Buddy Miles
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Buddy Miles | |
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![]() Miles performing in Germany, 1972 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | George Allen Miles Jr. |
Born | Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. | September 5, 1947
Died | February 26, 2008 Austin, Texas | (aged 60)
Genres |
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Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 1959–2008 |
Labels | |
Website | www.buddymiles.com |
George Allen "Buddy" Miles Jr. (September 5, 1947 – February 26, 2008) was an American composer, drummer, guitarist, vocalist and producer. He was a founding member of
Biography and career
Early life
Miles was born in Omaha, Nebraska,[1] on September 5, 1947. Miles's father played upright bass for Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, and others. By age twelve, Miles had begun touring with his father's band, the Bebops. He played with his father's band for several years.[2]
Given the nickname "Buddy" by his aunt after the drummer Buddy Rich, he was often seen as a teenager hanging out and recording at Universal Promotions Corporation recording studios, which later became Rainbow Recording Studios.[3]
Miles did not finish high school. In order to become a professional musician, he dropped out of Omaha North High in 1965. Omaha North High awarded him an honorary degree in 1998.[4]
1960s: Early career
Miles played with a variety of
In 1967, Miles joined Hendrix in a jam session at the Malibu home of
In early 1968, the band released A Long Time Comin', its first album for Columbia. The Electric Flag's second album, An American Music Band, followed late the same year.[1] Shortly after that release, the group disbanded.[1] In the same year, Hendrix used several guest artists, including Miles, during the recording of his album, Electric Ladyland.[1] Miles played drums on one long jam that was eventually split into two album cuts, "Rainy Day, Dream Away" and "Still Raining, Still Dreaming", with a different song, "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)", edited in between.
At age 21, after the breakup of the Electric Flag, Miles put together a new band with Jim McCarty, who later became the guitarist for Cactus. This new group performed and recorded as the Buddy Miles Express.[1] In 1969, Hendrix wrote a short poem as a liner note for Expressway To Your Skull, the first studio album recorded by the Buddy Miles Express. Hendrix went on to produce four of the tracks on the group's follow-up album, Electric Church.[1] The title of the latter LP was taken from Hendrix's poem on the first.
In 1969 he appeared on British jazz guitarist John McLaughlin's album Devotion.
1970s: More bands and collaborations
In 1970, after the Buddy Miles Express split up, Miles began a collaboration with Hendrix and bassist Billy Cox. Together, they formed Band of Gypsys, producing one self-titled live album before disbanding.[1]
Later in 1970, while recording the album We Got to Live Together, Miles learned of the death of Hendrix, which he mentioned on the inner cover of the album. Released in 1971, We Got to Live Together was produced by Miles and Robin McBride.
Also in 1971, although the Electric Flag had been inactive for nearly three years, Columbia released a greatest hits album. In 1974, Miles and the Electric Flag re-formed briefly and released another album, The Band Kept Playing, on the Atlantic label.[1]
Miles went on to produce other records as the Buddy Miles Band. One song he had written and recorded with the Band of Gypsys, "Changes", was also recorded by Miles with his own band and released by Mercury Records as "Them Changes" soon after Hendrix's death.[1] Miles' former Band of Gypsys sideman, Billy Cox, performed bass guitar on this track. The band also included bassist David Hull and guitarist Charlie Karp. The Buddy Miles Band's live album again included "Them Changes," which had become Miles' signature song. The song was released a fourth time on a live record Miles recorded with Carlos Santana.
It was mentioned in the February 10 issue of Billboard, in both the From The Music Capitals of the World section and Sam Sutherland's Studio Track section that Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper were to reunite with Buddy Miles to record an album for the Columbia label. It was to be released around mid 1973.[6][7]
In 1973, Miles recorded an album with
Miles was signed by the record label, Casablanca Records. Miles' work for the label included the album released under his own name, Bicentennial Gathering of the Tribes (1976).[1] The album's liner notes a quote from President John F. Kennedy concerning American Indians.[Note 1] In the mid 1970s, Miles recorded Roadrunner co-produced by long time friend Jim Paris. In 1980 Paris and Miles re-united, and together they produced Sneak Attack with Miles's new band The Regiment, released by Atlantic Records in 1981.
