The Cry of Love Tour

The Cry of Love Tour was a 1970 concert tour by American rock guitarist and singer Jimi Hendrix. It began on April 25, 1970, at the Forum[lower-alpha 4] in Inglewood, California, and ended on September 6, 1970, at the Love & Peace Festival in Fehmarn, Germany.[lower-alpha 1] The majority of the 37 shows were in the United States,[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3] with two each in Sweden, Denmark, and Germany, and one in England, where Hendrix was the final act at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970.

The Cry of Love Tour
Tour by Jimi Hendrix
LocationUS, Europe
Start dateApril 25, 1970 (1970-04-25)
End dateSeptember 6, 1970 (1970-09-06)[lower-alpha 1]
No. of shows37[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3]
Jimi Hendrix concert chronology

After experimenting with different lineups following the breakup of the original lineup of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Hendrix brought back drummer Mitch Mitchell with bassist Billy Cox replacing Noel Redding to record and tour. The trio would perform older tunes along with newer material from the live Band of Gypsys album and songs that Jimi was developing for a fourth album. Soon after their performance at the Isle of Wight, the tour was cut short due to Cox's illness and Hendrix was left considering his options. However, he died twelve days after the Fehmarn concert.

Several concerts were recorded and filmed that were later released on albums and film. Since their debut in 1971, the Berkeley, Atlanta, and Isle of Wight performances have been reissued several times, most recently as Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight (2002), Live at Berkeley (2003), and Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival/Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church (2015).[lower-alpha 5] Concert selections continue to be included on Hendrix retrospectives and documentaries, such as Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection (2001), which contains five songs recorded during the tour.

Background

Following Noel Redding's departure from the Experience on June 29, 1969, Hendrix called on Billy Cox, an Army buddy and early bandmate, to play bass.[7] In July, Hendrix, Cox, and Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell moved to a rural retreat in upstate New York and began rehearsing with an expanded lineup, which included rhythm guitarist Larry Lee and percussionists Juma Sultan and Jerry Velez.[8] One month later, the group debuted at the Woodstock festival.[9] After a couple of gigs and recording sessions,[10] it became apparent that the group, sometimes referred to as "Gypsy Sun and Rainbows" after a comment Hendrix made at Woodstock,[11] was not making sufficient progress.[12] Hendrix still wanted to experiment with a different backup but return to the trio configuration, so drummer Buddy Miles replaced Mitchell with Cox remaining on bass.[13] However, the new trio, often called the Band of Gypsys,[14] was similarly short-lived. Hendrix's tour manager, Gerry Stickells, believed "Jimi's own lack of commitment to the Band of Gypsys concept [was] its fatal flaw".[15] Hendrix expressed his dissatisfaction with the subsequent Band of Gypsys live album and Cox saw it as a stopgap measure to meet a contractual obligation.[16][17] With the return of Mitchell alongside Cox, Hendrix's latest group had only one member change from either the Experience or the Band of Gypsys.[18]

Shortly before the tour began, Hendrix was interviewed for Melody Maker, the British music magazine: "I called the tour the 'Cry of Love' because that is what it's all about", which the writer also thought was the name of the new group.[19] However, a new name was never officially adopted, but concert promoters often billed them as the "Jimi Hendrix Experience".[20][lower-alpha 6] Hendrix explained:

I'm not sure how I feel about the Experience now. Maybe we could have gone on but what would have been the point of that—what would it have good for? It's a ghost now—it's dead—like back pages in a diary. I'm into new things and I want to think about tomorrow, not yesterday.[24]

With the March–June 1970 releases in the US and UK of the Woodstock film and soundtrack and Band of Gypsys, Hendrix remained one of the biggest rock concert attractions:[25] "I'd like to play some festivals but I wish they would break up the events a bit for the audiences. There's no reason why these huge crowds should not be entertained by side attractions as well."[26] During this period, demonstrations, riots, and clashes with the police occurred at several concerts.[27] Some of Hendrix's performances were met with demands that they be free events, such at the Berkeley Community Theatre (May 30) and the New York Pop Festival (July 17), where they led to violent confrontations.[28][29][30]

At this time, Hendrix was also writing and recording songs for a planned fourth studio album. In early June after many delays, his new recording facility, Electric Lady Studios, was operational.[31] Hendrix was able to get his manager, Michael Jeffery, to agree to limit his concert appearances to three-day weekends, so the group could return to New York City to record during the rest of the week.[32] There were some stretches when the group took time off: they only performed twice between May 10 and June 5 (three gigs were cancelled due to illness); and twice between June 27 and July 17.[33] The group spent most of August recording at Electric Lady, before the official opening party on August 26.[34]

Afterwards, Hendrix departed for England and the European segment of the tour. For his first appearance in England in eighteen months, Hendrix was one of the top-billed events at Isle of Wight Festival 1970.[35] A few dates later, Cox became ill and had to return to the US to recover.[36] So, after performing at only seven European concerts, the tour was cancelled.[37] Hendrix stayed in London, where he attended parties and jammed with other musicians. He was considering whether to find a new bass player and met with Chas Chandler,[38] the producer of Are You Experienced and Axis: Bold as Love. However, Hendrix died on September 18, 1970.

