JIMI HENDRIX Smash Hits A2//B1 Nice Copy

	£		19
	$		25

A BREAKDOWN OF THE ARTIST/S :-

Born Johnny Allen Hendrix, 27 November 1942, Seattle, Washington, USA, d. 18 September 1970, London, England. (His father subsequently changed his son's name to James Marshall Hendrix.) More superlatives have been bestowed upon Hendrix than any other rock guitarist. Unquestionably one of music's most influential figures, he brought an unparalleled vision to the art of playing electric guitar. Self-taught (and with the burden of being left-handed with a right-handed guitar), he spent hours absorbing the recorded legacy of southern-blues practitioners, from Robert Johnson to BornBorn King. The aspiring musician joined several local R&B bands while still at school, before enlisting as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division. It was during this period that Hendrix met Billy Cox, a bass player with whom he collaborated at several stages during his career. Together they formed the King Kasuals, an in-service attraction later resurrected when both men returned to civilian life.

Hendrix was discharged in July 1962 after breaking his right ankle. He began working with various touring revues, backing, among others, the Impressions, Sam Cooke and the Valentinos. He enjoyed lengthier spells with the Isley Brothers, Little Richard and King Curtis, recording with each of these acts, but was unable to adapt to the discipline their performances required. The experience and stagecraft gained during this formative period proved essential to the artist's subsequent development. By 1965 Hendrix was living in New York. In October he joined struggling soul singer Curtis Knight, signing a punitive contract with the latter's manager, Ed Chalpin. This ill-advised decision returned to haunt the guitarist. In June the following year, Hendrix, now calling himself Jimmy James, formed a group initially dubbed the Rainflowers, then Jimmy James And The Blue Flames. The quartet, which also featured future Spirit member Randy California, was appearing at the Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village when Chas Chandler was advised to see them. The Animals' bass player immediately recognized the guitarist's extraordinary talent and persuaded him to go to London in search of a more receptive audience.

Hendrix arrived in England in September 1966. Chandler became his co-manager in partnership with Mike Jeffries (aka Jeffreys), and immediately began auditions for a suitable backing group. Noel Redding (Born 25 December 1945, Folkestone, Kent, England, d. 11 May 2003, Clonakilty, Ireland) was selected on bass, having recently failed to join the New Animals, while John "Mitch" Mitchell (Born 9 July 1947, Ealing, Middlesex, England), a veteran of the Riot Squad and Georgie Fame's Blue Flames, became the trio's drummer. The new unit, dubbed the Jimi Hendrix Experience, made its debut the following month at Evereux in France. On returning to England they began a string of club engagements that attracted pop's aristocracy, including Pete Townshend and Eric Clapton. In December the trio released their first single, the understated, resonant "Hey Joe". Its UK Top 10 placing encouraged a truly dynamic follow-up in "Purple Haze", which climbed to number 3 in the same charts. "Purple Haze" was memorable for Hendrix's guitar pyrotechnics and a lyric that incorporated the artist's classic line: "'Scuse me while I kiss the sky".

On tour, Hendrix's trademark Fender Stratocaster and Marshall Amplifier were punished night after night, as the trio enhanced its reputation with exceptional live appearances. Here Hendrix drew on black culture and his own heritage to produce a startling visual and aural bombardment. Framed by a halo of long, wiry hair, his slight figure was clad in a bright, rainbow-mocking costume. Although never a demonstrative vocalist, his delivery was curiously effective. Hendrix's playing technique, meanwhile, although still drawing its roots from the blues, encompassed an emotional range far greater than any contemporary guitarist. Rapier-like runs vied with measured solos, matching energy with ingenuity, while a wealth of technical possibilities - distortion, feedback and sheer volume - brought texture to his overall approach. This assault was enhanced by a flamboyant stage persona in which Hendrix used the guitar as a physical appendage. He played his instrument behind his back, between his legs or, in simulated sexual ecstasy, on the floor. Such practices brought criticism from radical quarters, who claimed the artist had become an "Uncle Tom", employing tricks to ingratiate himself with the white audience - accusations that neglected similar showmanship from generations of black performers, from Charley Patton to "T-Bone" Walker. Redding's clean, uncluttered basslines provided the backbone to Hendrix's improvisations, while Mitchell's drumming, as instinctive as his leader's guitar playing, was a perfect foil.

Their concessions to the pop world now receding, the Jimi Hendrix Experience completed an astonishing debut album (Are You Experienced) that ranged from the apocalyptic vision of "I Don't Live Today", to the blues of "Red House" and the funk of "Fire" and "Foxy Lady". Hendrix returned to America in June 1967 to appear, sensationally, at the Monterey Pop Festival. His performance was a musical and visual feast, culminating in a sequence that saw him playing the guitar with his teeth, and then burning the instrument with lighter fuel. He was now fˆted in his homeland, and following an ill-advised tour supporting the Monkees, the Jimi Hendrix Experience enjoyed reverential audiences on the country's nascent concert circuit. Axis: Bold As Love revealed a new lyrical capability, notably in the title track and the jazz-influenced "Up From The Skies". "Little Wing", a delicate love song bathed in unhurried guitar splashes, offered a gentle perspective, closer to that of the artist's shy, offstage demeanour. Released in December 1967, the collection completed a triumphant year, artistically and commercially, but within months the fragile peace began to collapse. In January 1968 the trio embarked on a gruelling American tour encompassing 54 concerts in 47 days. Hendrix was by this time tiring of the wild man image that had brought him initial attention, but he was perceived as diffident by spectators anticipating gimmickry. An impulsive artist, he was unable to disguise below-par performances, while his relationship with Redding grew increasingly fraught as the bass player rebelled against the set patterns he was expected to play.

The last official Jimi Hendrix Experience album, Electric Ladyland, was released in October 1968. This extravagant double set was initially deemed "self-indulgent", but is now recognized as a major work. It revealed the guitarist's desire to expand the increasingly limiting trio format, and contributions from members of Traffic (Chris Wood and Steve Winwood) and Jefferson Airplane (Jack Casady), in addition to the presence of keyboardist Al Kooper, drummer Buddy Miles and organist Mike Finnigan, embellished several selections. The collection featured a succession of virtuoso performances - "Gypsy Eyes", "Crosstown Traffic" - while the astonishing "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", a posthumous UK number 1 single, showed how Hendrix had brought rhythm, purpose and mastery to the recently invented wah-wah pedal. Electric Ladyland included the UK hits "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp" and "All Along The Watchtower" (Hendrix's only US Top 20 hit). The latter, an urgent restatement of the cryptic Bob Dylan song, was particularly impressive, and received the ultimate accolade when the composer adopted Hendrix's interpretation when performing it live on his 1974 tour.

Despite such creativity, the guitarist's private and professional life was becoming problematic. He was arrested in Toronto for possessing heroin, but although the charges were later dismissed, the proceedings clouded much of 1969. Chas Chandler had, meanwhile, withdrawn from the managerial partnership and although Redding sought solace with a concurrent band, Fat Mattress, his differences with Hendrix were now irreconcilable. The Experience played its final concert on 29 June 1969; Hendrix subsequently formed Gypsies Sons And Rainbows with Mitchell, Billy Cox (bass), Larry Lee (rhythm guitar), Juma Sultan and Jerry Velez (both percussion). This short-lived unit closed the Woodstock Festival, during which Hendrix performed his famed rendition of the "The Star-Spangled Banner". Perceived by some critics as a political statement, it came as the guitarist was increasingly being subjected to pressures from different causes.

