Los Angeles Forum: April 26, 1969

Since forming in October 1966, the Jimi Hendrix Experience released three highly successful albums and toured extensively throughout Europe and North America.[2] By 1969, the group had become one of the few rock attractions "with enough drawing power to sell out huge venues like the Forum and New York's Madison Square Garden".[3] In April 1969, they began yet another American tour.[4] Experience manager Michael Jeffery arranged for Wally Heider (who had recorded the Experience at Monterey Pop in 1967) to record some shows.[5] After promising performances at the Forum[lower-alpha 1] on April 26 and San Diego Sports Arena on May 24, Eddie Kramer arrived at Heider's Hollywood studios to prepare mixes from the multitrack recordings.[5]

Jeffery was hoping to use a live album to satisfy a contract dispute with a former Hendrix manager.[5] Kramer and Hendrix spent three days at Heider's studio, "assembled a superb album of live performances", and delivered the tapes to Jeffery.[7] However, nothing was forthcoming and by June 15, 1969, plans for a live album were dropped.[7] In later years, the Forum concert recordings were released piecemeal:[lower-alpha 2] "Foxey Lady" was added as a bonus track on the 1989 CD-reissue of The Jimi Hendrix Concerts (1982) and the following year, the rest of the tracks were included on disc four of Lifelines: The Jimi Hendrix Story box set.[10] Other releases include "Red House" on Variations on a Theme: Red House (1992);[11] "I Don't Live Today" on The Jimi Hendrix Experience (2000) box set[12] and the Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection (2001) compilation;[13] and The "Star Spangled Banner" and "Purple Haze" on West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology (2010).[14]

In 1969, rock concerts at large indoor venues, such as the Forum, were relatively new.[2] It was also a time of social unrest and popular concert events attracted their share of difficulties. Hendrix biographer Keith Shadwick commented, "As so often there was a troubled atmosphere in the arena reflecting the turmoil that continued to dominate America's social and political life; here it was exacerbated by the security personnel's reaction to provocation from unruly elements in the crowd."[12] In an effort to prevent the capacity crowd from rushing the stage, "the cops had lined up on the stage in front of him [Hendrix], in some mysterious police method of crowd control".[15]

Tensions heightened and those in charge threatened to cut the power;[16] Hendrix announced "Look, they're going to cut the show short if this keeps up. So just sit down and be cool so these other 'people' [coughs] will get off the stage."[17] During his performance of "Purple Haze", he changed "'scuse me while I kiss the sky" to "'scuse me while I kiss that policeman".[2] Some see his attempts as sarcasm,[18] however, Shadwick feels that with humor and common sense, Hendrix "repeatedly defuses a situation where more heavy-handed methods would only make things worse".[12]

Also, by 1969, difficulties between Experience bassist Noel Redding and Hendrix were coming to a head.[19] Hendrix had played bass on several songs that appeared on Axis: Bold As Love (1967[20] and Electric Ladyland (1968), and invited other musicians to record on the latter.[21] In his autobiography, Redding expressed his increasing frustration with Hendrix's habit of showing up late for recording sessions, sometimes accompanied by a group of hangers-on, and generally not being supportive of his role in the group.[22] Redding responded in part by forming his own band, Fat Mattress, where he returned to playing guitar, instead of bass.[23] During the Forum concert, Redding's approach to dealing with the security issue also showed the growing division, with his angry comments at odds with Hendrix's more conciliatory approach.[12] After riots during performances in San Diego (May 24) and Denver (June 29), Redding quit the Experience and returned to England.[24]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
All About Jazz	[25]
AllMusic	[26]
American Songwriter	[27]
Mojo	[28]
The Telegraph	[29]

AllMusic reviewer Mark Deming gave the album a rating of four out of five stars.[26] He writes:

If this isn't the most tightly focused Jimi Hendrix Experience performance of all, it shows the group was still capable of delivering exciting, remarkable music even under difficult circumstances ... both [Hendrix and Mitchell] were in an inspired fashion this evening, while Redding's bass gives the music a simple but steady foundation ... the depth, detail, and sense of space in the audio serves this performance well.[26]

• Jimi Hendrix – guitar, vocals
• Mitch Mitchell – drums
• Noel Redding – bass, backing vocals

• Lifelines: The Jimi Hendrix Story (Disc four notes). Jimi Hendrix. Burbank, California: Reprise. 1990. 9 26635-9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
• Loder, Kurt (2001). Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection (CD compilation booklet). Jimi Hendrix. Universal City, California: MCA Records. 066 112 603-2.
• McDermott, John; Kramer, Eddie; Cox, Billy (2009). Ultimate Hendrix. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-938-1.
• McDermott, John (2010). West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology (CD/DVD set booklet). Jimi Hendrix. New York City: Sony Music Entertainment. OCLC 762162961. 88697769272.
• Pates, Bruce (1982). The Jimi Hendrix Concerts (1989 CD-reissue booklet). Jimi Hendrix. Burbank, California: Reprise. 9 36656-2.
• Redding, Noel; Appleby, Carol (1990). Are You Experienced?. London: Pan Books. ISBN 0-330-31923-X.
• Shadwick, Keith (2003). Jimi Hendrix: Musician (1st. ed.). San Francisco: Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-764-1.
• Shapiro, Harry; Glebbeek, Cesar (1991). Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy (1st. U.S. ed.). New York City: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-05861-6.
• Waksman, Steve (1999). Instruments of Desire: The Electric Guitar and the Shaping of Musical Experience. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-00065-X.
• Wheeler, Tom; Gore, Joe (1992). Variations on a Theme: Red House. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Bella Godiva Music/Hal Leonard Publishing. ISBN 0-7935-1719-2.