Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13884 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-07-06
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Live, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 130 minutes

Amazon.com
Made less than a year before his death in September 1970, Band of Gypsys was an album recorded live to fulfill a contractual obligation for a long-forgotten deal Jimi Hendrix signed when he still spelled his name "Jimmy." Hendrix had just disbanded the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and in order to dispense with the album as quickly as possible, he put together a new trio featuring Billy Cox (an old Army buddy) and drummer Buddy Miles, whose bombastic singing and thudding drum style would soon pollute FM airwaves across the nation. (Former Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell refers to him here as "William the Concreter," for his cement-mixer sense of rhythm.) They booked the Fillmore East with the idea of recording the shows for a live album, and this DVD features recently unearthed film footage of that historic performance, with Hendrix at the top of his powers (despite Miles's excesses). It also offers several other rare live performances from British clubs in the mid-1960s. The musical moments are mixed with new interview footage, including conversations with the self-effacing Cox and the self-aggrandizing Miles. If you've only heard the CDs (Band of Gypsys and Jimi Hendrix: Live at the Fillmore East), you've only gotten half of this particular Jimi Hendrix experience. --Marshall Fine

From the Back Cover
Nearly three decades after his untimely death in September 1970, Jimi Hendrix's legendary performances with the Band Of Gypsys remain one of his most impressive achievements. 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 evenings. The story of this ground breaking music is told her in interviews with Jimi, and for the first time, all four of his bandmates, Mitch Mitchell, Noel Redding, Billy Cox, and Buddy Miles. Among those also contributing are Lenny Kravits, Vernon Reid, Slash, and original engineer Eddie Kramer.

Jimi Hendrix: Live At The Fillmore East features the only known color and black and white rare footage of the group in concert, including "Machine Gun," "Who Knows," "Izabella," "Fire," "Foxey Lady," and a musical soundtrack which exclusively includes additional performances form teh guitarist's December 31, 1969 and January 1, 1970 concerts which have not been included as part of Band Of Gypsys or Jimi Hendrix: Live At The Fillmore East. Complete with new interviews and rare archival footage, this Jimi Hendrix: Live At The Fillmore East special edition DVD features additional material never broadcast on television or home video. In addition to the full-length documentary, fans can hear unreleased music, see Fillmore East concert footage without interruption, and view rare photographs from one of the greatest rock concerts of all time. This acclaimed DVD program provides new insights into some of the most exciting and influential music this celebrated guitarist ever created.

Customer Reviews

Historical live footage and a so-so documentary
This DVD has two main sections 1) a recent hour+ long documentary covering Hendrix in his Band Of Gypsys phase and 2) an hour of black and white concert footage with Band of Gypsys from New Year's Eve 1969. There are also some color picture stills of the New Years' Eve show. Mainly consisting of interviews with folks like Buddy Miles, Billy Cox, Lenny Kravitz, Slash(!), the Ghetto Fighters and Eddie Kramer, the documentary is interesting and fairly well done, but not really all that insightful. The best parts are the Hendrix footage (unfortunately often interrupted) and the interview bits with Eddie Kramer. I especially like the footage of Kramer at the mixing board, playing tracks from "First Rays Of The New Rising Sun" while pointing out interesting bits or relating recording session stories. But too much of the documentary consists of unrevealing opinions of Hendrix. (Who really cares what Slash or Lenny Kravitz have to say about Jimi?) I give the documentary 2 stars. The concert footage from the New Years' Eve 1969 show with Buddy and Billy, recorded as a 2 camera shoot on prototype handheld Sony video recorders, is in fuzzy black and white and has only fair sound. Despite this, at least you get to see and hear the songs in uninterrupted form. This is a historical concert and I'm glad to have it captured on video despite its fair quality. 4 stars for the concert footage.

If you love the Band Of Gypsys you will probably like this DVD very much, especially the live concert footage -- the documentary has a few great moments, but too much filler. If you are looking for a Hendrix DVD with great video and sound quality, get the Hendrix at Woodstock DVD instead.

This won a Grammy and is over 35 years old: reality check!!!
I am hoping that the negative reviews are geared towards the original **VHS** version, because the DVD version is sensational...so much so that it even won a Grammy! The Ghetto Fighters/ The Allen Brothers WERE there---they sang backup vocals on "Freedom", for one of many examples....and they appear in the 1973 movie "Jimi Hendrix." The uninterrupted concert footage IS available on the DVD...and why in the world are people upset about the quality of priceless, one-of-a-kind BOOTLEG footage that was made circa 12/31/69-1/1/70: hey, that was the state of technology then (remember, this wasn't shot during the age of the internet, KBOX, DVDs, and digital technology)! This is close to the Holy Grail for Hendrix fans---I was suprised to see this much footage of those performances existed to begin with!
As for the documentary part, I enjoyed all the insights and, again, the uninterrupted concert footage is available as a bonus: what's the problem??? Let's face it: just to see the entire song "Machine Gun" performed is worth the price of admission alone.
So ignore the nitpickers and those obviously reviewing the VHS version...this DVD is excellent (although I will concede, Grammy or no Grammy, I wouldn't START with this DVD if you were a new or mild-mannered fan...start with the 1973 movie "Jimi Hendrix").
BUY THIS ASAP!!!!

PIECE OF...
I think that this video was just another example of how misleading "music" videos are... The labels and back text all talked about the Footage, with interviews. This remackable piece of crap, spits on hendrix's grave!! Instead of letting him and his guitar tell you how great he was. They show you a clip of it and have some great aunt's best friends gas attendents brother in-laws father tell you how good band of gypsys were. If you want to watch people talk about hendrix, get this. Other wise SAVE YOUR MONEY FROM GREEDY CORPORATIONS WITH MISLEADING INFORMATION!!!!