Jimi Hendrix Encyclopedia

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Richard Green for the January 14th edition of Record Mirror.

1967 Bromel Club Bromley Court Hotel interview Interviews January January 4 Jimi Hendrix Record Mirror United Kingdom

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed for a February article in Rave magazine.

1967 Greater London interview Interviews January January 5 Jimi Hendrix London Rave magazine United Kingdom

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed at his flat on 34 Montagu Street in London by Keith Altham. The interview is published in New Musical Express on February 14.

34 Montagu Street City of Westminster London Interviews January January 9 Jimi's Apartment Marylebone United Kingdom

Jimi Hendrix is interview by Nick Jones for the January 21st edition of Melody Maker.

1967 34 Montagu Square interview Interviews January January 10 Jimi's Apartment Marylebone United Kingdom

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Mike Legerwood for the January 28th edition of Disc & Music Echo.

1967 34 Montagu Street City of Westminster interview Interviews January January 19 Jimi's Apartment London Marylebone United Kingdom

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by John King for the January 28th edition of New Musical Express

1967 48 Gerrard Street Anim Office City of Westminster interview Interviews January January 20 London United Kingdom

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Alan Jones for the February 3rd edition of The Hull Times.

1967 February February 1 Greater London interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix London United Kingdom

Following The Experience’s performance, Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Charles Webster for a February 3rd story in The Northern Echo.

1967 Darlington Durham February February 2 Imperial Hotel interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix United Kingdom

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Steve Barker for an article in Debris, the student newspaper for West One.

1967 34 Montagu Square City of Westminster Debris Mag February february 6 interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix Jimi's Apartment London Marylebone Steve Barker United Kingdom

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed for the February 10th edition of the Bristol Evening Post.

1967 Bristol February February 9 Gloucestershire interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix The Locarno United Kingdom

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Alain Dister at the Anim management office on Gerrard Street.

1967 48 Gerrard Street Anim Office City of Westminster February February 14 interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix London United Kingdom

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Kevin Swift for the March issue of Beat Instrumental and the February 25th edition of Record Mirror Jimi is also interviewed by Albert Bokslag and Cees Mentink for the February 25th edition of Kink.

1967 34 Montagu Square City of Westminster February February 15 interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix Jimi's Apartment London Marylebone United Kingdom

The Experience are interviewed at the Anim management offices for a March 11th issue of New Musical Express.

1967 48 Gerrard Street Anim Office City of Westminster February February 21 interview Interviews London United Kingdom

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Jan Waldrop for the March 18th issue of Humo.

1967 Belgium Brussels interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix March March 6

After returning to Paris, Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Jean Noel Coghe in his hotel room.

1967 France Île-de-France interview Interviews Jean Noel Coghe Jimi Hendrix March March 7 Paris

Following their performance on Fanclub, Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Laurie Langenbach for Hitweek

1967 Amsterdam Hitweek Hotel Schiller interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix Laurie Langenbach March March 14 Noord-Holland The Netherlands

While The Experience are traveling by taxi from Hotel Schiller to Bellevue TV Studios, Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Peter Schreder for Hitweek.

1967 Amsterdam interview Interviews March March 14 Noord-Holland the experience The Netherlands

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Klaes Borling of Swedish Radio which is broadcast on April 19th.

1967 48 Gerrard Street Anim Office City of Westminster interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix Klaes Borling London March March 16 United Kingdom

During the Track Records Launch Party, Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Beat Instrumental. Eric Clapton who is also in attendance sits down and joins Hendrix in the interview.

1967 Beat Instrumental City of Westminster Eric Clapton interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix London March March 16 The Speakeasy Track Records Launch Party United Kingdom

The Jimi Hendrix Experience are interviewed live on Radio Luxembourg.

1967 Grand Duchy of Luxembourg interview Interviews Luxembourg March March 20 Radio Luxembourg The Jimi Hendrix Experience

The Jimi Hendrix Experience are interviewed by Keith Altham for an April 15th article in New Musical Express.

1967 43 Upper Berkeley Street City of Westminster interview Interviews Jimi's Apartment London March March 23 Marylebone The Jimi Hendrix Experience United Kingdom

Jimi Hendrix and Chas Chandler are interviewed at their Upper Berkeley Street flat in London. Melody Maker and Disc & Music Echo publish the interviews on April 8th.

1967 43 Upper Berkeley Street April April 3 Chas Chandler City of Westminster Greater London interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix Jimi's Apartment Marylebone United Kingdom

Following their performance at the Odeon Cinema, Jimi Hendrix is interviewed backstage by Donald Bruce for an April 7th article published in The Dundee Recorder.

1967 April April 6 Glasgow interview Interviews Odeon Cinema Scotland United Kingdom

Following their appearance on the BBC’s Monday Monday radio show, Hendrix conducts several press interviews back at his Upper Berkeley Street flat. These interviews are later published in Melody Maker (April 15 with Chris Welch) and in Disc & Music Echo (April 15).One interview by Leif H. Andersson is broadcast on the Swedish radio show Pop 67 med Amerikalisten (April 19).

1967 43 Upper Berkeley Street April April 10 City of Westminster Greater London interview Interviews Jimi's Apartment Marylebone Monday Monday radio show United Kingdom

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Björn Lundholm for an April 19th feature in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter.

1967 43 Upper Berkeley Street April April 12 Björn Lundholm City of Westminster Greater London interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix Jimi's Apartment Marylebone United Kingdom

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Hugh Nolan for the April 22 edition of Disc & Music Echo at his Upper Berkeley Street flat.

1967 Interview Jimi's Apartment 43 Upper Berkeley Street April April 18 City of Westminster Disc & Music Echo Greater London Hugh Nolan Interviews Jimi Hendrix Marylebone United Kingdom

Following their performance at the ABC Cinema, Jimi Hendrix is interviewed for a feature in the April 21st edition of The Lincolnshire Echo.

1967 ABC Cinema April April 20 interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix Lincoln Lincolnshire United Kingdom

Chas Chandler is interviewed at the flat he shared with Jimi Hendrix for a feature published in April 29 issue of Disc & Music Echo.

1967 25 43 Upper Berkeley Street April Chas Chandler City of Westminster Disc & Music Echo Greater London interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix Jimi's Apartment Marylebone United Kingdom

The Jimi Hendrix Experience is interviewed by Steve Mann for a May 5 feature article in The Aldershot News.

1967 ABC Cinema Aldershot April April 27 Hampshire interview Interviews Steve Mann The Aldershot News The Jimi Hendrix Experience United Kingdom

Jimi Hendrix and Chas Chandler are interviewed at their shared flat in London, by Ray Jones for the May edition of Beat Instrumental magazine.

1967 43 Upper Berkeley Street April April 30 Beat Instrumental Chas Chandler City of Westminster Greater London interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix Jimi's Apartment magazine Marylebone Ray Jones United Kingdom

The Experience are interviewed at the BBC Broadcasting House on Portland Place in London.

BBC Broadcasting House interview Interviews London Portland Place the experience

The band flies to Gothenburg, Sweden. Gosta Hansson interviews Hendrix for Goteborgs-Tidningen. The interview is published the following day. The Experience visit the Klubb Karl in Gothenburg.

Gosta Hansson Gothenburg interview Interviews oteborgs-Tidningen Sweden the experience

Hendrix is interviewed for a January 6 Expressen story. Along with Mecki Mark Men and Baby Grandmothers, The Experience play the Sportshallen. Because of a sore throat, the band plays for only 35 minutes.

Baby Grandmothers Expressen interview Interviews Mecki Mark Men Sportshallen

The band flies to Copenhagen, where they are recorded for TV and interviewed by Carsten Grolin for Ekstra Bladet. The interview is published January 8.

Carsten Grolin Copenhagen Ekstra Bladet interview Interviews

Hendrix is interviewed for a January 12 Expressen story.

Expressen interview Interviews

Richard Robinson interviews Hendrix and Noel Redding for Hullabaloo at the Upper Berkeley Street flat. The interview is published in May.

Hullabaloo interview Interviews Noel Redding Richard Robinson Upper Berkeley Street

Hendrix is interviewed by Hugh Nolan for a February 17 Disc & Music Echo feature. Hendrix wins the publication’s award for “Top World Musician.”

Disc & Music Echo Hugh Nolan interview Interviews

The Experience fly to New York, where they hold a news conference at the Pan Am Building’s Copter Club. Hendrix is interviewed by Jay Ruby for Jazz and Pop (July 1968); Michael Rosenbaum for Crawdaddy (May 1968); Don Paulsen for Hit Parader (July 1968); Al Aronowitz for the New York Post (February 2); and Life magazine (April 1).

Crawdaddy interview Interviews Jay Ruby Jazz and Pop Michael Rosenbaum Pan Am Building’s Copter Club the experience

Noel Redding completes an interview for the In Sound radio program. The program is hosted by Harry Harrison. The band remains in San Francisco but moves from the Fillmore East to perform two shows at the Winterland Ballroom.

Fillmore East Harry Harrison Interviews Noel Redding Sound radio

February 2, 1968 Noel Redding completes an interview for the In Sound radio program. The program is hosted by Harry Harrison. The band remains in San Francisco but moves from the Fillmore East to perform two shows at the Winterland Ballroom.

1968 February 2 Fillmore East Harry Harrison in sound radio program interview Interviews Noel Redding San Francisco the band Winterland Ballroom

Soft Machine rejoins The Experience for a show at Arizona State University in Tempe. Hendrix is interviewed by Dave Gurzenski for the Arizona State Press. The interview is published February 7. Jimi Hendrix is photographed on stage while performing at the Sun Devil’s Gym at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona on February 5, 1968. Photo: © Authentic Hendrix, LLC

Arizona State University Dave Gurzenski Interviews Soft Machine the experience

The band plays at Sacramento State College, supported by Soft Machine and The Creators. A light show by Simultaneous Avalanche is also part of the show. Karen Vitlip interviews The Experience for The Sacramento Union (February 10), and Debbie Smith interviews them for Teenset (July 1968). The Jimi Hendrix Experience are photographed on stage during their February 8, 1968 performance at Sacramento State College in Sacramento, California. Photo: Jeffrey Hughson / © Authentic Hendrix, LLC

Debbie Smith Interviews Live Sacramento State College Soft Machine The Creators

The band travels north to Santa Barbara, where they play at Robertson Gym with Soft Machine and East Side Kids. Bob White interviews Hendrix for the Argo, Santa Barbara. The story is published in March.

1968 East Side Kids February february 11 Interviews Robertson Gym Santa Barbara Soft Machine

Jules Freemond interviews The Experience for the East Village Other. The interview is published March 8.

1968 February February 20 interview Interviews jules freemond march 8 the east village other

Hendrix is interviewed for the April 1968 issue of Disco Scene.

1968 21 april 1968 Disco Scene. February February 21 Hendrix interview Interviews

Buck Walmsley interviews Hendrix for the Chicago Daily News. The interview is published two days later.

Buck Walmsley chicago daily news interview Interviews

Melody Maker’s Frank Simpson interviews Hendrix for a March 16 piece.

Frank Simpson interview Interviews Melody Maker

Hendrix and Redding are interviewed on-air by Chuck Dunaway at WKYC in Cleveland. They also answer questions from callers. Hendrix, known for his love of fast cars, buys a blue Corvette Stingray at Blaushild’s Chevrolet in Cleveland. In an interview with John McDermott, Leon Dicker (attorney & US representative for Yameta, the Animals’ parent company), recalls “I knew he [Jimi] didn’t have a driver’s license… He drove it once – down a one-way street. He was cited for that, as well as not having a driving license. The next day, Hendrix left for Indiana, and [Michael] Jeffery had the car shipped to New York.” That night, the band plays two shows at The Public Music Hall. The first show includes: “Foxey Lady,” “Catfish Blues,” “Hey Joe,” “Purple Haze,” and “Wild Thing.” The second performance featured: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Fire,” “I Don’t Live Today,” “Red House,” “Foxey Lady,” “Spanish Castle Magic,” “Manic Depression,” “Purple Haze,” and “Wild Thing.” Redding recalls the evening was marred by “a very real bomb scare at the hall,” which reportedly delayed the second show for a while. Hendrix is interviewed by Dick Wootten for The Cleveland Press (March 27); The Plain Dealer Sunday Magazine (April 28); and Bruno Bornino for The Cleveland Press (March 29). During the interview with Bornino, Hendrix gives him a string of love beads.

Chuck Dunaway Cleveland Dick Wootten interview Interviews WKYC

Chris Welch interviews Mitch Mitchell for Melody Maker. The piece is published on April 20.

Chris Welch Interviews Melody Maker Mitch Mitchell

Peter Goodman of Beat Instrumental conducts a phone interview with Hendrix. The interview is published in May.

Beat Instrumental Hendrix interview Interviews Peter Goodman

Derek Boltwood interviews Hendrix for Record Mirror. The story is published the following month.

Derek Boltwood Hendrix interview Interviews Record Mirror

The Experience are interviewed and photographed by Swiss reporter, Winnie Land and her husband at the Fleming Hotel. The interview is printed in the May 30, 1968 edition of Blick. Two additional performances are given at Teatro Brancaccio with the same supporting acts as the previous night. Afterwards, the Experience head to the Titan Club.

interviewed Interviews photographed the experience Winnie Land

Melody Maker’s Alan Walsh interviews Jimi Hendrix at his manager’s (Anim), Gerrard Street office for a July 20th feature. In the interview, Hendrix makes references to the hectic recording schedule of the past, saying, “I felt we were becoming the American version of Dave Dee – nothing wrong with that, but its just not our scene. We decided we had to end that scene and get into our own thing. I was tired after of the attitude of fans they’ve bought you a house and a car and now expect you to work the way they want you to for the rest of your life. Buy we couldn’t just say, screw them, because they have their rights, too, so we decided the best way was to just cool the recording scene until we were ready with something that we wanted everyone to hear. I want people to hear us, what we’re doin’ now and try to appreciate what we’re at.”

Gerrard Street interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix Melody Maker

Jimi Hendrix is interviewed by Black Music for a feature article to be run in a 1969 issue.

Black Music interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix

Hendrix is interviewed and filmed by a local Denver based DJ for an upcoming PBS show. Hendrix writes a poem entitled, “Letter to the Room Full Of Mirrors” while at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Denver. It was also at this time that Hendrix wrote to intricate design notes for the cover of the Electric Ladyland album

Denver interview Interviews Letter to the Room Full Of Mirrors

The Experience travels to Spokane, Washington where John Bates interviews Hendrix for the September 9 issue of The Spokane Daily Chronicle. The group later performs at the Coliseum with support from Vanilla Fudge, Eire Apparent, and Soft Machine. The Experience’s performance includes “Foxey Lady,” “Little Wing,” “Red House,” and “Fire” among others.

interview Interviews John Bates Spokane the experience washington

On the Island of Maui, The Experience takes part in a series of photo shoots with Ron Raffaelli for A Visual Thing. Hendrix is also interviewed at radio station K-POI in Honolulu.

A Visual Thing Interviews island of Maui Ron Raffaelli the experience

The group continues with the photo sessions with Ron Raffaelli. Hendrix and Raffaelli take a spin in Jimi’s new Corvette Stingray but Jimi crashes it during the short-lived ride.

Corvette Stingray crash Interviews Ron Raffaelli

Peter Goodman interviews Hendrix for an upcoming issue of Beat Instrumental.

Beat Instrumental Interviews Peter Goodman

Margaret Robin interviews Jimi Hendrix and Noel Redding for Black Music magazine.

Black Music magazine interview Interviews Jimi Hendrix Margaret Robin Noel Redding

Noel Redding is interviewed by Donna Lawson for the January 1969 issue of Eye magazine.

Donna Lawson Eye magazine interview Interviews Noel Redding

Jimi sits for an interview with reporter Jon King at his London apartment on Brook Street.

1969 apartment Brook Street interview Interviews January 3 Jimi Jimi Hendrix Jon King London

Chris Welch interviews Hendrix for the January 11th edition of the UK music publication Melody Maker. He also grants an interview to Tony Norman for the January edition of Top Pops magazine. Studio 4, BBC Television Center, London, England Happening For Lulu Voodoo Child (Slight Return) Hey Joe Sunshine Of Your Love Jimi gave one of his most memorable performances on this day. He performed “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” and an unforgettable medley of “Hey Joe” and Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love”. Partway through “Hey Joe”, Hendrix came to a stop and launched into “Sunshine Of Your Love,” dedicating the soon to the recently disbanded Cream. In 1998, this performance was included in its entirety as part of the double CD BBC Sessions.

BBC Television Center Chris Welch England hey joe Interviews London Melody Maker Studio 4 sunshine of your love Tony Norman Top Pops magazine Voodoo Child

January 7, 1969 Brook Street London, England Jimi, Mitch, and Noel sit for an interview with Hugh Curry of the Canadian Broadcasting Company. The interview is later premiered as part of the CBC program Through The Eyes Of Tomorrow.

and Noel Brook Street Canadian Broadcasting Company England Hugh Curry interview Interviews Jimi London Mitch

London, England Richard Green, a writer for the UK publication New Musical Express, interviews Jimi. The feature article is published in the February 22 edition.

Interviews New Musical Express Richard Green

February 26, 1969 London, England Bob Dawbarn of Melody Maker interviews Hendrix for a series of features articles that are published on March 1 and March 8.

Bob Dawbarn Interviews Melody Maker

Valerie Mabbs of Record Mirror interviews Hendrix at his Brook Street apartment for the March 15th issue.

Interviews Record Mirror Valerie Mabbs

John Grant interviews Hendrix for the March 15th issue of New Musical Express. That evening Hendrix joins Billy Preston during a jam session at The Speakeasy.

Interviews John Grant New Musical Express

Jane de Mendelssohn interviews Jimi Hendrix at his Brook Street flat for the March 28 issue of International Times.

Brook Street interview Interviews Jane de Mendelssohn Jimi Hendrix

Alan Smith of New Musical Express interviews the Experience at Hendrix’s Brook Street flat. The interview appears in the April 19 issue of the paper. The Experience would also grant an interview to Ray Coleman for the March 22 issue of Disc & Music.

