Noel Redding or Billy Cox for Jimi Hendrix? When the "Experience" wasn't together, Jimi played with Cox, and then when they reunited, Noel Redding came back after a while but was soon fired and Cox was hired again. I don't know if this was because Cox was the better player or because Redding just got on his nerves.

But, yeah, who was the better bass player? Any Jimi fans out there know the definitive answer? I know Redding was actually a guitar player given a bass...buy yeah I'm just wondering what you guys think. I don't know enough Hendrix tunes to make a choice myself.

but, yeah, what difference does it make?

Cox had a better groove in my opinion.

I like both, Eventhough I agree with Cox having a more intense groove.

Redding was a better musician (IMO). Cox was one of Jimi's old Army buddies, so Jimi had a certain loyalty to him. I saw Hendrix with Cox on bass and Miles on drums (pre Band of Gypsies), a little raw at the time, but a pretty solid improvisational foundation for Jimi's guitar playing.

Didn't Redding play on all of the big hits? I thought Noel complimented Jimi's playing great. That's a very weird question actually...who was better? Technically? Creatively?

I guess just all around. It's true it doesn't matter, but it makes for a good conversation piece...

Redding, but Cox is great as well

Didn't Redding play on all of the big hits?

IIRC, Jimi played bass on several of the "hits" . . .

Hendrix didn't really have many hits in America. He sold albums, not 45s. I think his biggest single was "All Along the Watchtower", which only made it to the Top 20. The album Axis was #1 in England for weeks, maybe months.

Jimi liked Noel, but didn't care for his playing. He liked Mitch's drumming, but didn't care much for Mitch.

Billy vs Noel? No contest, but keep in mind Noel started playing bass when the JH EXP formed, and at the time playing bass to that would be a challenge for an experienced bassist.

IIRC, Jimi played bass on several of the "hits" . . .
Watchtower being one.

It's all a matter of taste, but for me Cox played and grooved like a bass player........so Cox.;)

this came from this months bassplayer mag, didn't it? now everyone's a Hendrix bass expert :smug:

Redding by just a hair- but I'm the kind of guy who digs Mike Rutherford over Larry Graham, so that should devalue my opinion in most of the talkbass community's eyes.

Jimi was a better bass player than either one of them.

My guess, and this is only a guess, is that Cox was a better bass player than Redding, but I have a feeling that Hendrix also liked having Cox around a lot more than Redding.

Noel Redding was right for what Jimi was doing at the time. Billy fit well in BOG . Who was better? Jack Casady when Jimi played Berkley.

gm

Noel Redding or Billy Cox for Jimi Hendrix? When the "Experience" wasn't together, Jimi played with Cox, and then when they reunited, Noel Redding came back after a while but was soon fired and Cox was hired again. I don't know if this was because Cox was the better player or because Redding just got on his nerves.

But, yeah, who was the better bass player? Any Jimi fans out there know the definitive answer? I know Redding was actually a guitar player given a bass...buy yeah I'm just wondering what you guys think. I don't know enough Hendrix tunes to make a choice myself.

I never rated either of em particularly highly... from that era there are a dozen other bass players i'd rather listen to

Redding (to his credit) understood the gig and did terrific job.

Billy Cox was much more of a bassist though, IMO. Most of that later posthumously released stuff (Dolly Dagger, EZ Ryder, New Rising Sun, etc) that had Billy & Mitch on it had some really smokin' rythm tracks. Billy was a strong fingerstyle player.

Jimi liked Noel, but didn't care for his playing. He liked Mitch's drumming, but didn't care much for Mitch.

There is no truth to that acually. Jimi didnt really like Noel's playing or care for him at all. Noel played guitar before entering Hendrix's band and was always jealous of Hendrix. He often complained about long recording hours hence Hendrix picking up the bass and reocrding over half of Electric Ladyland. Now Hendrix and Mitch Mitchell were really the best of friends. Their styles were a perfect compliment to each other and no matter what band Hendrix was gonna have he was going to have Mitch. (Mitch was out of the country playing with a band when Band of Gypsys was formed.)

Now Noel vs. Billy . I really think there is no comparison. They both played with Hendrix at different periods musically. Noel and Billy both had huge help from basslines from Hendrix. Noel's style was more about pushing the song along while Billy was just groovin'. If you've ever listened to Hendrix playing bass on Electric Ladyland he played a style that combined both. No winner , they are all great.

Hendrix didn't really have many hits in America. He sold albums, not 45s. I think his biggest single was "All Along the Watchtower", which only made it to the Top 20. The album Axis was #1 in England for weeks, maybe months.

