Jimi Hendrix, Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell - Experience Reunited?

Those who follow this blog regularly will know that Jimi Hendrix has played a huge role in Robin's musical life.
But it wasn't just Hendrix, it was the whole 'Jimi Hendrix Experience', the meeting of three musicians who changed the face of music.
Jimi Hendrix, Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell.

It's not just Robin though, most musicians I know have spent a lifetime listening to the music of Jimi Hendrix. Right across the range from classical, jazz, to rock.
There was something so exhilarating, exciting and original about their playing, interaction, and complete 'ease' with their instruments that seems to inspire all musicians. Nigel Kennedy, for example, has always been very vocal about his musical roots and love of Hendrix.

So it was with great sadness that we heard of the death of the last surviving band member, Mitch Mitchell.
Mitchell was a fabulous drummer and the interplay between him and Hendrix was legendary.
You can read an interesting and informative obituary in The Telegraph.

The sad news prompted a weekend of listening to various tracks and searching for a fitting YouTube video to show all the band members at their best.
But it didn't stop there.
Robin has spent some time practicing Rodrigo's, 'Concierto de Aranjuez', for a performance next year, and emerged from the music room as I was surfing the net.

Just to live up to his reputation of the 'Hendrix of the classical guitar', he proceeded to play the opening bars of the concierto with his guitar behind his head...
It wasn't until I pointed out that this may not be the best way to treat his valuable Rodriguez guitar, and that maybe he should try it with his Stratocaster instead, that he stopped. (I know, it's boring always being the sensible one...)

Anyway, the world is a poorer place with the loss of Mitch Mitchell.
Our hope is that finally, after many years, the trio have now been reunited, and are holding the best ever jam session somewhere....

But here on earth, we have to be content with archive footage.
There's so much to choose from it has been difficult.
We finally settled on a song called 'Killing Floor', originally by the band, 'Electric Flag', as it shows beautifully the energy and interaction on stage during a live performance.
As the video won't post to blog, you'll have to click the link to watch, but it's worth it... 'The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Killing Floor.'

Who Are You?

As requested, I did tape, 'The Seven Ages of Rock', on BBC2 last night, and when Robin got home, we settled down to watch.
It was great, full of fantastic vintage Hendrix footage, with comments from various musicians, journalists, biographers and the late Chas Chandler, Jimi's manager and former member of the Animals.
There were also some great clips of Cream, the Who, the Stones, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and many more.

By the time we had finished watching it was gone 1 am, so, Robin was banned from getting out his Stratocaster and blasting out 'Purple Haze', for fear of waking children and neighbours.
However, his sub-conscious must have been dwelling on all this as he slept, because this is a poem he wrote on waking this morning:

WHO ARE YOU?*

Messrs. Entwistle, Daltrey, Townsend and Moon,

Turn down a side street - the time is mid-June,

The 16 year old with huge head of hair,

Is calming himself with a pint of foam beer,

His heroes have finally come into town,

In a Ford Transit van of mighty renown,

In less than an hour they will be live on the stage,

At the end of their set they give vent to their rage,

Drum kits will fly, guitars they will splinter,

Is this in fact an artistic winter?

Not in the least - these guys are on top,

They're zeitgeist, their muse is unlikely to stop,

There's no substitute for my generation,

No wonder we hold them in great veneration.

ROBIN HILL May 2007

* When Robin was 16 the Who performed at what was then the Casino Club (it's currently a Quick Save supermarket....) on Crompton Way in Bolton. He still occasionally drives past the side street they would have taken to get to the stage door, and always looks, and remembers, their concert.