After being in limbo for more than two years, the new Jimi Hendrix box set, Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision, will be available as a 5LP/Blu-ray and 3CD/Blu-ray on September 13. Most of the tracks were recorded @ Electric Lady Studios in New York. The Blu-ray contains the posthumous First Rays of the New Rising Sun album that was released in 1997 in 5.1, plus one track from Rainbow Bridge, The Jimi Hendrix Experience box set, and Valleys of Neptune.
The box set was originally slated for a release in March 2022, but it was pulled from reasons unknown. The same happened to the single with Angel (Take 7) on the A-side and Message To Love (live @ New York Pop Festival, Downing Stadium, Randall's Island, NY - July 17, 1970) on the B-side was supposed to be released for Record Store Day that year, which is now available on white vinyl as of today.
On September 13, Experience Hendrix L.L.C., in partnership with Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, is releasing Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision, a deluxe box set offering 39 tracks (38 previously unreleased) that were recorded by the new-look Jimi Hendrix Experience (Billy Cox on bass, Mitch Mitchell on drums) at Electric Lady Studios between June and August of 1970, just before the legendary musician’s untimely death the following month.
In celebration of the forthcoming release, on August 8, the City of New York will be temporarily renaming the portion of West 8th Street between 6th Street and MacDougal Street JIMI HENDRIX WAY. This is the block on which Electric Lady Studios was built and still stands. There will also be a media screening event inside the studio that night.
The project also includes 20 newly created 5.1 surround sound mixes of the entire First Rays Of The New Rising Sun album plus three bonus tracks [“Valleys Of Neptune,” “Pali Gap,” and “Lover Man”]. The Blu-ray includes the critically acclaimed, full-length documentary Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision. The film chronicles the creation of the studio, rising from the rubble of a bankrupt Manhattan nightclub to becoming a state-of-the-art recording facility inspired by Hendrix’s desire for a permanent studio. Directed by John McDermott and produced by Janie Hendrix, George Scott and McDermott, the film features exclusive interviews with Steve Winwood (who joined Hendrix on the first night of recording at the new studio), Experience bassist Billy Cox and original Electric Lady staff members who helped Hendrix realize his dream. The documentary includes never-before-seen footage and photos as well as track breakdowns of Hendrix classics such as “Freedom,” Angel” and “Dolly Dagger” by recording engineer Eddie Kramer. The package includes an extensive booklet filled with unpublished photos, Hendrix’s handwritten song drafts, and comprehensive liner notes. The new release comes on the heels of another feature-length documentary that was created by the same team; Music, Money, Madness… Jimi Hendrix Live In Maui, which was nominated for a GRAMMY in the Best Music Film category in 2022.
Leading the project is a previously unreleased version of “Angel [Take 7].” This newly mixed, stripped down version includes the original performances recorded by Hendrix, Mitchell and Cox on July 23, 1970. It does not include any of the drums and additional percussion elements Mitchell opted to add to this master take after Jimi had died.
Contained on the five vinyl LPs or three CDs in the Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision box set are 39 tracks recorded by Jimi and his band—consisting of bassist Billy Cox and drummer Mitch Mitchell—at the studio within the last four months of the guitarist’s life. Hendrix was hard at work creating First Rays Of The New Rising Sun, the ambitious double album that would follow his 1968 masterwork Electric Ladyland. Inspired by the possibilities of the new studio, the Experience built classic fare such as “Night Bird Flying,” “Freedom,” and “Dolly Dagger” from the ground up. The set offers a comprehensive look at the work Hendrix undertook during that fruitful summer of 1970. The music ranges from four-track demo recordings of “Valleys Of Neptune” and “Heaven Has No Sorrow,” alternate arrangements of promising new songs such as “Come Down Hard On Me” and “Belly Button Window,” extraordinary, live in the studio takes of “Tune X/In From The Storm,” “Astro Man” and “The Long Medley,” a stirring, 26 minute spontaneous exploration of “Beginnings,” “Hey Baby (New Rising Sun),” “Keep On Groovin’” and “Freedom.” Additionally, the box set present many of the mixes the guitarist completed with engineer Eddie Kramer before leaving to begin a European tour on August 30 at the Isle Of Wight festival in England. Hendrix would never again return to Electric Lady Studios.
The newly mixed 5.1 audio tracks contained on the Blu-ray of Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision include all 17 tracks from the posthumously released First Rays of the New Rising Sun (1997, recorded 1968-70), as well as “Pali Gap” from Rainbow Bridge (1971, recorded 1970), “Lover Man” from The Jimi Hendrix Experience box set, (2000, recorded 1970) and “Valleys of Neptune” from Valleys of Neptune (2010, recorded 1969-70).
The documentary explains in depth that while Jimi Hendrix’s death robbed the public of so much potential music, the continued success of his recording studio provides a lasting legacy beyond his own music. John Lennon, The Clash, AC/DC, Chic, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder and hundreds more made records at Electric Lady Studios, which speaks to one of Jimi’s lasting achievements in an industry that has radically changed over the course of the last half century.
