BBC Sessions, The - Jimi Hendrix Experience (The)

The Jimi Hendrix BBC sessions is a release that builds on the work of the much earlier, Radio One, release encompassing more recordings with improved sound quality. It brings together all of the songs that the group recorded for the BBC, as well as a few alternate takes, which were made to provide the content that got around the limitations on the playing of records during broadcasts, which was limited to seven hours split between both Radio 1and ...
...though, this meant that the BBC was able to build up a huge archive of spectacular material from some of the biggest groups of the era, with such luminaries as The Beatles, Cream, The Who and of course the Jimi Hendrix Experience among them. And as such you will find many of these releases, with many of these sessions still continuing today, although to a mcuh lesser extent.

The recording environment that was provided for the group, ... more

The Jimi Hendrix BBC sessions is a release that builds on the work of the much earlier, Radio One, release encompassing more recordings with improved sound quality. It brings together all of the songs that the group recorded for the BBC, as well as a few alternate takes, which were made to provide the content that got around the limitations on the playing of records during broadcasts, which was limited to seven hours split between both Radio 1and 2. At the time, the playing of records on the radio was seen almost as a discouragement for listeners to go out and purchase them for themselves, as if you could hear them on the radio for free, why go out and pay for them. Luckily though, this meant that the BBC was able to build up a huge archive of spectacular material from some of the biggest groups of the era, with such luminaries as The Beatles, Cream, The Who and of course the Jimi Hendrix Experience among them. And as such you will find many of these releases, with many of these sessions still continuing today, although to a mcuh lesser extent.

The recording environment that was provided for the group, often small studios designed for orchestral use, meant that they needed to record the songs live in the studio, with only very basic overdubs possible. But from this you get some interesting takes on songs, where they fall halfway between live and studio versions, taking some of the more improvised exciting elements of the former, but with the tight arrangement of the latter. The sessions themselves were a chance for the group to rework their older material, preview new ones or simply provide their own takes on classic tracks by other artists. This mix of music provides this release with a view of the Experience that is often lost on releases that simply rely on material from a certain time or album. The collection itself puts together material from February 1967 to January 1969, although most of the songs were recorded during 1967, when the Jimi Hendrix Experience were still based mainly in England.

The sound quality is sometimes seen as a distraction on this releases, but then considering the environment that they had to record in, more of which is discussed in the 24-page booklet that comes with the CD release, this is to be expected, and with the strength of the material, this can easily be overlooked. Some of the tracks on here for instance can only be found recorded in the studio elsewhere on bootleg release, many of which the common listener will shun or be unable to obtain, such as Driving South, Hoochie Coochie Man, Hound Dog, Hear My Train A Comin’, Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window, Radio One, Day Tripper and I Was Made To Love Her, although even some of these can’t be found recorded anywhere else.

The album, at least the one I own, is presented in a boxset crystal case, with some nice ‘rare’ pictures inside the sleeve and throughout the booklet. The booklet itself details certain information about the tracks and some, often amusing, anecdotes about how the tracks were recorded. Also given are details about the engineers and the dates of recording, which are nice for historical value and give you an idea as to where the material fits in with some of his other releases. But for this, you do pay and it is more expensive than other releases, but if you look, it can be bought at a reasonable price, and considering the material, it has got to be worth a slightly more than your run-of-the-mill release.

Disk 1

1. Foxey Lady 3:00
2. Alexis Korner Introduction 0:28
3. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window 3:32
4. Rhythm And Blues World Serive 0:12
5. (I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man 5:30
6. Travelling With The Experience 0:22
7. Driving South 5:31
8. Fire 2:42
9. Little Miss Love 2:58
10. Introducing The Experience 0:51
11. The Burning Of the Midnight Lamp 3:43
12. Catfish Blues 5:29
13. Stone Free 3:26
14. Love Or Confusion 2:54
15. Hey Joe 4:02
16. Hound Dog 2:43
17. Driving South 4:49
18. Hear My Train A Comin’ 5:00

Total Run Time (Disk 1) – 57:12

Disk 2

1. Purple Haze 3:17
2. Killing Floor 2:28
3. Radio One 1:34
4. Wait Until Tomorrow 2:55
5. Day Tripper 3:25
6. Spanish Castle Magic 3:08
7. Jammin’ 3:24
8. I Was Made To Love Her 3:05
9. Foxey Lady [Alternate Take] 2:59
10. A Brand New Sound 0:54
11. Hey Joe [Alternate Take] 2:58
12. Manic Depression 3:11
13. Driving South [Alternate Take] 3:22
14. Hear My Train A Comin’ [Alternate Take] 5:03
15. A Happening For Lulu 0:20
16. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) 4:09
17. Lulu Introduction 0:23
18. Hey Joe 2:44
19. Sunshine Of Your Love 1:17

Total Run Time (Disk 2) – 50:36

In the following track descriptions, I have decided to exclude the purely introduction or talking pieces, which are shown in Italics, as they simply act as breaks between tracks and add a sense of place to many of the recordings. And as many of the tracks are simply re-recordings of the album versions, I have decided to focus on the tracks that are of greatest interest on the two disks.

