Jimi75
October 24th, 2007, 05:10 AM
Some of you are going to kill me for that. It's fiction and I hope you read this with a laughing eye and enjoy it.
My phone rings, it’s September 17, 1970, early morning. It’s Jimi Hendrix the guy I met when he first came to England and he asks if I had time to meet him today in a café a little outside of London.
Jimi arrives punctual with a taxi, every time we met he wasn’t one minute late. The guy that enters the door wears average clothes and a kind of woolen hat, it’s a damn cold day for September, but the sun is shining, which we both enjoy. Nobody recognizes him as he embraces me like a brother. It’s our first meeting in a couple month an many things have changed. Jimi looks weak, it’s brother burn out knocking at his door and then there is his girlfriend Monica, a little blond control freak that doesn’t really seem to be perfect choice for my friend.
Jimi: “Man, it’s good to see you again. What a trip. NY, UK, NY, UK, I’ve lost all imagination for time and then that horrible concert at Fehmann. I still do not know why people were so aggressive.”
Me:” Yeah Jimi I understand. I have heard that it was pretty damn bad and the gig wasn’t that good. How about Billy, how does he like the musician’s life?”
Jimi:” Billy is cool with that, as long as we are not too long on the road. He speaks about founding a family pretty often – me too, by the way. I hate being a rock star and I hate fulfilling all these clichés. Do you remember these two weeks we went camping with friends when I came to London? That was so great. It reminded me of my time in Seattle. Back there with my friends. I just want to be left alone for some couple months! I need a break. Bad man!”
Me:” Sure Jimi. I do not know how your financial situation is, but I could imagine that you teach some rich folks in guitar playing, quit touring for a while and finish your new album.”
Jimi:” Oh, I should keep that in mind!”
Me:” What’s all that psychedelic crap and that role that you have to play?” Man you are no actor. You have given them burning guitars, crying solos, drug stories, a day in Swedish prison and so on, now it’s time for you to get a life, he?”
Jimi:” That’s exactly what I feel man. Hendrix Minus Hendrix! You know, deduct all that crap and you will get James Marshall Hendrix. I wanna be myself again!”
We talked for an hour approx. and then we drove to my apartment downtown. I convinced Jimi to stay with me until the next day. We stopped at a phone booth so Jimi could inform some people that he won’t be coming to that party tonight. Next he called Monica and told her that he will fly to NY on his own and that he needs some time to reflect. After we have arrived at my apartment, I put on some hot water for a nice cup of tea and we went on talking.
Jimi:” We have to set a milestone. I want you to cut my hair. Get me rid of that afro. I want to erase all that what people connect with the Jimi Hendrix Black Elvis Wild Man thing.
Me:” Are you sure? I mean if you want me to do so, I will.”
I took the electrical shaver that I used for my hair all the time. Jimi sat on a chair and I gave him my acoustic guitar. Told him to play something, because I haven’t heard him playing like he wants to in a long while and started cutting his hair.
Then he started playing and singing “A Merman I Should Turn To Be”. That was so beautiful. James Marshall Hendrix with a new look, confident and satisfied, playing his most impressive composition, touching the spheres of such greats as Mozart and Beethoven, there could have been nothing better on earth happening in that moment and how poor where those that limited Jimi Hendrix to his looks and acting.
Jimi:” Tomorrow I will book the next possible flight to NY. Have to finish my work on the new album. It will be completely different you know. Dolly Dagger style. Maybe it is a bridge or a step I have to take. I do not care if it will be a hit or not. After finishing it, I will move back to my father’s house. He needs some help with Leon and my little step sister. Don’t want her to become to egoistic as long as I am away from home!”
Me:” Good idea Jimi. Good idea. You always told me about Flamenco and Jazz and all these projects you had in mind. It’s time to do something.”
September 18, 1970, a sleeping Jimi Hendrix on my couch. Wow man, the new look is great that is my first thought! I wake Jimi up and we drink a coffee. After that he packs his clothes over at Monica’s loft and drives to Heathrow Airport. We meet there again and I wave him good bye as he enters British Airways Flight no. 1942/1970.
One remarkable thing happened before he entered the plain. He said:
“I was contacted by a young Japanese guitar builder. He told me something about the company he wants to build up. Something called IBANEZ. His ideas sounded great and he asked if I would like to check the first samples he will build in a year or so. Could you contact them. Here’s their card. Let them know I love what they told me and I am with them! Would be great if you managed me in the future...”
