You could own a tape of unreleased and unheard Jimi Hendrix material… if you have $260,000
54 years on from his death, it seems Jimi Hendrix still has some surprises for us. While it’s been a while since any new archive material has issued forth from the Hendrix estate, a new sliver of unheard music has been uncovered from an unusual source – the PA to Hendrix’s former manager
Patricia “Trixie” Sullivan was the personal assistant to Hendrix’s manager, Mike Jeffery, between 1966 and 1973. After Jeffrey died in 1973 she saved a treasure trove of archive material including more than 50 demo and master tapes for various bands – some of which are still labelled with Hendrix’s own handwriting.
READ MORE: “Jimi was the gentlest guy but he was surrounded by freeloaders”: Terry Reid recalls hanging out with Jimi Hendrix
In addition to masters from Animals and Soft Machine, the auction, which is hosted by Propstore, features tapes containing four unreleased Hendrix demos. Three of the demos include Up From the Skies, Ain’t No Telling, Little Miss Love, all of which featured on The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s second record, 1967’s Axis: Bold As Love. The final demo on offer, Stone Free, served as a B-side to the 1966 single Hey Joe.
Each demo is said to sound “very different in sound and length” than the versions that would appear on the final records. “They’re a lot tighter and smoother,” Mark Hochman, Propstore’s music consultant, notes. “You can hear more guitar, which is obviously what Hendrix was famous for. The experts all agree that these are far superior to all the other versions of these tracks.”
However, you’re desperate to hear any of the tapes, it’ll cost you. The coveted tape containing Hendrix’s unheard demos is predicted to rake in around £200,000 alone.
While we’ve become used to being able to enjoy a huge wealth of Hendrix archive material in recent years, there’s no guarantee that the new owner will make the songs available for wider consumption. As Hochman explains, whoever gets their hands on the tapes has “the kudos of having your own Jimi Hendrix songs which only you can listen to.”
Tapes aren’t the only offering in Propstore’s auction. Elsewhere in the collection, fans can bid on payslips, a handwritten form filled in by Hendrix himself and even dry-cleaning bills.
“When we first had the opportunity to explore this archive, we were immediately captivated by the depth and significance of the material,” Hochman emphasises. “It’s an incredible collection that not only reflects the personal life of Jimi Hendrix but also transports you back to a pivotal moment in music history.”
One bill is a one from a Harley Street doctor. “You can only imagine what that was for in the late 1960s,” Hochman says. “I think it was for their drugs.” Considering Hendrix passed away at 27 due to a supposed overdose, the slip holds a particularly sombre significance.
Hendrix’s belongings are alwayys a hot ticket on the auction circuit – last year Moments In Time listed the guitarist’s 1961 Epiphone Wilshire guitar for a whopping $1.25 million.
Propstore’s auction will take place on 15th November in London, and is set to be live-streamed.
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