Disk 1

1. Foxey Lady *****

This is the track that opened the UK release of Are You Experienced, and the initial guitar riff that opens it is one of the most recognisable and best in rock music, building slowly to a shrill sonic wail. This version of this classic song has a bit more power than the album release, taking on some of the elements of their live performance of it, although shorter, with great changes in dynamics and that slightly shrill, dirty feel that makes this track the classic that it is.

3. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window *****

Originally a Bob Dylan single, this nice reworking of the song gives more of a focus to the guitar part, as you may guess, but this takes nothing away from it, keeping to much the same pace and style of the original. As Jimi Hendrix was such a fan of Dylan, he knew what he was doing, and provides the best cover of the song I have heard, and this recording sits as a historic document to the work of Hendrix, as it is the only known recording of it by him. The drum work from Mitch Mitchell, as usual, is great and keeps the track driving on, with some nice fills and additions to the original.

5. (I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man *****

This is a classic Rhythm and Blues track, again reworked spectacularly by Hendrix, with some of his best vocals on the release here, building with the backing and providing some of the dynamics and power that make the original the classic that it is. The bass line provided by Noel Redding come into prominence here, providing the backbone of the piece whilst the other two go off into solo mode later in the track.

7. Driving South *****

Driving South is a great instrumental track containing the fast pace that Hendrix loved from his songs, and the change in pace that makes an instrumental track exciting. There are another two recordings of this one the release, but this, the longest of the three, is the best containing some tight arrangements and some great guitar work from Hendrix that this track really focuses on. The whole group though is on top of this, with the drumming consistently brilliant, as well as another great bass line from Noel Redding. Of all of the instrumental tracks that the group did, or Hendrix did with others, this rates right up there with some of the best, with some great wandering guitar work that builds in pace before dipping, and then returning again with renewed vigour to give it a great dynamic feel.

11. The Burning Of The Midnight Lamp *****

This track showcases some of the brilliance of the group in the studio capturing some of the magic of the single recording with low-budget equipment. Of course it is in no way better than the original, but considering that they were reduced to the bare minimum in terms of recording equipment and effects this is a great effort, with the vocals great throughout. The playing itself is very much in keeping with the original, with the slower parts during the verses before the blast of the power trio during the chorus.

12. Catfish Blues *****

At heart, Jimi Hendrix was a blues guitarist and this song really showcases that, with the slower, more subtle, playing during the vocal parts, before he is able to rip into the chorus and finale pieces, where he sets the track to rights. The vocals are again strong, a feature that is one of the highlights of the collection as a whole, with his great guitar playing impacting very little on his voice or his cues. But this track though is all about the guitar which permeates through the song with little sharp notes before it sails into solo mode.

16. Hound Dog ****

This is one track that you can tell was one of the more enjoyable to record, with a basic instrumental backing sat next to blasts of dog impersonations by Mitch and Noel, which make the track more of a joke, and as such lose the musicianship of it, but still makes it a great listening in terms of the fun factor. The lyrics themselves seem often off-the-cuff, altering the original and adding in parts when the barking becomes insistent and the guitar really kicks in.

18. Hear My Train A Comin’ *****

If there was one track that I would have liked a completely polished studio rendering, it would have been this (and Valleys Of Neptune), as it was played so often during live performances at such a high level that it deserved. I do own a few studio renderings, this included, and they are great, but one with great sound and fully developed instrumentation would have been a dream. But then, this is still a spectacular track, taking some of the elements that would be seen on Electric Ladyland’s Voodoo Chile, with the apparent audience watching them play, and sticking to some of the features heard on some live performances of the track. The track also features little bits of off-hand leaving the studio and Jimi speech, which is a nice way to end the song and disk 1.

Disk 2

2. Killing Floor *****

This is a track that is often featured in some of the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s early performances, a great working of this Howling Wolf track. It is fast in both pace and length of track, but this provides some of the excitement that makes this group as exciting today as they must have been when they were first around. The insistent guitar permeates through the track and becomes the centre piece, bellowing into the vocals and beyond them.

3. Radio One *****

This is a brief radio jingle that the group devised for radio one, a nice little track that shows the enjoyment they must have had playing in the studio. The song itself would have made one of the best radio jingles I have ever heard, with some nice rough guitar and hammering drums, which fill in between vocal parts, where the lyrics are simply fun and off-the-wall.

