Description
You Can't Use My Name - The RSVP / PPX Sessions, Curtis Knight & The Squires / Experience Hendrix Audio CD 2015
UPC 88875077992
Product Details:
You Can't Use My Name: The RSVP/PPX Sessions is a posthumous compilation album by Curtis Knight and the Squires featuring Jimi Hendrix. Except for one song, the album compiles recordings made by Knight in 1965 and 1966, with Hendrix providing backup guitar before he moved to England to start the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Knight wrote and sang all of the songs, except for four instrumentals, which are credited to Hendrix.
The title refers Hendrix's stipulation to producer Ed Chalpin at the beginning of the 1967 session:
- Hendrix: Edward, can you hear me? In other words, like you can't, you can't use my name for any of this stuff, all right? ... no, serious though, seriously.
- Chalpin: Don't worry about it. I won't use it, don't worry about it.
Shortly thereafter, Chalpin licensed the recordings to Capitol Records, who issued an album titled Get That Feeling with billing as "Jimi Hendrix and Curtis Knight" in 1967. After Hendrix, his managers, and Reprise Records, his official American label, objected to the misleading billing and cover photo of Hendrix performing at the Monterey Pop Festival, Capitol issued a second album Flashing in 1968 billed as "Jimi Hendrix Plays, Curtis Knight Sings" with a sketch of Knight and Hendrix.
Chalpin subsequently licensed the recordings to dozens of minor record labels, who used them to issue well over one hundred purported "Jimi Hendrix" albums. To give the appearance of new material, the songs were often doctored by editing and overdubbing and given new names. Hendrix commented, "They [the Knight/Chalpin sessions] were nothing but jam sessions, man, with a group called the Squires. No, I didn't sing on 'Hush Now', that was dubbed on later by Knight trying to copy my voice."
After years of litigation, Experience Hendrix, a family company that has managed Hendrix's recording legacy since 1995, acquired the sole rights to the Knight/Chalpin/PPX material. According to producer/engineer Eddie Kramer, You Can't Use My Name presents the best available original recordings without the subsequent doctoring.
Tracklist:
| 1 | How Would You Feel | 3:50 |
| 2 | Gotta Have A New Dress | 3:07 |
| 3 | Don't Accuse Me | 3:55 |
| 4 | Fool For You Baby | 2:14 |
| 5 | No Such Animal | 4:49 |
| 6 | Welcome Home | 3:47 |
| 7 | Knock Yourself Out (Flying On Instruments) |
6:53 |
| 8 | Simon Says | 3:37 |
| 9 | Station Break | 2:31 |
| 10 | Strange Things | 2:55 |
| 11 | Hornet's Nest | 5:09 |
| 12 | You Don't Want Me | 2:21 |
| 13 | You Can't Use My Name | 0:56 |
| 14 |
Gloomy Monday | 3:31 |
More Details:
- Backing Vocals – Jimi Hendrix
- Bass – Ed 'Bugs' Gregory, Napoleon 'Hank' Anderson
- Compilation Producer – Eddie Kramer, Janie Hendrix, John McDermott
- Drums – Marion Booker, Ray Lucas
- Guitar – Jimi Hendrix
- Keyboards – Nathaniel Edmonds
- Vocals – Curtis Knight
About Curtis Knight:
Curtis Knight (May 9, 1929 – November 29, 1999), born Mont Curtis McNear, was an American musician who is known for his connection to Jimi Hendrix.
Knight was a singer in the 1960s Harlem R&B music scene, usually fronting his own band, the Squires. In 1965, with Hendrix as guitarist, he recorded some singles and demos for record producer Ed Chalpin. Chalpin also signed Hendrix to a management contract, which Hendrix soon forgot about and left for England in 1966 to form the Jimi Hendrix Experience. After Hendrix became famous, Knight and Chalpin issued hundreds of albums of the recordings with Hendrix, resulting in years of legal action by both sides.
During the 1970s, after Hendrix's demise, Knight moved to London, where he formed the group "Curtis Knight, Zeus", and toured throughout Europe, relying on his Hendrix connection for many years. Among the musicians enlisted was Fast Eddie Clarke, who later joined Motörhead.
Knight wrote the book Jimi: An Intimate Biography of Jimi Hendrix, published in 1974 by W.H Allen (hardcover) and Star Books (paperback) in London, and by Praeger Publishers, New York. The book includes A Jimi Hendrix Discography, compiled by John McKellar. Knight also wrote a second book on Hendrix, titled Starchild, published by Abelard Productions in the mid-1990s. Knight was also a competitive table tennis player who played in some local tournaments while living in New York. In 1992, Knight relocated to the Netherlands where he continued to record up to his death from cancer in November 1999
