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OT The supergroup that never was
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Matthew Kruk
May 13, 2013, 5:07:56 PM5/13/13
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http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/music/Jimi+Hendrix+Miles+Davis+telegram+Paul+come+play/8366144/story.html
The supergroup that never was
By Gregory Katz,
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
May 10, 2013
LONDON - Miles and Jimi. Jimi and Miles. Fans of the late trumpet and guitar
masters have long known that Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix had been making plans
to record together in the year before Hendrix's sudden death in 1970.
But less attention has been paid to the bass player they were trying to recruit:
Paul McCartney, who was busy with another band at the time.
This tantalizing detail about the super group that never was - jazz standout
Tony Williams would have been on drums - is contained in an oft-overlooked
telegram that Hendrix sent to McCartney at The Beatles' Apple Records in London
on Oct. 21, 1969.
"We are recording and LP together this weekend," it says, complete with a
typographical error. "How about coming in to play bass stop call Alan Douglas
212-5812212. Peace Jimi Hendrix Miles Davis Tony Williams."
The telegram, advising McCartney to contact producer Douglas if he could make
the session, has been part of the Hard Rock Cafe memorabilia collection since it
was purchased at auction in 1995. Still it has only generated attention in
recent months with the successful release of "People, Hell & Angels," expected
to be the last CD of Hendrix's studio recordings.
"It's not something you hear about a lot," Hard Rock historian Jeff Nolan said
of the telegram, now displayed at the restaurant in Prague. "Major Hendrix
connoisseurs are aware of it. It would have been one of the most insane
supergroups. These four cats certainly reinvented their instruments and the way
they're perceived."
French promoter and Hendrix fanatic Yazid Manou, who has researched the
telegram, says it offers a glimpse of what might have been.
"It's amazing because of the names of the people," he said. "Of course that didn't
happen, but the telegram brings us something to dream about. This is a document,
proof that they had an idea to do an album."
The telegram raises more questions than it answers. It's not clear if McCartney
was even aware of the unusual, apparently impromptu invitation to rush from his
London base to New York for the planned session.
Beatle aide Peter Brown replied on McCartney's behalf, telling Hendrix the
following day that McCartney was on vacation and not expected back for another
two weeks.
The invitation came at an extremely awkward moment for the Beatles' bassist. It
was sent the same day a prominent New York City radio station gave wide exposure
to a rumour that McCartney had died in a car crash and been replaced by a
lookalike. The bizarre story, supposedly supported by hints on Beatles records
and album covers, briefly gained worldwide credibility. Its dark nature
apparently prompted the exasperated McCartney to retreat with his family to
their farm in Scotland.
It also came at a time when the Beatles were falling apart due to business and
artistic conflicts that likely would have been exacerbated by McCartney
appearing on a record with Hendrix and Davis. McCartney was also still bound by
a songwriting partnership with John Lennon that might have further complicated
the release of any McCartney-Hendrix-Davis compositions.
And then there is the question of what the proposed group would have sounded
like. Davis was moving away from his jazz roots toward a fusion-based sound. He
said in his autobiography that by 1968 he was listening primarily to James
Brown, Sly and the Family Stone and, particularly, Hendrix - musicians joined by
a love of syncopated funk not found on Beatles' tracks.
It is not clear either how McCartney's melodic, subtle bass playing would have
made its presence felt in a band that included Hendrix' guitar and Davis'
trumpet.
"At first, though, it sounds really weird and off the wall. But on second
thought it makes perfect, Hendrix-type sense to chuck in someone who's a great
musician but comes from a different tradition," said Hendrix biographer Charles
Shaar Murray. "I regret this never actually took place. ... it would have been
magnificent."
McCartney is the only one of the four musicians who is still alive. His
spokesman, Stuart Bell, said the former Beatle is too busy on his world tour to
comb his memory for his thoughts about a telegram sent more than four decades
ago.
In his autobiography, Davis said he and Hendrix occasionally jammed together at
his apartment in New York City and tried to get into the studio to record but
were hampered by financial matters and by their busy schedules. Murray and
others maintain that Davis wanted $50,000 up front to attend the session.
The Juilliard-trained trumpeter Davis described Hendrix, who learned his chops
backing up the Isley Brothers and others, as a self-taught "natural musician"
who could not read music but was able to pick up complicated pieces in the blink
of an eye.
Davis says in the book that he and arranger Gil Evans were in Europe planning to
record with Hendrix at the time of his death in London.
"What I didn't understand is why nobody told him not to mix alcohol and sleeping
pills," Davis wrote.
Hendrix's death dashed their plans to record together, with or without
McCartney. Eddie Kramer, the engineer who produced most of Hendrix's music, said
there will always be speculation about what might have been.
"I think it would have been phenomenal," Kramer said. "Lord knows where it may
have gone; those huge egos in the studio at the same time! I would have loved to
have done that one. But it was not to be."
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
The supergroup that never was
By Gregory Katz,
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
May 10, 2013
LONDON - Miles and Jimi. Jimi and Miles. Fans of the late trumpet and guitar
masters have long known that Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix had been making plans
to record together in the year before Hendrix's sudden death in 1970.
But less attention has been paid to the bass player they were trying to recruit:
Paul McCartney, who was busy with another band at the time.
This tantalizing detail about the super group that never was - jazz standout
Tony Williams would have been on drums - is contained in an oft-overlooked
telegram that Hendrix sent to McCartney at The Beatles' Apple Records in London
on Oct. 21, 1969.
"We are recording and LP together this weekend," it says, complete with a
typographical error. "How about coming in to play bass stop call Alan Douglas
212-5812212. Peace Jimi Hendrix Miles Davis Tony Williams."
The telegram, advising McCartney to contact producer Douglas if he could make
the session, has been part of the Hard Rock Cafe memorabilia collection since it
was purchased at auction in 1995. Still it has only generated attention in
recent months with the successful release of "People, Hell & Angels," expected
to be the last CD of Hendrix's studio recordings.
"It's not something you hear about a lot," Hard Rock historian Jeff Nolan said
of the telegram, now displayed at the restaurant in Prague. "Major Hendrix
connoisseurs are aware of it. It would have been one of the most insane
supergroups. These four cats certainly reinvented their instruments and the way
they're perceived."
French promoter and Hendrix fanatic Yazid Manou, who has researched the
telegram, says it offers a glimpse of what might have been.
"It's amazing because of the names of the people," he said. "Of course that didn't
happen, but the telegram brings us something to dream about. This is a document,
proof that they had an idea to do an album."
The telegram raises more questions than it answers. It's not clear if McCartney
was even aware of the unusual, apparently impromptu invitation to rush from his
London base to New York for the planned session.
Beatle aide Peter Brown replied on McCartney's behalf, telling Hendrix the
following day that McCartney was on vacation and not expected back for another
two weeks.
The invitation came at an extremely awkward moment for the Beatles' bassist. It
was sent the same day a prominent New York City radio station gave wide exposure
to a rumour that McCartney had died in a car crash and been replaced by a
lookalike. The bizarre story, supposedly supported by hints on Beatles records
and album covers, briefly gained worldwide credibility. Its dark nature
apparently prompted the exasperated McCartney to retreat with his family to
their farm in Scotland.
It also came at a time when the Beatles were falling apart due to business and
artistic conflicts that likely would have been exacerbated by McCartney
appearing on a record with Hendrix and Davis. McCartney was also still bound by
a songwriting partnership with John Lennon that might have further complicated
the release of any McCartney-Hendrix-Davis compositions.
And then there is the question of what the proposed group would have sounded
like. Davis was moving away from his jazz roots toward a fusion-based sound. He
said in his autobiography that by 1968 he was listening primarily to James
Brown, Sly and the Family Stone and, particularly, Hendrix - musicians joined by
a love of syncopated funk not found on Beatles' tracks.
It is not clear either how McCartney's melodic, subtle bass playing would have
made its presence felt in a band that included Hendrix' guitar and Davis'
trumpet.
"At first, though, it sounds really weird and off the wall. But on second
thought it makes perfect, Hendrix-type sense to chuck in someone who's a great
musician but comes from a different tradition," said Hendrix biographer Charles
Shaar Murray. "I regret this never actually took place. ... it would have been
magnificent."
McCartney is the only one of the four musicians who is still alive. His
spokesman, Stuart Bell, said the former Beatle is too busy on his world tour to
comb his memory for his thoughts about a telegram sent more than four decades
ago.
In his autobiography, Davis said he and Hendrix occasionally jammed together at
his apartment in New York City and tried to get into the studio to record but
were hampered by financial matters and by their busy schedules. Murray and
others maintain that Davis wanted $50,000 up front to attend the session.
The Juilliard-trained trumpeter Davis described Hendrix, who learned his chops
backing up the Isley Brothers and others, as a self-taught "natural musician"
who could not read music but was able to pick up complicated pieces in the blink
of an eye.
Davis says in the book that he and arranger Gil Evans were in Europe planning to
record with Hendrix at the time of his death in London.
"What I didn't understand is why nobody told him not to mix alcohol and sleeping
pills," Davis wrote.