5LP tracklist:
DISC ONE
SIDE ONE
1) Ezy Ryder [Alternate Mix]* 6/18/70
2) Valleys Of Neptune [Alternate Version]* 6/15/70
3) Straight Ahead [Takes 1 & 2]* 6/17/70
4) Astro Man [Takes 9 & 10]* 6/24/70
5) Drifting [Takes 1 & 2]* 6/25/70
6) Night Bird Flying [Take 25]* 6/16/70
DISC TWO
SIDE ONE
1) Dolly Dagger [Takes 17 & 18]* 7/1/70
2) Lover Man 7/20/70
3) Freedom [Take 4]* 6/25/70
4) Angel [Take 7]* 7/23/70
5) Beginnings [Take 5]*
SIDE TWO
1) The Long Medley [Astro Man / Beginnings / Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) / Midnight Lightning (Keep On Groovin’) / Freedom]* 6/24/70
DISC THREE
SIDE ONE
1) Freedom [Alternate Version]* 7/19/70
2) Valleys Of Neptune [Demo]* 6/70
3) Tune X*/Just Came In [Take 6]* 7/22/70
4) Drifting [Alternate Version]* 8/20/70
5) Messing Around [Take 17]* 6/16/70
SIDE TWO
1) Tune X* / Just Came In (Take 8)* 7/22/70
2) Dolly Dagger [Alternate Version]* 7/19/70
3) Come Down Hard On Me [take 15]* 7/15/70
4) Heaven Has No Sorrow [Demo]* 6/70
DISC FOUR
SIDE ONE
1) Midnight Lightning* / Beginnings* 7/1/70
2) Dolly Dagger [Mix 2]* 8/20/70
3) Belly Button Window [Take 1]* 7/23/70
SIDE TWO
1) Night Bird Flying [Alternate Version]* 8/20/70
2) Freedom [Alternate Version]* 8/20/70
3) Straight Ahead [Alternate Mix]* 8/20/70
4) In From The Storm [Alternate Mix]* 8/24/70
DISC FIVE
SIDE ONE
1) Bolero* / Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) [Alternate Mix]* 8/22/70
2) Drifter’s Escape [Alternate Mix]* 8/22/70
SIDE TWO
1) Bleeding Heart [Alternate Mix]* 8/22/70
2) Drifting [Alternate Version]* 11/20/70
3) Astro Man [Alternate Version]* 8/22/70
4) Room Full Of Mirrors [Alternate Version]* 10/20/70
5) Angel [Alternate Version]* 10/19/70
*Previously unreleased
3CD tracklist:
DISC ONE
1) Ezy Ryder [Alternate Mix]* 6/18/70 2) Valleys Of Neptune [Alternate Version]* 6/15/70 3) Straight Ahead [Takes 1 & 2]* 6/17/70 4) Drifter’s Escape [Takes 1 & 2]* 6/17/70 5) Astro Man [Takes 9 & 10]* 6/24/70 6) Astro Man [Take 14]* 6/24/70 7) Drifting [Takes 1 & 2]* 6/25/70 8) Night Bird Flying [Take 25]* 6/16/70 9) Farther Up The Road* 6/24/70 10) The Long Medley [Astro Man / Beginnings / Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) / Midnight Lightning (Keep On Groovin’) / Freedom]* 6/24/70
DISC TWO
1) Earth Blues [Alternate Mix]* 6/26/70 2) Dolly Dagger [Takes 17 & 18]* 7/1/70 3) Angel [Take 7]* 7/23/70 4) Beginnings [Take 5]* 7/1/70 5) Lover Man 7/20/70 6) Tune X* / Just Came In [Take 6]* 7/22/70 7) Heaven Has No Sorry [Demo]* 6/26/70 8) Freedom [Take 4]* 6/25/70 9) Valleys Of Neptune [Demo]* 6/26/70 10) Come Down Hard On Me [Take 15]* 7/15/70 11) Dolly Dagger [Alternate Version]* 7/19/70 12) Messing Around [Take 17]* 6/16/70 13) Tune X* / Just Came In [Take 8]* 7/22/70 14) Drifting [Alternate Version]* 8/20/70 15) Freedom [Alternate Version]* 7/19/70 16) Belly Button Window [Take 1]* 7/23/70
DISC THREE
1) Dolly Dagger [Mix 2]* 8/20/70 2) Night Bird Flying [Alternate Version]* 8/20/70 3) Freedom [Alternate Version]* 8/20/70 4) Midnight Lightning* / Beginnings* 7/1/70 5) Straight Ahead [Alternate Mix]* 8/20/70 6) In From The Storm [Alternate Mix]* 8/24/70 7) Bolero* / Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) [Alternate Mix]* 8/22/70 8) Drifter’s Escape [Alternate Mix]* 8/22/70 9) Astro Man [Alternate Version]* 8/22/70 10) Bleeding Heart [Alternate Mix]* 8/22/70 11) Drifting [Alternate Version]* 11/20/70 12) Room Full Of Mirrors [Alternate Version]* 10/19/70 13) Angel [Alternate Version]* 10/19/70
*Previously unreleased
First Rays of the New Rising Sun + Bonus Tracks 5.1 Mixes (contained on Blu-ray with both vinyl and CD versions of package)
1) Freedom 2) Izabella 3) Night Bird Flying 4) Angel 5) Room Full of Mirrors 6) Dolly Dagger 7) Ezy Ryder 8) Drifting 9) Beginnings 10) Stepping Stone 11) My Friend 12) Straight Ahead 13) Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) 14) Earth Blues 15) Astro Man 16) In From the Storm 17) Belly Button Window 18) Pali Gap (from Rainbow Bridge) 19) Lover Man (from Jimi Hendrix Experience box set) 20) Valleys of Neptune (from Valleys of Neptune)
All 20 tracks available in 5.1 surround sound audio for first time ever.
