Analogman Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Buddy Miles, who co-founded and played drums in Band Of Gypsys with Jimi Hendrix, passed away yesterday (Feb. 26) in Austin, Texas, at the age of 60. A cause of death has yet to be announced. Miles was born Sept. 5, 1947, in Omaha, Neb., and was introduced to music at a young age by his father, who played in a band called the Bebops. As a young man he also played with Wilson Pickett, the Delfonics and the Ink Spots. Miles met Hendrix in the early 1960s but didn't begin collaborating with him until 1969, when Hendrix produced an album by the Buddy Miles Express. Miles, often decked out in sequined clothes and an enormous Afro, went on to drum on Hendrix's landmark "Electric Ladyland" album before officially joining Band Of Gypsys with bassist Billy Cox a few months later. The group's lone self-titled album chronicled a New Year's Eve 1969/1970 concert at New York's Fillmore East, and is regarded by many as one of the best live albums of the era. After Hendrix's death on Sept. 18, 1970, Miles contributed drums to a handful of posthumous Hendrix releases, including "Cry of Love" and "Crash Landing." He spent time in jail in the late 1970s and early 1980s on drug related charges, but returned to the spotlight in 1986 when he served as the voice for the hugely successful California Raisins claymation TV ads. Miles and a studio band recorded a cover of Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" as part of the campaign, which became a minor radio hit in 1988. In 2004, Miles and Cox revisited the Band Of Gypsys material for a live album, "The Band of Gypsys Return," which was released two years later. Throughout his career, Miles played with such superstars as David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, Barry White and George Clinton. According to his Web site, Miles' family is planning a tribute show with details to be announced. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mountain bed Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 This is truly sad news. The album with Carlos was a favorite around here way back when. Especially the track "Free-Form Funkified Filth". RIP Buddy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 The album with Carlos was a favorite around here way back when. Especially the track "Free-Form Funkified Filth".You're a good man, Charlie Brown.Although I always liked the original Experience better, Hendrix's work with Buddy was pretty damned inspired, too. Poor guy, only 60! That's just too young, these days. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 27, 2008 Author Share Posted February 27, 2008 I prefer Mitch, but his drumming on some of the Fillmore Concerts cd is pretty cool. If nothing else, there is Machine Gun. I don't think I have ever heard anything else he did outside of his playing with Hendrix. As far as Santana goes, I have not really heard anything past the Caravanserai album. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Trust our man mountain bed, Free-Form Funkified Filth is freakin' cool. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Electric Flag anyone?? Kind of a short bio....kind of short life too...sad (only a couple years older than me...) LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 27, 2008 Author Share Posted February 27, 2008 Electric Flag anyone?? Kind of a short bio....kind of short life too...sad (only a couple years older than me...) LouieB Shit - I forgot about that. some Electric Flag youtube videos Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mountain bed Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Shit - I forgot about that. some Electric Flag youtube videosThanks for that! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 RIP Buddy. i loved band of gypsy's and buddy's first solo album. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jc4prez Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 This is truly sad news. The album with Carlos was a favorite around here way back when. Especially the track "Free-Form Funkified Filth". RIP Buddy. i got that on vinyl by chance a year or two ago great record. Can't say I much like hendrix but band of Gypsies was awesome. You'll be missed Buddy "My MIND IS GOING THOROUGH THEM CHANGES! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Trust our man mountain bed, Free-Form Funkified Filth is freakin' cool. And "Marbles"...now, that's a jam. Buddy Miles played on John McLaughlin's Devotion album, which is where "Marbles" comes from. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 RIP, Buddy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Shit - I forgot about that. some Electric Flag youtube videosYea, everyone but little OLD me forgets them......a group that included Mike Bloomfield who put out two decent if somewhat dated albums. Buddy did tons of session work with various folks for years. His star certainly faded in recent years. Maybe a few too many versions of Them Changes..... LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