1980s: The Club Fed Sessions
Miles served a prison term for grand theft in the late 1970s and later another term for auto theft in the early 1980s.[9]
In late 1984 and early 1985 while living in a halfway house in Oakland, California, Miles commuted almost daily to
In 1986, Miles performed vocals for the
1990s: Tours and remembering Hendrix
While residing in Chicago in 1990, Miles, along with guitarists Kevon Smith and Joe Thomas, formed MST. They recorded Hell and Back in 1994,[1] and toured the US and Europe until 1997. They were also featured in the DVD, Tribute to Jimi Hendrix – CAS (1997)..
In 1992, Miles worked with bassist Bootsy Collins and guitarist Steve Salas under the supergroup moniker Hardware, which released one album called Third Eye Open.
From 1994 to 2007, Miles formulated his new version of the Buddy Miles Express in the New York City area, with Charlie Torres on bass guitar and vocals, Rod Kohn on guitar and vocals, Mark "Muggie Doo" Leach on Hammond B3, background vocals, and keyboards, and Kenn Moutenot on drums and vocals and handling management. They toured nearly nonstop in the United States and overseas, with nearly 1000 concerts and festivals to their credit.
In 1997, Miles relocated to Fort Worth, Texas. Soon, he began collaborating with a young guitarist from Dallas, Lance Lopez. He went on to mentor Lopez, co-producing Lopez's debut album, First Things First, with Jay Newland. The Lopez album was released independently in 1999.
Miles was also seen in the Hendrix-family owned official video release, The Making of Electric Ladyland on
2000s: Final albums and unreleased songs
In 2000, Miles and Leach collaborated with Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Double Trouble" rhythm section, creating the Buddy Miles Blues Berries album which featured Rocky Athas of Black Oak Arkansas. This lineup also contributed a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Wind Cries Mary" on the Blue Haze, Songs of Jimi Hendrix album in 2001. In addition, Miles also composed and recorded many songs with this new version of the Buddy Miles Express that are yet to be released. It was Miles' most enduring live band, with the touring lineup continuing for six years with the same members.
The band continued on with Miles and Leach and a host of other players until Miles's passing. The Miles/Leach duo, along with sax man Patrick Gage and bassist Dave Blackerby, also released the Buddy Miles Express' final album, Road to Sturgis, a benefit CD for the Children's Craniofacial Foundation. Miles and Leach continued writing new but unreleased music until just days before Miles' passing.
Also in 2004, Miles reunited yet again with Billy Cox of the Band of Gypsys to re-record songs from the original 1970 live album with guitarists Eric Gales, Kenny Olsen, Sheldon Reynolds, Andy Aledort and Gary Serkin. The album, titled The Band of Gypsys Return was released in 2006. Until his death, Miles continued to be active musically and performed many shows with proceeds going to help support victims of natural disasters and other charitable causes.
Miles is credited on sessions with George Clinton/Parliament/Funkadelic.
Friendship and collaboration with Jimi Hendrix
Between late September and mid-October 1969, Miles stated that: "Jimi was not happy. He felt powerless. He couldn't do what he wanted to do".[10] In mid-October 1969, Hendrix founded a short-lived band called Band of Gypsys, which Miles would join. Alan Douglas and Stephan Bright were initially brought in to produce their recording sessions, but bassist Billy Cox clashed with the pair, deeming them unworthy. Cox stormed out of the sessions after a furious row with Bright and went home to Nashville for two weeks, before being coaxed back. At the end of Douglas and Bright's one-and-a-half months together, they had only produced one usable backing track, "Room Full of Mirrors". Douglas and Bright resigned, stating pressures from the record label, Hendrix's manager Michael Jeffery, and Hendrix's own "lack of interest".