Repertoire
"The older songs were new to me ... They were old to Jimi and Mitch but I brought my flavor on the bass and then they enjoyed that".

—Billy Cox[39]

Throughout the tour, Hendrix continued to perform Experience material and introduced several newer songs.[18] "Purple Haze" and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" were frequent concert closers; "Foxey Lady", "Red House", "Fire", and "Hey Joe" were concert staples as they had been in Experience performances.[40] Hendrix also continued to perform popular songs that dated back to the Experience, but not yet recorded to his satisfaction, such as "Lover Man", "Hear My Train A Comin'", and "Roomful of Mirrors".[41] From his time with Cox and Miles, he added "Machine Gun", "Message to Love", and "Ezy Ryder".[42]

Hendrix also had a number of new songs that were still in development that he chose to include in his concerts: "Freedom" and "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" were among the most played new numbers; others, such as "Straight Ahead", "In from the Storm", "Dolly Dagger", and "Midnight Lightning" were performed occasionally.[40] The songs signaled a new direction in Hendrix's music,[43][44] which biographer John McDermott describes as "music of a more mature and refined Experience ... reflecting a more subtle and intricate approach".[45]

Biographer David Moskowitz identifies the songs performed on July 26 at the Sick's Stadium in Seattle, Washington (Hendrix's birthplace), as representative of the Cry of Love repertoire:[46]

Despite being one of his best-selling singles, Hendrix usually ignored requests for "All Along the Watchtower" during his tours with the Experience.[47] However, after the song's debut at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, California, on June 20, he performed it more often.[47] Cox wished to delve deeper into Hendrix's catalogue: "I wanted to play those songs ... I wanted him to play 'Crosstown Traffic,' but we never got around to rehearsing it."[47] However, Hendrix occasionally surprised him – at a May 16 gig at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Cox recalled:

Just before we went onstage, Jimi said we were going to start the show with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "Johnny B. Goode." I just looked at him. "Sgt. Pepper" and "Johnny B. Goode"? He laughed and said "C'mon man, you know all that old shit!"[48]

Hendrix also performed "Johnny B. Goode" at the first show on May 30 at the Berkeley Community Theatre.[lower-alpha 7] During the afternoon rehearsals, the group tried out another rock and roll classic, Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes".[48] In Europe, Hendrix reached back to his early career for a couple of performances of Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor" and the Muddy Waters tribute "Catfish Blues".[50]

Films and albums

Over the years, several films and albums have been released of Hendrix's concert performances during the Cry of Love tour (all are albums, except where noted):

Additionally, songs recorded during the tour have been released along with other live and/or studio material:

