Hendrix with Buddy Miles? Please help.

[benc]

I'm on a quest for the version of Stepping Stone with Buddy playing drums. I know it was released as a single back in 1970 or so. I think the B-side was Room Full of Mirrors.

It's on an LP I have called Kiss the Sky but is there a current cd with the Buddy version? I checked out the sample track of First Rays on Amazon and I couldn't tell if that was Mitch or Buddy. Room Full on that record is definitely Buddy.

I have War Heroes where Mitch recorded over Buddy but I gotta have that solid ass train beat that Buddy laid down.

C'mon Jimi-philes. Help me!

[jerry]

The First Rays version is with Mitch and the same with the cut on the out of print Voodoo Soup. The only version with Buddy that I could find was off the Fillmore Concerts disks.

[benc]

Thanks for the reply, Jerry. You're right: After listening closely, that's definitely Mitch on First Rays. It's the same version I have on War Heroes.

You know, Mitch actually recorded over Buddy's track on Stepping Stone. Both versions are identical except for the drums. Mitch plays more of a straight rock beat on that cut. Buddy played this killer double-time, train beat, almost Country groove that just MAKES it.

Anyway, I found the Buddy version on mp3 on Amazon. I gladly coughed up 99 cents for the download. It's from a cd called, "Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection."

Thanks again!

[KPAX]

First Rays / Cry of Love is mostly Mitch but isn't Buddy on one or two tracks? Maybe Ezy Rider?
I thought he was.
Aside from that, I think Buddy is only on the NYE Fillmore concerts (Band Of Gypsy's) and other vault recordings from that brief period.

Originally Posted by benc

I'm on a quest for the version of Stepping Stone with Buddy playing drums. I know it was released as a single back in 1970 or so. I think the B-side was Room Full of Mirrors.

It's on an LP I have called Kiss the Sky but is there a current cd with the Buddy version? I checked out the sample track of First Rays on Amazon and I couldn't tell if that was Mitch or Buddy. Room Full on that record is definitely Buddy.

I have War Heroes where Mitch recorded over Buddy but I gotta have that solid ass train beat that Buddy laid down.

C'mon Jimi-philes. Help me!

[jerry]

Originally Posted by KPAX

First Rays / Cry of Love is mostly Mitch but isn't Buddy on one or two tracks? Maybe Ezy Rider?
I thought he was.

Your right, Buddy is only on Room Full Of Mirrors and Ezy Ryder.

[jerry]

p.s. I was just looking through the Hendrix box set and there are a few studio recordings in it with Buddy too.

[benc]

Cool, fellas. Can we add anything else to this list of Buddy Miles drumming on studio recordings?

1. Room Full of Mirrors
2. Ezy Ryder
3. Stepping Stone
4. Izabella

[jerry]

Originally Posted by benc

Cool, fellas. Can we add anything else to this list of Buddy Miles drumming on studio recordings?

1. Room Full of Mirrors
2. Ezy Ryder
3. Stepping Stone
4. Izabella

From the box set:
1. Message To Love
2. Earth Blues
3. Astro Man
4. Country Blues

[kcamsdog1387]

Originally Posted by jerry

From the box set:
1. Message To Love
2. Earth Blues
3. Astro Man
4. Country Blues

I love everything about Astro Man. My guitarist is on a quest to cover it. It might take a little while.

[benc]

Wow! Thanks, Jerry, for the list. I thought my thread was dead in the water. I get "subscribed thread" emails all the time from TalkBass. After my last post, I never got an email saying someone replied to this thread. Go figure.

I checked out the box set samples on Amazon and sure enough, it's definitely Buddy on the tracks you listed. Thanks so much for the info. I'm downloading the mp3's as I write this.

[jerry]

CD four of the box set is also a great reminder just how great Billy Cox was with Jimi. Soulful-bubbly grooves, it's like Jamerson in a rock band, perfect!

[ghiadub]

Buddy played a show here in sacramento a few years ago. We went, and he was getting ready to play some Hendrix tunes and he had to say:

"Any of you people ever heard of Jimi Hendrix?" He said it about ten times, trying to get people to yell, and each time a few more people left the club.

Sorry, not trying to bash his memory, but that really happened, and it really turned me off.

[jerry]

Originally Posted by ghiadub

Buddy played a show here in sacramento a few years ago. We went, and he was getting ready to play some Hendrix tunes and he had to say:

"Any of you people ever heard of Jimi Hendrix?" He said it about ten times, trying to get people to yell, and each time a few more people left the club.

Sorry, not trying to bash his memory, but that really happened, and it really turned me off.

It's sad, but it seemed Buddy was trying to release good material towards the end with the likes of Bill Laswell and Bootsy, but maybe the club owners told him to sell the Jimi "thing".

[benc]

Sorry to beat this in the ground, fellas. I'm just trying to get a definitive Band of Gypsys studio recordings list together.

BTW, I don't mean to disparage Mitch's playing. Axis: Bold as Love is my favorite Jimi album. Are You Experienced and Electric Ladyland are right behind.

I just dig Buddy's hard-hitting, no-frills, solid back-beat style. It complimented Billy's bass playing so well. It really anchored the groove and let Jimi take off and do what he did so well - as is evident on the original Band of Gypsys Lp.

