Versions of Jimi Hendrix tracks not heard in public since they were recorded in the 1960s are to be sold at auction thanks to a personal assistant to the guitarist’s manager.
But with no copyright release the recordings may remain in private hands and for private ears only after their sale.
Patricia “Trixie” Sullivan was PA to Mike Jeffrey, who managed Hendrix – often controversially.
Jeffrey had managed the Animals. When Animals bassist Chas Chandler started managing Hendrix, Chandler went into partnership with Jeffrey.
Jeffrey has been called exploitative by his former clients. One associate even accused him of murdering Hendrix (though without any evidence).
Jeffrey died in an air crash in 1973. On his death, Ms Sullivan saved a collection of tapes, many of which are now to be sold by Propstore in their November auction.
Alongside the Hendrix tapes are recordings of the Animals and Soft Machine.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience blew away the psychedelic London scene in 1967.
The Hendrix recordings will undoubtedly attract the most interest.
And buyers must pay to hear them.
The big attraction is a set of four unreleased demos: Up From the Skies, Ain’t No Telling, Little Miss Love (from Axis: Bold As Love) and Stone Free from the flip side of the 1966 single Hey Joe.
Mark Hochman of Propstore told Guitar.com: “They’re a lot tighter and smoother, [than the released recordings].
“You can hear more guitar, which is obviously what Hendrix was famous for. The experts all agree that these are far superior to all the other versions of these tracks.”
The tapes carry a £200,000 estimate into the sale.
But will anyone apart from the buyer get to hear them?
The tapes will not come with copyright clearance to release the recordings.
In 2006, the Jeffrey estate sold rights to some Hendrix recordings, but the sale was immediately challenged by a company set up by the Hendrix family.
Documents from Hendrix’s life will also be sold. They include bills, doctor’s papers, and contracts – that show Jeffrey collecting 50% of fees for shows.
Hendrix, who died aged just 27 in 1970, is among the most collectible pop artists of the modern era.
Guitars of course attract huge money. In 2000, Paul Allen of Microsoft paid $2 million for the white Stratocaster that Jimi played at Woodstock. He donated it to a museum in Jimi’s native Seattle. It would almost certainly sell for much more now.
Autographs can go for around £15,000.
The auction takes place on November 15, in London and online.