Concerts
List of concerts with date, location, venue, support act(s)/event, references
Date
(1970)		 Location Venue Support act(s) /
event		 Ref(s)
April 25 Inglewood, California The Forum[lower-alpha 4] [75]
April 26 Sacramento, California Cal Expo [39]
May 1 Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee Auditorium
  • Oz
 [1]
May 2 Madison, Wisconsin Dane County Coliseum
  • Savage Grace
  • Oz
 [1]
May 3 Saint Paul, Minnesota St. Paul Civic Center [1]
May 4[lower-alpha 2] New York City, New York The Village Gate [1]
May 8
(2 shows)		 Norman, Oklahoma University of Oklahoma
Field House		 [1]
May 9 Fort Worth, Texas Will Rogers Coliseum — [1]
May 10 San Antonio, Texas HemisFair Arena [1]
May 16 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Temple Stadium [77]
May 22 Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati Gardens
  • cancelled
 [77]
May 23 St. Louis, Missouri Kiel Auditorium [77]
May 24 Columbus, Ohio Veterans Memorial Auditorium [77]
May 30
(2 shows)		 Berkeley, California Berkeley Community Theatre [77]
June 5 Dallas, Texas Memorial Auditorium [48]
June 6 Houston, Texas Sam Houston Coliseum [48]
June 7 Tulsa, Oklahoma Assembly Center Arena [48]
June 9 Memphis, Tennessee Mid-South Coliseum — [77]
June 10 Evansville, Indiana Roberts Municipal Stadium [78]
June 13 Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore Civic Center [78]
June 19 Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque Civic Auditorium — [78]
June 20 San Bernardino, California Swing Auditorium [78]
June 21 Ventura, California Ventura County Fairgrounds [78]
June 23 Denver, Colorado Mammoth Gardens — [78]
June 27 Boston, Massachusetts Boston Garden [78]
July 4 Byron, Georgia Middle Georgia Raceway [78]
July 5
(2 shows)		 Miami, Florida Miami Jai-Alai Fronton — [78]
July 17 Randall's Island, New York City Downing Stadium
  • New York Pop Festival
 [78]
July 25 San Diego, California San Diego Sports Arena [79]
July 26 Seattle, Washington Sick's Stadium
  • Cactus
  • Rube Tuben
  • The Rhondonnas
 [79]
July 30[lower-alpha 3]
(2 shows)		 Maui, Hawaii former pasture near Olinda [79]
Aug 1 Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu International Center — [34]
Aug 31[lower-alpha 8] Isle of Wight, England East Afton Farm [34]
Aug 31 Stockholm, Sweden Gröna Lund — [82]
Sep 1 Gothenburg, Sweden Liseberg [83]
Sep 2[lower-alpha 9] Aarhus, Denmark Vejlby-Risskov Hallen
  • Blue Sun
 [85]
Sep 3 Copenhagen, Denmark K.B. Hallen [86]
Sep 4 Berlin, Germany Deutschlandhalle [86]
Sep 6 Fehmarn, Germany Mecklenburg Bay
  • Love & Peace Festival
 [86]
"—" indicates that the information is unavailable.

Footnotes
  1. One Hendrix biographer, Steven Roby, writes that Hendrix "set out to play thirty-one cities in slightly over three months" and that the August 1 concert in Honolulu was "the final date of the U.S. Cry of Love Tour".[3] Harry Shapiro, notes August 1 as "End of the 'Cry of Love Tour'".[4] However, others, including John McDermott, do not distinguish between the US and European segments of the tour.[5]
  2. Hendrix performed three songs at "Holding Together", a small benefit for Timothy Leary in New York City[76] and is not included in the total number of shows for the tour.
  3. The two shows on Maui were for the benefit of filming for manager Michael Jeffery's Rainbow Bridge project[80] and are not included in the total number of shows for the tour.
  4. The Forum in Inglewood, California, is frequently called the "Los Angeles Forum" or the "Forum, Los Angeles, California" because of its proximity and association with Los Angeles.[1][2]
  5. The opening tour concert at the Forum was recorded by an amateur in the audience. Although never officially released, it is available for listening at the jimihendrix.com official website.[6]
  6. Hendrix's most recent record releases in 1970 were credited as "Hendrix" (Band of Gypsys),[21] "Hendrix Band of Gypsys" ("Stepping Stone" / "Izabella" Reprise Records single),[22] and "Jimi Hendrix" (Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More).[23]
  7. In 1972, the Berkeley recording of "Johnny B. Goode" was issued on the album Hendrix in the West and as a single in the UK, where it reached number 35.[49]
  8. At the Isle of Wight, Hendrix was originally scheduled to perform Sunday night, August 30. However, "due to a series of logistical delays", he actually performed Monday morning, August 31.[81]
  9. After playing three songs, Hendrix was unable to continue performing and left; concert goers received refunds.[84]