Didn't Jimi only have one song that made it to number one? Technically making him a one-hit-wonder?

It's all a matter of taste, but for me Cox played and grooved like a bass player........so Cox.;)

Agree 100%...no doubt about it.

I'm not alone on this(I recall a certain thread back when I lurked at jazzcorner.com-
Are You Experienced? is almost unlistenble because of the bass.

Didn't Jimi only have one song that made it to number one? Technically making him a one-hit-wonder?

I don't think he had a #1 song in America.

What's worse is "My Ding-A-Ling" is chuck Berry's biggest hit.

It's a strange world...

There is no truth to that acually.


I read it in a book - it must be true.

I'm the kind of guy who digs Mike Rutherford over Larry Graham, so that should devalue my opinion in most of the talkbass community's eyes.


Yeah, but we're in awe of you for admitting it :eek:

JKT :rolleyes:

Noel Redding was adequate at best, Cox was a real bass player who could groove. Redding was a rhythm guitarist/song writer when Chas Chandler put the band together for Jimi. I heard Hendrix with Redding and was not impressed. That is why Hendrix started telling Redding what to play and later started playing bass on tracks himself. Redding got to be a whiner and didn't like the way Hendrix was touring, how Hendrix liked to record, and he wanted to write more. So Jimi phased him out.

So the best bass players for Jimi Hendrix were Jimi himself and Billy Cox.

While Noel was interesting, many of his studio tracks were in fact played by Jimi.

Not to disrespect Noel, but Billy Cox laid it down in textbook style with the Band of Gypsys. Awesome hooks and groove.

Didn't Jimi only have one song that made it to number one? Technically making him a one-hit-wonder?

FYI, there are LOTS of "one-hit-wonders" whose "hit" didn't even break into the top 10, let alone make it to number one . . .

He, in his time, had SEVERAL "hits" . . .

IIRC (there are probably more . . . )

Hey Joe
Purple Haze
The Wind Cries Mary
Foxy Lady
Little Wing
All Along the Watchtower

People used to knock Noel's bass playing, like they used to like to say Bill Wyman wasn't any good (I don't share that opinion). But, look at it from Noel's perspective and don't forget what was being done with the guitar prior to fall of '66. He was a guitarist and just fell up into playing bass with Jimi. And Mitch wasn't a laid back drummer by any means. Noel probably felt like he was dropped off in a foreign country, or another planet. His job was to hold downthe structural theme of the songs with the bass, a new instrument to him. I expect Jimi showed him some of the stuff, like Manic Depression where the bass and guitar play about the same thing except for the break. And what else are you going to do with "Foxy Lady" or "Wait 'Til Tomorrow"? I never got off on his bass playing, but the bottom line is that part of the Experience's overall sound was because of his simplicity. Sometimes less is best, and that was one of those times. I don't mean anything against Jack Bruce, just using him as an example, but if he had played on the early stuff there might have been just too much going on and the foundation of the song could have been compromised. While what Noel did in itself isn't anything special, the way he held it together without doing anything distasteful is admirable.

:cool:
Both were great.

As a bassist, I liked Billy better.
I's all about the groove.

Would have loved to hear, Jack Cassidy, and Steve Winwood with Jimi
live.

:cool:
Both were great.

As a bassist, I liked Billy better.
I's all about the groove.

Would have loved to hear, Jack Cassidy, and Steve Winwood with Jimi
live.

There is a DVD of the show from Oakland coliseum with Jack.

Billy. no contest.

I read it in a book - it must be true.

That was one of the main reasons Noel left was becasue he was jealous of Jimi. In late 69 Jimi's manager wanted to reunite the original Experience to do some shows but Jimi refused to play with Noel again , keeping Mitch and bringing in Billy. So I really dont see how you can say Jimi liked noel but didnt like mitch. Its the other way around ... Its obvious.

I said the book said Jimi liked Noel, not his bass playing, and Jimi liked Mitch's drumming, not Mitch. I really don't know, I wasn't there. I never heard or read the reasons for Noel leaving. I find jealously hard to buy, he was making good money. Maybe he had to swallow some pride and postpone his dream while with Jimi, but so what? He was a much more successful with Hendrix than with Fat Matress. It might have been he felt like the weak link as a musician, but he played the part fine IMO. He was lucky to have gotten that job, no doubt about that.

Most people here have some pretty good insights. They were both good for twhat Jimi was doing at the time..

But I'm gonna have to say that I really just wanna rock out to Band of Gypsies cause of its groove. I doubt Noel Redding could ever have done that.

When bass players come to mind, Noel Redding does not.

Billy Cox.....absolutely....just listen to any of Jimi's post experience stuff........