5. Day Tripper *****

This Beatles track is sung by Noel Redding, although the impersonation is so good that many thought John Lennon himself had been on the recordings. The song itself is a far harder rougher version of the original, with some great drum work from Mitch Mitchell that gives the song an extra edge and perhaps improves upon the original. The sonic guitar makes it sound far dirtier and rough than the original giving it an edge that suited the Experience in terms of energy and arrangement, showing there improvisational skills as well as musical ability.

6. Spanish Castle Magic *****

This version is much rougher and harder the original, reminding me more of the release on the Jimi Hendrix Experience Box Set, which features a studio rendition from about 1969. This may of course simply be due to the lack of effects and production that they had available to them, but I have always though that this suited the song far better, giving the slightly surreal lyrics an extra edge. The vocals are strong throughout and are backed up by some nice near-harmonic parts from Redding throughout.

7. Jammin’ ****
8. I Was Made To Love Her ******

I have decided to talk about these tracks together as they do flow quite well and are both done with Stevie Wonder filling in on the drums, as he was seen in the corridor waiting to be interviewed and they asked him if he wanted to have a quick jam and this is the result. Although the songs are far from exceptional or perfect, they a historical documents that still hold together well as a nice jam between the two great musicians, with the drumming pretty impressive considering the person behind it. The guitar permeates through both tracks and builds in from the drumming by Wonder. But for me it is in the second track that the two come together, with the guitar toned down and playing a simpler melody line that suits that less flashy drumming on show here.

12. Manic Depression *****

The voice of the introduction suggests that perhaps he was out of his depth in terms of the group, but the track enters and we instantly forget it, as this version of the great track has a more laid back slower feel. The guitar and drums seem forced down a bit and the more melodic and controlled feel gives the song a slightly different edge, and even though the original style probably suited the song material, it is still an interesting listen. The sound does drop slightly compared to some of the other tracks, but then this was recorded on a television broadcast rather than a studio, so I think it is to be expected.

14. Hear My Train A Comin’ [Alternate Take] *****

Even though this is simply another take of a song we have already heard on the first disk it is still a great listen in its own right, with a slightly rougher feel to the whole piece, as I assume this was an earlier take. The backing vocals from Noel Redding, as well as the pieces of speech put in throughout the track, feel a bit more reserved, and the basic instrumentation feels a bit rougher again, but this perhaps adds to the excitement of the track, giving it more of a bar room feel, something that I quite like with the group as the instruments become more independent.

16. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) *****

I have always loved the sound of this song live, as it is played here on A Happening For Lulu, especially the introduction with the dirty guitar feel that it can sometimes have, as it does here. This, as well as the next two tracks are the only ones not from 1967, recorded in January 1969, when the group had developed there sound from the rest of the material shown here, with more exciting backing arrangements and challenging material. The vocals themselves here are strong and give this already rough and ready track more feeling and power, with the lyrics done with the instruments rather than the other way around. The bass line here though is some of the best, providing most of the rhythm and tightness of this track, something that is often pushed behind the other two members.

18. Hey Joe *****
19. Sunshine Of Your Love ****

These two tracks blend into one another, almost, as the group were asked to play Hey Joe, one of their bigger hits in the UK, although the group were not to pleased with this idea and just decide to stop in the middle of the song and begin Sunshine Of Your Love in a tribute to the recently split-up Cream. Hey Joe though also features a great long beginning, with some nice heavier guitar work, before kicking into the classic Hey Joe riff, something you can tell that would have made the production start pulling out their hair. But then Hendrix suddenly stops, after giving a rather lack lustre vocal performance, forgetting some of the lyrics, a fact that he sings into the microphone, and tells the audience that he is dedicating the next song to Cream. They then kick into Sunshine of Your Love, a song apparently heavily influenced by Hendrix, before Jimi shouts into the microphone, “We’re being taken off the air…”, after which they build to a premature finish.

Thus, in terms of fans of Jimi Hendrix, I would urge you to buy this release if you have any interest in the music, as this features some great performances of some of his tracks and many others besides. It is the covers and the non-studio tracks that really make this release though, as they provide something for fans to cherish within their collection. For those who are not huge fans of Jimi Hendrix, or those who don’t already own his studio releases, I would say that this is an album to buy once you have heard his main releases, as this compliments and builds on them rather than sitting as a document of the man an the group. The history behind the recordings though does warrant owning this, as does the fabulous presentation and content of the release, with an informative booklet and some nice colour pictures within the booklet and the sleeve. If you own the original Radio One release, I would also urge you to buy this, as it builds on that in terms of the track listing and for me, it sounds far better in terms of the studio tracks, although they still feature a few flaws that can easily be overlooked when considering the material. So if you want to expand your Jimi Hendrix collection from his studio releases, I would put this release beside the likes of South Saturn Delta and Band Of Gypsies, but behind First Rays Of The New Rising Sun, which for me is the next step for anyone with an interest in the music of Jimi Hendrix and the Jimi Hendrix Experience.  

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