References
  1. Brown 1992, p. 112.
  2. McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, p. 265.
  3. Roby 2002, pp. 168, 208.
  4. Shapiro & Glebbeek 1990, p. 695.
  5. McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, pp. 245–248.
  6. "Jimi Hendrix: Live at the Los Angeles Forum – 4/25/1970". Jimihendrix.com (official website). Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  7. Shadwick 2003, pp. 191–192.
  8. Shadwick 2003, p. 192.
  9. Brown 1992, p. 106.
  10. Brown 1992, pp. 106–108.
  11. Shadwick 2003, pp. 193–194.
  12. McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, pp. 175–178.
  13. Shadwick 2003, p. 204.
  14. Black 1999, pp. 208–209.
  15. McDermott & Kramer 1992, p. 240.
  16. Black 1999, p. 223.
  17. McDermott 1999, p. 18.
  18. Shapiro & Glebbeek 1990, p. 422.
  19. Roby 2002, pp. 270–271.
  20. Shadwick 2003, p. 223.
  21. Band of Gypsys (liner notes). Hendrix. Hollywood, California: Capitol Records. 1970. STAO-472.CS1 maint: others (link) CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  22. "Stepping Stone" / "Izabella" (single label). Hendrix Band of Gypsys. US: Reprise Records. 1970. 0905.CS1 maint: others (link) CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  23. Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More (liner notes). Various artists: Jimi Hendrix. New York City: Cotillion Records. 1970. SD 3-500.CS1 maint: others (link)
  24. Roby 2002, p. 270.
  25. Shapiro & Glebbeek 1990, p. 426.
  26. Roby 2012, p. 271.
  27. Roby 2002, p. 169.
  28. Roby 2002, pp. 170–173.
  29. Black 1999, pp. 228, 232.
  30. McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, pp. 212, 234.
  31. McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, p. 215.
  32. Roby 2002, p. 168.
  33. Brown 1992, pp. 113–114.
  34. Brown 1992, p. 116.
  35. Shapiro & Glebbeek 1990, pp. 443, 447.
  36. Roby 2002, pp. 185–186.
  37. Roby 2002, p. 186.
  38. Roby 2002, pp. 186–187.
  39. McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, p. 207.
  40. McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, pp. 207–208, 211–215.
  41. Shaprio & Glebbeek 1990, p. 423.
  42. Shapiro & Glebbeek 1990, p. 423.
  43. Henderson 2008, p. 365.
  44. Shaprio & Glebbeek 1990, p. 424.
  45. McDermott & Kramer 1992, p. 264.
  46. Moskowitz 2010, p. 77.
  47. McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, p. 222.
  48. McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, p. 213.
  49. Shapiro & Glebbeek 1990, pp. 543–544.
  50. McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, pp. 246–247.
  51. Roby 2002, pp. 249–250.
  52. Experience Hendrix (September 16, 2003). "Live at Berkeley". Jimihendrix.com (official website). Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  53. Shapiro & Glebbeek 1990, pp. 553–554, 704.
  54. Fairchild, Michael (1991). Stages – Atlanta 70 (Box set disc 4 liner notes). Jimi Hendrix. Burbank, California: Reprise Records. p. 1. 9 26732-2.
  55. Roby 2002, p. 250.
  56. Experience Hendrix (August 28, 2015). "Freedom: Jimi Hendrix Experience Atlanta Pop Festival". Jimihendrix.com (official website). Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  57. Experience Hendrix (October 23, 2015). "Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church". Jimihendrix.com (official website). Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  58. Shapiro & Glebbek 1990, p. 704.
  59. Experience Hendrix. "Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live in Maui – New collection features Music, Money, Madness ... Jimi Hendrix in Maui documentary on Blu-ray with Live in Maui 2CD or 3LP album". Jimihendrix.com (official website). Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  60. Shapiro & Glebbeek 1990, p. 541.
  61. Roby 2002, pp. 252–253.
  62. Henderson, Alex. "Jimi Hendrix: Live: Isle of Wight '70 – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  63. Experience Hendrix (December 13, 2005). "Live at the Isle of Fehmarn". Jimihendrix.com (official website). Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  64. Shapiro & Glebbeek 1990, pp. 542–543.
  65. Shapiro & Glebbeek 1990, p. 546.
  66. Shapiro & Glebbeek 1990, p. 552.
  67. Shapiro & Glebbeek 1990, pp. 536–537.
  68. Cornerstones: 1967–1970 (CD notes). Jimi Hendrix. UK: Polydor Records. 1990. p. 2. 847 231-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  69. Fairchild, Michael (1994). Blues (CD liner notes). Jimi Hendrix. Universal City, California: MCA Records. p. 24. MCAD-11060.
  70. The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Box set booklet). Jimi Hendrix. Universal city, California: MCA Records. 2000. pp. 63, 64, 66, 71. 112 316-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  71. Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection (CD notes). Jimi Hendrix. Santa Monica, California: MCA Records. 2001. Back cover. 088 112 603-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  72. West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology (CD set booklet). Jimi Hendrix. New York City: Legacy Recordings. 2010. p. 47. 88697769311.CS1 maint: others (link) CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  73. Bob Smeaton (Director) (2010). Voodoo Child (DVD). New York City: Sony Music Entertainment. 88697769272.
  74. Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train A Comin' (DVD cover). Jimi Hendrix. New York City: Sony Music Entertainment. 2012. OCLC 946959773. 88883769949.CS1 maint: others (link)
  75. Brown 1992, p. 111.
  76. McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, p. 208.
  77. Brown 1992, p. 113.
  78. Brown 1992, p. 114.
  79. Brown 1992, p. 115.
  80. Shadwick 2003, p. 232.
  81. McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, p. 246.
  82. Brown 1992, p. 120.
  83. Brown 1992, pp. 120–121.
  84. McDermott, Kramer & Cox 2009, p. 247.
  85. Brown 1992, p. 121.
  86. Brown 1992, p. 123.

Bibliography
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