Jimi Hendrix Bold As Love (Box set)

5xVinyl + Bluray

By May 1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience had finalized their groundbreaking debut album Are You Experienced at Olympic Studios in London and immediately began work on their next album.  Jimi Hendrix arrived in London in late September 1966 and soon amassed three top 10 singles in their UK homebase, followed quickly by success across Europe but were yet to conquer the US.  In June 1967, the group left for the US to make their American debut at the Monterey International Pop Festival. Their stunning Monterey debut—complete with Hendrix setting his guitar alight at the close of his performance, propelled them across the US throughout the summer of 1967. Before returning to London, producer Chas Chandler recorded the group’s fourth single “Burning Of The Midnight Lamp” b/w “The Stars That Play With Laughing Dice” at sessions in New York and Los Angeles. Bold As Love showcases previously unreleased versions of these songs.

Starting on October 1, 1967, Chandler—the former Animals bassist who served The Experience as its producer—led the group back to Olympic Studios in London to resume work on what would become Axis: Bold As Love. Chandler was determined to help Hendrix make a critical leap forward creatively.  He worked closely with Hendrix to prepare his new songs for recording and even took the unusual step of same day, double booking both Olympic and Regent Studios in London so that the group would have a firm handle upon the arrangements of Hendrix’s stock of exceptional new material.  Surviving two-track demos from Regent include Hendrix’s unique hybrid “Stone Free,” which had been the B-side of his December 1966 debut single, together with an up-tempo rendition of “Up From The Skies.”

Axis: Bold As Love was released in the UK and Europe in December 1967 to great acclaim and commercial success.  In the US, where Are You Experienced had only just been issued in late August, Reprise issued the album in January 1968 where it too became a best seller. Evergreen favorites such as “Little Wing,” “Spanish Castle Magic” and “Castles Made of Sand” have been covered by countless artists throughout the world.  The iconic “If 6 Was 9,” was used with dramatic effect as part of the soundtrack for the film Easy Rider.