Seattle, WA.
Jimi Hendrix: The One & Only
“BUZZ: Newspaper Article: Mar -Apr 2011 (#1-A)
As this is my first article for this publication I would like to cover (and dispel some misinformation on) the greatest musician of all time:
Jimi Hendrix:
I discovered Jimi by the songs “Purple Haze” & “Foxey Lady” in 1972 I believe, it was, my Dad bought a 4LP Set By: WB. I could not believe the sounds I heard from these records. So the 1st album I bought by Jimi Hendrix was ‘Smash Hits’ I loved the cover and the songs it contained was out of this world for me. The stand outs for me from this LP: (besides the 2 already mentioned) “Fire” “Hey Joe” “Stone Free” and what I feel may be the greatest song of all time “All Along The Watchtower”
I did not get to see Jimi in my lifetime, However I have met people who knew Jimi or did see Jimi in concert A friend of mine Dan was able to catch Jimi on Sun 3 May 1970 in St.Paul @ Civic Center, tickets #5.50, he said “After every other song, Jimi would say ‘I have a question for you? …’ then at the very end of the show he said ‘Why?’
The Setlsit:
Fire
Room Full of Mirrors
*Lover Man
*Hear My Train a Comin’
*Ezy Ryder
Machine Gun *Freedom
Foxy Lady
Red House
The Star-Spangled Banner
Purple Haze
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
I have listened to & watched untold hours of Jimi’s music in studio & in concert. It seems live in concert Jimi liked to play covers (*) and unreleased songs as much as songs from his released albums.
Jimi’s history goes like this;
>Stone Free: 1942 <
Born: Johnny Allen Hendrix on 27 November 1942 Seattle, Washington.
His Father Al changed his name to James Marshall Hendrix on 11 September 1946.
Jimi Died on 18 September 1970. A coroner’s inquest ruled “Inhalation of vomit due to barbiturate intoxication” on 28 September 1970.
Jimi started playing acoustic guitar in the autumn of 1958 and then electric guitar by Summer 1959.Jimi joined the 101st Airborne Division as a paratrooper, after a few run ins with the local law enforcement authorities in May 1961. Jimi gave the story he “Broke his ankle during a parachute jump” & was let out of the Army on 2 July 1962. Jimi and his Army buddy Billy Cox (18 Oct 1941 Wheeling, WV.) start playing as musician’s for hire in Oct 1962.
In Mar 1963 Hendrix & Cox form “The King Kasuals” with Larry Lee By late 1963 Jimi is playing and recording with Lonnie Youngblood. Jimi was playing a Silvertone/ Danelectro guitar painted red with the name “Betty Jean” on it, this was Jimi’s childhood sweetheart Jimi traded this guitar into a music store in Clarksville, TN. for an Epiphone Coronet. Interesting note Jimi did not always use a black or white Fender Stratocaster, his was also know to use a white SG Custom (Les Paul type) & a Black left handed Flying “V”
In early 1964 Jimi is touring and recording with the Isley Brothers & Jimi recorded 6 songs on the T-Neck label with the Isley Brothers “Testify Parts 1 & 2″ “The Last Girl” “Move Over and Let Me Dance” “Looking For A Love” & “Have You Ever Been Disappointed” but quits in Oct 1964. However Jimi then begins backing Sam Cooke & Jackie Wilson until Jimi is hired by Little Richard for his backing band in Dec 1964 Jimi is later fired in July 1965 for either “Missing a bus in New York” or “Upstaging Little Richard on stage” They record “I Don’t Know What You’ve Got But It’s Got Me” & b/w“Dancin All Around The World” together for a single release.
It is well known Jimi, Billy Cox & Larry Lee played the “Chitlin Circuit” for many years honing their craft of R&B, Jazz & Early Rock N Roll Standards such as Chuck Berry.
On 27 July 1965 Jimi signs a 2 year record deal with Sue Records in New York City & then signs yet another “Exclusive” record deal on 15 Oct 1965 with PPX Records with then fellow band mate Curtis Knight of ‘The Squires’. This will come back to haunt him later on both contractually and financially.
>51st Anniversary: 1966<
In June 1966 Jimi’s first true band ‘The Rainflowers”’get rechristened as ‘Jimmy James & The Blue Flames’ On 29 Sep 1966 guitarist David Noel Redding (25 Dec 1945 Folkestone Kent, UK – Died: 11 May 2003 County Cork, Ireland) is hired to be the Bassist for Jimi’s new band & this time the Drummer is Ansley Dunbar (10 January 1946 Liverpool, UK.) not John “Mitch” Mitchell (9 Jul 1947 Ealing, UK, – Died: 12 Nov 2008 Portland, Or.), who will eventually be hired on 5 Oct 1966.
