Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision, a new documentary and box set that explores the creation of the iconic New York recording studio, will be released on September 13 by Experience Hendrix L.L.C., in collaboration with Legacy Recordings.
This highly anticipated release includes 39 tracks recorded by Jimi Hendrix at Electric Lady Studios in the months before his untimely death in September 1970. Remarkably, all but one of the tracks are previously unreleased (full tracklist below).
A video for the first track from the album, “Angel [Take 7],” has already been released. The set also includes 20 newly created 5.1 surround sound mixes of the entire First Rays Of The New Rising Sun album plus three bonus tracks: “Valleys Of Neptune”, “Pali Gap” and “Lover Man”.
The documentary features never-before-seen footage, while the package comes with an extensive booklet brimming with unpublished photos, Jimi Hendrix’s handwritten song drafts, and comprehensive liner notes.
The box set launch coincides with the premiere of the documentary of the same name. Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision will debut on August 9 at Quad Cinema in Manhattan, New York, followed by a general theatrical release. The film narrates the journey of Jimi Hendrix’s legendary studio, a cutting-edge facility constructed on the site of a rundown Manhattan nightclub.
Electric Lady quickly established itself as one of New York’s premier recording studios and continues to hold that status today. A notable selection of artists who have recorded there includes John Lennon, The Clash, AC/DC, Chic, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift.
“The construction of Electric Lady [Studios] was a nightmare,” recalls Hendrix’s producer Eddie Kramer. “We were always running out of money. Poor Jimi had to go back out on the road, make some money, come back, then we could pay the crew.“
“Late in ’69, we just hit a wall financially, and the place shut down. He had to borrow against his future royalties, and then we were back on track. [Jimi] would say to me, ‘Hey man, I want some of that purple on the wall, and green over there!’ We would start laughing about it. It was fun. We could create an atmosphere where he felt comfortable.”
Jimi Hendrix’s family fully endorses the release of the 38-track collection. In a statement, his stepsister, Janie Hendrix, said, “My brother had a musical vision. With this project, it felt appropriate to shed light not only on his own music but also on his lasting contribution to Electric Lady Studios.“
“He was driven internally to build a home base where he could record everything he felt. While his life was cut short, so many other talented artists continue to express themselves within those magical walls on 52 West 8th Street.“
The Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision box set will be released on September 13 on five vinyl LPs or three CDs. A Blu-ray disc (included in both versions) features newly mixed 5.1 audio versions of 20 previously released recordings.
You can pre-order the set here. Meanwhile, all confirmed worldwide theatrical bookings for the film are available here.
Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision Tracklist
Vinyl Disc 1
1) Ezy Ryder [Alternate Mix]* 6/18/70
2) Valleys Of Neptune [Alternate Version]* 6/15/70
3) Straight Ahead [Takes 1 & 2]* 6/17/70
4) Astro Man [Takes 9 & 10]* 6/24/70
5) Drifting [Takes 1 & 2]* 6/25/70
6) Night Bird Flying [Take 25]* 6/16/70
1) Earth Blues [Alternate Mix]* 6/26/70
2) Drifter’s Escape [Takes 1 & 2]* 6/17/70
3) Astro Man [Take 14]* 6/24/70
4) Further Up The Road* 6/24/70
Vinyl Disc 2
1) Dolly Dagger [Takes 17 & 18]* 7/1/70
2) Lover Man 7/20/70
3) Freedom [Take 4]* 6/25/70
