Noel Redding & Friends

Noel Redding & Friends - Live from Bunk R - Prague - 2003 - Track (Navarre)

An excellent musician, the late, great Noel Redding was a brilliant bass player, and an important but sometimes overlooked figure in the history of rock and bues rock music. He will most likely be remembered as Jimi Hendrix's bassist, and his playing was an integral part of Jimi's sound. Noel was also an excellent guitarist, and when he was in London, in the early 60's auditioning for The New Animals, his life took one big turn around when he found himself playing for a then unknown guitarist called Jimi Henrix. Jimi Hendrix was known to greatly appreciate the ease at which Noel Redding adapted to various rock styles. With Jimi and his band, Noel played in the band's first official public concert in Evreux, France, in October, 1966. While with the band Noel also supplied backing vocals on a number of songs. However with Jimi , Noel often found himself "taking a back seat" in the band. Jimi was known to spend a lot of studio time improving his own guitar recordings, and during this time, Noel became disenchanted with Jimi. He was also unhappy with the way the band's finances were being managed. Noel founded his "Fat Mattress" band, while still with Jimi, but became very disheartened when Jimi started making plans to enlarge the band, without discussing any of the details with Noel. Eventually, in mid 1969, all this disillusionment forced Noel Redding to quit. He played guitar with Fat Mattress on two albums, but left in 1970 before the band's second album was completed. In 1972, Noel resumed his bass playing with the group Road, recording the band's s/t album on the US Rare Earth label. Also, in 1972 he played with Randy California on the album "Kapt Kopter And The Fabulous Twirly Birds", an album very much in the Jimi Hendrix style. Randy was a friend of Jimi Hendrix. Noel moved to Ireland in the early/mid seventies, and under the name of The Noel Redding Band, which included Thin Lizzy's guitarist, Eric Bell, they released two albums between 1975, and 1976. Noel published a book in 1990 called "Are You Experienced: The Inside Story Of The Jimi Hendrix Experience" which documents brilliantly his time with the great guitarist. Noel remained a friend of Hendrix, right up to Jimi's tragic death. When a commemoration plaque was erected at Jimi Hendrix's old living accomodation in Montague Square, in London, Noel was there to pay his very emotional respects. In the late nineties, Noel toured with More Experience, a Jimi Hendrix tribute band, and also played many other global Hendrix tribute concerts. The Jimi Hendrix Experience is a legend in the history of rock music, and Noel Redding will forever be part of that legend. Here's an "interesting" review from AMG, - [" It's the final indignity of Noel Redding's life that even the posthumous cashin records bearing his name have no interest in Redding's career after his brief stint in the Jimi Hendrix Experience. There are no Fat Mattress songs on Live From Bunk R Prague, just a handful of heavyrock covers John Lennon's "Cold Turkey," Mountain's "Silver Paper" and those perennials "Hey Joe" and "Wild Thing" along with half a dozen of the most familiar Hendrix tunes. Redding's semiheavy friends include former Patti Smith guitarist Ivan Kral and exScandal drummer Frankie La Rocka, and together, they turn in entirely competent but thoroughly bloodless knockoffs of Redding's former employer's style. It's frankly all kind of embarrassing, and recommended only to vampires. © Stewart Mason, All Music Guide"]. Just a few words on that review: - All record labels cash in on artists, especially prominent deceased artists. The album is not insulting to Noel Redding's memory. It is better to hear a few Hendrix penned tracks of good quality, than lesser quality tracks extracted from inferior Noel Redding projects. Also, the covers of Lennon's "Cold Turkey", Mountain's "Silver Paper", ard Earl King 's "Come On" are good track inclusions, and may not be familiar to many rock music fans. To say that the band "turn in entirely competent but thoroughly bloodless knockoffs of Redding's former employer's style" is definitely questionable. Yes, the performances are competent, but not "bloodless". Noel Redding and his band perform the Jimi Hendrix associated tracks with flair, and an obvious enjoyment of what they are playing. And lastly, if music like this is "embarrassing", and "recommended only to vampires", then A.O.O.F.C would advise all you red-faced "Nosferatus" to go out and buy the album. Not to give your hard earned money to record companies, but to listen to one of rocks' great heroes at work. Listen to Noel's bass work on the The Jimi Hendrix Experience album, "Are You Experienced". It is also worth listening to The Noel Redding Band's "Clonakilty Cowboys" album.

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Voodoo Child Hendrix 7:06
2 Stone Free Hendrix 3:24
3 Silver Paper Corky Laing/Felix Pappalardi/Leslie West 3:35
4 Cold Turkey Lennon 4:17
5 Come On Earl King 4:07
6 Purple Haze Hendrix 3:44
7 Llittle Wing Hendrix 5:18
8 Red House Hendrix 4:50
9 Little Miss Lover Hendrix 2:59
10 Wild Thing Chip Taylor 4:59
11 Hey Joe Billy Roberts 7:04

BAND

Noel Redding - Bass
Anthony Krizan, Ivan Kroll - Guitar
Frankie La Rocka - Drums

BIO

Noel Redding was a member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience from its formation in 1966 until he left in 1969. He was hired in as a bass player, reportedly due in some part to his look (a huge afro and his trademark granny glasses), despite his real desire to continue as a guitarist. In addition to his work in the Experience, Redding formed and played guitar in Fat Mattress, who released two albums in the late '60s and early '70s, and was involved in Road and the Noel Redding Band. In the mid-'70s, the Noel Redding Band did two albums for RCA, three tours of Holland, two tours of England, one tour of Ireland, and a ten week tour in America. Residing in County Cork, Ireland, in a house purchased from his Experience earnings, however, he claimed to no longer receive payment for his time with the band. "I was forced to sign away my royalties in 1974," he said, "I even had to sell the bass I used during that time, for 16,000." Redding has since written a book which has been compiled over the years from his diaries and legal files, entitled "Are You Experienced?'' It was published in 1996 by a small London firm called Fourth Estate Books, and includes some previously unpublished photographs. In May of 2003 Redding was found dead in his home, he was 57. © Zac Johnson, All Music Guide



BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

David "Noel" Redding (25 December 1945 – 11 May 2003) was an English rock and roll guitarist best known as the bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Born in Folkestone, England, he was selected by Chas Chandler to join Hendrix's band at its inception in 1966, and left in 1969. Although he appeared in other bands before and after Hendrix's death, he never achieved a similar level of success, and retired to Clonakilty, Ireland in 1972. At nine, Redding played violin at school and then mandolin and guitar. His first public appearances were at the Hythe Youth Club then at Harvey Grammar School where he was a student. His first local bands were: The Strangers: with John "Andy" Andrews (bass). The Lonely Ones: 1961 - John Andrews (bass) Bob Hiscocks (rhythm guitar); Mick Wibley (drums); Pete Kircher (vocals and in '62. drums). The Lonely Ones made (45 EP vinyl, private record) at the Hayton Manor Studio in Stanford, Kent, in 1963, with Derek Knight on vocals, Trevor Sutton on drums, Noel Redding on lead guitar and John Andrews on bass. First recordings: Some Other Guy; Money; Talking About You; Anna. The Loving Kind: 1966 with Pete (Kircher) Carter (drums); Jim Leverton (bass); and Derek Knight (vocals). At 17 Redding went professional and toured in Scotland and Germany, in the clubs with Neil Landon and the Burnettes formed in late 1962 and The Loving Kind formed in November 1965. Redding was the first person to join the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and the first to leave. His final concert with them was in June 1969. With the band, he participated in recording the 3 landmark albums "Are You Experienced", "Axis: Bold as Love", and "Electric Ladyland", as well as performing in some of Hendrix's most celebrated concerts. His playing style was distinguished by the use of a pick, a mid-range "trebly" sound, and in later years the use of fuzz and distortion effects through overdriven Sunn amps. In 1968, before leaving the Jimi Hendrix Experience Redding had formed the group Fat Mattress with another Kent musician Neil Landon (the former Burnettes-singer) (born Patrick Cahill, 27 July 1941, Kindford, Sussex) on vocals, Jim Leverton (born James Leverton, in 1946, in Dover, Kent) and Eric Dillon, the drummer, (born in 1950, in Swindon). Later, Martin Barre played for a short time before he joined Jethro Tull. The band produced two albums before breaking up shortly after the release of the second in 1970. One more effort by Hendrix manager, Michael Jeffery was attempted to reunite the Jimi Hendrix Experience months after the Woodstock event. This basically consisted of an interview with Hendrix, Redding and Mitchell by Rolling Stone magazine. No shows or recordings resulted. He soon left the Jimi Hendrix Experience for the last time and went on to other projects. While living in Los Angeles. Noel joined Road, a heavy metal three-piece, with Rod Richards (born Rod Cox (ex Rare Earth) on guitar, and Les Sampson on drums. They released one album, Road (1972). Noel moved to Ireland in 1972. He formed The Noel Redding Band with Eric Bell from Thin Lizzy, Dave Clarke, Les Sampson, and Robbie Walsh. They did two albums for RCA, three tours of the Netherlands, two tours of England, one tour of Ireland and a 10-week tour in America. The band dissolved after a dispute with their management company. Tracks recorded for a third, unreleased album were later released as The Missing Album, on Mouse Records. In his book Are You Experienced? (co-authored with Carol Appleby) he spoke openly about his disappointment in his being cut off from the profits of the continued sale of the Hendrix recordings. He was forced to sign away his royalties in 1974, and later had to sell the bass guitar he used during that time. Redding had received £100,000 as a one-off payment after he had been told that there would be no more releases of Jimi Hendrix Experience material but this had been before the advent of CDs and DVDs which sold millions of copies. Right up until his death, Redding had been planning legal action against the Hendrix estate for payment estimated at £3.26 million for his part in Hendrix' recording and for ongoing royalties. Redding was married to a Danish school-teacher Susanne Redding, and has a son, Nicolas Noel Redding (DJ NiS) (who inherited a settlement of 800,000 euro, which equals a minor part of the fortune). Noel Redding recorded and toured sporadically through the years, occasionally doing session work on other artists' albums including recording for Thin Lizzy and Traffic. He performed with the rock band Phish in 1993. He also formed Shut Up Frank with Dave Clarke, Mick Avory of The Kinks and Dave Rowberry of The Animals. They toured extensively and recorded several albums, which are still available on Mouse Records. Redding was found dead in his home in Clonakilty, County Cork, Republic of Ireland on May 11, 2003. A post mortem was carried out on 13 May at Cork University Hospital in Wilton, Cork. The report concluded that Redding died from "Shock haemorrhage due to oesophageal varices in reaction to cirrhosis of the liver." He was 57 years old. In the village of Ardfield, local people have erected a plaque to his memory. A compilation CD and record entitled The Experience Sessions was released by Experience Hendrix, LLC in 2004. Along with the released tracks ("She's So Fine" and "Little Miss Strange") the collection contains rare and unreleased Redding-penned songs recorded by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Most of the tracks are outtakes from Axis: Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland, and feature Redding predominantly on guitar (with Hendrix on bass). It also features a live version of Hendrix's "Red House" with Redding on rhythm guitar.