External links
- "'Danny' Dominic Casey August 4th 1947 –January 20th 2018". dwaynecasey.com. 29 July 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- "Silver Apples Plucked Tonight on Echoes". Echoes . 4 February 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
Jimmy James and the Blue Flames | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | |
| Origin | New York City |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1966 |
| Past members |
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Jimmy James and the Blue Flames was a short-lived American rock group that was fronted by Jimi Hendrix, who was then going by the name "Jimmy James". The band was Hendrix's first extended foray into the 1966 Greenwich Village music scene and included future Spirit guitarist Randy California. At various New York clubs, they played a mix of rock, blues, and rhythm and blues songs as well as early versions of songs that became part of the Jimi Hendrix Experience repertoire. It was at such a performance that the Animals' bassist Chas Chandler first heard their rendition of "Hey Joe" and decided to invite Hendrix to England and become his producer.
After his discharge from the United States Army in 1962, Jimi Hendrix toured and recorded with several well-known R&B artists, including the Isley Brothers and Little Richard. By 1965, he had become more or less established in New York's Harlem neighborhood and performed with local R&B outfits Curtis Knight and the Squires and King Curtis. However, by mid-1966, Hendrix became disillusioned with the confines of the R&B scene and barely subsistence-level wages. [3] Following the advice of folk singer and guitarist Richie Havens, he began exploring New York's Greenwich Village, a bohemian-style enclave of Manhattan. [4]
At the time, the Village had a vibrant and diverse music scene and Hendrix was able to land a gig at the Cafe Wha? backed by the house band. He soon attracted other musicians and settled on the name Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, although he would later sometimes refer to the band as "the Rain Flowers", "the Blue Flames" and "the Blue Flame". [1] According to Randy California, "All I remember was that it was being called Jimmy James & the Blue Flames. Maybe it was changed for one night ... just for fun". [5] Hendrix chose "the Blue Flames" as a nod to Memphis blues singer Junior Parker's backup band (with the accomplished guitarists Pat Hare, succeeded by Wayne Bennett and Mel Brown) and because it rhymed with his stage name, Jimmy James. [6]
At first, the band was a trio with Hendrix, bassist Randy Palmer and drummer Dan Casey. [lower-alpha 1] They soon added a second guitarist, Randy Wolfe, who Hendrix met at Manny's Music. [7] With two Randys in the band, Hendrix called Wolfe "Randy California" and Palmer "Randy Texas" after their home states and, according to Roby, he became "Jimi James" [1] (California was unaware that his last name was Hendrix until radio show host Dr. Demento showed him the Are You Experienced album cover and he heard the songs). [5] Although Jeff Baxter claims that he sat in on bass when Palmer was unavailable, [8] California did not recall him. [5] Drummer Danny Taylor, who later played with Silver Apples, also claims to have sat in with the band. [9]
At the Cafe Wha?, one of the first songs performed by Jimmy James and the Blue Flames was "Wild Thing", then a Top-40 radio hit by the Troggs. [8] Another was "Hey Joe" – Hendrix preferred the slower, moodier version by folk musician Tim Rose over the fast hit rendition by the Leaves. [10] Other songs included Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone", "Hang On Sloopy" and "House of the Rising Sun". [11] Sometime Hendrix collaborator Paul Caruso recalled a performance of the Beatles' "Rain" with the bassist attempting to sing John Lennon's backwards vocal at the end of the song. [12] Randy California also remembered "High Heel Sneakers", "Jimmy Reed kind of songs", and "some standard blues things", [5] such as Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley songs, also found on John Hammond Jr.'s blues-rock album So Many Roads (1965). [13] During his time in the Village, Hendrix was distancing himself from the Harlem R&B scene, where he felt overly criticized because of his evolving guitar style and lifestyle. [14] However, he continued to play covers of R&B hits with the Blue Flames, such as "Shotgun", "In the Midnight Hour" and "Mercy, Mercy", a song he had recorded with Don Covay. [12] [lower-alpha 2]
Also performed were early versions of Hendrix compositions that the Experience later recorded. Hendrix biographer Keith Shadwick commented
