Jimi Hendrix Basics

Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) is considered one of the most influential rock musicians of the 20th century. His incredible rise to the top of the rock world occurred in the span of only four year. In that time, he created new possibilities for electric guitar and developed a unique musical vocabulary seen in his approach as a composer, bandleader and vocalist, and studio musician. Born in Seattle, Washington, and named Johnny Allen Hendrix, he was later renamed James Marshall Hendrix by Al Hen-drix, his father. Hendrix took an early interest in acoustic guitar. He was self-taught and listened to every artist he could, especially the blues of Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and B.B. King. Buddy Holly was also a strong influence. Jimmy’s first band was The Velvetones where he played acoustic guitar. But he soon left and joined The Rocking Kings, where he played his first electric guitar, a Supro Ozark model.

Jimmy joined the U.S. Army in 1961 and while stationed in Kentucky (where he heard lots of country music), formed the band the King Casuals with bassist Billy Cox. Hendrix was discharged from the Army due to an injury and soon found work as a session guitarist. He now used the name Jimmy James. By the end of 1965, Hendrix had performed and recorded with an impressive array of artists. They included; Little Richard, Sam Cooke, The Isley Brothers, and Ike and Tina Turner. Making the move to fronting his own band, Hendrix formed Jimmy James and the Blue Flames. In late 1965, Hendrix moved to New York City and began playing many of the small cafes and clubs in Greenwich Village. The ex-Animals bassist and music businessman, Chas Chandler, heard Jimmy at a venue called Caf,Wha?. Chandler was impressed enough to sign Hendrix to a deal that would send him to London with the intention of forming a new band.

On his arrival to England, Jimmy changed the spelling of his name to Jimi and Chandler helped organize auditions for the new Jimi Hendrix Experience band. Powerful drummer Mitch Mitchell and bass virtuoso Noel Redding joined Hendrix to form what would become a superstar power trio. The Jimi Hendrix Experience signed a deal with Track Records, a new label formed by The Who’s managers, Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert. The trio dressed in outlandish clothes and they all frizzed their hair to make a big fashion statement to mirror their musical statements. At first they played a repertoire of R&B tunes and some popular songs such as “Hey Joe” and Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” Then, Hendrix originals began to appear. The Jimi Hendrix Experience collectively stunned both English musicians and audiences, setting the stage for their famous Monterey pop performance.

In 1967, Jimi Hendrix released the single “Hey Joe” and then his debut album Are You Experienced?. It would prove to be one of the most influential albums in rock history. Are You Experienced? reached number five on the American charts and number two in England. It featured the rock classics “Purple Haze,” Hey Joe,” “Foxy Lady,” and “Fire.”

                                               “Fire”by Jimi Hendrix

“Fire” was one of Jimi Hendrix’s most exciting and popular tunes that he would feature in live performances. On “Fire,” Mitch Mitchell developed one of the funkiest drumset feels ever recorded for a rock tune. The origin of the song goes back to when Jimi was visiting the home of bassist Noel Redding’s family in England. Jimi asked Redding’s mother if he could stand next to her fireplace to warm himself. Her dog was in the way so Jimi said, “Aw, move over, Rover, and let Jimi take over,” which later became part of the lyrics. The lyrics also contained some sexual overtones. There are many live versions of “Fire” and Hendrix often took it significantly faster than the original tempo from his Are You Experienced? album. To cope with the increased tempo, Mitch Mitchell would play a James Brown rooted “fatback feel” changing the accents in a two bar phrase. This can be seen and heard on a 1970 live concert video from Toronto, Canada and from the Live From Winterland shows recorded in 1968. “Fire” was a showcase for some of Hendrix’s most blistering guitar solos.

Noel Redding formed a bassline that created a sense of forward motion, something he often addedto many of the trio’s songs. “Fire” also provided Mitch Mitchell with a vehicle to display his incredible “hand/ foot” drumset facility. Mitchell and Hendrix had a special musical relationship and it was never more evident
than when they played with “Fire.” “Fire” appeared on a number of Hendrix recordings including many live albums and compilations. “Fire” has been a challenge that many have dared to cover. Some of the best live covers of “Fire” have come from guitarist Steve Vai, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Bruno Mars.

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Jimi Hendrix reintroduced himself, along with Redding and Mitchell, to America when they played the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. An electrifying performance following The Who brought a defining moment
in rock history when Hendrix played a blistering version of “Wild Thing.” Hendrix finished the song by pouring lighter fluid on his guitar, setting it on fire, and smashing it to pieces. Almost overnight, The Jimi Hendrix Experience became one of the most popular touring bands in the world.

                   Groundbreaking album Are You Experienced? by Jimi Hendrix

Are You Experienced? would establish new directions in psychedelic rock and help to define hard rock music moving forward. Jimi Hendrix took the musical world by storm with his original guitar sound, exciting soloing, and innovative songwriting. All of the songs on Are You Experienced? were written by Jimi Hendrix except “Hey Joe” which was written by Billy Roberts. The Breakaways, an English female vocal trio, sang background vocals on “Hey Joe.” The album was produced by Chas Chandler and engineered by Eddie Kramer and Dave Siddle.

