Jimi Hendrix Both Sides of the Sky - new album coming March 9, 2018

Yes, another missed opportunity to set the record straight. Izabella and Stepping Stone were also in the singles box of 2003 - Question: were the mixes identical to the ones on the Voodoo Child comp?
As I said earlier, the BOG studio versions (two mixes) are stuck in the box sets (purple and WCSB) and one of them would have been better placed on an album alongside those 1970 single sides. Why not a BOG studio album as others have said here?

 

Yes. It seems they think these versions are the single mixes, either that or the original mixes are lost and these are all they have.

 

Yes, perhaps Eddie tweeked what he had, in order to ressemble the single masters as much as possible.

 

Yes, it's ridiculous and typical of his catalog.

 

Purple Jim,
first, congrats for your fantastic site, which is referenced to so often for good reasons. Great work, lots of fun also, and an essential map when u get lost in the maze of Jimi's catalogue.

Yesterday, via a digital store, I bought the Voodoo Child's Stepping Stone version when I finally understood there was a single version with Buddy Miles on drums (and this is my new go-to version). Now I am learning that Izabella is in the exact same situation?

So we now have 2 versions by Gypsy Sun & Rainbows (Purple Box, PHA), 1 version with Band of Gypsies (Voodoo Child), and 1 version with new drums by Mitch Mitchell and a posthumous mix (the official one). Correct?

I was wondering why the single was pulled quickly. In your site, you wrote the single was released without Jimi's approval? That would be a reason why EH feels OK to just hide it, isn't it?
Going back to my digital store to get Voodoo Child's Izabella now...

 

Does'nt look like Jimi - Heads too fat....
Look like George Benson!

 

Yup. A and B-side of a June 1970 single.

If I have my facts right, these are the studio versions of Izabella that we have had so far:
- June 1970 Reprise single - Buddy Miles
- War Heroes/First Rays Of The New Rising Sun (brickwalled on the latter) - Mitch overdubs
"The Jimi Hendrix Experience" purple box set (Alternate) - Mitch (Gypsy Sun & Rainbows)
Voodoo Child Compilation (Band Of Gypsys mix - slightly different to original single) - correct
Burning Desire - Miles (alternate jam take)
People, Hell & Angels - (Alternate Gypsy Sun & Rainbows take)

I wrote that years ago because I had read it somewhere (the Setting The Record Straight book?) but I'm not sure that is actually was pulled for that reason. Maybe someone has other evidence.

 

I believe the single was released with Jimi's approval. He
didn't like how it sounded and asked for it to be withdrawn.

If you haven't heard it, Prof Stoned did a needledrop of a
previously unplayed 45.

More info from the Prof's notes with link to a thread here about the
different versions.

Prof. sez:
It's about time for a slice of seriously rare Hendrix. This
45 rpm was released on April 8, 1970, shortly after the US
release of the Band of Gypsys album. For some strange
reason, it failed to sell and was allegedly withdrawn
after Hendrix expressed his dissatisfaction about the mix.
Contrary to popular believe, the original 45 rpm mix of
Stepping Stone as heard here was NEVER used again for
commercial release, unlike what Alan Douglas and John
McDermott/Eddie Kramer tried to have you believe.

There are no less than 5 mixes of the A-side in existence,
three of which have Buddy Miles original drum efforts.
The mix that first appeared on the 1982 compilation 'Kiss
the Sky', then on 1990's Cornerstones, 2001's 'Voodoo
Chile; The Collection' and most recently the limited edition
Singles Box Vol. 2 is NOT the 45 rpm mix, although it has
Buddy's drums. And then, there's yet another vintage mix
containing Buddy's drums, which can be found on the Warner
Bros 1971 3LP sampler Looney Tunes/Merry Melodies. This seems
to be a much rougher mix that was never intended for release and
has also never appeared elsewhere (see the other txt file for a weblink
to a listening sample). Exactly what was wrong with the 45 mix in
Hendrix' view is hard to say. Hendrix would later revisit the multitrack
of the A-side and have Mitch Mitchell overdub new drums but
apparently -according to John McDermott's 'Ultimate Hendrix' book-
Buddy Miles efforts were not wiped from the tape. It's unknown when
exactly the 'Kiss the Sky' mix was made but it's 99.9% likely that it was
made during the same mixdown session as the 45 version, as the mixes
are very close with similar (though not entirely identical) stereo
panning goin' on. The mix on the B-side is also a rarity in that it was
never used again. A 1971 remix of this track appeared on the album
'War Heroes' but unlike Stepping stone (which was remixed with
Mitchell's drum part) this one still had its original drum part. But as
with Stepping Stone, the version that did appear on 'Voodoo Chile; The
Collection' and the limited edition Singles Box Vol. 2 is NOT the 45 rpm
mix either but at the same time is also nearly identical. Confusing, huh?
All credit for these findings must be given to Steve E. If you wanna learn
the exact details and differences, read page 1 +5 of the following thread:
Hendrix "Steppin' Stone"--TWO Buddy Miles mixes!!

