Since discovering Django in 1975, I’d often wondered if Hendrix had ever heard any of Django’s recordings. What makes me curious is the mere fact that he hung out with a number of guitarists in the UK who I know were exposed to Django’s music; Clapton, Beck, Towndsend, and McLaughlin, to name a few. This speculation was stirred even more when I listened to “Gypsy Eyes” from Electric Ladyland. Hmmm? What makes this idea all the more interesting is that Jimi was pretty much a Gypsy himself at the time.
I’m not trying to imply that Jimi was influenced by Django, but given his love of various forms of music I’d bet money if he did hear the great man he would have loved him.
Any thoughts?
"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled." - Plutarch
Comments
SOURCE, PLEASE?
I've read many biographies on Hendrix, and I am holding Jimi Hendrix Electric Gypsy in my hands right now which is by far the definitive biography and there is no mention whatsoever of Django Reinhardt in that or any other for that matter. There is no connection.
If Jimi named his band 'Band of Gypsies' because he heard Django he must have heard a Wild Blue Angel also as he named his last project/concert (perhaps a greater possibility!). BTW, Jim Morrison had no fixed address either, and at least he wrote 'Spanish Caravan' so perhaps a better case can be made for him over Hendrix if you wanted to get silly.
I would be delighted to be proven incorrect.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Django_Reinhardt
although i think i originally read it elsewhere, can't remember exactly where so i googled it and found it on the wikipedia page
me too, i read the one by mitch mitchell recently. interesting take on it.
im afraid i can't prove it myself Elliot, as the source does not appear to be cited in the wiki article. That's why i did say "apparently" in my original post.
if you are really interested you could try raising the question under the discussion tab in the wikipedia article. you might get your answer from whomever wrote the article.
cheers, ste
http://papabecker.com/gypsy.htm
but again there is no references, so no hard evidence to back it up. which could suggest that it may be nothing more than a rumor.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7268440.stm
LOL: back in the Pre-BIC days!
I remember reading an interview in some magazine with Hendrix after he died where they asked him if he ever listened to Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys... his reply (if we are to believe any postmortem interview) was typical Jimi, "Yeah, man, those cats were out of sight!"
Which, of course, they were but I just can't picture Hendrix glued to a stereo, listening to Eldon Shamblin's break on 'That's What I Like 'Bout the South'!
Norman CT/USA