Buddy Miles Express — “My Chant”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 25, 2022

366) Buddy Miles Express — “My Chant”

JP in the Selvedge Yard writes that Buddy Miles was a “blues/rock funkmaster legend if there ever was one.” (see #112, 221) (https://www.google.com/amp/s/selvedgeyard.com/2010/03/25/buddy-miles-the-band-of-gypsys-funky-badass-mother-drummer/amp/) Yes indeed he was. And “My Chant” is such a sweet song that just gracefully lopes along as Miles lays out a young man’s hopes and dreams:

Now I’m just a big old boy about the age of 22. For seven long years I’ve been out here paying a whole lot of dues. It would be nice if someone would comfort me. Oh, it would be sweet if someone could relieve me. And I know someday soon I’m gonna walk outside and I know I’m gonna find somebody to stand by my side.

Richie Unterberger notes that:

[The Buddy Miles Express’s Electric Church album] . . . gets most of its attention in retrospect for the role of Jimi Hendrix, who produced part of it and played on some tracks as well. . . . . The songs are mostly vehicles for Miles’ high, soulful vocals and the energetic funky arrangements . . . . Miles . . . show[s] he’s capable of handling more tender soul melodies and sentiments in . . . “My Chant.”

https://www.allmusic.com/album/electric-church-mw0000862281

JP goes on to say that:

Miles was given the nickname “Buddy” as a child by his aunt– after the original drumming legend, Buddy Rich. . . . He and Jimi [Hendrix] worked their way up in the music scene together around the same time– Buddy playing in various jazz, soul, R&B, and rock acts before finally co-founding the short-lived Electric Flag. . . . Electric Church . . . was . . . produced by Hendrix [and] Miles returned the favor and recorded with Hendrix on Electric Ladyland. Later, with his signature afro and psychedelic get-ups that rivaled even Jimi– he, along with bass player Billy Cox, backed Hendrix in Band of Gypsys after the disbanding of The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/selvedgeyard.com/2010/03/25/buddy-miles-the-band-of-gypsys-funky-badass-mother-drummer/amp/

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