It is worth noting that Noel Redding was a guitar player first, this would explain why Noel’s Bass playing is so different than his peers of that time. Noel’s playing is more melodic and brighter as a rhythm instrument closer to say John Entwhistle than Paul McCartney. I would have loved to hear some sessions with Ansley who went on to play everyone from Bowie, Zappa, Flo & Eddie to Journey. However it cannot be denied that Mitch Mitchell’s jazzy drum style as probably the most complimentary to Jimi’s entirely new direction of music. That being said it was Mitch who played with Jimi the 2nd longest only next to Jimi’s army buddy Billy Cox.
The first ever gig of the ‘Jimmy Hendrix Experience’ is on 13 Oct 1966 in Evreux (near Paris) France, the Experience make their first TV appearance on 13 Dec 1966 on ITV’s ‘Ready, Steady, Go’. The Experience record a version of “Day Tripper” on 15 Dec 1967 for BBC’s ‘Top Gear’ contrary to popular belief without Paul McCartney or even John Lennon. This rumor has circulated for many years having heard as much as I have of The Experience it is clearly Noel & Mitch on backing vocals.
>Stars That Play With Laughing Sam’s Dice: 1967<
The Experience’s first US appearance is on 18 Jun 1967 at ‘The Monterey International Pop Festival’ where Jimi does his most famous antic by setting his Stratocaster on fire during “Wild Thing”. Pete Townshend once said about this performance “He’s not stealing my act he’s doing my act” It has been written that Jimi single handedly saved the Fender Stratocaster as “He needed a new one practically every night” On 7 Jul 1967 Jimi sits in with Frank Zappa on stage and discovers the ‘Wah-Wah pedal’, Jimi is later this same day photographed with Zappa for the LP Cover ‘We’re only in it for the Money’.
The Experience then open for TV Pop stars The Monkees for just 8 concert dates from 8-16 July 1967. While on tour in a hotel room Jimi jams with Stephen Stills of the ‘Buffalo Springfield’ & Micky Dolenz of The Monkees. Micky Dolenz had seen Jimi at the Monterey Pop Festival, it has been rumored that Micky saw Jimi in a club in England or even New York prior to the Monterey Pop Festival. Michael Nesmith of The Monkees once said “I would sneak down front every night The Experience opened for us, the music was celestial the band all had Afros, and were back light so when the lights came on it looked like they’re hair was on fire”.
It was Micky Dolenz’s idea to pull some strings to get Jimi on the Monkees ‘Summer Tour’ so Jimi could get some real exposure to the rest of the world, which lead to this odd pair touring together. Micky once said “It became all too much for Jimi & the band, every night to try and do their thing only to be drown out by that chats on the kids in the audience of “We want the Monkees, we want the Monkees” It is rumored on the last night in Forest Hills, New York, Jimi had had enough threw down his guitar & flipped off the audience and walked off the stage. However I can find nothing to confirm or deny this event. Jimi jams & records with his former band leader Curtis Knight on 30 Jul 1967 which will be released as the LP ‘Get That Feeling’ on PPX Records.
>Burning Of The Midnight Lamp: 1968<
On 21 Jan 1968 Jimi records Bob Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower” reportedly before Dylan can release his own version. It’s been said Jimi had some concerns about Dylan’s potential reaction to Jimi’s version of Bob’s yet to be released composition. One of Jimi’s early Girlfriends from his New York Village days once said “Jimi came home one day, said he had spent our last $5.oo on a surprise, so what was it a Bob Dylan record! (she laughs) who’s Bob Dylan? I ask. “Jimi loved Bob Dylan specifically his lyrics” Also, asked to, & obliged, Jimi, Noel & Mitch are immortalized for all time in plaster casts by the legendary ‘Plaster Casters’ on 25 Feb 1968.
On 13 Mar 1968 Jimi himself has a recording made of a jam at The Scene Club in New York City one of Jimi’s favorite hang outs with a drunken Jim Morrison of The Doors. This is later released in many Un-Official releases under several titles. It was once stated that Jimi took an open reel recording deck with him everywhere he went, so he could record everything he did.
