Boston - (Boston Garden) : 16 Novembre 1968

Boston - (Boston Garden) : 16 Novembre 1968
15000 spectateurs environ

Titres :

1. Fire
2. Spanish Castle Magic
3. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
4. Red House
5. Foxy Lady
6. Purple Haze





Voici un enregistrement audience de qualité moyenne mais audible. La basse et la batterie sont très lointaines, mais la guitare et le chant sont étonnamment bien restitués. Les transitions entre les chansons sont réduites au strict minimum, voire à zéro, par des cuts systématiques.

Il manque sur l’enregistrement les deux premiers titres du concert ("I Don’t Live Today" et "Hey Joe"),  le show a duré une heure mais il y a seulement 45 minutes sur la bande.

Jimi nous gratifie d’une pré-intro inédite sur le premier titre, "Fire", construite durant quelques mesures avec les notes de l’intro habituelle, mais avec une autre mélodie. On entend la satisfaction du public dès que la chanson prend son cours normal.

"Spanish Castle Magic" s’étale sur presque 9 minutes, avec un très long solo central divisé en deux parties, présentant le calme après la tempête. Alors que Noel joue invariablement sa ligne de basse (la qualité audio nous permet difficilement d’apprécier les subtilités du jeu de Mitch), Jimi se montre très inspiré une fois de plus. Excellente version.

"Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" est, à cette date, récent dans la tracklist de l’Experience, et si les couplets sont sans surprise, le solo tourne un peu en rond, sans direction musicale cohérente. On aura le droit à de bien meilleures versions lors des concerts de 1969 ou 1970.

"Red House", à Boston en 1968, c’est 13 minutes de blues à la sauce Hendrix. Les passages calmes permettent d’entendre Mitch un peu mieux et la guitare parle ou pleure très souvent. Le public ne s’y trompe d’ailleurs pas en applaudissant chaleureusement juste avant le dernier couplet chanté. Quel feeling !

"Foxy Lady" est comme à l'accoutumée énergique, puissante et efficace.

La version proposée de "Purple Haze" est très entraînante, jouée sur un tempo d’enfer style Berkeley 1st show, mais la fin a capella avec les dents est un peu trop longue et saccadée.

Pratiquement arrivé à la fin de son ahurissante tournée marathon de 1968, c’est un groupe sûrement fatigué qui est monté sur scène ce soir là. Cela ne l’a pas empêché de jouer de bonnes versions de ses morceaux. Jimi n’a pratiquement eu aucun problème flagrant de justesse lors du concert, mais on n’a entendu aucune intro ou fin thermonucléaire…

Les témoignages de l’époque (source Eyewitness) précisent que Jimi semblait fatigué et Noel en pleine forme. Peut-être que le bassiste a fait un bon show ce soir là, mais cela ne s’entend pas sur la bande.

1. INSTRUMENTAL JAM [incomplete, leading into:]


2. FIRE [Backing vocal – Noel, almost inaudible]

All right…before your mind takes off I’ll tell you somethin’

You don’t care for me
I don’t-uh care about that
You’ve got a new fool hah, I like to laugh at
I have only one-uh itchin’ desire
Let me stand next to your fire

(Let me stand next to your fire) Yeah
(Let me stand next to your fire) Oh, let me stand, right now
(Let me stand next to your fire) I ain’t gonna do you no ha-arm
(Let me stand next to your fire)

Oh, listen here, baby and stop actin’ so damned crazy
You say your mother ain’t home, it ain’t my concern
Just don’t play with me child and you won’t get burned
I have only one, itchin’ desire
Let me stand next to your fire

(Let me stand next to your fire) Yeah, let me stand
(Let me stand next to your fire) Won’t you get me to sta-and
(Let me stand next to your fire) Stand next to your fire, hey baby
(Let me stand next to your fire)

Oh, move over Rover* and let Jimi take over
Yeah, you know what I’m talkin’ about girl
Hey

[Solo]

Try to give me your money
You’d better save it babe
Save it for your rainy day
I have only one itchin’ desire
Let me stand to your… [plays trill]

(Let me stand next to your fire) Oh, let me stand, baby
(Let me stand next to your fire) Hey, let me stand, right now
(Let me stand next to your fire) Oh, let me stand, baby, right now
(Let me stand next to your fire)….

*From ‘Stoop Down Baby’ aka ‘Two Old Maids’ (Chick Willis?): “Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard… But when she bent over Rover took over. ‘Cause you know he had a bone of his own” ha-ha-ha. Jimi covered this at least five times from 1965 to 1970. He also get’s a mention in ‘Highway of Broken Hearts’, ‘Keep On Groovin’ & ‘Hound Dog’. This, coupled with the story of Jimi asking if their dog could be moved so he could warm himself at the fire in Noel’s mother Margaret’s house at New Year 1966/67, would appear to be the inspiration for ‘Fire’

[Tape cut]

3. SPANISH CASTLE MAGIC

It’s very far awa-ay
Takes about a half a day to get there
That’s if we travel by my-ah, ffup! dragonfly
No it’s no-ot in Spai-ain
But all the same you know it’s a groovy name
And the wind's just right
Hang on my darlin’, hang on if you wanna go
An’-uh, everybody wants to listen to old Hendrix
Your goin’ on
Spanish Castle magic

The clouds are really lo-ow
And they overflow with cotton-candy
And battle grounds
Red and brown
It’s all in your mind, baby
Don’t waste your time thinkin’ those bad things
Just float your little mind around, hey
Hang on my darlin’
Hang on, if you wanna go
Whole lot of fun, you know, bring your old man
In… to
Spanish Castle magic, yeah

[Extended solo/jam]

Hang on my darlin’, hang on if you wanna go
Whole lot of fun, know what I mean
So take yourself along
Spanish Castle magic
Little bit of
Spanish Castle magic
Spanish Castle magi-ic

[Tape cut]


I DON’T LIVE TODAY [not on tape]


HEY JOE (Billy Roberts) [not on tape]

[Tape cut]


4. VOODOO CHILD (Slight Return)

Well, I stand up next to a mountain
I chop it down with the edge of my hand

Well, I stand up next to a mountain
And chop it down with the edge of my ha-and
And I pick up all the pieces and make a island

Might even ‘raise a little sand’*
Hey
‘Cause I’m a Voodoo chile, Voodoo chile
Lord knows, I’m a Voodoo child, baby, yeah

[Solo/jam]

I didn’t mean to take up all your sweet time
I’ll give it right back to you one of these days
I didn’t mean to take up all your sweet ta-a-alk
I’ll give it right back one of these days, yeah
If I don’t see you no more in this world
I’ll meet you on the next one and don’t be late, don’t be late
‘Cause I’m a Voodoo chile, Voodoo chile
Lord knows, I’m a Voodoo chile, yeah

[Solo/jam]

* ‘Raise sand’ - expression meaning to cause a disturbance, get angry etc.

[Tape cut]


5. RED HOUSE

There’s a red house over yonder, ba-by
That’s where my-y baby stay-yeah
He’s? lost
Lord, her house is that red house over yonder, baby
Lo-ord-uh
Lord that’s where my baby stay-yea-eah
I ain’t been home to see my pretty baby
In about, let’s see now, yeah
Ninety nine and one half da-a-ay*
It’s about time to go down and see the nappy** haired child
Yeah

Oh, wait a minute somethin’s wro-ong
Lord, somethin’s wrong, the key won’t unlock this door
Wait a minute somethin’s wrong, girl yeah
Wait a minute somethin’s wro-ong
Wait a minute somethin’s wrong
The key won’t unlock this doo-oor
Oh my, …?
I’ve got a bad, bad, feelin’ down in my soul
That little girl
Lord, I’m outside on this hill, of woe
I’m just getting’ out of jail and straight to the bit about leavin’
That’s all
Always have a guitar

[Extended solo/jam]

Well I might as well go back over yonde-er
Lord, way back, over yonder, across the hill
Yeah, somethin’ like that, anyway
Lord, Lord, Lord I’m goin
Lord, I might as well go back over yonde-er
Yeah
Lord, way back over yonder
Way back over yonder across the hill
What’d I say now
Yeah

Guess if my baby don’t want me no mo-ore
Lord, I know, good and well that her, let see
Her fat butt sister wi-ill

*Three month jail term
**‘Nappy’ hair – usually taken as being a racist, denigrating descrïption, this is an analogy between some
sub-Saharan Africans hair and the short fuzzy ends of fibers on the surface of cloth called ‘naps’

[Tape cut]


6. FOXY LADY [Backing vocal – Noel, almost inaudible]

Now you know you’re a sweet little heartbreaker
(Foxy)
And you know, you’re a sweet little love maker
(Foxy)
Hey, baby!
I wanna take you home
I won’t do you no harm, no
Got to be all mine, all mine
Ooh! shucks foxy lady

I see you, I’m down on the scene
(Foxy)
You make me wanna get up and scream
(Foxy)
Foxy
Oh, yeah!
I’ve made up my mind
I’m tired of wastin’ all my precious time, yeah
You’ve got to be all mine, all mine
Ooh, foxy lady

[Solo]

I’ve made up my mind
I’m tired of wastin’ all my precious time
You’ve got to be all mine, all mine
Ooh, Lord, foxy lady

Heh! Okay then
Here I come, baby
Comin’ to, do it to you
[Tape cut]


7. PURPLE HAZE [Backing vocal - Noel]

Purple haze all in my brain
Lately things don’t seem the same
I’m actin’ funny, but I don’t know why
Ooh! ‘scuse me while I kiss this guy

Purple haze all around
Don’t know if I’m comin’ up or down
Am I happy or in misery?
Whatever it is, that girl put a spell on me

Help baby, fuck you baby

[Solo]

(Ooh, aah, ooh, aah, ooh, aah, ooh, aah)

Purple haze all in my eyes
Don’t know it’s either day or night
Got me blowin’, blowin’ my mind, is it
Tomorrow or just the end of time

All right, help me Venus
Lord
Yeah-eah purple haze
(Purple haze)
Yeah-eah
(Purple haze)

(Purple haze)

(Ooh, aah, ooh, aah, ooh, aah, ooh, aah)

[Tape cuts out]


STAR SPANGLED BANNER (music: ‘The Anacreontic Song’ by John Stafford Smith) [not on tape]

Source : JimiPassItOn

planche contact du photographe Lenoard Eisenberg prise à Boston ce 16 novembre 1968

BOSTON GLOBE - ‘An Indifferent Experience’ by Paul E. Kneeland:
“They swarmed all over North Station hours before showtime at Boston Garden; teen-age boys in stovepipe hats and teen-age girls in granny gowns. It looked as though they were going to a masquerade party.
No one there was out to throw bottles, start a riot, or yank the buttons off Jimi Hendrix’ clothes, although the management was prepared for any such attempt. The place was swarming with Boston police officers; 30 formed a cordon just in front of the stage alone.
The audience came for entertainment, but that’s where the Jimi Hendrix Experience let them down. Jimi was too relaxed; he came on so cool he turned you off. A lot of fake effort went into his hour-long set, and in one number particular ‘I Want To Live Today’ [sic] there was just time-tilling noise.
When he wants, Jimi can be a real down dirty top guitarist, an electric blues belter who makes the early Elvis looks like Little Boy Blue in comparison, Apparently, Saturday night, Jimi didn’t want to... Even in his ad libs (spoken) - Jimi here can be a master - something was lacking.
We’re tuning up now for your precious ears,’ Jimi began as he started twanging to the obligate of the hammering of nails on the stage floor to keep the drummer’s equipment in place. And then, when the restless audience started clapping, Jimi added: ‘This may take a while; hope you brought your lunch... Never mind, let’s go... Hell! They don’t know the difference, anyway.’ If that was supposed to be funny, only about nine out of 15,139 thought so... The evening’s hero: bassist Noel Redding. Four and one half stars.”

Journal inconnu- ‘Jimi Hendrix Rocks And Showboats Too’ by Paul E. Kneeland:

“One of the delights of attending a concert played by the Jimi Hendrix Experience is that not only will you have one of the best rock groups groovin’, but Jimi will put on a ‘show’ too.
“You’ve all got to stand up,” he’ll announce. The audience obeys. “Thank you, “ Jimi will say. “It’s part of the ticket.” Whereupon Jimi, who will be featured at an 8 p.m. concert at the Boston Garden this Saturday by the way, will play his guitar turned around (the strings toward him) upside down and behind his back, the while interpolating parts of the ’Star Spangled Banner,’ plucking the strings with his teeth.
Stopping briefly to wipe the sweat from his brow with a Confederate flag he uses as a towel, Jimi might go into a hard rock version playing ‘Taps’ and ‘Reveille.’
And if he does ‘Fire,’ a real goodie (‘Let me stand in front of your fire’) or ’Hey Joe!’ (Where you goin’ with a gun in your hand!’) get out your smoked glasses; dozens of amateur photographers in the audience will begin snapping a seemingly never ending series of flash bulb pictures.
Backing Jimi will be The McCoys and the Soft Machine. The latter, a highly sophisticated lead, organ and drum combo, has Eastern overtones in its music.”