New Years eve 1969.........I was there and heard them play together live.......Billy Cox and Buddy Miles were really layin' it down for Jimi.....I was 15 years old.

Jimi was my first musical hero........

New Years eve 1969.........I was there and heard them play together live.......Billy Cox and Buddy Miles were really layin' it down for Jimi.....I was 15 years old.
Jimi was my first musical hero........

I was there the next night, sealed my fate!;)

Since you guys were at the Filmore, would you tell me something? How did the audience react in "Who Knows" and "Machine Gun" when the music got quiet and Buddy was doing the vocal scat stuff?

Since you guys were at the Filmore, would you tell me something? How did the audience react in "Who Knows" and "Machine Gun" when the music got quiet and Buddy was doing the vocal scat stuff?

The show I was at Jimi really didn't play any older songs and a few people called out for Fire, Foxy Lady etc, but that was about it. Jimi pretty much just stood there and played, no jumping around. I was pretty close, if anybody was bitching, I didn't hear it.

Cox

But, look at it from Noel's perspective and don't forget what was being done with the guitar prior to fall of '66. He was a guitarist and just fell up into playing bass with Jimi.

Somewhere I read-
It was all about Redding's hair-style.
;)

There is a DVD of the show from Oakland coliseum with Jack.

:cool:
Thanks,

So either yer racist or you like Cox?

Now Noel vs. Billy . I really think there is no comparison. They both played with Hendrix at different periods musically. Noel and Billy both had huge help from basslines from Hendrix. Noel's style was more about pushing the song along while Billy was just groovin'. If you've ever listened to Hendrix playing bass on Electric Ladyland he played a style that combined both. No winner , they are all great.
This is the best comparison and reasoning I have ever seen on this subject, and it's pretty much how i feel, no one was better it's all about playing style and attitude. It's all about the fundamental challenge of every bass player in every band in every song, knowing when to be a foundation for the song, when to push and when to groove.

I actually think redding by quite a bit. Cox would stick to a groove, but I didn't hear any variations that led to a pretty good vision of it all. Heard that in a couple of spots with redding. BBC sessions? Anyways.....

what is more interesting is mitch vs buddy. Mitch was a monster on the kit, buddy was not. but buddy is an AWESOME singer, even while busting out beats. Had they had more time together, I would have been real interested in the gypsies.

BTW, if you can check out buddy miles' stuff prior to then, pretty groovy stuff.

I would have dug a Noel/Buddy rhythm section most of all...

Billy Cox's playing is more to my liking. Thicker, groovier, not trying to "compete".

Since you guys were at the Filmore, would you tell me something? How did the audience react in "Who Knows" and "Machine Gun" when the music got quiet and Buddy was doing the vocal scat stuff?

I dont really know how the audience reacted but Ive that when Jimi was reviewing the tapes he had his face in his hands , shakin his head say " Buddy come on...or something to that effect. " Buddy was kind of known for taking over the top at times. I think some of the vocal scat sounds good but he takes it over the top after awhile.

Redding by just a hair- but I'm the kind of guy who digs Mike Rutherford over Larry Graham, so that should devalue my opinion in most of the talkbass community's eyes.
When you're talking about Noel Redding, you're talking about a GREAT DEAL of hair. One of the finest white-boy afros I've ever seen.

I'm gonna go with Cox.

My ultimate combination

Jimi

Billy Cox

Mitch Mitchell

Jimi could soar as high as he wanted while billy stayed out of his way and kept a solid groove with nice fills and licks. Mitch was a beast on the drums, absolutely insane! Buddy miles was a boring drummer in my opinion.

I saw a BBC footage of jimi performing and I was laughing at noel redding because he was staring at jimi for the entire song, just staring at him like "that should be me!" I'm gonna find it and post a link, give me a few minutes, it's so funny!

Noel Redding or Billy Cox for Jimi Hendrix? When the "Experience" wasn't together, Jimi played with Cox, and then when they reunited, Noel Redding came back after a while but was soon fired and Cox was hired again. I don't know if this was because Cox was the better player or because Redding just got on his nerves.

But, yeah, who was the better bass player? Any Jimi fans out there know the definitive answer? I know Redding was actually a guitar player given a bass...buy yeah I'm just wondering what you guys think. I don't know enough Hendrix tunes to make a choice myself.

No idea...I always thought it was just Redding - he had his own model of Fender even.

I like both. Plus they played with Jimi...so they had to be good.

billy. and buddy. just a powerhouse, and i love buddy's vocal forays. fantastically visceral...gotta go listen to the intro of "power of soul" :bassist: