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Thread started 05/03/07 7:49pm

PFunkjazz

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Of Bitches and Gypsies

Betty [Davis] confirms that she and Miles collaborated on an album with musicians from his and Hendrix's band. A number of songs were recorded over several weeks including a cover of Cream's "Politician". "We booked studio time in the evening." says Betty. "Teo Macero produced it. Wayne Shorter did the charts. Billy Cox was on bass. Tony Williams,drums. Miles directed it." Progrees on the album was so far along that painter Mati Klarwein of Bitches Brew fame was commissioned to do the cover art. But, in the end the project was shelved. "Miles was afraid that if the record came out, I'd leave him. He thought I'd become a star. He wanted to hold me back in a way. He was very old-fashioned."


LIberated Sister - WAXPOETICS #22 April/May 2007



http://waxpoetics.com

Note: There is no indication Jimi Hendrix was ever involved with this project.
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Reply #1 posted 05/03/07 7:54pm

Anx

that's a great issue...super informative - FASCINATING - and great pics, too.
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Reply #2 posted 05/03/07 8:10pm

theAudience

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Just got this as the first issue of my new subscription yesterday...woot!


tA

peace Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431
"Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all."
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Reply #3 posted 05/04/07 5:30am

Anx

theAudience said:

Just got this as the first issue of my new subscription yesterday...woot!


tA

peace Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431



you will have to give us your take on the article. i was pretty amazed at all she's seen and done (and WHO she's seen and done lol )!
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Reply #4 posted 05/04/07 7:49am

guitarslinger4
4

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And I bet this record is sitting in a vault in the COlumbia building somewhere! eek Maybe with all the reissuing going on of jazz records it'll see the light of day in the future! One can only hope! wink
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Reply #5 posted 05/04/07 9:09am

theAudience

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Anx said:


you will have to give us your take on the article. i was pretty amazed at all she's seen and done (and WHO she's seen and done lol )!

I will.
Waiting till this weekend to read it so I can absorb the whole magazine at once...drooling

tA

peace Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431
"Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all."
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Reply #6 posted 05/04/07 9:31am

calldapplwonde
ry83

I should see if I can find that magazine here somewhere.
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Reply #7 posted 05/04/07 10:31am

PFunkjazz

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Further corroboration....





Wayne [Shorter] couldn't help noticing how another Bitches Brew tune "Miles Runs The Vodoo Down" bore suspiciously close resemblance to a song recorded by Betty Mabry on a demo that summer. "That was his wife's Betty's tune called 'Down Home Girl,'" Wayne said. "Miles took it and broke it down with no beat, like he was hearing it through water." Betty's demo, which perhaps conincidentally went unre;eased, was produced by Miles and featured John Mc Laughlin, Hendrix's drummer Mitch Mitchell, Harvey Brooks [bass] and Larry Young.


pg 135 FOOTPRINTS The Life and Work of Wayne Shorter - Michelle Mercer 2004
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Reply #8 posted 05/04/07 10:41am

PFunkjazz

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error; delete
[Edited 5/4/07 10:49am]
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Reply #9 posted 05/04/07 10:41am

PFunkjazz

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error delete
[Edited 5/4/07 10:49am]
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Reply #10 posted 05/04/07 10:48am

PFunkjazz

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PFunkjazz said:

painter Mati Klarwein of Bitches Brew fame was commissioned to do the cover art.


Here's the cover art




and here's Mr. Klarwein's website with a gallery of his works.

http://www.matiklarweinart.com/
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Reply #11 posted 05/04/07 12:05pm

dancerella

that is a great article. she lead quite a fantastic life back in the day. such a shame she's not doing anything at all now. i wish they would put a current picture of her out. i'm dying to know what she looks like now. she was stunning back then!
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Reply #12 posted 05/04/07 12:08pm

Anx

dancerella said:

that is a great article. she lead quite a fantastic life back in the day. such a shame she's not doing anything at all now. i wish they would put a current picture of her out. i'm dying to know what she looks like now. she was stunning back then!


i'm thinking she's too proud/vain to let people see her with age in her face, though she has to be as beautiful as ever, i'm sure. i'd like to see her make a "better late than never" comeback like nick drake and shuggie otis had. her music is way too good to remain obscure.
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Reply #13 posted 05/04/07 1:14pm

Miles

I'm prepared to be proven wrong on this, but am I the only person here who isn't entirely convinced by Ms Davis' claims about this unreleased album?? Call me cynical, but surely with a starry personnel list like that, especially with the involvement of the great Miles Davis, we would have heard something about it by now. The amount of times the likes of Billy Cox, Wayne Shorter etc have been interviewed about every aspect of their times with Jimi and Miles, and nothing said; not a peep from Columbia Legacy's re-release people or Miles' biographers (some of whom have had access to all the recording sheets and info Miles and Teo ever did) about this to my knowledge...

