Notes

---

1967-08-27 (Sunday): Saville Theatre, 135-149 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1, England, UK

tracks:
1. Summertime Blues#
2. Fire#
3. The Wind Cries Mary#
4. Foxy Lady#
5. Catfish Blues#
6. I Don't Live Today#
7. Red House#
8. Hey Joe#
9. Purple Haze#
audio: with Noel on bass strings of a guitar on (7), audience recording; 29 minutes, very good quality (1-9)

# indicates a incomplete recording


From Chris Dixon's 30th Anniversary Series © C S Dixon

August 27, 1997 marks 30 years since the Experience show at the Saville Theatre in London. This is their first proper concert in England after their return from conquering America (aside from 2 BBC appearances). The available tape is one of the best quality audience tapes in the archives, IMO. The instrumental sound and mix is near soundboard quality though the vocals suffer from a typically inadequate PA system. The bad news is that the long-circulating tape has every song cut severely! Story goes that some German "collector" has the complete original and has only let out this chopped-up sample, apparently prefering to enjoy the original in some darkened room like an art thief alone with his stolen Picasso...not illegal, but a shame - don't get me started! Still, this has some content worthy of note:

Opening song is the only known version of Jimi & Co. covering Eddie Cochran's 'Summertime Blues'! Maybe they wanted to 'one up' the Who's version. Sounds great till it cuts out....

First available regular concert appearance of 'Fire' (2 earlier BBC and TV versions). Before starting he has a funny line about "..Flower power, right?....well flower power won't get you up the hill when you run outta gas!...".

Second available regular concert 'Wind Cries Mary' (first being Monterey- also appeared twice previously on BBC and Swedish TV). Dedicates it to a girl named "...Gertrude, or (unintelligible), or Lucy..." and you hear a female voice go "woo!"...could that be Kathy E.?

First live recording of 'Foxy Lady' since Monterey

Second available concert 'Experiencing the Blues/ Catfish Blues'. He doesn't give it a name here, but introduces it as being by Muddy Waters. This is the longest track on the tape at almost 5 minutes, but still has a couple of fade-outs in the middle and a final fade just as the band is kicking it into double time..

First documented live 'I Don't Live Today'. This is almost complete, missing a section in the middle but running to the end. Dedicates it to the American Indian, which some in the crowd seem to take as a joke!

First documented live 'Red House', and features Noel on a bassy rhythm guitar! I'd once thought the 68 Paris show was the only example of Noel reprising his studio role on RH but sure enough, Jimi mentions it will be featuring Noel on "...1836 type electric guitar, made by Ben Franklin...". Hmm, would appear ol' Ben was more than just a studio owner! Jimi's really getting into it, but sadly and somewhat predictably, it fades even before the solo! Arrgh....

After some words about "..soldiers marching through Piccadilly Circus, not with M16s but feedback guitars...", the free-form feedback intro to 'Purple Haze' includes a short spoken word 'narration' where Jimi talks of meeting a girl who opens her bag and out comes purple haze (and feedback)...
Jimi in good humor throughout. Mentions being in America with the Mamas and Papas (but doesn't mention Monkees!), about how the streets of Greenwich Village "...aren't paved with gold, but banana peels...", and how while they were gone they "thought about you (the UK) all the way"!

The tape is apparently from the first of two shows that night, and the second was cancelled due to Saville owner/ Beatle manager Brian Epstein's death that same day...