Editing Jimi Hendrix (section)

=== First recordings ===
In March 1964, Hendrix recorded the two-part single "[[Testify (Isley Brothers song)|Testify]]" with the Isley Brothers. Released in June, it failed to chart.{{sfn|McDermott|2009|pp=10–11}} In May, he provided guitar instrumentation for the [[Don Covay]] song, "[[Mercy, Mercy (Don Covay song)|Mercy Mercy]]". Issued in August by Rosemart Records and distributed by [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]], the track reached number 35 on the [[Billboard charts|''Billboard'' chart]].<ref>{{harvnb|George-Warren|2005|p=217}}: for the peak chart position of "Mercy Mercy"; {{harvnb|McDermott|2009|p=10}}: Hendrix played on "Mercy Mercy"; {{harvnb|Roby|2002|pp=32–35}}: Hendrix played on "Mercy Mercy"; {{harvnb|Shadwick|2003|p=53}}: "Mercy Mercy" was recorded on May 18, 1964.</ref>

Hendrix toured with the Isleys during much of 1964, but near the end of October, after growing tired of playing the same set every night, he left the band.<ref>{{harvnb|Heatley|2009|p=53}}; {{harvnb|Shadwick|2003|p=54}}.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|According to authors Steve Roby and Brad Schreiber, Hendrix was fired from the Isleys in August 1964.{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=85}}}} Soon afterward, Hendrix joined [[Little Richard]]'s touring band, [[The Upsetters (American band)|the Upsetters]].{{sfn|McDermott|2009|p=13}} During a stop in [[Los Angeles]] in February 1965, he recorded his first and only single with Richard, "I Don't Know What You Got (But It's Got Me)", written by Don Covay and released by [[Vee-Jay Records]].<ref>{{harvnb|McDermott|2009|p=12}}: recording with Richard; {{harvnb|Shadwick|2003|pp=56–57}}: "I Don't Know What You Got (But It's Got Me)" recorded in Los Angeles.</ref> Richard's popularity was waning at the time, and the single peaked at number 92, where it remained for one week before dropping off the chart.{{sfn|McDermott|1992|p=345}}{{refn|group=nb|Three other songs were recorded during the sessions—"Dancin' All Over the World", "You Better Stop", and "Every Time I Think About You"—but Vee Jay did not release them at the time due to their poor quality.{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=57}}}} Hendrix met singer Rosa Lee Brooks while staying at the Wilcox Hotel in Hollywood, and she invited him to participate in a recording session for her single, which included the [[Arthur Lee (musician)|Arthur Lee]] penned "My Diary" as the [[A-side and B-side|A-side]], and "Utee" as the B-side.{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=55}} Hendrix played guitar on both tracks, which also included background vocals by Lee. The single failed to chart, but Hendrix and Lee began a friendship that lasted several years; Hendrix later became an ardent supporter of Lee's band, [[Love (band)|Love]].{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=55}}

In July 1965, Hendrix made his first television appearance on ''Night Train'', a program produced and aired on Nashville TV station WLAC-TV (now [[WTVF]]). Performing in Little Richard's ensemble band, he backed up vocalists Buddy and Stacy on "[[Shotgun (Junior Walker & the All Stars song)|Shotgun]]". The video recording of the show marks the earliest known footage of Hendrix performing.{{sfn|McDermott|2009|p=13}} Richard and Hendrix often clashed over tardiness, wardrobe, and Hendrix's stage antics, and in late July, Richard's brother Robert fired him.{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|pp=56–60}}

On July 27, Hendrix signed his first recording contract with [[Juggy Murray]] at [[Sue Records]] and Copa Management.{{Sfn|Roby|2012|p=114}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/PR%20Newswire/5c47b20dce2113d894d29671695777ee|title=Jimi Hendrix's Landmark Final Album, 'Band Of Gypsys,' Celebrated With Remastered 50th Anniversary Vinyl Editions|date=February 6, 2020|website=AP NEWS|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200216022658/https://apnews.com/PR%20Newswire/5c47b20dce2113d894d29671695777ee|archive-date=February 16, 2020|access-date=February 16, 2020}}</ref> He then briefly rejoined the Isley Brothers, and recorded a second single with them, "Move Over and Let Me Dance" backed with "Have You Ever Been Disappointed".<ref>{{harvnb|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1995|p=571}}; {{harvnb|Shadwick|2003|pp=60–61}}.</ref> Later that year, he joined a New York-based R&B band, [[Curtis Knight]] and the Squires, after meeting Knight in the lobby of a hotel where both men were staying.{{sfn|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1995|p=95}} Hendrix performed with them for eight months.{{sfn|Cross|2005|p=120}}

