How Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys Reinvented ‘Stop’
When Jimi Hendrix and his Band of Gypsys decided to cover the R&B song “Stop” at their debut concerts, they wanted to completely reinvent it, late drummer Buddy Miles said in a previously unreleased interview.
The clip also includes performance footage from the trio’s four shows at the Fillmore East venue -- two each on Dec. 31, 1969, and Jan. 1, 1970. The full set of recordings will be released on the box set Songs for Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts, which arrives via Sony Legacy on Nov. 22.
“What made us different was our communication.” Miles says in the clip. “Jimi was a nucleus … he was the center of attention, which I had no problem with, because I just knew that I wanted to be there. Billy [Cox] felt the same way. And you must when you got people like that, and you got that kind of friendship and the bond.”
Miles notes that "when we played ‘Stop’ by Howard Tate, the way it was produced, it was most definitely uptown rhythm and blues. But the way that we did it, we kinda dissected it, which was cool. And that’s one of the things about the Band of Gypsys that I love. ... I was playing with the greatest guitarist of our time – James Marshall Hendrix. … I am so thankful.”
You can watch the premiere of the video below.
“Over the course of four extraordinary years, Jimi Hendrix placed his indelible stamp upon popular music with breathtaking velocity,” the label said in a statement. “Measured alongside his triumphs at Monterey Pop and Woodstock, Hendrix’s legendary Fillmore East concerts illustrated a critical turning point in a radiant career filled with indefinite possibilities.
“The revolutionary impact Jimi Hendrix, Billy Cox and Buddy Miles had upon the boundaries and definitions of rock, R&B and funk can be traced to four concerts over the course of two captivating evenings. These performances were first celebrated by Band of Gypsys, which featured six songs from the two Jan. 1, 1970, concerts, including ‘Machine Gun,’ the album’s dramatic centerpiece. Issued in April 1970, Band of Gypsys challenged and surprised the wide following of Jimi Hendrix with its extended arrangements and vibrant mix of rock and soul.”