze / Woodstock Improvisation
7. Villanova Junction
8. Hey Joe
9. Outro by Chip Monk

Bonus Track
10. Message To Love (Audience Recording)★

★…Especially important

GYPSY SUN AND RAINBOWS