Midnight Lightning

Midnight Lightning is a posthumous compilation album by American rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix.[1] It was released in November 1975 by Reprise Records in the US and Polydor Records in the UK.[1] It was the second to be produced by Alan Douglas and Tony Bongiovi. The songs consist of post-Jimi Hendrix Experience recordings that originally featured Billy Cox on bass and either Mitch Mitchell or Buddy Miles on drums.

For the bouldering problem, see Midnight Lightning (bouldering).
Midnight Lightning
Compilation album by
Jimi Hendrix
ReleasedNovember 1975 (1975-11)
Recorded1968–1975
GenreRock
Length35:58
LabelPolydor
ProducerAlan Douglas, Tony Bongiovi
Jimi Hendrix chronology
Crash Landing
(1975)		 Midnight Lightning
(1975)		 The Essential Jimi Hendrix
(1978)

Background

Douglas continued the controversial methods he had adopted on Crash Landing and brought in many of the same session musicians to overdub parts of songs. The only original recording (apart from those by Hendrix) was Mitchell's drumming on "Hear My Train". In response to the previous outcry from fans and critics, Douglas did not claim co-writer credit for any songs on Midnight Lightning. Despite the fact that the album included reworkings of the popular live songs "Hear My Train" and "Machine Gun", the album was not as well received as its predecessor, peaking at numbers 43 in the US and 46 in the UK.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Record GuideB+[3]

In Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau regarded Midnight Lightning as an improvement by Douglas over Crash Landing because of highlight instrumentals such as "Trash Man", overdubbed guitar from Jeff Mironov and Lance Quinn, and "the blues playing — as opposed to singing or writing".[3] AllMusic's Joe Viglione later said the enduring quality of Hendrix's music was retained in spite of Douglas's "doctoring and musicians jamming with his art after the fact."[2]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jimi Hendrix, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitlePost-Douglas release(s)Length
1."Trash Man"Hear My Music3:15
2."Midnight Lightning"South Saturn Delta3:49
3."Hear My Train"Valleys of Neptune[4]5:43
4."Gypsy Boy (New Rising Sun)"People, Hell and Angels[5]3:45
Side two
No.TitlePost-Douglas release(s)Length
1."Blue Suede Shoes" (Carl Perkins) 3:29
2."Machine Gun" 7:36
3."Once I Had a Woman"Blues5:20
4."Beginnings" (Mitch Mitchell) 3:02

Personnel

Added in 1975
  • Jeff Mironov – guitar on tracks 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8
  • Lance Quinn – guitar on tracks 2, 4, 6 and 7
  • Allan Schwartzberg – drums on tracks 1, 2, 4-8, percussion on tracks 3 and 4
  • Bob Babbitt – bass guitar
  • Jimmy Maelen – percussion on tracks 2 and 8
  • Maeretha Stewart – backing vocals on tracks 2, 4 and 7
  • Barbara Massey – backing vocals on tracks 2, 4 and 7
  • Vivian Cherry – backing vocals on tracks 2, 4 and 7
  • Buddy Lucas – harmonica on track 7

Original recording details and wiped backing musicians
  • Track 1 recorded at Olmstead Studios in New York City, New York on April 3, 1969. Noel Redding - bass guitar, Mitch Mitchell - drums
  • Track 2 recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York on July 14, 1970. Billy Cox - bass guitar, Mitch Mitchell - drums, Juma Sultan - percussion
  • Track 3 recorded at Olmstead Studios in New York City, New York on April 7, 1969. Noel Redding - bass guitar, Mitch Mitchell's drums were kept
  • Track 4 recorded at the Record Plant in New York City, New York on March 18, 1969. Jimi Hendrix - bass guitar, Mitch Mitchell - drums
  • Track 5 recorded at the Record Plant in New York City, New York on January 23, 1970. Billy Cox - bass guitar, Buddy Miles - drums
  • Track 6 is a combination of several takes of "Machine Gun" and "Izabella", recorded at the Hit Factory in New York City, New York on August 29, 1969. Larry Lee - guitar, Billy Cox - bass guitar, Mitch Mitchell - drums, Juma Sultan - percussion, Gerrardo Velez - percussion
  • Track 7 recorded at the Record Plant in New York City, New York on January 23, 1970. Billy Cox - bass guitar, Buddy Miles - drums, Don [surname unknown] - harmonica
  • Track 8 recorded at the Hit Factory in New York City, New York on August 28, 1969. Larry Lee - guitar, Billy Cox - bass guitar, Mitch Mitchell - drums, Juma Sultan - percussion, Gerrardo Velez - percussion
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References
  1. Moskowitz, David (2010). The Words and Music of Jimi Hendrix. ABC-CLIO. pp. 102, 165. ISBN 0313375925. Retrieved July 1, 2014.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Viglione, Joe. "Midnight Lightning - Jimi Hendrix". AllMusic. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  3. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: H". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 26, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. Valleys of Neptune uses the title "Hear My Train A Comin'".
  5. People Hell and Angels uses the title "Hey Gypsy Boy".
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