Alan Smith Experience Interviews

Record Plant, New York Studio Recording 1) Room Full Of Mirrors 2) Crash Landing 3) Bleeding Heart These recordings represent Billy Cox’s first studio session with Jimi. For their explorations of “Room Full Of Mirrors”, “Crash Landing” and “Bleeding Heart”, Hendrix and Cox were joined by drummer Rocky Isaac and percussionist Al Marks. Take thirty-one of “Room Full Of Mirrors” from this session is featured as part of the box set The Jimi Hendrix Experience. At the time of the box set’s release, it was not known that Issac and Marks had been the musicians backing Jimi on that evening. More than three decades later, Al Marks, now a successful music executive for MCA Records, fills in the details about meeting Jimi and how the session came together EH: How did you first meet Jimi? AM: I met Jimi at the Monterey Pop Festival. I was in a band in New York called the Down Five. My guitar player wanted to go to Monterey. I said, ‘For what? I don’t want to go to Mexico.’ He said, ‘No, Monterey, California for the Pop Festival’. I agreed, so we got into a VW bus and drove across the country. He knew someone who was working at the festival and we got a crew pass. We spent a lot of time wandering around the backstage and all of the artists back there were really cool. You could walk up to people like Brian Jones, Mickey Dolenz, and Mama Cass and just talk to them. We watched Jimi’s performance and were just blown away. I didn’t even want to pick up my guitar again after watching him play. He blew me away. Sometime after his set, we went backstage and saw him having a conversation with Mitch Mitchell. When he finished, I walked over and said, ‘I also play guitar, but as of today I am putting it down.’ He laughed in that cool way he had and said, ‘Don’t put it down. Just practice.’ We spoke for about fifteen minutes, talking about guitars and amplifiers. I asked him about Stratocasters and why he played them upside down. He showed me his hands and they were twice my size. I told him that I played Gibson’s and he wanted to know which models I liked. I preferred the 335 which he had never played. He spoke of a Gibson Firebird which I had never heard of. He mentioned that one of the Kinks also played that guitar. He was very friendly and easy to talk with. He was just really cool. EH: How did you get involved with the Cherry People? AM: I moved from New York down to Washington in January 1969. I hooked up with this band known as the Cherry People. I was living in the basement of the guitar player’s house. Chris Grimes and I were good friends and I was working as their manager. Punky Meadows, later of Angel, was the lead guitarist. Rocky Isaac was their drummer and Jan Zechowski, later of the Nighthawks played bass. Doug Grimes was the lead singer. The band told me that everybody would be going up to New York in April. They were going to try and get out of their record deal with Heritage Records to whom they had signed in 1968. The group had a hit with the song “And Suddenly”, but they were not a bubble gum band and that’s what the album was. Jerry Ross owned Heritage Records and when they recorded the Cherry People album, they had used a lot of session players. The band didn’t have a lot of input into how it was made. The guys really resented that. We had a meeting scheduled with Jerry Ross, but he didn’t show. We left a note with his secretary asking to be released from the label. She laughed at us, but agreed to give it to Jerry. After that, we went out for pizza and heard that there was going to be a jam for guitar players at Steve Paul’s Scene Club that night. We didn’t have a hotel because we had originally thought we were just going to turn around and drive back home after the meeting with Jerry Ross. We decided instead to go check what was happening there. We got there at 9:00 and there were all kinds of people around like Edgar Winter and Rick Derringer. All of a sudden Jimi Hendrix walked in with two people. He sat down in the corner and no one was bothering him. Everybody at my table was going, ‘Wow! That’s Jimi Hendrix!’ I was excited. I told the guys that I had met Jimi at Monterey Pop and wanted to see if he had remembered our conversation backstage. The guys didn’t believe me and I sat there for a few minutes trying to get up the nerve to go talk to him. I got up the courage and introduced myself. I didn’t want to bother him, but I asked if he remembered meeting at Monterey. He did not, but told me it was cool to sit and talk with him. He asked what I was doing in New York and I told him that our band was trying to get out of its contract with the record company. He laughed and said, ‘Yeah, record companies…’ Then he said, ‘So you got a band here? Do you have a drummer?’ I said ‘Yes. He is sitting right over there.’ He then asked if we were doing anything at 3 or 4 o’clock that morning. I said no and asked him why. He was going to cut some things in the studio and wondered whether our drummer would like to sit in. I immediately said he would. Jimi then said, ‘Well, you didn’t ask him.’ I didn’t have to ask him. He’s gonna do it. He wanted to know if the guy was any good and I told him that Rocky was a great drummer. We’ll do it, I told him. He introduced me to Billy Cox who was sitting with him. Billy mentioned that he was a bass player. I asked about Noel Redding, but Jimi told me that Noel would not be sitting in. He described Billy as his buddy and said that the session would be with him. We agreed to meet later at the Record Plant. I walked to my table and told the band, ‘You are not going to believe this but Jimi Hendrix just asked Rocky to sit in’. Everybody at the table told me I was full of shit. I asked the guys to trust me and waved over to Jimi’s table. Jimi waved back and gave us the peace sign. Chris, Rocky, and I made plans to go while the other guys went back to this hostel we were staying at. At the Record Plant we told the receptionist that we were here to do a session with Jimi Hendrix. He asked who we were and I told him the Cherry People. We were not listed on the sheet. I told him about meeting Jimi at the Scene Club and he said, ‘Oh, you are the guys he called over about’. We were alone in the studio for about forty-five minutes before Gary Kellgren showed up with an assistant engineer and a tall, beautiful black woman [Devon Wilson] whom we were told was Jimi’s girlfriend. Gary reassured us that while Jimi was always late, he had phoned about the session and was on his way over. Twenty minutes later, Jimi and Billy Cox walked in with a friend who was a photographer [Willis Hogans Jr.]. Jimi was really cool and wanted to know if we were OK. Rocky saw him and said, ‘You’re Jimi Hendrix’. Jimi laughed and said ‘Man, I know who I am. Don’t you think I know who I am?’ We all just about fell on the floor laughing. Rocky admitted to him that he was really nervous. Jimi laughed and said, ‘Just relax. It will all be cool.’ Jimi was playing through an old Acoustic amplifier and not a Marshall. One big cabinet with a small head. Billy was playing through an Ampeg rig and a set of drums had been set up for Rocky. Jimi then started to move his amp and I told that I would do that for him. He said that if I really wanted to move something for him, his car was out front and if he didn’t move it across the street it was going to be towed. I asked for the keys and told him I would do it. He owned a silver Corvette and by the time I was outside I thought, ‘Shit, I don’t know how to drive a stick shift. I am going to ruin Jimi’s Corvette’. I opened the door and it was automatic. I thought, my God everything is working for me tonight! I got in the car and there were all of these tapes on the passenger seat. His car had a cassette player built in to the dashboard and I had never seen anything like that before. Sitting on the seat were these tapes which were marked, ‘Me, Steve Winwood’ and ‘Me, Buddy Miles’. I parked the car, came back in and he told me that he wanted a percussion section. Jimi asked me to play maracas—which I had never played before in my life—and Chris Grimes to play tambourine. We recorded “Room Full Of Mirrors” and it took forever because Rocky couldn’t keep the beat on drums. Midway through the session, Jimi turned to him and said something to the effect of, ‘Man, do you know how to play drums? What’s going on?’ I had been banging one of the maracas against my leg for three and a half hours and my leg was black and blue. I told Rocky quietly that he better get things right because I couldn’t walk! I had a knot on my leg that seemed four inches big. I was afraid that we were going to screw up the chance of a lifetime. At one point in the session, the photographer [Willis Hogans Jr.] got underfoot of Jimi. He had been laying on the ground taking pictures of Jimi and he got in the way. Jimi kicked the camera out of his hands, saying to get out of the way [Ed. These may be the few color shots Hogans took of Jimi from that angle]. We thought he was joking at first but he was actually really pissed. His kick broke the camera and the photographer started crying. Jimi gave him money to get it fixed but that was the end of photos that night. By eight that morning, Jimi said that we were going to give it one last try and if we didn’t get it we would have to come back the next morning. Jimi then just started wailing on the guitar and singing live on top of it. Rocky finally delivered what he believed was a good take and Gary Kellgren yelled ‘Yeah’ over the talkback microphone when we had finished. Jimi let us know that we were done for the night. Before we left, he told us that he had a couple more tracks that he wanted to cut on Thursday at the same time. We thought he meant after midnight Wednesday evening. As he was walking out, he gave each of us $100.00 cash and said to Rocky, ‘Man, I would practice a bit if I was you.’ Billy laughed and shook his head and they walked out together. Gary Kellgren then came over and asked us our names and if we were in the Musicians Union. We were, but Gary told us not to declare the work because Jimi had paid us more than union scale for the session. Union scale at that time for a session was $35.00. We were strutting. Jimi Hendrix had paid us $100.00 to play with him. We told the guys back at the hostel about the session and they didn’t believe us until we showed them the $100.00 bill Jimi had given each of us. We then drove back to Washington and made a plan to bring Mike Burke and Richard Harrington, a critic for the Washington Post who also wrote for a paper called the Unicorn Times to prove that we actually were going to record again with Jimi Hendrix.

