Unheard Jimi Hendrix songs set to be sold at auction

Posted On October 13, 2024October 13, 2024

A series of previously unheard Jimi Hendrix songs are set to be sold at auction, and the eventual buyer will be the only person with access to the historic recordings.

Since Hendrix’s death, there have been many recordings that have come to light, and subsequent posthumous albums that were cobbled together. However, despite the musician passing 54 years ago, it’s now emerged that more secret recordings exist, and are set to go to market.

The newly-discovered recordings were made by Hendrix in 1968, and feature previously unheard takes of classic tracks, ‘Up From the Skies’, ‘Ain’t No Telling’, ‘Little Miss Lover’ and ‘Stone Free’. While all of these songs have been beloved for decades, the 1968 demos promise to differ substantially from the widely-known versions.

The collection of recordings, including one Hendrix tape expected to fetch up to £200,000 when it is sold at auction, is currently owned by Patricia ‘Trixie’ Sullivan. At the height of Hendrix’s career, she worked as a personal assistant to his manager, Mike Jeffery.

Upon Jeffery’s passing in 1973, debt collectors stormed his central London office, and took every item they perceived to have value. However, while the took all of the furniture, they left behind 50 rare tapes, which included material from Hendrix, The Animals and Soft Machine.

For the last 51 years, Sullivan has been in possession of these recordings and were only re-discovered earlier this year.

Other items that are set to head to auction from Sullivan’s collection include many pieces of Hendrix memorabilia, such as dry cleaning bills, payslips to the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and even an eviction notice from Ringo Starr’s flat following complaints from neighbouring tenants.

The auction is set to take place on November 15th through Propstore and will be live-streamed. Mark Hochman, music consultant for the auctioneer, Propstore, told The Guardian that the person who buys Sullivan’s items will also buy “the kudos of having your own Jimi Hendrix songs which only you can listen to”.

Providing further insight to the recordings, Hochman added: “These versions have never been heard before, circulated or broadcast and are very different in sound and length to the more common examples.”

He continued: “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.”

Related Topics