Jimi Hendrix Experience Memorial Coliseum 1969 concert poster – May 7, 1969 Tuscaloosa poster – White

Jimi Hendrix Experience Memorial Coliseum 1969 concert poster – Tuscaloosa May 7, 1969 poster – White

Check out this awesome print! It’s a cool replica of the original Jimi Hendrix Experience Tuscaloosa 1969 concert poster. It advertises a gig put on at the Memorial Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

The event was organised by the Cotillion Club. Historically, a cotillion was a formal dance or ball that often marked a significant event, such as a debutante’s introduction into society. These events were highly formal, and attendees, usually young women, were taught social skills, manners, and dance etiquette. Cotillion balls were common in the United States during the 18th and 19th centuries, but their popularity declined over time. In modern times, the concept of cotillion has evolved, and there are various interpretations and practices associated with it. Cotillion clubs still exist as social organisations aimed at teaching social skills, etiquette, and dance to young people. These clubs often offer classes in manners, proper behavior, and formal dance styles like ballroom dancing. They are designed to help young individuals gain confidence and social competence. Quite why they thought it was a good idea to introduce these young debutantes to the Jimi Hendrix Experience seems a little strange.

The show was held on Wednesday, 7 May, 1969 with support from Buddy Miles Express and Cat Mother. The Buddy Miles Express was a band led by drummer and vocalist George Allen “Buddy” Miles Jr., an American rock and soul musician who gained prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was best known for his association with Jimi Hendrix, and later played drums for the Band of Gypsys, a group formed by Hendrix. The band was a psychedelic soul and funk band that released several albums during their active years. The band’s music was characterised by a blend of rock, soul, and funk elements. One of their notable albums is “Expressway to Your Skull,” released in 1968. The album showcased the band’s musical versatility and Buddy Miles’ powerful vocals and drumming skills. Buddy Miles later pursued a solo career and continued to collaborate with various artists over the years. He remained an influential figure in the music industry, contributing significantly to the development of rock, soul, and funk music during his career.

Cat Mother or Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys were an American rock band formed in New York City in the late 1960s. The band was known for its eclectic style, blending elements of rock, blues, jazz, and psychedelic music. They gained some recognition in the late 1960s and early 1970s but never achieved mainstream success on the level of some of their contemporaries.

The band’s most notable work is their self-titled debut album, “Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys,” released in 1969. The album featured a mix of original compositions and cover songs, showcasing the band’s diverse musical influences. One of the standout tracks from the album was a cover of the song “Good Old Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Dave Bartholomew, which received some airplay and helped them gain a following. Their connection with Hendrix brought them some attention, but they were never able to achieve widespread commercial success.

Although not named on the Memorial Coliseum poster, according to the concert archives website Fat Mattress was the evening’s opening act. Fat Mattress was, in fact, an English folk rock band that was formed in Folkestone, England in 1968. The group was put together by guitarist and vocalist Noel Redding together with vocalist Neil Landon, multi-instrumentalist Jim Leverton, and drummer Eric Dillon. The band was formed while Redding was a member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It was touted as a way for Redding to release his own creativity. To write songs, play guitar, sing lead, as well as to record original material. While he had done all three things with the Experience, they were restricted to rare occasions. However, to the music press, the fact that Fat Mattress was scheduled to be the opening act on the 1969 American tour appeared to be as much a concession to keep Noel in the band as it was a musical decision. It also poured petrol on the flames of speculation that the Jimi Hendrix Experience were about to split up.

Jimi Hendrix Memorial Coliseum May 7, 1969

May 7, 1969, was a busy day for Jimi. Sessions for the band’s third album, the as-yet-untitled Electric Ladyland began at several studios, both in the United States and UK between July 1967 and January 1968. After a three-month break, recording resumed on April 18, 1968, at the newly opened Record Plant Studios in New York City with producer Chas Chandler and engineers Eddie Kramer and Gary Kellgren.

To relax, Jimi used to frequent several of New York’s bars and nightclubs. The Scene was a nightclub on West 46th Street in Manhattan, run by American talent manager and nightclub owner, Steve Paul between 1964 and 1969. Steve Paul’s The Scene became the venue of choice for Jimi and his friends to get together and hang out with other musicians and artists. It was a regular haunt and performance venue for artists including The Velvet Underground, The Young Rascals, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Sammy Davis Jr., Blood Sweat and Tears, Pink Floyd, Jeff Beck, Traffic and Fleetwood Mac. The Doors were hired to play the club throughout the month of June 1967, becoming the biggest draw in the history of the club.

In the 1978 biography of Jimi Hendrix “Scuse Me While I Kiss The Sky” David Henderson wrote “Jimi soon found the Scene Club irresistible… Fans did not hassle you there. It was dark and intimate, almost labyrinthine, yet you could go there and party, or play and just sit alone and drink, and no-one restrained you either way. And most important of all was that he could play there. He could play any time he wanted to. He could woodshed right in the middle of New York City. The Scene Club was like a miniforum model for every arena he would ever play. The shouting stark frenzy of the close room is what he brought with him to every stage around the world. It was always the small intimate room he was really playing to. The thousand and one nights of playing long into the Scene Club’s night. When the chairs would finally be upside down upon the tiny tables. When Steve Paul himself would finally have to pull the plug, while Jimi alone in his universe would be totally unaware of the hour or of the devotees and workers who patiently waited within the exhilaration of his sound. At the Scene, Jimi would completely let himself go – playing all he knew and didn’t know, going beyond sharing–playing all. Trying to get it all out.“

According to the Jimi Hendrix website,  “In the early morning hours of May 7, Jimi returned from the nearby Scene Club with Steven Stills and Johnny Winter in tow”. Once back at the Record Plant, the three guitarists enjoyed a lengthy jam session recording “Jam #1, “Jam #2” and “Ships Passing Through The Night”, culminating with a rollicking rendition of Guitar Slim’s “The Things I Used To Do”. The impromptu version featuring Johnny Winter on slide guitar was officially released in 2018 on the compilation Both Sides of the Sky.

The Steven Stills and Johnny Winter jam wasn’t the first time Hendrix had brought his friends back to the studio. Just five days earlier, after a long evening at the club, Hendrix returned to the studio with his drummer Mitch Mitchell, Steve Winwood the organist from Traffic and Blind Faith, and the Jefferson Airplane bassist Jack Casady to jam. The resulting jam saw the makeshift group, perform three attempts at a tune based on the Muddy Waters blues song Rollin’ Stone. The final take became the basis of Voodoo Chile. The song was recorded by the Experience the next day and is one of Hendrix’s best-known songs.

In the afternoon of the 7th May, Hendrix joined Mitchell, Redding, and his road crew to fly to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The group checked into the Ramada Inn in Tuscaloosa prior to performing that evening at the Memorial Coliseum.

Other Jimi Hendrix posters

How much is an original 1969  Jimi Hendrix Memorial Coliseum concert poster worth?