The Experience regroups on 14 Feb 1969 to work on an aborted 4th album. There is a photo session for this event pictured Jimi, Mitch & Noel , the caption reads “No one told Noel he is no longer in the band”. As Chaz Chandler walked out on Jimi as his manager during the “Electric Ladyland” sessions from frustration due Jimi’s lack of focus and direction (& most likely drug use)
In Mar 1969 Jimi produces several songs for his friend Buddy Miles (George Allen Miles Jr. 5 Sep 1947 Omaha, Neb. – Died: 26 Feb 2008 Austin, TX.) for the album ‘The Buddy Miles Express: Electric Church’. Buddy will jam with Jimi over the next few months and eventually become the Drummer for ‘The Band Of Gypsys’
The last concert performed by The Experience will be on 29 Jun 1969 at the ‘Denver Pop Festival’, the opening band ‘Zephyr’ features a young Guitarist from Sioux City, Iowa one Tommy R. Bolin (more on Tommy at a later date). Jimi headlines the ‘Woodstock’ festival in Bethel, New York on 18 Aug 1969 as ‘Gypsy Sons & Rainbows Band’ An expanded and short lived experimental band with former ‘Kasual’ Larry Lee (Lawrence H. “Larry” Lee, Jr. Mar 7, 1943 – Oct 30, 2007)
>Message Of Love: 1969<
My personal favorite period of Jimi’s career begins on 7 Nov 1969 ‘The Band of Gypsys’ is born. Unfortunately ‘The Band of Gypsys’ dissolves on 28 Jan 1970. They were only able to release one 45 single and one live album, a contractual obligation LP from Jimi signing with PPX Records in 1965, during their existence.
Some tracks that were recorded for a potential “Studio” album were: “Ezy Rider” “Message to Love” “Power of Soul” “Room Full of Mirrors” “Astro Man” “Earth Blues” “It’s Too Bad” sadly no studio album will come from this soulful R&B oriented trio.
I love this period of time, for the reason while The Experience was great and a real trend setter with music and fashion. I still think they are the best dressed band of the 60s as well as the embodiment of the entire 60s movement. It’s been said Jimi was really concerned with his appearance and cloths fashion. Personally I love the funk and R&B direction of The Band of Gypsys. True Buddy’s drumming style is was not as busy as Mitch’s, and Billy’s playing was not as pronounced as Noel’s.
However The Band of Gypsys was to my knowledge the first all black rock band & Jimi created yet another new style of music. Buddy’s voice blends unbelievably well with Jimi’s voice filling a void (to me) that The Experience lacked. The rhythm & groove they created was a new refreshing direction to me. I can still remember the day my buddy Eric loaned ‘The Band of Gypsys’ Live LP in the fall of 1981.
Comedian Phil Hartman (24 Sep 1948 – Died: 28 May 1998) was once a roadie for the ‘Band Of Gypsys’ he said in an interview “Jimi walked in though the back door of the club wearing hot pink pants and white leather boots and said “How you doin?” Later during the performance my boss yelled at me “Phil get up there and stop those drums from falling off the stage”, the drummer at the time was Buddy Miles he was playing this double bass kit that kept moving forward as the night went on. So I ran up there and knelt down and held the drums in place with both hands, that’s when Jimi spoke to me for the second time over the music he yelled “We’re really rockin now aren’t we, Mr. Roadie Man”
I met Buddy Miles through a friend of mine on 13 Jan 2001. I had him sign my ‘Band Of Gypsys’ album. I was most curious about his session work with The Monkees after Buddy had left ‘The Electric Flag’ Buddy said “Yes I was friends with Peter (Tork) and did some jamming and session work for them out in California” Buddy also appeared with The Monkees in their 1968 (aired in 1969) TV Special ‘33 1/3 Monkees Per Revolution’.
>Steppinstone:1970<
In Mar 1970 Jimi will guest appear on sessions with Arthur Lee and long time friend Stephen Stills. The album ‘Stephen Stills’ 1970 Atlantic #19140 the track “Old Times, Good Times” features Jimi on guitar released 30 Nov 1969 the last official studio recording released by Jimi during his lifetime.
Buddy Miles had been let go in early 1970, however Jimi renegotiated with Billy Cox to keep Billy on. It seems Jimi and a real Billy had a real bond & unspoken connection, something that had seriously lacked between Jimi & Noel in The Experience.