On this recording, Jimi’s mastery of electric guitar was on full display and his arranging skills were equally formidable. Throughout the album, Mitch Michell played with a loose Elvin Jones like feel and together with Redding’s active basslines, helped to create a multi-layered sound. This approach (along with Cream) defined the rock power trio. Each member of the Hendrix trio created full, musically interesting parts that fit together seamlessly to create an original and powerful sound.

On the American release, side one opened with “Purple Haze” and was followed with “Manic Depression,” “Hey Joe,” “Love or Confusion,” “May This Be Love,” and “I Don’t Live Today.” Side two opened with “The Wind Cries Mary” and moved to “Fire,” “Third Stone from the Sun,” and “Are You Experienced?” At times, Hendrix spoke with delicate lyrics that felt like poetry. “Third Stone from the Sun” showcased Hendrix’s psychedelic guitar skills and his ability to harness distortion, feedback, and electronic effects.

Are You Experienced? wasn’t the first power trio record of importance. It did however, redefine rock by stretching the limits of what a power trio could do. The album achieved compositional balance, musical interplay between all three players, strong lyrics, virtuosic instrumental skills, and most importantly, musical excitement.

Hendrix released his second album, Axis Bold As Love, in 1968. On this recording, Jimi took full charge of his musical direction and sound. He became laser focused on every aspect of the recording and production process. Axis Bold As Love fulfilled The Experience’s contract with the Track Label. The album peaked at number five in Britain but its release in America was delayed due to fears that it would interfere with the sales of their debut album. Many of the tunes on Axis Bold As Love were composed with studio effects and were not usually performed live. However, the tunes “Little Wing” and “Spanish Castle Magic” were often in their live set list. “Spanish Castle Magic” was inspired by an experience from Jimi’s youth when he had frequented a dance hall where he would jam with his band. On “Little Wing,” Jimi played his guitar through a Leslie speaker for the first time. Axis Bold As Love showed Hendrix’s rapid growth as a songwriter, having composed all of the songs except Redding’s “She’s So Fine.” Many critics thought this album was an overlooked masterpiece.

Jimi Hendrix set his sights on building his own recording studio, Electric Lady Studios in New York City. This building project became the basis for his next album, Electric Ladyland, a two record set. What would be Jimi’s last recording with The Experience, Electric Ladyland brought the band’s sound to new level. Engineer Eddie Kramer and Jimi experimented with echo effects, backward tape processing, experimental microphone recording techniques, chorusing, and more. The songs “Crosstown Traffic,” “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return),” and Hendrix’s interpretation of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” were some of the classics on this recording. Again, Hendrix did most of the songwriting. Electric Ladyland went to number one in America, making it The Experience’s most successful album. It went to number six in Britain. Many viewed this recording as Hendrix’s best work. Due to other commitments by Noel Redding (he had formed a band called Fat Mattress), Hendrix had to play bass on many of the Electric Ladyland songs. Many prominent musicians guested on one or more tracks including: Al Cooper, Jack Casady, Steve Winwood, and Dave Mason.

Throughout 1968, the band recorded and toured at a frantic pace. In 1969, Hendrix disbanded The Experience. In the summer of that same year, Jimi gave his legendary performance at the Woodstock Festival. Leading an eclectic group called Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, it featured Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox, and percussionists Juma Sultan and Jerry Velez. The Woodstock performance stunned everyone with Hendrix’s version of “The Star Spangled Banner,” that people talk about to this day. Later in 1969, Hendrix formed a new band, The Band of Gypsys, with drummer Buddy Miles and his old Army buddy, bassist Billy Cox. The Band of Gypsys gave a series of performances in New York City from January 31st, 1969 to January 1st, 1970. Material from these shows later appeared on compilation albums. Later in 1970, Jimi brought back drummer Mitch Mitchell, and along with Billy Cox, re-formed The Jimi Hendrix Experience. A few months later, Hendrix brought The Experience into the studio and recorded a few tracks for another two-album set, tentatively titled First Rays Of The New Rising Sun. A frantic tour schedule slowed down the recording process.

Tragically, on September 18th, 1970, Jimi Hendrix died from asphyxia while intoxicated with barbiturates and alcohol. Like so many of the rock elite that departed way too soon. The musical world was in a state of shock. More than most other prominent musicians, Jimi Hendrix left behind numerous recorded material that was never released in his short lifetime.

                          The Four Musical Sides of Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix not only holds the title of Guitar God, but also was a multi-faceted musician. First of all, Hendrix would redefine the possibilities of what it meant to play rock guitar. His guitar approach started with him turning his Fender Stratocaster upside down to accommodate the fact that he was left handed. The Strat was his guitar of choice, but he would also use the Gibson SG, Flying V, and Les Paul. On rare occasions, Jimi played the Fender Duo-Sonic or the Fender Jazzmaster. To achieve distortion, Jimi utilized a Fuzz Face, a Univibe (to simulate a rotation speaker), and a wah-wah pedal. He was a master of creating feedback on a few of the guitar strings while playing lead on the other strings. This created the effect of sounding like two players at once. As for Jimi’s electrifying stage presence, drummer Mitch Mitchell recalled his first time playing with him. Mitchell said, “It was on this first gig that we saw the whole other person, completely different from anything I’d ever seen before, even during rehearsals. I know he played really tasty guitar, bit I didn’t know about the showmanship that wnet with it. It was like, Whoosh! This man is really out-front. The showmanship-playing behind his head, with his teeth, was amazing. But even then it was obviously not just flashiness, he really did have the musicianship to go with it.” 

