Jimi Hendrix's first Band Of Gypsys show features on live album

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By ( Classic Rock ) published

Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys show at New York's Fillmore East in 1969 features on forthcoming release

Jimi Hendrix, 1969
Jimi Hendrix, 1969 (Image credit: Getty)

The debut concert by Jimi Hendrix’s short-lived Band Of Gypsys will be launched on vinyl, CD and digital formats on September 30.

Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show 12/31/69 features the guitar icon, along with bassist Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles, performing at the first of four historic shows at New York’s Fillmore East venue on New Year’s Eve 1969 and New Year’s Day 1970. The artwork and tracklist can be viewed below.

While Band Of Gypsys’ 1970 self-titled live album included material from the latter performances, this marks the first time their sold-out 1969 debut concert has ever been released in full on disc.

Cox recalls that nearly all of the show’s setlist had never before been performed in front of an audience.

Cox says: “We decided that we couldn’t do any songs that had already been released. We wanted to give them something different. So we went at the project in a joyous, creative posture and ultimately developed the repertoire of the Band of Gypsys.”

He adds: “It was incredible. There were people in the audience with their mouths open.”

The record was produced by Hendrix’s stepsister Janie, his longtime engineer Eddie Kramer and biographer John McDermott in collaboration with his estate.

The collection also includes liner notes authorised by Rolling Stone’s senior editor David Fricke, who says: “Here it is, after 46 years, another revelation – a stunning essay in pain, rage and determined survival, fully formed in its initial outing.”

Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show 12/31/69 can now be pre-ordered on CD and vinyl.

Jimi Hendrix Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show 12/31/69 tracklist

  1. Power Of Soul
  2. Lover Man
  3. Hear My Train A Comin’
  4. Changes
  5. Izabella
  6. Machine Gun
  7. Stop
  8. Ezy Ryder
  9. Bleeding Heart
  10. Earth Blues
  11. Burning Desire

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Christina O'Neill

Former TeamRock news desk member Christina joined our team in late 2015, and although her time working on online rock news was fairly brief, she made a huge impact by contributing close to 1500 stories. Christina also interviewed artists including Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and worked at the Download festival. In late 2016, Christina left rock journalism to pursue a career in current affairs. In 2021, she was named Local Weekly Feature Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.