He [Hendrix] continued to compose new tunes so that the Blue Flames were not just a covers band. People around him at this time remember Hendrix playing embryonic versions (or at least portions) of "Third Stone from the Sun", "The Wind Cries Mary" and "Remember" in addition to "Red House". [16]
The Blue Flames also performed "Mr. Bad Luck", [17] later recorded by the Experience, which first appeared as "Look Over Yonder" on Rainbow Bridge and later on Valleys of Neptune ; later Hendrix biographer/producer John McDermott identified "Mr. Bad Luck" as "among the few original compositions Hendrix performed in tiny Greenwich Village nightspots as a little known guitarist fronting Jimmy James & the Blue Flames in 1966". [18] According to Frank Von Elmo, an early jam partner, they also played an early "Foxy Lady" and guitarist Bob Kulick remembered "a primitive version of 'Third Stone from the Sun'". [19] When Are You Experienced was first released, early supporter Linda Keith (who brought Hendrix to the attention of Chandler) said "none of the tracks [on the album] were a complete surprise to her, because most featured riffs, patterns and ideas she'd first heard in Greenwich Village that summer [of 1966]". [16]
According to Randy California, Jimmy James and the Blue Flames often played five sets a night, sometimes six days a week for little more than tips. [20] After about a month into their three month stint at the Cafe Wha?, the group, with Hendrix as the focus, began to receive attention from the music establishment. Giorgio Gomelsky (producer for the Yardbirds), Andrew Loog Oldham (the Rolling Stones), John Hammond (Dylan/Columbia Records), and Seymour Stein (Sire Records) were among those who scouted the group's performances. [12] [21] Other musicians who caught their sets around New York included members of the Rolling Stones, the Lovin' Spoonful, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and the Animals. In an interview, Butterfield guitarist Mike Bloomfield described Hendrix's guitar work:
H-bombs were going off, guided missiles were flying –I can't tell you the sounds he was getting out of his instrument. He was getting every sound I was ever to hear him get, right there in that room with a Stratocaster, a [Fender] Twin [amplifier], a Maestro fuzz [box], and that was all –he was doing it mainly through extreme volume ... That day, Hendrix was laying things on me that were more sounds than licks, but I found, after hearing him two or three more times, that he was into pure melodic playing and lyricism as much as he was into sounds. He had melded them into a perfect blend. [22]
John Hammond Jr., who recorded several early blues-rock albums with members of the Band, Charlie Musselwhite and Bloomfield, also became involved with Jimmy James and the Blue Flames. In addition to Hendrix, Hammond had been "particularly impressed with Randy California's slide [guitar] technique". [16] After several rehearsals with the group, they backed Hammond during his two-week engagement at the Village's Cafe au Go Go during late August and September. [23] They were dubbed the "Screaming Night Hawkes[ sic ]", [23] although in a newspaper ad, they were listed as "John Hammond & the Blue Flame". [2] Hammond remembered Al Kooper and Barry Goldberg occasionally sitting in on keyboards [23] and Hendrix performing one solo number by Bo Diddley, possibly "I'm a Man". [24] Other musicians who recalled their shows include Buzzy Linhart (who later added vibraphone to Hendrix's "Drifting"), Robbie Robertson, John Sebastian and Stefan Grossman. [23] [25]
Jimmy James and the Blue Flames managed to attract a lot of attention during their short run and the Animals' Chas Chandler was the first to offer the all-important deal. Chandler had just heard Tim Rose's folk-rock arrangement of the Billy Roberts song "Hey Joe" and thought that it might be a good vehicle to launch a new artist and his career as a producer. [26] By chance, when Linda Keith brought him to hear the Blue Flames in August, the first song they played was "Hey Joe"; in the often repeated Bob Kulick quote, Chandler "became so excited he spilled his milkshake all over himself". [26] [lower-alpha 3] Upon his return to New York in September, Chas Chandler brought Michael Jeffery to hear Hendrix with Hammond at the Cafe au Go Go and the two agreed to become Hendrix's co-managers. [27]
Although it would have been fitting to continue in a blues-based vein that was then popular with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, John Hammond, and the Blues Project,
Hendrix already knew that he was looking for more than that. He was looking for an all-inclusive musical language. Chas Chandler's encouragement and advice suggested that he could encompass those ambitions. The future, it seemed, was with Chandler. [28]
