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Amazing telegram from Jimi Hendrix to Paul McCartney !


Yazid Manou

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I mean that Jimi respected and admired Miles enough that If Miles proposed any bass player, Jimi would have said "Cool!"

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

 

 

 

 

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I have to say, the more I read about this telegram, the less amazing I find this story. Hendrix sent a telegram to McCartney about recording together. So what? According to interviews I've read with Greg Lake, Hendrix also talked to him a Keith Emerson about recording together (ELH?). Hendrix would play with and for anyone--I don't mean this as a criticism, I just mean that was the attitude of the times in general and Hendrix in particular. IMO, this telegram is an interesting footnote in rock n roll history. I'm just not sure I understand all the hyperventilating about it.
"Everyone wants to change the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves." Leo Tolstoy
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McCartney really loved Hendrix, and so probably knew a few of his tunes.

 

Macca and Hendrix would be have been fine; Macca and Miles? Well, it would have been an interesting experiment, anyway, and MIGHT have worked well. Macca is a very fine, melodic bass player with a great ear.

 

I doubt they'd have done any standards; but the Beatles did a fine job with "Till There Was You", and it has your standard jazz chords.

 

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AT LAST I received a reaction from Paul McCartney to the telegram :D:D:D

 

Thanks to french music journalist, Paola Génone (l'Express, weekly magazine) who met Paul last October 1st regarding his coming record :

 

http://www.lexpress.fr/culture/musique/videos-mccartney-hendrix-le-rendez-vous-manque_1289494.html

 

Here is the translation :

 

On the 21st of October 1969, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis and the drummer Tony Williams sent a telegram to Paul McCartney (who was a big fan of Jimi).

"We are recording and LP together this weekend in New York - STOP - How about coming in to play bass - STOP - Peace - Jimi Hendrix Miles Davies (sic) Tony Williams."

 

On October 22, Peter Brown, who worked for the Beatles' record label, replied on behalf of Paul: "Ref. cable received from Hendrix, Davies and Williams. Paul McCartney away from London on holiday, not expected to return for two weeks."

 

When the ex-Beatle was later shown the telegram, he was stunned "Am I dreaming? Is it a joke? Where did you find that?" The documents come from Yazid Manou, the French Hendrix specialist, who discovered them while researching on the web-sites of The Hard Rock Café. One document is at Key West (Florida 2005) and the other in Prague (Czech Republic 2012).

 

"How is this possible? Jimi! Jimi wanted to play with me and I find out now? Why?"

 

McCartney suddenly realized that October 21, 1969 had been a special day: "An american radio had just announced that I was dead and it had spread worldwide. The Beatles were in a difficult period. I went to my house in Scotland and I didn't want to be joined... so, I never got this telegram. I was dreaming to play with Jimi. We knew each other. I remember having seen him playing at The Speakeasy Club, in London, in 1966 : Jimi was astonishing, breathless, impossible to categorise. I remember that he had played his famous version of "Hey Joe" and a song of Howlin' Wolf. I have never played with him; I thought that we would have all the time in the world. And he died one year after; he was 27. When, in 1967, I was one of the art directors of the Monterey Festival, I got him invited."

 

Unknown in the USA, Hendrix exploded onto the scene, thanks to that concert. "What could Jimi, Miles, Tony and I have done in a studio ? I know I would have rather played guitar than bass... or both. Jimi had no limits. He brought together psychedelic rock, electric blues, gospel... and his technique remains matchless. For 40 years, I recalled his genius in pretty all of my concerts."

 

Evidently moved, McCartney adds "It is at the same time my biggest missed opportunity and also a great news... an inspiration to write new songs."

 

YM

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