4) Angel [Take 7]* 7/23/70
5) Beginnings [Take 5]*
1) The Long Medley [Astro Man / Beginnings / Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) / Midnight Lightning (Keep On Groovin’) / Freedom]* 6/24/70
Vinyl Disc 3
1) Freedom [Alternate Version]* 7/19/70
2) Valleys Of Neptune [Demo]* 6/70
3) Tune X*/Just Came In [Take 6]* 7/22/70
4) Drifting [Alternate Version]* 8/20/70
5) Messing Around [Take 17]* 6/16/70
1) Tune X* / Just Came In (Take 8)* 7/22/70
2) Dolly Dagger [Alternate Version]* 7/19/70
3) Come Down Hard On Me [take 15]* 7/15/70
4) Heaven Has No Sorrow [Demo]* 6/70
Vinyl Disc 4
1) Midnight Lightning* / Beginnings* 7/1/70
2) Dolly Dagger [Mix 2]* 8/20/70
3) Belly Button Window [Take 1]* 7/23/70
1) Night Bird Flying [Alternate Version]* 8/20/70
2) Freedom [Alternate Version]* 8/20/70
3) Straight Ahead [Alternate Mix]* 8/20/70
4) In From The Storm [Alternate Mix]* 8/24/70
Vinyl Disc 5
1) Bolero* / Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) [Alternate Mix]* 8/22/70
2) Drifter’s Escape [Alternate Mix]* 8/22/70
1) Bleeding Heart [Alternate Mix]* 8/22/70
2) Drifting [Alternate Version]* 11/20/70
3) Astro Man [Alternate Version]* 8/22/70
4) Room Full Of Mirrors [Alternate Version]* 10/20/70
5) Angel [Alternate Version]* 10/19/70
*Previously unreleased
CD Disc 1
1) Ezy Ryder [Alternate Mix]* 6/18/70
2) Valleys Of Neptune [Alternate Version]* 6/15/70
3) Straight Ahead [Takes 1 & 2]* 6/17/70
4) Drifter’s Escape [Takes 1 & 2]* 6/17/70
5) Astro Man [Takes 9 & 10]* 6/24/70
6) Astro Man [Take 14]* 6/24/70
7) Drifting [Takes 1 & 2]* 6/25/70
8) Night Bird Flying [Take 25]* 6/16/70
9) Farther Up The Road* 6/24/70
10) The Long Medley [Astro Man / Beginnings / Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) / Midnight Lightning (Keep On Groovin’) / Freedom]* 6/24/70
CD Disc 2
1) Earth Blues [Alternate Mix]* 6/26/70
2) Dolly Dagger [Takes 17 & 18]* 7/1/70
3) Angel [Take 7]* 7/23/70
4) Beginnings [Take 5]* 7/1/70
5) Lover Man 7/20/70
6) Tune X* / Just Came In [Take 6]* 7/22/70
7) Heaven Has No Sorry [Demo]* 6/26/70
8) Freedom [Take 4]* 6/25/70
9) Valleys Of Neptune [Demo]* 6/26/70
10) Come Down Hard On Me [Take 15]* 7/15/70
11) Dolly Dagger [Alternate Version]* 7/19/70
12) Messing Around [Take 17]* 6/16/70
13) Tune X* / Just Came In [Take 8]* 7/22/70
14) Drifting [Alternate Version]* 8/20/70
15) Freedom [Alternate Version]* 7/19/70
16) Belly Button Window [Take 1]* 7/23/70
CD Disc 3
1) Dolly Dagger [Mix 2]* 8/20/70
2) Night Bird Flying [Alternate Version]* 8/20/70
3) Freedom [Alternate Version]* 8/20/70
4) Midnight Lightning* / Beginnings* 7/1/70
5) Straight Ahead [Alternate Mix]* 8/20/70
6) In From The Storm [Alternate Mix]* 8/24/70
7) Bolero* / Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) [Alternate Mix]* 8/22/70
8) Drifter’s Escape [Alternate Mix]* 8/22/70
9) Astro Man [Alternate Version]* 8/22/70
10) Bleeding Heart [Alternate Mix]* 8/22/70
11) Drifting [Alternate Version]* 11/20/70
12) Room Full Of Mirrors [Alternate Version]* 10/19/70
13) Angel [Alternate Version]* 10/19/70
*Previously unreleased
First Rays of the New Rising Sun + Bonus Tracks 5.1 Mixes
(Contained on Blu-ray with both vinyl and CD versions of package)
1) Freedom
2) Izabella
3) Night Bird Flying
4) Angel
5) Room Full of Mirrors
6) Dolly Dagger
7) Ezy Ryder
8) Drifting
9) Beginnings
10) Stepping Stone
11) My Friend
12) Straight Ahead
13) Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)
14) Earth Blues
15) Astro Man
16) In From the Storm
17) Belly Button Window
18) Pali Gap (from Rainbow Bridge album)
19) Lover Man (from Jimi Hendrix Experience box set)
20) Valleys of Neptune (from Valleys of Neptune album0
All 20 tracks are available in 5.1 surround sound audio for the first time.