A brand new tune by Jimi Hendrix, recorded prior to the founding of his solo career and never before made available to the public, has been released online ahead of a new collection of rare and unheard tracks by the legendary guitarist.
The tune, “Station Break,” dates to a time before Jimi Hendrix was discovered by Animals bassist Chas Chandler, according to the Daily Beast . During this period of Hendrix’s all-too-short career, the guitarist was working as a sideman for a variety of acts, including Little Richard, the Isley Brothers, and Wilson Pickett. In 1965, Hendrix spent eight months with Curtis Knight and the Squires, a New York City based R&B act, and it is during this time that “Station Break” was recorded.
Jimi Hendrix with his first electric guitar, Seattle, 1957 pic.twitter.com/u7Aen6JBpq
— History Pics (@CombinedHistory) March 9, 2015
“Station Break” has been released ahead of a forthcoming compilation album, You Can’t Use My Name: Curtis Knight and the Squires (Featuring Jimi Hendrix) – The RSVP/PPX Sessions , which will include 14 tracks recorded by Hendrix between 1965 and 1967 for PPX Enterprises, according to Rolling Stone . The guitarist signed a notorious recording contract with PPX owner Ed Chalpin, which earned Hendrix just $1 and one percent of royalties for his work with the label, leading to legal quarrels that continued well past Hendrix’s death.
Listen to an exclusive premiere of “Station Break” off #YouCantUseMyName on @thedailybeast http://t.co/PrEMCkD0vX pic.twitter.com/WJzBuCs2jY — Jimi Hendrix (@JimiHendrix) March 9, 2015
Though Chaplin flooded the market with recordings after the guitarist achieved success, claiming that they were official releases, Jimi Hendrix himself derided the tracks in a 1968 Rolling Stone interview, calling them “worthless” and asserting that they were hastily composed and recorded.
The new album is just a sample of the 88 tracks which Experience Hendrix LLC, a company founded by Jimi’s father to oversee his son’s work, managed to acquire last year after decades of legal wrangling. Original Jimi Hendrix engineer Eddie Kramer spearheaded a restoration of the tracks, which required “forensic” reconditioning.
A young Jimi Hendrix showing early signs of genius. Find the best history pics: http://t.co/pVSOCJ73hD #history pic.twitter.com/LDNNQzlQ3p
— Daniel Gennaoui (@DanielGennaoui) March 9, 2015
Janie Hendrix, the guitarist’s sister, noted that the recordings represent a significant period in her late brother’s musical evolution.
“What makes [the recordings] so special is that they provide an honest look at a great artist during the pivotal time when he was on the cusp of his breakthrough, a time when Jimi’s Number One priority was playing and recording, and this set captures him doing just that, both as a collaborator and an innovator.”
Last year, a Hendrix biopic, Jimi: All is By My Side , was released. As the Inquisitr previously reported, it featured Andre 3000 in the lead role.
You Can’t Use My Name will be released on March 24 in a variety of formats. In the meantime, fans can head to the Daily Beast to stream “Station Break,” the new Jimi Hendrix tune.
[Photo by Evening Standard/ Getty Images]