Secondly, Jimi Hendrix was a gifted composer and interpreter of other artist’s songs. It started with his eclectic record collection. As far as the blues, Jimi had at least five Lightnin’ Hopkins records, al- bums by Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Albert King, etc. Perhaps his greatest influence was Bob Dylan, whom he has said inspired him to begin singing. Hendrix sought out albums of artists who covered Dylan such as The Byrds and Joan Baez. From the British scene he had albums by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Eric Clapton, etc. His jazz collection featured Wes Montgomery, Jaki Byard, Charles Lloyd, and Roland Kirk. His soul collection included Otis Redding, The Temptations, and James Brown, etc. Rock recordings featured Elvis, Eddie Cochran, Little Richard, and Frank Zappa. He even loved Bill Cosby comedy albums.From all of the above influences, Jimi just let them simmer in his mind without consciously trying to write in the style of any particular artist. Hendrix, when asked about where his songs came from, said “Just from me. It’s like…where does it come from? I’m not sure…You see everything, experience every-thing, as you live….you see a lot of things if you have imagination…You go on into different moods, and when you write your mood comes through…The songs just come.”

Thirdly, Jimi Hendrix was very effective as a singer and frontman. However, he was very insecure about the quality of his voice. Jimi frequently record- ed his vocal parts while hidden behind screens set up in the studio. His vocals were not as virtuosic as his guitar playing, but they were personal and a big part of his unique sound design. Producer and manager Chas Chandler remembered, “We had a constant row in the studio about where his voice should be in the mix. He always wanted to have his voice buried and I always wanted to bring it forward. He was saying, ‘I’ve got a terrible voice’ but I’d say, “You may have a terrible voice, but you’ve got great rhythm in your voice.”

Finally, Hendrix developed advanced concepts in his approach to recording and manipulating the studio to get the sounds that he heard in his head. Guitar great Joe Satriani weighed in on the recording of Hendrix’s masterpiece Electric Ladyland saying, “It’s definitely an experience to listen to. It was ahead of its time, and the production values were very much like The Beatles’ Revolver album in the fact that they were really reaching, and there’s an enthusiasm in their discoveries in the studio…All the whistles and noises that they did with tape speeds and stuff, and it doesn’t sound like a Roland D-50 or a Fairlight synthesizer delivering something. It sounds kind of funky

As a sideman, Hendrix contributed to nine albums and twenty-four singles by other artists. Among the albums Hendrix played on were; Don Covay and the Goodtimers in 1965, Get That Feeling by Curtis Knight in 1967, and Instant Groove by King Curtis in 1969. Just a few of the many singles Hendrix appeared on were; “Testify, Parts I and Part II” by The Isley Brothers, “Dancing All Around the World” in 1965 by Little Richard, and “Go Go Shoes” in 1965 by Lonnie Youngblood. The release of Valleys of Nepture (containing some unreleased tracks from 1967-1970) was often referred to as the lost studio album. A number of authorized compilation and live albums were released between 1968 and the time of Jimi’s death. They included; the 1968 compilations Smash Hits and Electric Jimi Hendrix, the 1970 live albums Band of Gypsys and Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More, and Historic Performances Recorded at the Monterey International Pop Festival. Many other authorized Hendrix posthumous compilations and live recording were also released. A few of these included; The Cry of Love, Rainbow Bridge, More Experience (a live album released in 1972 from the same live recordings from the Royal Albert Hall in London, February 1969), War Heroes (posthumous compilation of previously unused recordings released in 1972), Loose Ends in 1974, and many more. One album that showcased The Experience at their finest was Live at Winterland. It was recorded in 1968 over three nights of live shows at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. This recording was released posthumously by Rykodisc in 1987. The complete posthumous discography of Jimi Hendrix (much of it archived material) included; 12 studio albums, 25 live albums, 27 compilation albums, 23 official bootlegs, and much more.

Jimi Hendrix was, without doubt, one of the greats in the history of rock music. He helped define the vocabulary of the electric guitar and was an electrifying performer and formidable songwriter. Hendrix synthesized the many genres of blues, American folk, R&B, jazz, 1950’s rock ‘n’ roll, and more. His influence on guitar players can’t be overstated. His overwhelming influence on the genres of hard rock, heavy metal, funk, and hip-hop are clear. Almost fifty years after his death, Hendrix remains as popular as ever! Jimi Hendrix and his music have received numerous awards since his death. They included: a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a memorial stature in Seattle, a park named in his honor (also in Seattle), a United States postage stamp, and many Grammy awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992. Jimi Hendrix and The Jimi Hendrix Experience were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.