From that point on Jimi had the carrier he always dreamed of.
My phone rings, it’s September 17, 1970, early morning. It’s Jimi Hendrix the guy I met when he first came to England and he asks if I had time to meet him today in a café a little outside of London.
Jimi arrives punctual with a taxi, every time we met he wasn’t one minute late. The guy that enters the door wears average clothes and a kind of woolen hat, it’s a damn cold day for September, but the sun is shining, which we both enjoy. Nobody recognizes him as he embraces me like a brother. It’s our first meeting in a couple month an many things have changed. Jimi looks weak, it’s brother burn out knocking at his door and then there is his girlfriend Monica, a little blond control freak that doesn’t really seem to be perfect choice for my friend.
Jimi: “Man, it’s good to see you again. What a trip. NY, UK, NY, UK, I’ve lost all imagination for time and then that horrible concert at Fehmann. I still do not know why people were so aggressive.”
Me:” Yeah Jimi I understand. I have heard that it was pretty damn bad and the gig wasn’t that good. How about Billy, how does he like the musician’s life?”
Jimi:” Billy is cool with that, as long as we are not too long on the road. He speaks about founding a family pretty often – me too, by the way. I hate being a rock star and I hate fulfilling all these clichés. Do you remember these two weeks we went camping with friends when I came to London? That was so great. It reminded me of my time in Seattle. Back there with my friends. I just want to be left alone for some couple months! I need a break. Bad man!”
Me:” Sure Jimi. I do not know how your financial situation is, but I could imagine that you teach some rich folks in guitar playing, quit touring for a while and finish your new album.”
Jimi:” Oh, I should keep that in mind!”
Me:” What’s all that psychedelic crap and that role that you have to play?” Man you are no actor. You have given them burning guitars, crying solos, drug stories, a day in Swedish prison and so on, now it’s time for you to get a life, he?”
Jimi:” That’s exactly what I feel man. Hendrix Minus Hendrix! You know, deduct all that crap and you will get James Marshall Hendrix. I wanna be myself again!”
We talked for an hour approx. and then we drove to my apartment downtown. I convinced Jimi to stay with me until the next day. We stopped at a phone booth so Jimi could inform some people that he won’t be coming to that party tonight. Next he called Monica and told her that he will fly to NY on his own and that he needs some time to reflect. After we have arrived at my apartment, I put on some hot water for a nice cup of tea and we went on talking.
Jimi:” We have to set a milestone. I want you to cut my hair. Get me rid of that afro. I want to erase all that what people connect with the Jimi Hendrix Black Elvis Wild Man thing.
Me:” Are you sure? I mean if you want me to do so, I will.”
I took the electrical shaver that I used for my hair all the time. Jimi sat on a chair and I gave him my acoustic guitar. Told him to play something, because I haven’t heard him playing like he wants to in a long while and started cutting his hair.
Then he started playing and singing “A Merman I Should Turn To Be”. That was so beautiful. James Marshall Hendrix with a new look, confident and satisfied, playing his most impressive composition, touching the spheres of such greats as Mozart and Beethoven, there could have been nothing better on earth happening in that moment and how poor where those that limited Jimi Hendrix to his looks and acting.
Jimi:” Tomorrow I will book the next possible flight to NY. Have to finish my work on the new album. It will be completely different you know. Dolly Dagger style. Maybe it is a bridge or a step I have to take. I do not care if it will be a hit or not. After finishing it, I will move back to my father’s house. He needs some help with Leon and my little step sister. Don’t want her to become to egoistic as long as I am away from home!”
Me:” Good idea Jimi. Good idea. You always told me about Flamenco and Jazz and all these projects you had in mind. It’s time to do something.”
September 18, 1970, a sleeping Jimi Hendrix on my couch. Wow man, the new look is great that is my first thought! I wake Jimi up and we drink a coffee. After that he packs his clothes over at Monica’s loft and drives to Heathrow Airport. We meet there again and I wave him good bye as he enters British Airways Flight no. 1942/1970.
One remarkable thing happened before he entered the plain. He said:
“I was contacted by a young Japanese guitar builder. He told me something about the company he wants to build up. Something called IBANEZ. His ideas sounded great and he asked if I would like to check the first samples he will build in a year or so. Could you contact them. Here’s their card. Let them know I love what they told me and I am with them! Would be great if you managed me in the future...”
From that point on Jimi had the carrier he always dreamed of.