With y'all's help, I've compiled the following list of available studio recordings of Buddy, Billy and Jimi:

1. Stepping Stone
(First appeared as a 45 released on Capitol in 1970, b/w Izabella. Currently available on Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection. Mitch Mitchell recorded over Buddy's tracks and that version appeared on War Heroes, Voodoo Soup and First Rays)

2. Izabella
(see above. The Mitch re-record appeared on War Heroes and First Rays)

3. Room Full of Mirrors
(I can't prove it but I'm pretty sure it was released on another Capitol 45, b/w Message to Love. It also Appeared on the Rainbow Bridge soundtrack. Currently available on First Rays of the New Rising Sun)

4. Message To Love
(see above. Currently available on the MCA box set, The Jimi Hendrix Experience)

5. Astro Man
(Currently available on the MCA box. A different version with Mitch appeared on Cry of Love and later, First Rays)

6. Earth Blues
(Currently available on the MCA box. A different version with Mitch appeared on the Rainbow Bridge soundtrack)

7. Little Drummer Boy/Silent Night/Auld Lang Syne
(Two different takes of this medley appeared on an EP called, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, released by MCA in 1999. It was taken from a rehearsal recorded just before the Band of Gypsys concert at the Fillmore)

Anyway, forgive me for getting all anal retentive about this. Hopefully some (one or two?) of my bass brothers will give a sh!t. Any corrections or additions are more than welcome.

[jerry]

Originally Posted by benc

Sorry to beat this in the ground, fellas. I'm just trying to get a definitive Band of Gypsys studio recordings list together.

BTW, I don't mean to disparage Mitch's playing. Axis: Bold as Love is my favorite Jimi album. Are You Experienced and Electric Ladyland are right behind.

I just dig Buddy's hard-hitting, no-frills, solid back-beat style. It complimented Billy's bass playing so well. It really anchored the groove and let Jimi take off and do what he did so well - as is evident on the original Band of Gypsys Lp.

With y'all's help, I've compiled the following list of available studio recordings of Buddy, Billy and Jimi:

1. Stepping Stone
(First appeared as a 45 released on Capitol in 1970, b/w Izabella. Currently available on Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection. Mitch Mitchell recorded over Buddy's tracks and that version appeared on War Heroes, Voodoo Soup and First Rays)

2. Izabella
(see above. The Mitch re-record appeared on War Heroes and First Rays)

3. Room Full of Mirrors
(I can't prove it but I'm pretty sure it was released on another Capitol 45, b/w Message to Love. It also Appeared on the Rainbow Bridge soundtrack. Currently available on First Rays of the New Rising Sun)

4. Message To Love
(see above. Currently available on the MCA box set, The Jimi Hendrix Experience)

5. Astro Man
(Currently available on the MCA box. A different version with Mitch appeared on Cry of Love and later, First Rays)

6. Earth Blues
(Currently available on the MCA box. A different version with Mitch appeared on the Rainbow Bridge soundtrack)

7. Little Drummer Boy/Silent Night/Auld Lang Syne
(Two different takes of this medley appeared on an EP called, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, released by MCA in 1999. It was taken from a rehearsal recorded just before the Band of Gypsys concert at the Fillmore)

Anyway, forgive me for getting all anal retentive about this. Hopefully some (one or two?) of my bass brothers will give a sh!t. Any corrections or additions are more than welcome.

I dug around my stuff and came up with just one more from the Lifelines box set.[long out of print]
1. Rainy Day Shuffle

[dougjwray]

The allmusic.com site credits Buddy with some of the drumming on "Nine to the Universe" (now out-of-print 1980 LP consisting of Hendrix's jams with people like Larry Young), but it doesn't go into further detail.

[dougjwray]

Also, "Loose Ends", an import from the '70s, had studio jams on "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Blue Suede Shoes."
Here's the latter, which includes the highly entertaining scenario of Jimi trying to get Buddy to play one of the oldest cliches around; Buddy has no idea what he's talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM03kYkqOJU

[standupright]

Originally Posted by dougjwray

Also, "Loose Ends", an import from the '70s, had studio jams on "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Blue Suede Shoes."
Here's the latter, which includes the highly entertaining scenario of Jimi trying to get Buddy to play of the oldest cliches around; Buddy has no idea what he's talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM03kYkqOJU

that was a hilarious track

[benc]

Originally Posted by jerry

I dug around my stuff and came up with just one more from the Lifelines box set.[long out of print]
1. Rainy Day Shuffle

Cool! I actually have that set. Rainy Day Shuffle is one of my favorite cuts. I should've known that was Buddy. His shuffle groove is on top!

For those that aren't hip, Lifelines is a 4 disc set taken from a radio documentary. It has all kinds of rare cuts on it and the 4th disc is the complete L.A. Forum concert in '69. The documentary is really good but after the first or second listen I was wishing the songs weren't edited - faded out prematurely or voiced over.

Originally Posted by dougjwray

Also, "Loose Ends", an import from the '70s, had studio jams on "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Blue Suede Shoes."
Here's the latter, which includes the highly entertaining scenario of Jimi trying to get Buddy to play one of the oldest cliches around; Buddy has no idea what he's talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM03kYkqOJU

Outstanding! Thanks for the clip. I used to own both Nine to the Universe and Loose Ends but unfortunately lent them out and never saw 'em again.

Anyway, thanks to everybody, especially Jerry, for all the input.

Ben