Billy Cox: Gypsy Sun And Rainbows/Band Of Gypsies

But of course! A lot of people like his work with Hendrix more than Noel Redding's.
Also check him out on the original version of Buddy Miles' "Them Changes". That's Billy on fuzz bass.

 

I love me some Billy Cox...I dont like to compare him to Noel or Jimi's bass playing because
its all different sounds of Jimi's style. When Noel was in the band it was more of a rock thing and when Billy was in the band it was more of a funky/R&B feel to the music.

 

My bass instructor just produced billy cox... here is a video:

 

What's a fuzz bass? I've heard that song and Who Knows, and the bass tone is very cool. What bass and amp is he using for those songs?

 

He's a great blues player, and I like his blues playing more than Noel Redding's

 

"Fuzz bass" is a bass played through a fuzz pedal like a Big Muff.

 

Band Of Gypsys is one of my all-time favorite records, in no small part because of the relentless groove of Mr. Billy Cox.

 

Put me down for much preferring Billy's work with Jimi - Ezy Ryder, Freedom, Dolly Dagger, etc - totally groovalicious.

 

I always felt bad that Billy never got his due. The man is a great player, but the only record with him on it that came out while Hendrix was alive was Band Of Gypsies, and he was largely forgotten until remixed versions of the unfinished last album came out a few years ago. Not to knock Noel Redding- he was originally a guitarist and made the transition better than most, and his parts on the Experience records are great, but Billy seemed to gel with Hendrix in a way Noel never did. The Cox/Mitchell lineup had a lot of potential- I wish Hendrix hadn't died so damn young.

 

Does Billy still live in Clarksville?
I remember meetig him there years ago.
Super nice cat!

 

Billy Cox has always been been my favorite bassist for Hendrix, but I have come to appreciate Noel Redding a little more in my older years.

 

Billy is a huge inspiration for me. He was so wonderfully melodic in his playing but not overly focused on it.

 

I have a difficult time with each bassist, as The Experience and post-Noel Hendrix tend to do different things.

Not to mention that Jack Casady absolutely tears it up on Voodoo Chile. It's a bit hard to hear what he's doing until you throw on some decent headphones, but he compliments Hendrix in a different way than either Noel or Billy did.

 

I saw Gypsy Suns and Rainbows 20 years ago and Billy rocked. His technique is far from textbook and I swore he wouldn't make the note on time but he always did.

I haven't heard much about them recently but would love to see his band again. More than anyone, Billy Cox understood the spirit of Jimi.

 

He just walked out of my office-we do a little business with him. He's a super great guy. He got my boss some backstage passes for something a while back.

 

We are lucky to have had both Noel and Billy serving Jimi during the two vastly different phases of his too short career. Neither one would have been proper during the others tenure, but as it was, it ended up being perfect.

I don't think either bassisits gets the respect they deserve, having stood toe to toe nightly with the wild man of the Strat and to my ears having never missed a lick.

I've always thot it was almost the right time for Jimi to check out. I don't think he would have fared well in the world as it soon became. He was sent to write the book on rock guitar and how to behave, and he did it just a few short years, no need for a sequel.

 

I was at The Filmore New Years Eve 1969 for Band of Gypsys, the early show, I was 16 or 17.

I like Billy Cox, he did some interesting things.

blue

 

I love Billy's groove from woodstook to the Band of Gypsies recording at the Fillmore.He had the blue's, R&B swagger and i felt Noel was more rock based. Billy would of been Jimi's bassist after they got out of the Army, but when Jimi called to take him overseas Billy said he was broke and didnt even have money for strings for his bass.
Jimi said he would return for him and did after the experience broke up...to bad it didnt last much longer.