This Week in History - Mar. 23 to Mar. 29
By: David Ball
Band of Gypsys, a power-trio conceived by Jimi Hendrix, released their only album on March 25, 1970. Their self-titled LP remains one of rock’s greatest live testaments. Hendrix assembled this project after disbanding The Experience in mid-1969. Joining Hendrix was his old army buddy Billy Cox on bass and ex-Electric Flag drummer Buddy Miles. Unlike The Experience’s psychedelic excursions, Band of Gypsys experimented with hard-driving funk and R&B rhythms. From December 31, 1969 to January 1, 1970, the band recorded four gigs at New York’s famed Fillmore East and while the original album featured only six songs taken from the final two January 1st gigs, all are fantastic, featuring some of the finest guitar playing of Hendrix’s illustrious career. Two tracks were written and co-sung by Buddy Miles, “Changes” and the spiritually-themed “We Got to Live Together”. Four were by Hendrix, including his anti-war epic, “Machine Gun”. About “Machine Gun”: In just over 12 minutes – particularly 4:19 into the song and onwards – Hendrix’s lays down his greatest guitar performance, which of course means GREATEST GUITAR PERFORMANCE IN ROCK 'N' ROLL HISTORY. Hendrix expresses the horrors of the Vietnam War, his Stratocaster sounding like a machine gun assault and dive-bombing napalm attack. Here’s a relatively unknown fact: Led Zeppelin “borrowed” a repetitive groove in the bridge to create “No Quarter”. I just checked my copy of Houses Of The Holy; yep, no Hendrix songwriting credit. Shame on you Jimmy Page!
This story still hurts . . .
Paul Hester, drummer for Australian bands Split Enz and Crowded House hanged himself on March 26, 2005. He was 45. Hester quietly battled depression for most of his adult life, which was a big reason why he quit Crowded House for good in 1994. Still, Hester’s suicide is pretty shocking because he always seemed so full life. His mischievous smile and joking manner made every Crowded House interview hilarious. I’m ashamed to admit I was never a huge Crowded House fan in their late ‘80s and early ‘90s heyday, but I really like them now. The band had an innate ability in creating straightforward but endearing pop in an era dominated by shitty metal and overexposed grunge rock.
“Rapture”, Blondie’s rap-influenced second single from their fifth album, Autoamerica, reached the top of the US charts on March 28, 1981. The single is the first-ever rap-themed song to go to #1. I’d love to be a fly on the wall at Kurtis Blow’s crib when he learned of this. The rap pioneer must have felt like he was kicked in the gonads by one of Debbie Harry’s stiletto heals. It’s surprising “Rapture” made it to #1. Somehow, Harry’s infantile rhyming and Chris Stein’s worst-ever guitar solo created a million-selling single.
Ending out the week:
On March 29, 1973, Dr. Hook finally got their wish and made it to the cover of Rolling Stone magazine thanks to the success of their Top 10 novelty hit, “On the Cover of The Rolling Stone”. It’s a pretty funny tune, containing lyrics such as “I’m going to get my picture on the cover / I’m going to buy five copies for my mother.” But I bet the family of the woman forever immortalized in the song as a drug whore is forever scarred thanks to the line: “I got a freaky ole lady named Cocaine Katy . . . ”
Next week: Marvin Gaye and Buddy Rich.
Video: "Machine Gun" performed by Jimi Hendrix