embiggen Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 sad news indeed. I bet my dad is upset about this... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 sad news indeed. I bet my dad is upset about this...Yea, your dad is probably in the same age category as both Buddy and me..... Clearly no one here but me has either of the Electric Flag LPs.....they were all the rage back in the day. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 Yea, your dad is probably in the same age category as both Buddy and me..... Clearly no one here but me has either of the Electric Flag LPs.....they were all the rage back in the day. LouieB I knew of them, just forgot. I don't think I have ever owned any of thier stuff. They were a short-lived band, yes? A Long Time Comin' (1968) (with Bloomfield and Goldberg)The Electric Flag: An American Music Band (1968) (led by Buddy Miles, after Bloomfield and Goldberg left)The Band Kept Playing (1974) (reunion recording)Old Glory: Best of the Electric Flag (1995) ("best of" compilation, including outtakes and selections from the band's Monterey Pop Festival appearance) Groovin' Is Easy (1983), The Electric Flag: Live (2000), I Found Out (2000), Funk Grooves (2003) (the same material on different releases, namely outtakes from the 1974 reunion recording and live performances from the original band in 1968) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
embiggen Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Yea, your dad is probably in the same age category as both Buddy and me..... he is. he actually knew Mitch and Buddy back in the day when he was a budding musician in Nashville. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 Billy Cox Quote Link to post Share on other sites
embiggen Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Billy Cox you're right, it was Billy Cox. I get him and Mitch mixed up. I just remember Dad talking about them and stuff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 I knew of them, just forgot. I don't think I have ever owned any of thier stuff. They were a short-lived band, yes?I figured you had heard of them, but few remember a band that had two albums, one pretty good and one just so so, which were soul/blues type albums. The first two are the only ones I have and really the only ones sort of worth having, because once Bloomfield left there was less going on. But other notable musicians who spent time in the band were Harvey Brooks, Barry Goldberg, Nick Gravenites, Richie Havens on the first album and John Simon on the second. (My memory is not so great that I knew this without looking at the liner notes on some of it.) In a similar vein was his album "Them Changes", which was a song he remade many times to decreasing effect each time, with a big old horn section and what now must be dated arrangements. I just pulled this one off the shelf too, but don't have the motivation to actually throw it on the turntable. RIP Buddy....none the less. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 I figured you had heard of them, but few remember a band that had two albums, one pretty good and one just so so, which were soul/blues type albums. The first two are the only ones I have and really the only ones sort of worth having, because once Bloomfield left there was less going on. But other notable musicians who spent time in the band were Harvey Brooks, Barry Goldberg, Nick Gravenites, Richie Havens on the first album and John Simon on the second. (My memory is not so great that I knew this without looking at the liner notes on some of it.) LouieB I think the only thing that I have ever heard is the Monterey Pop tracks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Long ago I threated to start a thread of musicans that I own the works of that have come and gone; to prove that little in the pop music world is very lasting. Just pulling LPs off my shelf, such as these that we are talking about proves the adage that little will be remembered of them in the future. Electric Flag was regulation hippie fare back in my youth, but I am certain that the arrangements, musicianship, and general quality and intent of the music is barely worth even listening to these days, when many musicans are far better players and arrangers than these folks were back then. Your average guitarist these days can probably out play Mike Bloomfield even in his pre-heroin days. And Buddy Miles is a mere footnote to the Jimi Hendrix story, Band of Gypsys being a mere footnote to even that.... LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 I am certain that the arrangements, musicianship, and general quality and intent of the music is barely worth even listening to these days, when many musicans are far better players and arrangers than these folks were back then. Your average guitarist these days can probably out play Mike Bloomfield even in his pre-heroin days. And Buddy Miles is a mere footnote to the Jimi Hendrix story, Band of Gypsys being a mere footnote to even that.... LouieB I don't think that is true. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 I don't think that is true. Which part...that they are forgotten...(true enough) or that they weren't necessarily that great musicians?? In the later case I would dare say that no one has ever mentioned Electric Flag here, not in relation to Mike Bloomfield or anyone else, since their albums have barely stayed in print and weren't really all that renowned even when they were new. Even Bloomfield, who was unquestionably a fine musician and a musical pioneer, put out some gawd aweful albums on his own. Once he got past his days in the Butterfield Blues Band and his couple albums with Al Kooper, never lived up to the promise of his early years and died pre-maturely. All this may be arguable, but clearly a group like Electric Flag were a product of a time that has long since passed; even the name of the group sounds dated...... LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 I have to admit, I didn't know Buddy was even in Electric Flag, though I've heard of them, and am sure I've heard some of their stuff before. I think I always confused them with Moby Grape, though Moby Grape put out a lot more records ...That Long Time Comin' album actually looks pretty interesting. I may have to add that to The List. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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