In October 1965, he and Knight recorded the single, "How Would You Feel" backed with "Welcome Home". Despite his two-year contract with Sue,<ref>{{Cite book|ref=none|last=Lawrence|first=Sharon|title=Jimi Hendrix: The Man, the Magic, the Truth|publisher=Harper Collins|year=2005|isbn=978-0-06-056299-1|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Tu7NZKL-2nQC&pg=PA33 33]}}</ref> Hendrix signed a three-year recording contract with entrepreneur [[Ed Chalpin]] on October 15.{{sfn|McDermott|2009|p=15}} While the relationship with Chalpin was short-lived, his contract remained in force, which later caused legal and career problems for Hendrix.<ref>{{harvnb|Brown|1997|p=100}}; {{harvnb|Cross|2005|pp=120–121}}.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Several songs and demos from the Knight recording sessions were later marketed as "Jimi Hendrix" recordings after he had become famous.{{sfn|McDermott|2009|pp=14–15}}}} During his time with Knight, Hendrix briefly toured with [[Joey Dee and the Starliters]], and worked with [[King Curtis]] on several recordings including [[Ray Sharpe]]'s two-part single, "Help Me".<ref>{{harvnb|McDermott|2009|pp=14–15}}; {{harvnb|Roby|Schreiber|2010|pp=207–208}}; {{harvnb|Shadwick|2003|p=69}}.</ref> Hendrix earned his first composer credits for two instrumentals, "Hornets Nest" and "Knock Yourself Out", released as a [[Curtis Knight and the Squires]] single in 1966.{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=210}}{{refn|group=nb|In mid-1966, Hendrix recorded with [[Lonnie Youngblood]], a saxophone player who occasionally performed with Curtis Knight.{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|pp=66–71}} The sessions produced two singles for Youngblood: "Go Go Shoes"/"Go Go Place" and "Soul Food (That's What I Like)"/"Goodbye Bessie Mae".{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=71}} Singles for other artists also came out of the sessions, including the [[The Icemen (R&B duo)|Icemen]]'s "[[(My Girl) She's a Fox]]"/ "(I Wonder) What It Takes" and [[Jimmy Norman]]'s "That Little Old Groove Maker"/"You're Only Hurting Yourself".{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=70}} As with the King Curtis recordings, backing tracks and alternate takes for the Youngblood sessions would be overdubbed and otherwise manipulated to create many "new" tracks.{{sfn|McDermott|2009|pp=16–17}} Many Youngblood tracks without any Hendrix involvement would later be marketed as "Jimi Hendrix" recordings.{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=71}}}}

Feeling restricted by his experiences as an R&B sideman, Hendrix moved in 1966 to New York City's [[Greenwich Village]], which had a vibrant and diverse music scene.{{sfn|Roby|2002|pp=47–48}} There, he was offered a residency at the [[Cafe Wha?]] on MacDougal Street and formed his own band that June, [[Jimmy James and the Blue Flames]], which included future [[Spirit (band)|Spirit]] guitarist [[Randy California]].{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|pp=76–77}}{{refn|group=nb|So as to differentiate the two Randys in the band, Hendrix dubbed Randy Wolfe "Randy California" and Randy Palmer "Randy Texas".{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|pp=76–77}} [[Randy California]] later co-founded the band [[Spirit (band)|Spirit]] with his stepfather, drummer [[Ed Cassidy]].{{sfn|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1995|p=102}}}} The Blue Flames played at several clubs in New York and Hendrix began developing his guitar style and material that he would soon use with the Experience.{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|pp=76–79}}{{sfn|Roby|2002|pp=54–55}} In September, they gave some of their last concerts at the [[Cafe Au Go Go]] in [[Manhattan]], as the backing group for a singer and guitarist then billed as [[John P. Hammond|John Hammond]].{{sfn|Roby|2002|pp=53–56}}{{refn|group=nb|Most of Hammond's albums list him as "John Hammond", although he was often referred to as "John Hammond Jr." in biographies to distinguish him from his father, the record producer [[John Hammond (record producer)|John Hammond]]. Later, he has been referred to as "John P. Hammond" (father and son do not share the same middle name). Singer-guitarist [[Ellen McIlwaine]] and guitarist [[Jeff Baxter]] also briefly worked with Hendrix during this period.{{sfn|Roby|2002|pp=53–56}}}}