Bleeding Heart Crash Landing Interviews new york Record Plant Room Full Of Mirrors Studio Recording

April 24, 1969 Record Plant, New York Studio Recording 1) Crash Landing 2) Bleeding Heart 3) Hey Gypsy Boy On this evening, Jimi and Billy Cox were again joined by percussionist Al Marks and drummer Rocky Isaac from the Washington D.C. based group The Cherry People. Al Marks details the events of that memorable evening. EH: What happened at the April 24, 1969 session? AM: We drove back Wednesday [April 23, 1969] and went to the Record Plant. We spoke to the receptionist and told him we were here to record with Jimi. He remembered us from the other night but informed us Jimi had not booked a session for that night. All of a sudden our jaws dropped. Mike Burke and [Washington Post critic] Richard Harrington looked at us and were complaining that we had driven all this way for nothing. Mike Burke agreed to stay, but Harrington left to take a train back to D.C. We had no place to stay so we asked if we could hang out at the studio. They let us in and we crashed on the floor of the studio. In the morning, we were awoken by Vinnie Bell and Tony Mottola from the Tonight Show band. Vinnie was the guy who invented the electric sitar. [Ed. Marks may have also solved another puzzling Hendrix historical question. On April 6, 1969 Jimi was recorded playing a Coral electric sitar at the Record Plant. It now seems apparent that he was given the instrument by Bell]. They were arriving to do session work for a movie soundtrack. These guys were in suits and we were a bunch of scraggly hippies in buckskin jackets. Before we left that morning, Jimi called the studio to set up the session for that night. The studio told him we were there and he asked us to return that night at 9. Somehow we then lost Rocky. We couldn’t locate him, so we ended up spending the day walking around the city. He showed up back at the studio around 7 p.m. looking refreshed. He asked us where we had been because Jimi had reserved a hotel room for us. We were stunned. Rocky had left a note for us but the guy at the Record Plant had forgotten to tell us. We all ran over to the hotel room Jimi had reserved for us and took quick showers. When we returned to the studio, Jimi and Rocky were going over the new songs he wanted to play. The first number we did was “Bleeding Heart”. We did about fifteen or sixteen takes and it seemed to work out fairly well. It was the same line-up as the previous session. Jimi then wanted to try another song so Chris and I took the opportunity to switch instruments. My leg was so damn sore that I couldn’t keep doing it anymore so I took over tambourine and Chris picked up the maracas. [Ed. Jimi made several attempts at “Hey Gypsy Boy”, an uptempo new original song whose lyrics bore close similarity to what would later develop as “Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)”]. Jimi then started to play “Crash Landing”. There were no vocals at first. He was focusing on the track itself. This went really well and after ten or fifteen takes he asked everybody to leave the studio. I asked him if we were being thrown out and he explained that he would not allow anybody to be in the studio while he recorded vocals on a track. In the control room, Gary Kellgren told us that it was just an idiosyncrasy that Jimi had. Gary went out and constructed a booth around him. Jimi had a sheet with lyrics and he stood behind there and sang beautifully. We were bug eyed in the control room. Then, all of sudden, Punky Meadows, who had been sleeping in the back of the studio, woke up and started walking across the room. Jimi saw him and literally flipped out. He threw down the papers in his hand and yelled, ‘What the fuck are you doing in the studio when I am doing vocals?’ In the control room, Gary Kellgren put his hands to his head. Apparently, that was the worst thing anyone could do on a Hendrix session. He yelled to us, ‘Get him out of there!’ We hustled Punky out to the bathroom and Jimi regained his composure and started doing vocals again. When he finished, he walked in to the control room and said, ‘Man, no one walks through that studio when I am doing vocals. Didn’t Gary tell you that?’ We explained that Punky had been asleep and we didn’t know where he was. Jimi laughed. ‘Punky? What kind of name is Punky?’ Punky came out from hiding and they met. All Jimi kept asking him was what kind of name was Punky? It was funny. At the end of the session, he thanked us and hoped that we would run into each other. We drove back to D.C. after that. EH: Did you ever imagine that any of the music to which you contributed would be released? AM: Years later I bought the Crash Landing album thinking it was us on the track but they had erased everything. I have been looking for some validation of this session for thirty years. Every time I would see “Room Full Of Mirrors” on a Jimi Hendrix album I would look to see if my name was on it. Then this year I got an advance of the new box set. I heard “Room Full Of Mirrors” and lo and behold it was it us. This is the song I played on! When I saw the credits, I was disappointed that no one seemed to know who the hell I was! It was great to talk to you about it. I am so grateful to know that this track is on the box set. I love Jimi and its an honor to be a part of something like this. I’ve been on a high since!

Al Marks billy cox Interviews new york Record Plant Rocky Isaac Studio Recording

Freelance journalist, Sharon Lawrence interviews Jimi Hendrix in his room at The Beverly Hills Hotel.

interview Interviews Sharon Lawrence

Waikiki Shell, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii With Fat Mattress Set List: [Partial] Foxey Lady Red House I Don’t Live Today Stone Free Star Spangled Banner Purple Haze Voodoo Child (Slight Return) Prior to their performance that evening, the Experience sat for a radio interview in studio at KPOI FM. On stage that evening, with the technical difficulties which had plagued the group’s abbreviated performance the previous evening apparently repaired, Jimi put forth a superb effort. Jimi Hendrix is photographed on stage at the Waikiki Shell in Honolulu, Hawaii on May 31, 1969. Photo: Robert Knight / © Authentic Hendrix, LLC

Fat Mattress Hawaii Honolulu Interviews Oahu Waikiki Shell

Bob Dawbarn of Melody Maker interviewed Jimi by telephone for the December 20th edition of the famed British music weekly. In the interview Hendrix alluded to the reformation of the original Experience band. “I’ve been thinking about that for a long time. All I’m waiting for is for Noel and Mitch to make up their minds and we can get everything fixed. I saw Noel at the Fillmore and I think everything is working out fine with him. Now I am looking forward to seeing Mitch. He has been over there in England getting himself together.” Jimi also provided Dawbarn with some insights about the new music that he had been developing. “I’ve been writing a whole lot of things,” Jimi replied. In fact, we’ve got enough material now for another two LPs. We are trying to decide what to release and at what time. We’ve started recording and you should be receiving a single around the end of January. The title? It should be either ‘Trying To Be A Man [sic]’ or ‘Room Full Of Mirrors.’”