On 23 Mar 1970 Jimi’s ‘Cry Of Love’ band is born with Mitch Mitchell & Billy Cox. Then on 30 Jun 1970 Jimi & Eddie Kramer (Edwin H. Kramer 1942 Cape Town, South Africa) christen ‘Electric Lady Studios’. Over the next year ‘Cry of Love’ will record numerous songs that will not be released until after Jimi’s untimely death. Jimi & ‘Cry of Love’s’ last US concert is on 1 Aug 1970. Jimi’s final recording session is held at Electric Ladyland Studios where he records his final song “Belly Button Window” on the 22nd of Aug 1970. Eddie Kramer is still involved with all Jimi’s posthumous releases. Eddie has said “I was very close to Jimi in a working relationship, not much of a personal relationship; Jimi had a lot girlfriends you see” Tommy Bolin once said in 1976 “I wonder how Jimi would feel about all that incomplete stuff coming out, now that he’s gone”
I saw an interview once where Jimi’s Guitar Tech said “In soundcheck one time Jimi was not happy with the “Wah-Wah” that was set up, so he said “Bring me another one” well we always carried 3 of everything on hand in case something broke or went wrong, so I brought another one and Jimi was not happy with that on either, so I brought a 3rd one and Jimi of course was not happy that one either so jimi said “Get a different one” so I brought him the original one we had set up in the first place and Jimi said “Now that’s more like it”
KISS Guitarist Paul “Ace” Frehley (27 Apr 1951 NYC) also was once a roadie for Jimi, Ace “I set up Mitch Mitchell’s drums” for the 4 May 1970 in New York City at the Village Gate. Ace said “I got backstage, I guess because I had the right look, like I belonged back there” Eddie Kramer produced 3 of Ace’s albums and several KISS albums.
> Crash Landing<
Jimi is interviewed for the very last time by journalist Keith Altham on 10 Sep 1970. On 17 Sep 1970 Jimi makes what would be his final appearance on stage when he sits in with Eric Burdon & War at Ronnie Scott’s Club in London, England.
Jimi is found unconscious at the Samarkand Hotel in London on 18 September 1970, he is taken to St. Mary Abbot’s Hospital after the ambulance men are unable to revive him. Just after midday he is officially pronounced dead. Jimi is buried on 1 Oct 1970 in Renton/ Seattle, WA. at Greenwood Cemetery.
What people do not realize is that Jimi only released 3 official albums while he was alive:
1. “Are You Experienced” 12 May 1967
2. “Axis: Bold As Love” 1 December 1967
3. “Electric Ladyland” 25 October 1968
Yet he changed rock music for all time, in just 4 years and with 3 studio records.
Also released while Jimi was alive was:
4. “Get That Feeling” with Curtis Knight in Late 1967
5. “Smash Hits” July 1968
6. “Band Of Gypsy’s” June 1970
As well as eight 45 Singles from 1966 to 1970
Featuring the Non-LP “B” Sides:
“51st Anniversary” “Stone Free” “Highway Chile” “Stepping Stone” “Izabella” (until 1968 all 45 singles were in (compressed) Mono as well as usually edited down for radio and sometimes featured non-lp “B” sides)
The Monkees song writer & session musician Bill Chadwick cut a demo with Jimi in 1967 for Dot Records titled “She’s Living in Surrey” also Bill’s mother used to custom tailor Jimi’s stage shirt’s because “Jimi’s arms were so long” Bill informed me.
When Jimi walked he appeared very tall, yet walked slow and almost shuffled. When he spoke he was shy and humble and with a bit of a lisp from a slight overbite. It seems he tried to create images with his words much like he did with his music. However when took the stage make no mistake he took total control somewhat like Godzilla when it tore through Tokyo. He was a true performer in every sense of the word.
There are hours and hours of unreleased material that Jimi recorded from 1966 to 1970 however Jimi did not release a 4th studio album in his lifetime he only recorded jams. demos and material for the remaining 2 years of his life 1969 & 1970. He did tell The Monkees; Michael Nesmith sometime in 1970 when asked “Why haven’t you released an album in awhile” Jimi replied “Well I have been working on my singing, I have never been real happy with my voice”
So my advice is to seek out a copy of Jimi’s “Smash Hits” put it on, lay back close your eyes, tune in and drop out and if this music doesn’t change your life, well then, there’s really something wrong with you.
The reason I included birth dates and death dates is because to my knowledge The Jimi Hendrix Experience is the first 60s band that all members are now dead. In addition to the stories on other famous musicians included here the response is usually “Was he old enough to be there at that time” I used a myriad of sources for this article. I accept I have made some mistakes and welcome any and all corrections
By: Richard L. Schwinden
(rik@mrzeros.com)
If this interests you there is a sister article posted on www.mrzeros.com in the “Blog” section for a different perspective.
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