I've read plenty about how hard it was trying to get Miles and Jimi into a recording studio together. Apparently, they agreed on Tony Williams, but Tony wanted big money, which made Miles want bigger money; then Jimi stole Miles' girlfriend (Betty Davis herself even? I can't recall.). Then Jimi died ...

I might be wrong but this sounds too good to be true to me. I need more evidence. smile

I'm digging that Mati Klarwein artwork tho. His mind was seriously 'opened'! biggrin
[Edited 5/4/07 13:15pm]
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Reply #14 posted 05/04/07 1:15pm

Anx

i don't remember if jimi "stole" betty, though she did have a romantic history with him as well as miles. she says her song "he was a big freak" was written about jimi.
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Reply #15 posted 05/04/07 4:25pm

blackguitarist
z

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PFunkjazz said:

Betty [Davis] confirms that she and Miles collaborated on an album with musicians from his and Hendrix's band. A number of songs were recorded over several weeks including a cover of Cream's "Politician". "We booked studio time in the evening." says Betty. "Teo Macero produced it. Wayne Shorter did the charts. Billy Cox was on bass. Tony Williams,drums. Miles directed it." Progrees on the album was so far along that painter Mati Klarwein of Bitches Brew fame was commissioned to do the cover art. But, in the end the project was shelved. "Miles was afraid that if the record came out, I'd leave him. He thought I'd become a star. He wanted to hold me back in a way. He was very old-fashioned."


LIberated Sister - WAXPOETICS #22 April/May 2007



http://waxpoetics.com

Note: There is no indication Jimi Hendrix was ever involved with this project.

Yeah, I saw this issue at Ameoba Records and bought it cuz Betty was on the cover. Jimi had relations with Betty and Miles was definately hipped to this. But at the same time, Miles wanted to record with Jimi very badly. Bitches Brew and Agartha basically is what Miles was trying to recreate if Jimi and he had released something. But with the Betty issue, I think this played a part in Miles not fucking with Jimi. As far as Jimi went, I think he could have cared less about Betty being with Miles. Jimi had women all the time, so....I think Jimi's attitude was like "hey brah, uh,...let's jam and uh...take this somewhere. let's take it to uh,... the universe."
SynthiaRose said "I'm in love with blackguitaristz. Especially when he talks about Hendrix."
nammie "What BGZ says I believe. I have the biggest crush on him."
http://ccoshea19.googlepa...ssanctuary
http://ccoshea19.googlepages.com
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Reply #16 posted 05/04/07 4:27pm

PFunkjazz

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Miles said:

I'm prepared to be proven wrong on this, but am I the only person here who isn't entirely convinced by Ms Davis' claims about this unreleased album?? Call me cynical, but surely with a starry personnel list like that, especially with the involvement of the great Miles Davis, we would have heard something about it by now. The amount of times the likes of Billy Cox, Wayne Shorter etc have been interviewed about every aspect of their times with Jimi and Miles, and nothing said; not a peep from Columbia Legacy's re-release people or Miles' biographers (some of whom have had access to all the recording sheets and info Miles and Teo ever did) about this to my knowledge...


Which is why I posted the excerpt from Shorter's bio. There's a mixup on the exact personnel, but Wayne seems to be talking about a particular track and not the whole session. Clearly the tapes exist. Maybe there are issues regarding clearances? It'll be interesting to find out more.


I've read plenty about how hard it was trying to get Miles and Jimi into a recording studio together. Apparently, they agreed on Tony Williams, but Tony wanted big money, which made Miles want bigger money; then Jimi stole Miles' girlfriend (Betty Davis herself even? I can't recall.). Then Jimi died ...


I think this is as close as we get to a Jimi-Miles project.

In her own words Betty states she was not attracted to Jimi. So there wasn't a romantic involvement; they were just friends. The reason for the breakup is Miles was abusive and domineering. This may be her opinion, but these are common claims associated with Miles.


I might be wrong but this sounds too good to be true to me. I need more evidence. smile


It seems clear the tapes are not Miles' property, so Colmbiua wouldn't have any claim on them.


I'm digging that Mati Klarwein artwork tho. His mind was seriously 'opened'! biggrin
[Edited 5/4/07 13:15pm]



I don't see EW&F's LAST DAYS AND TIME. sad
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Reply #17 posted 05/04/07 5:54pm

theAudience

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PFunkjazz said:

I don't see EW&F's LAST DAYS AND TIME. sad

They seem to have most of his album covers grouped together here:
http://www.geocities.com/...tists.html



tA

peace Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431
"Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all."
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Reply #18 posted 05/04/07 6:15pm

PFunkjazz

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theAudience said:

PFunkjazz said:

I don't see EW&F's LAST DAYS AND TIME. sad

They seem to have most of his album covers grouped together here:
http://www.geocities.com/...tists.html



tA

peace Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431



ok but I was looking for large sized inmages without the letteringlikein his gallery. The link was still good, because apparently I have more of his artwork that I expected.
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Reply #19 posted 05/05/07 1:55am

united1878

Wow, does the article say what she's up to nowadays?
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