The same day Douglas resigned, Hendrix signed the contract with Bill Graham for two dates at the
During a one-off charity event for the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam committee a month later, Hendrix had a minor meltdown on stage. Speculations include a possibly drug-related meltdown on stage, as well as an act of sabotage on the part of Jeffery. Miles said about the incident years later, "Jeffery slipped [Hendrix] two half-tabs of acid on stage as he went on... [Hendrix] just freaked out. I told Jeffery he was an out-and-out complete idiot... One of the biggest reasons why Jimi is dead is because of that guy."[10] Miles and Jeffery already had a strained relationship, as Jeffery was uncomfortable with Hendrix's and Miles' close friendship. After this one-off charity event at Madison Square Garden in January 1970, Jeffery told Miles that he was fired and the Band of Gypsys was no more. Although Cox, and presumably Miles as well, had already been paid off as full-time salaried employees with a $1,000 bonus for their services the week before.
While with Hendrix, Miles recorded a number of jams, demos, and songs. Over the years, more material recorded at the Fillmore East on New Years 1969–1970 has been issued. In 2019, the complete performances from all four shows were released on the box set Songs for Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts.[11] The original versions of "Stepping Stone" and "Izabella", songs which he recorded for the 1970 single with Cox and Hendrix, were restored and included on the 2001 compilation Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection.[12] Three other songs that were recorded with Cox and Hendrix were used for early posthumous Hendrix albums, including The Cry of Love and Rainbow Bridge.[13] Additional studio recordings by the trio in various stages of development were released on South Saturn Delta, The Jimi Hendrix Experience box set, Burning Desire, West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology, and People, Hell and Angels.
Death and legacy
At the age of 60, Buddy Miles died on February 26, 2008, at his home in Austin, Texas, with his family by his side. According to his website, he died of congestive heart disease. Miles was cremated, and there was no funeral.[citation needed]
The day before Miles died, he heard Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton
Asked how he would like to be remembered by the American music magazine Seconds in 1995, Miles simply said: "The baddest of the bad. People say I'm the baddest drummer. If that's true, thank you world."[15] A memorial concert took place on March 30, 2008, at Threadgill's on Riverside Drive, South Austin that included performances by Bernie Worrell, The Family Stone Project, Doug Pinnick, Cyril Neville, The Sixth Chamber and surviving members of the Buddy Miles Express.
Discography
As leader
Year | Album | US[16]
|
USR&B[17] | CA[18] | GE[19] | NDL[20] | UK[21] | Certification | Label |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1968 | Expressway to Your Skull (as Buddy Miles Express)
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | Mercury | |
1969 | Electric Church (as Buddy Miles Express) | 145 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1970 | Them Changes | 35 | 14 | 27 | — | — | — | ||
1970 | We Got to Live Together | 53 | 14 | 46 | — | — | — | ||
1971 | A Message to the People | 60 | 12 | 73 | — | — | — | ||
1971 | Buddy Miles "Live" [2LP] | 50 | 10 | 37 | — | — | — | ||
1972 | Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live! | 8 | 6 | 15 | 14 | 6 | 29 |
|
Columbia |
1973 | Chapter VII | 123 | 36 | — | — | — | — | ||
1973 | Booger Bear (as Buddy Miles Express) | 194 | 47 | — | — | — | — | ||
1974 | All the Faces of Buddy Miles | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1975 | More Miles Per Gallon | 68 | 27 | — | — | — | — | Casablanca | |
1976 | Bicentennial Gathering of the Tribes | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1977 | Roadrunner | — | — | — | — | — | — | T-Town | |
1981 | Sneak Attack | — | — | — | — | — | — | Atlantic | |
1987 | Sing the Hit Songs (with The California Raisins) | — | — | — | — | — | — | Priority | |
1988 | Sweet, Delicious, & Marvelous (with The California Raisins) | 140 | — | — | — | — | — | Priority | |
1988 | Meet the Raisins! (with The California Raisins) | — | — | — | — | — | — | Atlantic | |
