Why Jimi Hendrix Was A Star

Music Talk Radio

Jimi Hendrix wasn't just a star because of his technical ability. There were other contributing factors.

1. He took rock 'n' roll guitar to the next level in its evolution by incorporating rock with electric blues, following but expounding on pioneers like Chuck Berry and legions of great black American blues players before him.

2. After Elvis and many white musicians, promoters, producers, and record execs stole the rock 'n' roll movement's commercial potential from pioneering black musicians in the 50s by financing and marketing "acceptable" white musicians for capital gain, Hendrix found a way to reclaim the title from white musicians in the 60s. A  black musician's contribution to civil rights was made peacefully.

3. He was an outrageous, flashy performer. There was more going on than the Chuck Berry duck walk. Pete Townshend smashed his guitar onstage in 1965 because he hit the guitar neck on the venue's ceiling. In frustration, Townshend smashed his guitar. Hendrix purposefully lit his guitar on fire, smashing it and his amp, and playing guitar with his teeth and behind his back. He made everyone look like an amateur in comparison.

4. He was left-handed, wielded a right-handed guitar, and played upside down, which made him stand out onstage.

5. He "played" his amplifier. Hendrix invoked feedback (speakers so close to a guitar's pickups produce ringing, pitched, sustaining tones), and he knew how to control it, or not. This just was not done at the time. Large speaker cabinets weren't on the market that long. He experimented with the interaction between the guitar and speakers. Sure, the Beatles (accidentally) produced feedback in the studio when recording "I Feel Fine," but Hendrix's use was purposeful, and he embraced it.

6. Oh, yeah, then there is the fact that he blended the blues and rock so proficiently while being an incredible performer. It didn't hurt that he shot another masterpiece our way with his live rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner." He showed he was a Patriot as a musician, not just as a former soldier. He even experimented with that, too. Pretty bold.

Popular posts from this blog

The Rolling Stones Mick Taylor

Music Talk Radio
Image
     Mick Taylor was a great replacement guitarist for Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. His keen sense of melody and ability to jam were fresh for the Stones. Think of the end of "Sway." Taylor joined the Stones in 1969.       Taylor played on the following albums from the Stones: Let It Bleed (1969), Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out (1970), The Rolling Stones in Concert (1970), Sticky Fingers (1971), Exile on Main Street  (1972), Goats Head Soup (1973) and It's Only Rock 'n Roll (1974).       When Taylor was in the Stones, he fostered the best and most creative writing and guitar playing. Mick Taylor challenged Keith. They worked well together.       Keith is one of my favorite songwriters, and he upped his game, as did Mick Jagger when Mick Taylor was in the band. Taylor challenged them and intimidated them a bit. They got bluesy, too. Mick Taylor was a great slide player. If you haven't considered him a Rollin...
Read More - Your Two Cents!

Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath

Music Talk Radio
Image
    Did you know that Tony Iommi, guitarist of Black Sabbath fame, lost a couple of his fingertips on his right hand? His index and middle fingers, to be exact. Being left-handed, this would have been his fretboard hand. He worked in a sheet metal factory and accidentally cut them off. Ouch! It almost stopped Iommi from playing guitar, but a friend, seeing Iommi's depression from not playing, played Iommi a record of Django Reinhardt.  A guitarist of Jazz fame. Iommi didn't know until after hearing Reinhardt that Reinhardt had severely burned his ring and index finger on his left hand but kept playing. Iommi was impressed by the jazz great. His friend then revealed that Reinhardt could only use two fingers on his fretboard hand.       This got Iommi inspired and back on the saddle again. Tony used light guitar strings and even banjo strings , dropping the string tension to make them looser.  He dropped his tuning to C# Standard and D# Standard...
Read More - Your Two Cents!

Peter Cetera, "25 or 6 to 4" Did You Know?

Music Talk Radio
      According to Far Out Magazine's Poppy Burton,  Peter Cetera, the lead singer on "25 or 6 to 4" from Chicago II , was at an L.A. Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs game back in 1969 when he was attacked by four marines . The Dodgers lost to the Chicago Cubs. Cetera was celebrating the win, clearly as a Chicago Cubs fan. The celebration, coupled with his long "hippie" hair, didn't sit well with the uptight Marines. He sustained a trip down some stairs, and he was punched in the face. Cetera ended up with a broken jaw (in 3 places) and a stay in ICU. That didn't stop Cetera from recording, though. He recorded 25 or 6 to 4 with his jaw wired shut. Next time you hear the song, listen to it. I personally can't tell that his jaw is wired shut at all. It's a fantastic recording. As a result of the injury, Cetera developed his singing style with clenched teeth. Check out the tune on Spotify and see if you can tell that his jaw is wired shut:  25 or 6 to 4
Read More - Your Two Cents!