A treasure trove of Jimi Hendrix material has recently been unearthed from an unlikely source – the PA to Hendrix's former manager.
Patricia “Trixie” Sullivan worked as the personal assistant to Mike Jeffery, the English music manager known for managing The Animals in the '60s, and from 1966 to 1973 and his controversial management of Jimi Hendrix alongside Animals bassist Chas Chandler.
After Jeffery's death in 1973, Sullivan collected a ton of material that he had saved from his management days. The material includes Hendrix demos from the ’60s, featuring the guitarist's own handwriting – which, until now, were in her possession.
The demos are said to be “very different in sound and length” from the final, better-known versions, with some running up to seven minutes.
They include Up From the Skies, Ain’t No Telling, Little Miss Lover, and Stone Free – from The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s sophomore album, 1967's Axis: Bold as Love. The latter track served as the B-side to Hendrix's first UK single, 1966's Hey Joe.
According to Mark Hochman, music consultant for the auction house Propstore, “These versions have never been heard before, circulated or broadcast and are very different in sound and length to the more common examples.
“They’re a lot tighter and smoother. You can hear more guitar, which is obviously what Hendrix was famous for. The experts who have visited and heard the recordings all agree that these are far superior to all the other versions of these tracks.”
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Moreover, Hochman asserts that the person who wins this auction will have “the kudos of having your own Jimi Hendrix songs, which only you can listen to.”
Considering the rarity of this find, it comes as no surprise that the predicted final bids for these priceless demos are estimated at a whopping $260,000. However, they are not the only items up for auction.
The collection also includes dry-cleaning bills for Hendrix's costumes, tour itineraries, a note stating that the guitarist was being evicted from Ringo Starr’s London flat, the Jimi Hendrix Experience's first-ever contract, and payslips, among other items.
One document, in particular, shows that Hendrix was offered up to seven figures for a one-off show, with half going to his manager, Jeffery.
The auction will take place in London and via livestream on November 15. For more information, visit Propstore.
Jimi Hendrix memorabilia remains a hot commodity in the auction world. In May, a rare pre-fame Jimi Hendrix recording from his brief stint as Little Richard's guitarist sold for $51,644.
