Jimi Hendrix will always be remembered as one of the most unique, and deeply original musicians of all time. Establishing his easily identifiable playing style through a combination of childhood economic surroundings, practical nous and the early influence of acts he played with such as The Isley Brothers, Little Richard, and Curtis Knight and The Squires, in such a short space of time, he changed the face of rock, and how we viewed the guitar. He pushed the instrument to its limits, and opened up a whole new palette for players to impress themselves upon.
Moreover, his playing, which ranged from tender blues to hard rock bombast, fused both technical virtuosity and rhythmic flare, establishing him as the progenitor in a long line of celebrated six-string pathfinders, which would later come to include the likes of David Gilmour, Sonic Youth and of course, Radiohead. While all have different styles, their proclivity for pushing the six-string to its absolute physical capacity can all be traced back to the bold early steps of the late Seattlean.
Given that Hendrix was such an effervescent person and creative, he was naturally attracted to musicians of the same calibre, with his record collection boasting cuts by fellow innovators such as The Beatles and Miles Davis. On the other hand, he also detested groups he deemed cheap imitators of these original artists, of which there were many at the time, which record labels created as a means of cashing in on the musical and cultural boom of the 1960s.
There were several acts the ‘Purple Haze’ star was on record as detesting, but there were none he detested more than The Monkees, the hit American riposte to The Beatles. However, unlike the Fab Four, almost everything the ‘Daydream Believer’ outfit did was dictated by the whims of big business, whereas the British group were a largely original outfit, who took the inspiration of their heroes and did something truly spectacular.
Ironically, given his disdain for their music and what they represented, Hendrix actually embarked on an ill-fated tour with The Monkees in 1967, but it wouldn’t last long. He quit the run early as fans of the teen group hated him, and he felt exactly the same way about them.
Later that year, when speaking to Steve Baker, Hendrix explained his thoughts about The Monkees, and used The Beatles as the metric. As an American – who it must be said found a spiritual home in the United Kingdom, which fostered his creativity – he said he was “embarrassed” by The Monkees.
Despite being friends with the members of The Monkees, the rock icon said cuttingly: “Oh, yes, I think it’s good. They’re one group that you can’t really put down because they’re just too much, and it’s so embarrassing, man, when America is sending over the Monkees – oh, God, that kills me!”
He continued: “I’m so embarrassed that America could be so stupid as to make somebody like that. They could have at least done it with a group that has something to offer. They got groups in the States starving to death trying to get breaks, and then these fairies come up.”
Spoken like a true Brit.