Hendrix wanted to keep the group together, but bringing them to England (with California still a minor) was unworkable. He expressed his discomfort to several other Village musicians: "Jimi felt guilty, but he was going through with it", recalled Ellen McIlwaine, a folk singer whom Hendrix had accompanied at the Cafe Au Go Go. [29] Although his economic circumstances had not improved appreciably, playing with the Blue Flames enabled him to explore his own sound and material. It also allowed him to raise his expectations –after one last gig with Curtis Knight and the Squires, where he was again criticized for being too flashy and loud, he ripped out his guitar cord and announced, "That's the last time I play this shit. I'm going to England." [30]
Footnotes
Citations
References
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist, songwriter and singer. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as the greatest and one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music, and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music."
"Purple Haze" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and released as the second single by the Jimi Hendrix Experience on March 17, 1967, in the United Kingdom. The song features his inventive guitar playing, which uses the signature Hendrix chord and a mix of blues and Eastern modalities, shaped by novel sound processing techniques. Because of ambiguities in the lyrics, listeners often interpret the song as referring to a psychedelic experience, although Hendrix described it as a love song. It was included as the opening track in the North American edition of the Experience's debut album, Are You Experienced (1967).
Are You Experienced is the debut studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, released in May 1967. The album was an immediate critical and commercial success, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time. It features Jimi Hendrix's innovative approach to songwriting and electric guitar playing, which soon established a new direction in psychedelic and rock music as a whole.
Axis: Bold as Love is the second studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It was first released by Track Records in the United Kingdom on December 1, 1967, only seven months after the release of the group's highly successful debut album, Are You Experienced. In the United States, Reprise Records delayed the release until the following month. The album reached the top ten in the album charts in both countries.
"Little Wing" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and recorded by the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1967. It is a slower tempo, rhythm and blues-inspired ballad featuring Hendrix's vocal and guitar with recording studio effects accompanied by bass, drums, and glockenspiel. Lyrically, it is one of several of his songs that reference an idealized feminine or guardian angel-like figure. At about two and a half minutes in length, it is one of his most concise and melodically focused pieces.
Band of Gypsys is a live album by Jimi Hendrix and the first without his original group, the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It was recorded on January 1, 1970, at the Fillmore East in New York City with Billy Cox on bass and Buddy Miles on drums, frequently referred to as the Band of Gypsys. The album mixes funk and rhythm and blues elements with hard rock and jamming, an approach which later became the basis of funk rock. It contains previously unreleased songs and was the last full-length Hendrix album released before his death six months later.
"Red House" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and one of the first songs recorded in 1966 by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It has the musical form of a conventional twelve-bar blues and features Hendrix's guitar playing. He developed the song prior to forming the Experience and was inspired by earlier blues songs.
"Voodoo Chile" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and recorded in 1968 for the third Jimi Hendrix Experience album Electric Ladyland. It is based on the Muddy Waters blues song "Rollin' Stone", but with original lyrics and music. At 15 minutes, it is Hendrix's longest studio recording and features additional musicians in what has been described as a studio jam.
Rainbow Bridge is a 1971 film directed by Chuck Wein centering on the late 1960s counterculture on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Filmed in summer 1970 with non-professional actors and without a script, it features largely improvised scenes with a variety of characters. To bolster the film, executive producer Michael Jeffery brought in his client Jimi Hendrix to film an outdoor concert. Hendrix's heavily edited performance appears near the end of the film.