In October he formed an all-black group, Band Of Gypsies, with Cox and Buddy Miles, intending to accentuate the African-American dimension in his music. The trio made its debut on 31 December 1969, but its potential was marred by Miles' comparatively flat, pedestrian drumming and unimaginative compositions. Part of the set was issued as Band Of Gypsies, but despite the inclusion of the exceptional "Machine Gun", this inconsistent album was only released to appease former manager Chalpin, who acquired the rights in part-settlement of a miserly early contract. The Band Of Gypsies broke up after a mere three concerts and initially Hendrix confined his efforts to completing the building of his Electric Ladyland recording studio. He then started work on another double set, First Rays Of The New Rising Sun (finally released in 1997), and later resumed performing with Cox and Mitchell. His final concerts were largely frustrating, as the aims of the artist and the expectations of his audience grew increasingly separate. His final UK appearance, at the Isle Of Wight festival, encapsulated this dilemma, yet still drew an enthralling performance. The guitarist returned to London following a short European tour. On 18 September 1970, his girlfriend, Monika Dannemann, became alarmed when she was unable to rouse him from sleep. An ambulance was called, but Hendrix was pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby hospital. The inquest recorded an open verdict, with death caused by suffocation due to inhalation of vomit. Eric Burdon claimed at the time to possess a suicide note, but this has never been confirmed.

Two posthumous releases, Cry Of Love and Rainbow Bridge, mixed portions of the artist's final recordings with masters from earlier sources. These were fitting tributes, but many others were tawdry cash-ins, recorded in dubious circumstances, mispackaged and mistitled. In November 1993 a tribute album, Stone Free, was released, containing a formidable list of performers including the Pretenders, Eric Clapton, Cure, Jeff Beck, Pat Metheny and Nigel Kennedy, a small testament to the huge influence Hendrix has wielded and will continue to wield as the most inventive rock guitarist of all time.

The litigation regarding ownership of Hendrix's recordings that had been running for many years was resolved in January 1997, when the Hendrix family finally won back the rights from Alan Douglas. This was made possible by the financial weight of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who, in addition to helping with legal expenses, financed the creation of a Jimi Hendrix Museum in Seattle. A major reissuing programme took place in 1997, including out-takes from the recording of Electric Ladyland. The reissued catalogue on Experience/MCA Records is now the definitive and final word, redressing the imbalance created by earlier archive releases.

The Hendrix legacy also rests in his prevailing influence on fellow musicians of all ages. Countless guitarists have imitated his technique; few have mastered it, while none at all have matched him as an inspirational player. The electric guitar in the hands of Hendrix was transformed into an extension of his body and as such puts him on an unassailable pedestal as the greatest.

Discography:
Are You Experienced (Track 1967)*****, Axis: Bold As Love (Track 1967)*****, Electric Ladyland (Track 1968)*****, Band Of Gypsies (Track 1970)***, shared with Otis Redding Monterey International Pop Festival (Reprise 1970)****, Cry Of Love (Polydor 1971)***, Experience (Ember 1971)**, Isle Of Wight (Polydor 1971)**, Rainbow Bridge (Reprise 1971)**, Hendrix In The West (Polydor 1971)***, More Experience (Ember 1972)*, War Heroes (Polydor 1972)**, Loose Ends (Polydor 1974)**, Crash Landing (Polydor 1975)**, Midnight Lightnin' (Polydor 1975)**, Nine To The Universe (Polydor 1980)**, The Jimi Hendrix Concerts (Columbia 1982)***, Jimi Plays Monterey (Polydor 1986)***, Live At Winterland (Polydor 1987)***, Radio One (Castle 1988)****, Live And Unreleased (Castle 1989)***, First Rays Of The New Rising Sun (Experience/MCA 1997)***, South Saturn Delta (Experience 1997)***, Original Soundtrack To The Motion Picture "Experience" (Charly 1998)**, Live At The Fillmore East (MCA 1999)****, Live At Woodstock (MCA 1999)***, The Albert Hall Experience (Charly 2001)**, Live At Clark University 1968 recording (Dagger 2002)*, The Last Experience 3-CD box set (Charly 2002)****, Blue Wild Angel: Jimi Hendrix Live At The Isle Of Wight (Polydor 2002)***, The Rainbow Bridge Concert (Purple Haze 2002)***, Live At Berkeley 1970 recording (Experience Hendrix 2003)***.