1988 | Christmas with the California Raisins (with The California Raisins) | — | — | — | — | — | — | Priority | |
1994 | Hell and Back (as Buddy Miles Express) | — | — | — | — | — | — | Rykodisc | |
1997 | Tribute to Jimi Hendrix | — | — | — | — | — | — | Pavement | |
1997 | The Best of Buddy Miles (Compilation) | — | — | — | — | — | — | Mercury/Polygram | |
1998 | Miles Away from Home | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hip-O | |
2002 | Blues Berries (with Rocky Athas) | — | — | — | — | — | — | Ruf | |
2004 | Changes | — | — | — | — | — | — | SPV |
Jimi Hendrix albums
- Still Raining, Still Dreaming" (1968)
- Band of Gypsys – drums and vocals (1970)
- The Cry of Love – drums on "Ezy Ryder" (1971)
- Rainbow Bridge – drums and vocals on "Earth Blues" and "Room Full of Mirrors" (1971)
- War Heroes – drums on "Izabella" (1972)
- I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" (1974)
- Crash Landing – drums and vocals on "Message to Love" and "Power of Soul" (1975)
- Nine to the Universe – drums on "Message from Nine to the Universe" and "Young/Hendrix" (1980)
- The Baggy's Rehearsal Sessions – drums and vocals (2002)
- Songs for Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts – drums and vocals (2019)
Collaborative
- The Electric Flag – A Long Time Comin' – Columbia CS-9597 (1968)
- The Electric Flag – An American Music Band – Columbia CS-9714 (1968)
- Muddy Waters – Fathers and Sons – Chess LPS-127 [2LP] (1969)
- John McLaughlin – Devotion – Douglas KZ-31568 (1970)
- The Best of The Electric Flag – Columbia C-30422 (1971) compilation
- The Electric Flag – The Band Kept Playing – Atlantic SD-18112 (1974)
- Jeff Berlin – Pump It! – Passport Jazz PJ-88017 (1986)
- Hardware – Third Eye Open – Rykodisc RCD-10304 (1992) with Stevie Salas, Bootsy Collins
- The Band of Gypsys Return – Image (2006) with Billy Cox
Notes
- ^ The quote from President John F. Kennedy included the line "When we neglect the heroic past of the American Indian, we thereby weaken our own heritage".
- ^ The place that the band rehearsed and recorded was Hendrix and his management's apartment. It was also the place where he was building his Electric Lady studio.
Further reading
- Pareles, Jon (February 29, 2008). "Buddy Miles, 60, Hendrix Drummer, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved on February 29, 2008.
- Perrone, Pierre (February 29, 2008). "Buddy Miles: Flamboyant Hendrix drummer". The Independent newspaper.
- Cheech and Chong Dot Com (February 27, 2008) "REST IN PEACE BUDDY MILES". '
References
- ^ ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- ^ "BUDDY MILES". nebmusichalloffame.org. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
- ^ "Interview with Buddy Miles". Thereader.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2007.
- ^ Uml, Sam. "Thursday, January 21, 1960: Them Changes". Retrieved July 29, 2021.
- ^ "Buddy Miles: The Power of Soul". April 2011.
- ^ Billboard, February 10, 1973 - Page 26 Talent, rom The Music Capitals of the World, DOMESTIC, NEW YORK
- ^ Billboard, February 10, 1973 - Page 48 Studio Track By SAM SUTHERLAND Bloomfield, Kooper & Miles in Col LP
- ^ "Buddy Miles: All the Faces of Buddy Miles (BBR)".
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ a b Independent Buddy Miles obituary article February 29, 2008
- ^ Experience Hendrix. "Songs For Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts". jimihendrix.com (official website). Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ Planer, Lindsay. "Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ISBN 0-312-05861-6.
- ^ Perrone, Pierre (February 29, 2008). "Buddy Miles: Flamboyant Hendrix drummer". The Independent. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
- ^ Seconds magazine, 1995
- ^ "Buddy Miles". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
- ^ "Buddy Miles". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
- ^ Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Results: RPM Weekly". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
- ^ "Suche - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
- ^ "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
- ^ "CARLOS SANTANA & BUDDY MILES | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
External links
- Official website
- Buddy Miles at AllMusic
- Michael Bloomfield Chronology (with information on Buddy Miles' time with the Electric Flag)