Jimi Hendrix - Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision - 5.1 Blu-ray surround release

In one of his final and most enduring acts as a musician, Jimi Hendrix set his sights on a Greenwich Village nightclub, purchasing it with the intent of transforming it into a groundbreaking recording studio. This story of its creation is now immortalized in a forthcoming documentary, complemented by an accompanying box set that unveils a treasure trove of unreleased recordings from his brief but pivotal sessions there.

"Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision" will be available as a 3CD or 5LP set, each containing a Blu-ray disc that includes 39 demos and early takes from Hendrix's summer 1970 sessions at the eponymous studio. These were recorded with a revamped version of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, featuring original drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Billy Cox from the short-lived Band of Gypsys project. Remarkably, all but one of these tracks are previously unreleased. A Blu-ray, included with either version of the box, presents a feature-length documentary of the same name, directed by Hendrix archivist John McDermott. The film features new interviews with Cox, Steve Winwood, who was present at Hendrix's inaugural studio session, engineer Eddie Kramer, and original studio staff members. Of greatest interest to readers of Hi-Res Edition, the Blu-ray includes a new 5.1 surround mix of "First Rays of the New Rising Sun," the 1997 reimagining of Hendrix's intended fourth studio album, along with three remixed bonus tracks from the Electric Lady sessions. The box set is enriched with new liner notes, unpublished photos, and copies of Hendrix's handwritten song drafts. What is already perplexing to spatial enthusiasts is songs from this release are already appearing in Dolby Atmos via streaming services yet were omitted from the Blu-ray disc in either of these sets.

A bit of history, back in 1968, Hendrix took over the former site of The Village Barn at 52 West Eighth Street in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. His initial intention was to establish a new club, prompted by the live jam sessions he had organized there. However, persuaded by the spiraling costs of his third album, Electric Ladyland, much of which was due to his indecision on recording locations, he shifted his focus to creating his own studio space. The studio, designed by architect John Storyk, boasted ambient lighting and meticulous acoustics, though its construction at Electric Lady Studios was plagued by numerous setbacks, including several floods at the construction site. Despite the studio still being completed, Hendrix, alongside bassist Billy Cox and drummer Mitch Mitchell, tested it out in the sessions documented here. During this period, spanning roughly ten weeks, the guitarist prolifically recorded several bold new tracks, including "Earth Blues," "Dolly Dagger," "Ezy Ryder," "Freedom," "Lover Man," and others.

Following a lavish launch celebration on August 26, 1970—just four days post his most recent recording session and two days following a mixing session with Kramer—Hendrix headed to the Isle of Wight Festival for a pivotal live show. Sadly, less than a month afterward, Hendrix died in London at the young age of 27. Nevertheless, the legacy of Electric Lady Studios continued, hosting recordings from notable artists such as Stevie Wonder, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, David Bowie, KISS, CHIC, and Patti Smith throughout the '70s, along with more contemporary stars like D'Angelo, The Roots, Daft Punk, U2, Adele, and Taylor Swift. After a comprehensive renovation in 2010, Electric Lady Studios remains an iconic rock and roll fixture in New York. This new box set narrates its history through the lens of the visionary who conceived it.

Still, for immersionists, the collected works in 5.1 likely remain of greatest interest. The set was originally scheduled for release over two years ago and has been mysteriously delayed. Leaked copies of the Blu-ray surfaced, and some of the mixes are pure immersion, while others are front centric versions. I believe this can be easily explained by the original session tracking which includes four-track demo recordings of “Valleys Of Neptune” and “Heaven Has No Sorrow,” alternate arrangements of promising new songs such as “Come Down Hard on Me” and “Belly Button Window,” extraordinary, live in the studio takes of “Tune X/In From The Storm,” “Astro Man” and “The Long Medley,” a stirring, 26 minute spontaneous exploration of “Beginnings,” “Hey Baby (New Rising Sun),” “Keep on Groovin’” and “Freedom.” In other words the source material is all over the map, and it is also important to note that the Blu-ray only contains 5.1 surround mixes, with the stereo mixes relegated to the CDs. The box set showcases many of the mixes Hendrix completed with engineer Eddie Kramer before leaving to begin a European tour on August 30 at the Isle of Wight festival in England. A comparative listen to the differences between the 5.1 surround and anticipated complete Atmos mixes may be revealing and aid collectors in their decision about picking up this set. Yet, it is Hendrix, and any fan will want this regardless of what anyone may tell them!

Release Date: September 13, 2024.

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 About the Author

Wesley is a lifelong music enthusiast. He started his career in the recording industry in New York City as an audio engineer, producer, and studio manager. Subsequently he toured across America as a guitarist with the short-lived band Land's Crossing. After many years in the technology sector and amassing a substantial vinyl and CD collection, he delved into immersive audio and created Hi-Res Edition to share with other listeners about the sound quality and discrete mixes available on many formats. He recently upgraded his system to 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos and continues to seek out and share about the best sounding releases.