 

Having the single versions of these two songs released digitally makes sene, but most people will not get excited by this prospect. The versions on Voodoo Child are so close apparently most people (including me) would not hear a difference without very close scrutiny.

 

That's what I thought about Izabella, far as I can tell there is no Mitch overdub of the Band of Gypsys version, it's all Buddy.

But the whole thing with SO many versions of Stepping Stone and not have it correct is just silly at this point.

 

Maybe the 1970 single used the wrong mixes (possibly one of the reasons it was withdrawn), and the mixes now released on CD are the 'correct' (intended) mixes?

 

5 MIXES of the single version of Stepping Stone???
Only in Hendrixland...
I'll just listen to the Voodoo Child one and keep the rest of 'em for my next lives...

 

It looks like Dave Chapelle playing Prince playing Hendrix...

 

I do think it's Buddy playing on that one.

 

McDermott revised his position in "Ultimate Hendrix" and revealed that the single was not actually pulled, but that it under-performed and quickly fell off the charts. I do not know if EH feels the need to hide it -- it probably does not get much attention from EH because it was never a hit and never made its mark with the public. Nevertheless, it was a dynamic A/B side single.

 

I am no expert on drumming, but I must say: hearing the single version of Stepping Stone was a revelation.

 

I feel Izabella is the better A side. I wonder if the lack of chart success for the single contributed to Jimi's pulling the plug on Band of Gypsies (along with the disastrous MSG performance and pressure from management).

 

Check out The Who's discography sometime...

 

I wonder how much he would have sold of his forthcoming album had he lived...

 

Buddy Miles' drumming work on "Stepping Stone" is vastly superior to the Mitch Mitchell overdub. It is unclear why EH would have used the Mitchell overdub on "First Rays."

 

IIRC, Hendrix ended the BoG as a working unit prior to the BoG single release and the BoG album release.

It does seem strange that Reprise did not push and promote the BoG single release during the spring of 1970. It was released without much fanfare and quickly fell off the charts. Reprise has clamoring for Hendrix product and when he finally delivered a new single, Reprise essentially did nothing to promote it. Perhaps Reprise did not want to inadvertently promote Capitol's BoG album with the single, so it chose not to get behind the single. Regardless, Hendrix had been a major album seller for Reprise, so the label may simply have been waiting for a full-length album to promote.

 

The version with Buddy Miles is the first I heard (on the "Cornerstones" compilation). I love Mitch Mitchell but was totally let down by his version. It doesn't gel at all!

 

If the Wiki dates are correctly (they took them from Glebbeek's Electric Gypsy), it was released on April 8, well after the MSG show on Jan 28 and the March 25 release date of the BoG album. It's kind of like the situation they had with Get That Feeling and Axis: Bold As Love, which is which? (in this case though, they both were legit). It was definitely an odd choice to put out a single by a band who were (technically) on another label and wasn't even together any more. Maybe they were indeed desperate, put out the single then pulled a Bugs Bunny "What am I doing?!?" and let it go.

 

Perhaps Reprise should have released it as a Jimi Hendrix single or "Jimi Hendrix and the Band of Gypsies" - but you're right, strange to release a single from a band that no longer existed.

 

Yeah, Jimi's catalog looks like a well ordered machine compared to that! They couldn't find the Won't Get Fooled Again master tape in time for it to appear on the correct reissue...TWICE!