DISCOSCENE (21 February ) ‘A Jimi Hendrix Experience’ :
“We literally fought our way through the milling crowd which had queued up in front of the place hours before. Gaining entrance, we kneed and elbowed a path to what passed for a dressing room. We knocked and entered. It was the wrong dressing room. We pardoned-me through the crowd a third time. On entering the right dressing room, we were again greeted by the sight of Noel Redding passionately consuming what was left of his fingernails and scratching indiscriminately and furiously. Mitch Mitchell was in a yoga position at the rear of the room. Jimi, attired in brilliant, skin-tight green trousers, a purple shirt slashed to the navel, beads, chains and a black Navajo Indian hat adorned with a Moby Grape button and sundry other items, was perched on a table. He was tuning a funky red guitar with a screwdriver and acknowledged our presence by twanging one string. After a desultory remark or two from us and a mumble or two from Jimi, we cranked over the old portable recorder. Music from the house loudspeakers drifted through along with several hangers-on. We experienced Jimi Hendrix:
Us: “How are you enjoying your stay here? What about the crowd?”
Jimi: “They’re all right.”
Us: You’re drawing a much larger and older crowd than usual.
Jimi: That’s nice.
Music: (Chain, Chain, Chain, Chain of Fools.)
Us: “You’re a left handed guitarist aren’t you?”
Jimi: “Yes”
Us: “Do you mean what you say in your lyrics?”
Jimi: “Yes”
Us: “In ‘Up From The Skies’ on the Axis album you say, ‘Please let me talk to you…I would just like to have a ringside seat…I want to see and hear everything.’ Etc. Does this express the feelings you have toward people?”
Jimi: “That’s how I felt at the time I wrote the song. It depends on how I feel at a particular time.”
Us: What do you think has created the great popularity you and your group have?
Jimi: Well, I don’t know. I haven’t had a chance to look at it.
Us: Did you know you had three albums on the charts right now?
Jimi: I only know about two.
Us: Now you [know there] are three.
Jimi: One of them [Get That Feeling] is a whole lot of hogwash somebody tried to pull on us. It’s a very bad scene. Somebody trying to capitalize on somebody’s name. All they do is pick bits of tapes. They picked up some jam sessions, and then they put words and all that on it. We’re only on about two tracks.”
US: Would you call your music “electronic blues”?
Jimi: I don’t know. We haven’t had a chance to call it anything yet.
Us: How are you feeling tonight? You weren’t feeling well today.
Jimi: I’m feeling very tired.
Us: “Why are you wearing a Moby Grape button on your hat?”
Jimi: “Somebody put it on, and I never took it off. Besides it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Us: “Your lyrics vaguely remind us of Childe ballads, and other folk songs, like Silver Dagger or Barb’r Allen.”
Jimi: “Yes. I like that. In our next album we’re going to have songs written by all of us in the group. Maybe some different people, too.”
Us: “Have you found this city more receptive, or as receptive as other cities?”
Jimi: “Yeh. It’s receptive as other places. The people are very eager to listen.”
Us: “Do you think people are listening to what you do musically?”
Jimi: “I don’t know, you know. I don’t know if they’re listenin’, but they seem interested.”
Us:”Has your equipment arrived yet from Oregon?”
Jimi “Nah.”
Us: “Jimi, how did you originate your style?”
Jimi: “Well, I have an idea of the songs I want to hear and I try to get them down.”
Us: “What you’re playing is a lot different from the other groups.”
Jimi: “Quite naturally I want it to sound different, sound different and good.”
Us: “Many groups say their whole life is music, Is it the same with you?”
Jimi: “Yeh, that’s nice, too. But it’s also nice bein’ around with people.”
Us: “Is there any philosophy that you abide by?”
Jimi: “Not unless something comes up. I can’t give you a good answer.”
Us: “What inspired you to go into music?”
Jimi: “Well, everybody and everything is music. You can he inspired by a lot of things.”
Us: “When did you start playing?”
Jimi: “Oh, I can’t quite remember. About 7 or 8 years ago.”
Us: “Was that in a folk vein?”
Jimi: “No, no. I was trying to learn to play like Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters. Trying to learn everything and anything.”
The reasons for Hendrix’ popularity are many. Mainly, though, it’s probably because he gives off an aura of total excitement during his performances. He is hell in motion and does all kinds of weird things...”
Sujet: Philadelphie (Electric Factory) : 21 et 22 février 1968 
Mar 13 Juil 2010 - 22:00
