hyper_hippie
01-01-09, 11:07 PM
To take this and put it in its own thread....
I see that the Fillmore performance of this tune, 2nd show on 1-1-70, 4th show, the one that made it onto the BOG album, is also a favorite tune of many others including Chris Dixon on Just Ask the Axis:
... a good solo by Jimi and the middle section has always been a favorite of mine ...
Maybe it's me but I think he says that about almost every Hendrix tune!
I find the comment interesting: ""Despite much studio work on this (and PoS), interesting that Jimi chose to release these as the versions of record (studio versions of both have long circulated and were eventually released officially)."" I have never heard a studio version that surpasses this one.
MS, I agree with your observation and understanding of Jimi's use of wah-wah as tonal sound-scaping, but I was referring to a brief portion around 2:15 into this video version on YouTube, where it sounds like he is actually working the pedal a bit. I was surprised to see that it is not the case; he does not appear to have moved over to where the effects devices are set up. It is difficult to see on the video, much of it kind of primitive especially the lighting, but if he doesn't work the wah-wah even a little bit, how the heck does he get that sound? (Laughing)
By the way, I think the video is pretty well done. The only part I don't care for is a scant few seconds before the ending which cuts out during the exciting ascending scales. Since the rest of it is so well done, I have to assume that there was no video available for that brief portion. Never mind; the video is awesome, a thrill to see after all these years.
Back to Chris Dixon's JATA review, this portion is of the performance vocals:
""The background vocals here have always been a bit of a mystery to me. Ever since first hearing this in 1970, I could swear there were some extra high harmony voices present. Years later, I see that Emeretta Marks, who sang on some of Jimi's '70 studio sessions (ex. 'In From The Storm'), tells a story of singing at one of the Fillmore shows with Jenny Dean from "behind a maroon curtain" on "a couple of tunes", mentioning MtL specifically (see Voodoo Soup liner notes). She mentions "having a box" at the Fillmore and in fact the upper stage left 'box' (y'know, the 'Lincoln' box....) was where VIPs sat at the Fillmore and also happened to be where the soundboard was (and was seperated from the audience view by a maroon curtain just like she describes). Would've been a simple matter to set up a mic or two next to the board and mix her in. It's all conjecture and there's never been any such credit on a BoG release (nor collaboration by another party), but those high harmonies still strike me enough that it at least remains an open question in my mind. Seems unlikely she'd go to the trouble of concocting such a story.""
I think that Buddy Miles' vocal abilities could easily handle those harmonies, and although he's not lit well enough to always see him singing, I think the variations are just him singing either close to the mike, or slightly away from it. He was a master at that. Anyone else?
I see that the Fillmore performance of this tune, 2nd show on 1-1-70, 4th show, the one that made it onto the BOG album, is also a favorite tune of many others including Chris Dixon on Just Ask the Axis:
... a good solo by Jimi and the middle section has always been a favorite of mine ...
Maybe it's me but I think he says that about almost every Hendrix tune!
I find the comment interesting: ""Despite much studio work on this (and PoS), interesting that Jimi chose to release these as the versions of record (studio versions of both have long circulated and were eventually released officially)."" I have never heard a studio version that surpasses this one.
MS, I agree with your observation and understanding of Jimi's use of wah-wah as tonal sound-scaping, but I was referring to a brief portion around 2:15 into this video version on YouTube, where it sounds like he is actually working the pedal a bit. I was surprised to see that it is not the case; he does not appear to have moved over to where the effects devices are set up. It is difficult to see on the video, much of it kind of primitive especially the lighting, but if he doesn't work the wah-wah even a little bit, how the heck does he get that sound? (Laughing)
By the way, I think the video is pretty well done. The only part I don't care for is a scant few seconds before the ending which cuts out during the exciting ascending scales. Since the rest of it is so well done, I have to assume that there was no video available for that brief portion. Never mind; the video is awesome, a thrill to see after all these years.
Back to Chris Dixon's JATA review, this portion is of the performance vocals:
""The background vocals here have always been a bit of a mystery to me. Ever since first hearing this in 1970, I could swear there were some extra high harmony voices present. Years later, I see that Emeretta Marks, who sang on some of Jimi's '70 studio sessions (ex. 'In From The Storm'), tells a story of singing at one of the Fillmore shows with Jenny Dean from "behind a maroon curtain" on "a couple of tunes", mentioning MtL specifically (see Voodoo Soup liner notes). She mentions "having a box" at the Fillmore and in fact the upper stage left 'box' (y'know, the 'Lincoln' box....) was where VIPs sat at the Fillmore and also happened to be where the soundboard was (and was seperated from the audience view by a maroon curtain just like she describes). Would've been a simple matter to set up a mic or two next to the board and mix her in. It's all conjecture and there's never been any such credit on a BoG release (nor collaboration by another party), but those high harmonies still strike me enough that it at least remains an open question in my mind. Seems unlikely she'd go to the trouble of concocting such a story.""
I think that Buddy Miles' vocal abilities could easily handle those harmonies, and although he's not lit well enough to always see him singing, I think the variations are just him singing either close to the mike, or slightly away from it. He was a master at that. Anyone else?