If you’ve ever scrolled through a Pinterest board or seen a faded bumper sticker on a VW bus, you’ve probably seen the quote: "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." People slap Jimi Hendrix’s name on it like it’s gospel.
It's a great sentiment. Truly.
But honestly? Jimi almost certainly never said it.
Most historians and obsessive Hendrix collectors trace that specific phrasing back to William Gladstone, a four-time British Prime Minister from the 1800s. Jimi was a visionary, but he wasn't really in the business of churning out Hallmark-ready aphorisms. He was too busy rewriting the DNA of the electric guitar in a haze of Marshall stacks and feedback.
Yet, the "Power of Love Hendrix" connection isn't just a fake internet meme. It’s rooted in a very real, very funky, and very brief moment in 1970 when Jimi tried to change everything.
The Song You’re Actually Thinking Of
When people search for "power of love hendrix," they are usually tripping over a song title.
On the legendary Band of Gypsys live album—recorded at the Fillmore East on New Year’s Eve 1969 and New Year’s Day 1970—there is a track that Jimi often introduced as "Power of Love." If you look at the back of an original vinyl pressing, though, it’s listed as "Power of Soul."
It’s the same thing. Basically.
Jimi was in a weird spot at the end of '69. He had dissolved the Experience. He was caught in a legal nightmare over a $1 contract he’d signed years earlier with PPX Industries. To settle the debt, he had to give the label a new album. So, he grabbed his old Army buddy Billy Cox on bass and the powerhouse Buddy Miles on drums.
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They weren't the Experience. They were something heavier. Earthier.
Why Power of Soul Still Matters
This song is the blueprint for funk-rock.
Listen to that opening riff. It’s not the psychedelic wash of "Purple Haze" or the ethereal chime of "Little Wing." It’s a jagged, percussive slap. Billy Cox’s bass isn't just following Jimi; it’s locked in a pocket so tight you couldn't pry it open with a crowbar.
And Buddy Miles? The man played drums like he was trying to hammer a nail into the Earth's core.
"We spent 12 to 18 hours a day practicing... straight ahead," Jimi said in an interview about the rehearsals at Baggy's Studios.
They weren't just jamming. They were building a new vocabulary. "Power of Soul" (or "Power to Love," as it’s sometimes called in bootlegs) represented Jimi moving away from "The Wild Man of Borneo" persona. He was tired of smashing guitars. He wanted to talk about something deeper.
The lyrics are telling.
“With the power of soul, anything is possible.”
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It sounds simple. Kinda hippie-ish, maybe? But for Jimi, it was survival. He was under immense pressure from the Black Power movement to be "more Black" and from the rock establishment to stay "psychedelic." This music was his answer. It was a fusion that didn't care about categories.
The Fillmore East Magic
The recording we have—the one that really counts—happened on January 1, 1970.
The Band of Gypsys played four sets over two nights. The first night was a bit shaky. Jimi was nervous. He was playing all-new material to a crowd that wanted to hear "Foxey Lady."
By the third and fourth sets on New Year’s Day, they hit the "sublime."
If you listen to the version of "Power of Soul" from the Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show release or the original Band of Gypsys LP, you can hear the transition. Jimi uses the Uni-Vibe pedal to create this swirling, watery texture that feels like it's breathing.
It’s not just a song. It’s a physical presence.
The "power of love" theme wasn't just a quote; it was the vibe of the whole Fillmore stand. Jimi was trying to bridge the gap between R&B, soul, and high-volume rock. He was trying to find a way out of the 1960s.
Misconceptions and the Gladstone Connection
We should probably clear up the quote thing once and for all.
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As mentioned, William Ewart Gladstone is the likely source. He said: "We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power." Did Jimi ever say it on stage? Maybe. He rambled a lot between songs. He talked about "The Electric Church" and "Universal Love." It’s entirely possible he paraphrased it during one of his cosmic monologues, and it just stuck to him.
But honestly, Jimi's real "power of love" wasn't a sentence.
It was a 12-minute version of "Machine Gun."
It was the way he turned his guitar into a dive-bombing plane and a crying mother at the same time. He used music as a weapon for peace, which sounds like a contradiction until you hear him play.
How to actually hear the "Power of Love" Hendrix sound
If you want to understand what the fuss is about, don't look at Pinterest quotes. Do this instead:
- Find "Power of Soul" from the January 1, 1970, first show. It’s often on the Songs for Groovy Children box set.
- Focus on the "stop-start" sections. The way the trio stops on a dime and then explodes back into the riff is what musicians call "the pocket."
- Listen for the Uni-Vibe. That pulsating, throbby sound? That’s Jimi trying to simulate the feeling of a soul vibrating. No, seriously.
The Band of Gypsys didn't last long. A few weeks after the Fillmore shows, they fell apart during a disastrous gig at Madison Square Garden. Jimi went back to a hybrid lineup with Mitch Mitchell.
But for those few nights in New York, the power of love (and soul) was the loudest thing in the room.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into this specific era, skip the Greatest Hits albums for a second. Go straight to the Songs for Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts collection. It’s the raw, unedited proof that Hendrix was moving into a funk-soul territory that we still haven't fully mapped out today. Listen to the way "Power of Soul" evolves across the four different takes; you can hear him figuring out the future of music in real-time.
Next Steps for the Hendrix Obsessed:
To get the most out of the Band of Gypsys sound, you need to hear the rehearsals. Look up The Baggy's Rehearsal Sessions. It’s Jimi, Billy, and Buddy in a cramped room in December '69, stripping away the stadium flash and finding the groove. It is the most "human" Hendrix you will ever hear.