William "Billy" Cox is an American bassist, best known for performing with Jimi Hendrix. Cox is the only surviving musician to have regularly played with Hendrix: first with the experimental group that backed Hendrix at Woodstock, followed by the trio with drummer Buddy Miles that recorded the live Band of Gypsys album, and, lastly, The Cry of Love Tour trio with Mitch Mitchell back on drums. Cox continues to perform dates with the Band of Gypsys Experience and the Experience Hendrix Tour.
Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) was an American guitarist whose career spanned from 1962 to 1970. His discography includes the recordings released during his lifetime. Prior to his rise to fame, he recorded 24 singles as a backing guitarist with American R&B artists, such as the Isley Brothers and Little Richard. Beginning in late 1966, he recorded three best-selling studio albums and 13 singles with the Jimi Hendrix Experience. An Experience compilation album and half of a live album recorded at the Monterey Pop Festival were also issued prior to his death. After the breakup of the Experience in mid-1969, songs from his live performances were included on the Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More and Band of Gypsys albums. A studio single with the Band of Gypsys was also released.
"Stone Free" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and the second song recorded by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It has been described as a "counterculture anthem, with its lyrics praising the footloose and fancy-free life", which reflected Hendrix's restless lifestyle. Instrumentally, the song has a strong rhythmic drive provided by drummer Mitch Mitchell with harmonic support by bassist Noel Redding. "Stone Free" was issued on December 16, 1966, as the B-side of the Experience's first UK single "Hey Joe" and later included on the Smash Hits compilation album.
"Third Stone from the Sun" is a mostly instrumental composition by American musician Jimi Hendrix. It incorporates several musical approaches, including jazz and psychedelic rock, with brief spoken passages. The title reflects Hendrix's interest in science fiction and is a reference to Earth in its position as the third planet away from the sun in the solar system.
"Mercy, Mercy" is a soul song first recorded by American singer/songwriter Don Covay in 1964. It established Covay's recording career and influenced later vocal and guitar styles. The songwriting is usually credited to Covay and Ron Alonzo Miller, although other co-writers' names have also appeared on various releases.
Bleeding Heart is one of several names given to albums of a 1968 jam session with Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and others. The albums were fashioned from an informal two-track tape recording made by Hendrix which was subsequently stolen from his apartment. The jam took place at the Scene, a nightclub in New York City, and various dates and participants have been suggested. Although it presents a unique setting, critics and biographers have generally found fault with the sound quality and Morrison's performance.
"May This Be Love" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix for the Jimi Hendrix Experience debut album Are You Experienced (1967). It is a soft ballad that demonstrates Hendrix's ability to write thoughtful lyrics and subtle melodies.
The Cry of Love Tour was a 1970 concert tour by American rock guitarist and singer Jimi Hendrix. It began on April 25, 1970, at the Forum in Inglewood, California, and ended on September 6, 1970, at the Love & Peace Festival in Fehmarn, West Germany. The majority of the 37 shows were in the United States, with two each in Sweden, Denmark, and West Germany, and one in England, where Hendrix was the final act at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970.
"Hear My Train A Comin'" is a blues-based song written by Jimi Hendrix. Lyrically, it was inspired by earlier American spirituals and blues songs which use a train metaphor to represent salvation. Hendrix recorded the song in live, studio, and impromptu settings several times between 1967 and 1970, but never completed it to his satisfaction.
Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter whose career spanned from 1962 to 1970. He appeared in several commercially released films of concerts and documentaries about his career, including two popular 1960s music festival films – Monterey Pop (1968) and Woodstock (1970). A short documentary, Experience (1968), also known as See My Music Talking, was also screened.
"Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" or simply "Hey Baby" is a song written and recorded by American musician Jimi Hendrix, from his second posthumous album Rainbow Bridge (1971). The song is a slower and more melodic piece, which features the prominent use of chorus- and tremolo-effects on guitar. Hendrix uses an idealized feminine figure that recurs in several of his lyrics. Commentators have seen the song as representative of his post-Band of Gypsys musical direction.
