New Never-Before-Heard Jimi Hendrix Demos up for Auction

If you’re a Jimi Hendrix fan with some cash to burn, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The late great Jimi Hendrix’s music has been picked apart by music historians and fans for decades since his death in 1970. It appears a few demos seemingly slipped through the cracks. Until now, at least. A handful of unearthed masters with completely never-before-heard tracks were recently discovered and are headed to auction. That’s right: You can get your hands on new Jimi Hendrix music in 2024!

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The demo tapes contain unreleased songs that were recorded in 1968. According to reports, the songs sound “very different” from Hendrix’s other popular works. The demos also contain longer, unique versions of songs the guitar god previously recorded. These include “Little Miss Lover”, “Stone Free”, “Ain’t No Telling”, and “Up From The Skies”.

The auction will be held by Propstore. Mark Hochman, who is a music consultant for this particular auctioneer, noted that the lucky individual who purchases the demos will enjoy “the kudos of having your own Jimi Hendrix songs which only you can listen to.” That would be pretty cool, wouldn’t it? 

When Will The New Jimi Hendrix Tapes Go Up For Auction?

Unfortunately, it won’t be cheap, either. The tape that features recordings of “Little Miss Lover” and “Up From The Skies”, among others, is expected to sell for as high as £200,000, or $261,076. 

“These versions have never been heard before, circulated or broadcast and are very different in sound and length to the more common examples,” Hachman also noted. “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.”

The collection of unheard demos is being sold by Patricia Sullivan, who worked as the personal assistant for Mike Jeffery (a.k.a. Jimi Hendrix’s manager) from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. Through her work with Jeffery, she spent a lot of time touring with musicians and running the everyday operations of the mogul’s business. As a result, she found herself in possession of a number of musical works from the manager’s clients over time.

Hendrix’s unearthed tapes aren’t the only ones going up for auction, either. More than 50 unique tapes that include master recordings from bands like Soft Machine and The Animals will be going to auction. Hendrix’s tapes, specifically, feature titles written by the guitar icon’s own hand.

The auction will be live-streamed from London on November 15. Hendrix fans can register for the auction here.

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