Hendrix's death dashed their plans to record together, with or without
McCartney. Eddie Kramer, the engineer who produced most of Hendrix's music, said
there will always be speculation about what might have been.
"I think it would have been phenomenal," Kramer said. "Lord knows where it may
have gone; those huge egos in the studio at the same time! I would have loved to
have done that one. But it was not to be."
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
Message has been deleted
R H Draney
May 13, 2013, 5:27:24 PM5/13/13
to
David Carson filted:
I read it as Paul's brain is too fried to remember most of his life clearly (the
Japanese were right to jail him)....
"McCartney and Lennon" indeed....r
--
Me? Sarcastic?
Yeah, right.
>
>>McCartney is the only one of the four musicians who is still alive. His
>>spokesman, Stuart Bell, said the former Beatle is too busy on his world tour to
>>comb his memory for his thoughts about a telegram sent more than four decades
>>ago.
>
>I read this as a Shatnerian "Get a life!"
>>McCartney is the only one of the four musicians who is still alive. His
>>spokesman, Stuart Bell, said the former Beatle is too busy on his world tour to
>>comb his memory for his thoughts about a telegram sent more than four decades
>>ago.
>
I read it as Paul's brain is too fried to remember most of his life clearly (the
Japanese were right to jail him)....
"McCartney and Lennon" indeed....r
--
Me? Sarcastic?
Yeah, right.
Brad Ferguson
May 13, 2013, 10:42:01 PM5/13/13
to
In article <kmrlr...@drn.newsguy.com>, R H Draney
My wife and I were working our way though the collected 1975 Ellery
Queen series, which was produced by Richard Levinson and William Link.
That team has always been referred to as Levinson and Link. Well,
there's one exception: In the DVD extras, Link, the surviving partner,
referred to it as Link and Levinson. That seemed less than gracious to
us, especially as Link believed he had killed Levinson with decades of
second-hand smoke.
Queen series, which was produced by Richard Levinson and William Link.
That team has always been referred to as Levinson and Link. Well,
there's one exception: In the DVD extras, Link, the surviving partner,
referred to it as Link and Levinson. That seemed less than gracious to
us, especially as Link believed he had killed Levinson with decades of
second-hand smoke.
Brian Watson
May 16, 2013, 1:42:02 AM5/16/13
to
"Matthew Kruk" <nob...@home.com> wrote in message
news:qCckt.64876$pt1....@en-nntp-01.dc1.easynews.com...
> http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/music/Jimi+Hendrix+Miles+Davis+telegram+Paul+come+play/8366144/story.html
>
> The supergroup that never was
> By Gregory Katz,
> THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
> May 10, 2013
>
> LONDON - Miles and Jimi. Jimi and Miles. Fans of the late trumpet and
> guitar masters have long known that Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix had been
> making plans to record together in the year before Hendrix's sudden death
> in 1970.
>
> But less attention has been paid to the bass player they were trying to
> recruit: Paul McCartney, who was busy with another band at the time.
>
> This tantalizing detail about the super group that never was - jazz
> standout Tony Williams would have been on drums - is contained in an
> oft-overlooked telegram that Hendrix sent to McCartney at The Beatles'
> Apple Records in London on Oct. 21, 1969.
I am amazed that they invited Paul McCartney.
>
> The supergroup that never was
> By Gregory Katz,
> THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
> May 10, 2013
>
> LONDON - Miles and Jimi. Jimi and Miles. Fans of the late trumpet and
> guitar masters have long known that Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix had been
> making plans to record together in the year before Hendrix's sudden death
> in 1970.
>
> But less attention has been paid to the bass player they were trying to
> recruit: Paul McCartney, who was busy with another band at the time.
>
> This tantalizing detail about the super group that never was - jazz
> standout Tony Williams would have been on drums - is contained in an
> oft-overlooked telegram that Hendrix sent to McCartney at The Beatles'
> Apple Records in London on Oct. 21, 1969.
I like the work of ALL of the four musicians mentioned, but I can't see PM's
style (from ANYTHING he has recorded and released) working with the other
three.
Yes, I can see him being the steady "Noel Redding" to Jimi's wild guitar in
a two-person jamming session, but add Tony Williams and Miles (especially at
that time in his life) and it sounds like hell waiting to happen.
--
Brian
"Fight like the Devil, die like a gentleman."
John M.
May 17, 2013, 6:34:02 PM5/17/13
to
Matthew Kruk
May 18, 2013, 2:09:30 AM5/18/13
to
Brian Watson
May 20, 2013, 12:41:18 PM5/20/13
to
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