Bob Dawbarn interview Interviews Melody Maker

Alfred Aronowitz of The New York Post had interviewed Hendrix at the Fillmore East the previous day and his article was published in the January 2, 1970 edition. “Jimi had chosen the New Year, and as he put it, the new decade to unveil his new trio… What’s the reason for the change? ‘Earth, man, earth,’ Jimi said. With his old group, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, the music has been too far out in space. ‘Now I want to bring it down to earth,’ Jimi said. ‘I want to get back to the blues, because that’s what I am.’ The new group has a new repertoire, but during his first set last night, Jimi was still waving his freak flag.” “There had been plans for Jimi to go back on tour with The Experience accompanied once again by Mitch Mitchell on drums and Noel Redding on bass, but after the show Jimi had changed his mind. ‘With Mitch, maybe, but not with Noel, for sure.’ He said. ‘That’s another thing. This is more of a real thing. We’re trying to get it on its feet. We’re waiting for Stevie Winwood. If I can get a hold of him and he agrees to it, that’ll be another voice. We’ll have harmony for days.’ The name of Jimi’s new group, incidentally, is A Band Of Gypsys. ‘That’s what we are,’ said Buddy. ‘That’s what all musicians are, Gypsies.’

Alfred Aronowitz Fillmore East interview Interviews The New York Post

Under the watchful eye of manager, Michael Jeffery Rolling Stone’s John Burks was invited to Jeffery’s office on West 37th Street in New York to interview Hendrix, Mitchell and Redding (whom was recently brought in from England), in a carefully controlled environment. Wanting the trio to appear as a united force that was to again be known as The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Jeffrey pressed to get positive press coverage in the pages of Rolling Stone.

During the interview Hendrix is asked several questions about his evolving music direction where he eludes to expanded musical offerings. Have you given any thought to touring with the Experience as the basic unit, but bringing along other people? Or would that be too confusing?

No, it shouldn’t be. Maybe I’m the evil one, right [laughs]. But there isn’t any reason for it to be like that. I even want the name to be Experience anyway, and still be this mish-mash moosh-mash between Madame Flipflop And Her Harmonite Social Workers.

It’s a nice name.

It’s a nice game. No, like about putting other groups on the tour, like our friends – I don’t know about that right now; not at a stage like this, because we’re in the process of getting our own thing together as far as a three piece group. But eventually, we have time on the side to play with friends. That’s why I’ll probably be jamming with Buddy [Miles] and Billy [Cox]; probably be recording, too, on the side, and they’ll be doing the same.

Do you every think in terms of going out with a dozen people?

I like Stevie Winwood; he’s one of those dozen people. But things don’t have to be official all the time. Things don’t have to be formal for jams and stuff. But I haven’t had a chance to get in contact with him.”

With Hendrix’s growing interest in Steve Winwood and a growing relationship with Billy Cox, it was clear in Hendrix’s mind that the original Experience group would never reform – he was right.

1970 February 4 interview Interviews John Burks Michael Jeffery Rolling Stone

Under the watchful eye of manager, Michael Jeffery Rolling Stone’s John Burks was invited to Jeffery’s office on West 37th Street in New York to interview Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding (who was recently brought in from England). Jeffery clearly wanted to present the original Jimi Hendrix Experience as a united group and that the disastrous Madison Square Garden performance by Hendrix with the Band Of Gypsys was a single, isolated episode. Rolling Stone was at the forefront of the counter cultural press and Jeffrey desperately wanted to the benefit of positive coverage for his artist. In his interview, Burks made several attempts to pin Hendrix down on his present musical course, but Hendrix offered no definitive explanation or plan. Rather than lay out a comprehensive plan for the Experience, Hendrix alluded to possible future jamming and recording with Cox and Miles. The guitarist also described the recent Madison Square Garden performance as ‘the end of a big fairy tale’.

Interviews Jimi Hendrix John Burks Michael Jeffery Rolling Stone Mitch Mitchell Noel Redding Rolling Stone

Petticoat’s Keith Altham interviews Hendrix for a May 30th piece where Jimi talks about his voice. “Singing… I used to be embarrassed by my voice. We drowned it on the first few albums I made, but then I realized I was judging it by the wrong yardstick. Dylan has a lousy voice technically, but it is good because he sings things he believes in. True feelings are really the only qualities worth listening for in a voice.” Jimi also entered into discussions with Emerson, Lake & Palmer about a possible joint tour in the future.

interview interview about voice Interviews Keith Altham Petticoat

Jimi Hendrix travels from New York to London, England with Eric Barrett. Upon his arrival in London, Jimi is interviewed by The Times for a September 1 feature.

Eric Barrett interview Interviews London new york

Jimi participates in a series of interviews at his suite at the Londonberry Hotel. Among the interviewees include Gillian Saich (New Musical Express, September 5), Bob Partridge (Record Mirror, September 19), and Norman Joplin (Music Now, September 12). Hendrix applies for a working visa at the Swedish Embassy in London so that he can perform there in the coming weeks. Later that night Jimi is joined by Steven Stills and Billy Cox at The Speakeasy.

Bob Partridge Gillian Saich Interviews Londonberry Hotel Norman Joplin

Jimi continues to give interviews with the British Press including Roy Hollingworth (Melody Maker, September 5), Mike Legerwood (Disc, September 12), and Steve Clackson (The Sunday Mirror, September 20).

British Press Interviews Mike Legerwood Roy Hollingworth Steve Clackson