Compilations:
Smash Hits (Track 1968)****, The Essential Jimi Hendrix (Polydor 1978)****, The Essential Jimi Hendrix Volume Two (Polydor 1979)***, The Singles Album (Polydor 1983)****, Kiss The Sky (Polydor 1984)***, Cornerstones (Polydor 1990)***, Blues (Polydor 1994)***, Exp Over Sweden (Univibes 1993)**, Jimi In Denmark (Univibes 1995)**, BBC Sessions (Experience/MCA 1998)****, Experience Hendrix: The Best Of Jimi Hendrix (Experience/MCA 1998)****, The Jimi Hendrix Experience 4-CD box set (Experience/MCA 2000)****, The Summer Of Love Sessions (Freud 2001)**, Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection (Universal 2001)****, The Axis Outtakes (Purple Haze 2003)**, Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues (Experience Hendrix/MCA 2003)***, Astro Man 6-CD box set (Alchemy 2003)***.

THE HISTORY OF THE RECORD :- The 'rest of the world outside of US/Canada' (and in this unique case Barclay France who released their own choice of 'Greatest Hits') version appeared only four months after the second studio album, Axis: Bold as Love, while the band worked on their third. It contained their first four UK hit single, "Hey Joe", "Purple Haze", "The Wind Cries Mary", and Burning of the Midnight Lamp", along with respective B-sides, supplemented by four tracks taken from the debut LP Are You Experienced: "Fire", "Can You See Me", "Manic Depression", and "Foxy Lady". It marked the first appearance on album of "Burning of the Midnight Lamp", five months ahead of its placement on Electric Ladyland.

In the US, however, Reprise Records felt that a greatest-hits collection would have been premature in 1968, as up to then Hendrix had only had three low-charting singles in the US: "Purple Haze" peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #65, with "Foxy Lady" at #67 and a track taken from Axis, "Up From the Skies," at #82. Hendrix gained two more chart entries in 1968, tracks from Electric Ladyland "Crosstown Traffic" going to #52 and "All Along the Watchtower," his only US Top 40 'hit', at #20. A stereo version of "Fire" issued as a single in April 1969 missed the chart. As no new studio album was on the horizon in 1969, partly owing to the disbanding of the Experience by Hendrix exacerbated by tensions with Noel Redding, the label decided to issue a different compilation with the same title. To include three British hit singles on the American configuration of the debut album, there were also the tracks that had been elbowed off the UK Experienced which had yet to be released on album in the States, or in stereo.

The US version therefore contains five of the six singles released in the US, the three deleted tracks from the 'rest of the world outside of US/Canada' Are You Experienced — "Can You See Me," "Remember," and "Red House" — along with two European singles "The Wind Cries Mary" and "Hey Joe," "Stone Free" which would be released as a single in the US seven weeks after this LP, and the album track "Manic Depression."

The Japanese Polydor release had a uniquely different print of the US/Canada Are You Experienced fish-eye photograph cover by Karl Ferris. The remastered US version of this compilation was released on compact disc on March 9, 2010. Neither the UK nor US version contained tracks from Axis: Bold As Love.

The CD release in the late 1980s from Reprise Records is notable for being one of the few CDs to use the CD+G technology that would display graphics while the CD plays on certain systems hooked into a television

THE COVER :- Single laminated sleeve

THE LABEL :- Fontana blue labels

THE VINYL VISUALLY :- On initial inspection of this piece of vinyl it highlights one or two areas. The vinyl sits perfectly flat on the turntable so there are no nasty warps to worry about. There are two or three very light scratches on Side One , they are not deep and will cause no skips or jumps but they are there and can be seen clearly if the vinyl is inspected closely. Side Two is free from any defects. These scratches are light and any noise they might contribute to playback will be reviewed in the next section. Visually graded as Near Excellent.

THE VINYL PLAY GRADED :- The playgrading of the vinyl reveals hardly any lessening in the sound quality. It lives up to its visual grading and actually plays much better in the visually highlighted areas. There is very minimal surface noise in those areas. There is a little crackle on the intro of Track One but once the music starts there is very little that can be heard. Some crackle between tracks is probably the sum of it. Every track has been played fully and I can honestly say that nothing spoiled the enjoyment, there were no skips or jumps. I would grade the playback as Excellent to be conservative but it may be slightly better.

THE SLEEVE FRONT CONDITION :- Fully laminated Clout and Baker cover. The front of the sleeve is free from writing, free from stickers or evidence of previously removed stickers. The sleeve reveals some light ringwear which is not uncommon for black laminated covers. This is not indented wear though and more a soft outline. There are no creases to speak of just very tiny amounts of laminate lift, a couple near the spine and one small area in the bottom right corner. The bottom right corner has taken a small bump at some point in the past and there is other general corner wear. The top and bottom seam are in perfect shape. All in all a nice tide front to this cover but not perfect. I would grade as Near Excellent, maybe a little better.

THE SLEEVE REAR CONDITION :- The rear of the sleeve is free from writing, free from stickers or evidence of previously removed stickers. There are no creases on the rear of the sleeve and just some very light ringwear. There is the same type of corner wear that was reflected on the front of the sleeve but slightly less. Areas of the white are slightly yellowing now but I don't think it was ever meant to be a bright white. Overall I would say the rear is in Excellent condition.

THE LABEL SIDE ONE CONDITION :- Original Polydor label in excellent order free from stickers or writing and no damage at all, light signs of play around the spindle hole. Excellent Plus condition.

THE LABEL SIDE TWO CONDITION :- Original Polydor label in excellent order free from stickers or writing and no damage at all, light signs of play around the spindle hole. Excellent Plus condition.

THE SPINE CONDITION :- The writing on the spine is crystal clear, no spine splits at all just very light signs of shelfwear in the two corners. There is a small bump 3/4 of the way down which has crushed that part of the spine slightly, only about 10mm. Excellent condition

THE INNER SLEEVE CONDITION :- Generic white inner in Excellent condition just slight signs of ageing.

THE EXTRAS :- No extras were given with this album

THE CATALOGUE NUMBER :- 2310 268

THE YEAR OF RELEASE :-  1968

THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN :-  UK

PLAYING FORMAT :- STEREO

THE MATRIX NUMBERS :-  2310268 A//1  &  2310268 B//2

ETCHINGS :- MELY + BOB  JMH LIVES  &  MELYS + BOB JMH LIVES

STAMPERS :-  11 15    1 13

TRACK LISTING :-

SIDE ONE :-

1. PURPLE HAZE
2. FIRE
3. THE WIND CRIES MARY
4. CAN YOU SEE ME
5. 51ST ANNIVERSARY
6. HEY JOE

SIDE TWO :-

1. STONE FREE
2. THE STARS THAT PLAY WITH LAUGHING SAM'S DICE
3. MANIC DEPRESSION
4. HIGHWAY CHILE
5. THE BURNING OF THE MIDNIGHT LAMP
6. FOXY LADY

WHAT WE PLAY THE RECORD ON :- 

We use a Project 6 Perspex Turntable to play grade our records which delivers a rich authoritative sound and achieves a rich and weighty vibrancy unrivalled by the majority of decks within its price range

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We use a V.P.I. HW-16.5 record cleaning machine to clean your vinyl. "A highly recommended machine" as quoted by Stereophile magazine. This removes any excess dirt before playing

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Your record will be package very securely to minimise any risk of damage during transit. We remove the record from the outer sleeve unless asked not to do so. This helps to minimise the risk of seam spliting. We use a high quality record mailer which is designed to give superior protection for your vinyl record. We place stiffeners either side of the record for added protection. The album will also be placed in a 450 gram Poly outer sleeve for even extra added protection

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We always try to appraise the record for sale as openly and honestly as possible and provide plenty of pictures for you to look at but please be aware that errors however rare do occur and not everyone has the same audio  equipment. There is no problem that cannot be worked out in a civilised manner. We urge you to contact us so that we can discuss any small problems that may occur. We offer a refund of the purchase price for returned items within 7 days of purchase and are happy to help you with any questions or concerns you may have during the auction

SAVE US TO YOUR FAVOURITES LIST AS WE INTEND TO LIST MANY MORE RARE VINYL TREATS OVER THE COMING MONTHS AND YEARS