Friday, March 24, 2017

Jimi Hendrix: Distorted Guitar Sound: The Trekkers

Henri Gann, who lives in California and from Singapore 60's band The Trekkers wrote a comment on Ray Anthony's posting. I thought it needed a bigger space. So here it is everyone. From one guitarist to the rest of you guys out there. Any comment?

Ray Anthony of Singapore playing Jimi Hendrix ? OMG ! That had to be quite a trip!

A few years ago, my brother John who lives in Singapore asked me, " Who's Jimi Hendrix?" The first tune that instantly came into my mind was " Foxy Lady." 

I remember the feeling when I first heard Hendrix on the radio of my '66 Ford Mustang in LA. I was instantly floored by his guitar playing. The year was 1967. 

The DJ's were raving over the happenings at the Monterey Pop Festival. When I was playing the guitar with the Trekkers in the early 60's, distorted amplifiers were negatively thought of as inadequate amplification. And here, Hendrix was able to turn all that distorted guitar sound into very beautiful sounding music. 

Years later, while at a guitar store when I saw a young kid playing Hendrix with the new Guitar God device, I instantly wished I could be that kid. 

Hendrix was indeed the rare guitarist of the century; the star that showed up in our Galaxy once in a lifetime. And as Ed Vulliami from the Guardian stated, "he was the only guitarist who could think of playing like the blues musician Muddy Waters and rock guitarist Albert King combined." 


From: Henri Gann.

My Comment:

Jimi Hendrix' music has also been associated with drugs and fantasy trips, and I must be clear here, nothing to do with Henri's letter to me.  But is his music still popular today? Looking at the number of viewers on his You Tube videos, it has 57 million watching his Watchtower song.

Comment you musicians, especially guitarists out there? What say you?

Horace Wee replies. Click connection:
http://singapore60smusic.blogspot.sg/2017/03/jimi-hendrix-distorts-horace-wee-replies.html

Images and Video: Google and You Tube.

4 comments:

henri gann said...

Thanks Andy ! An honor to be placed in your main page. I was only commenting from my memories when you brought up Ray Anthony and Jimmy Hendrix. Is that what "earworm" is all about ?
I mean "Foxey Lady" and Hendrix. How about "Ramona" and the Blue Diamonds or "I've Told Every Little Star" and Linda Scott. Thoughts to Ponder :)

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Hi Henri,

Horace Wee has replied to your comment. I shall put it up by today. An interesting piece from a highly intelligent and qualified guitarist who knows his stuff.

Thank you.

henri gann said...

Ok Andy, since you mentioned the Monterey Pop Festival...
The Year was 1967. I was driving from school to work or was it around. I turned on my car radio and there was Bob Morgan from Boss Radio KHJ playing Jefferson Airplane "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit." Than it was on to "My Generation" from the Who and than Eric Burton and the Animals with the " House of the Rising Sun." Yes it was a broadcast from the Monterey Pops. And than Jimmy Hendrix came on stage with Purple Haze, Hey Joe and than Foxey Lady. The crowd went wild. Did he set fire to his guitar ??? Oops I just missed my exit on the LA Freeway.

matt tan mjst zbraxing (canada) said...

update on those who wanted to relive the Experience of Woodstock and Jimi Hendrix
s blazing guitar with sounds of bombs, jet planes, trumpet,battle cry,etc..
i performed my own tribute to Jimi with Star Spangled Banner, and 2 other anthems in the feedback style of Jimi on Bob Marley's anthem of mankind "Redemption Song" and the traditional farewell hymn "Amazing Grace". you can hear bagpipes too in my feedback guitar layers on Amazing Grace as I recorded 3 tracks of feedback guitars. Enjoy !!!
jimi hendrix star spangled banner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuystN_gcjE
redemption song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acWTDOFqYfY
amazing grace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxigoQCCMU0
P.S. for those wondering if I used the same equipment as Jimi, no, I don't ...
I am using a Made In China Epiphone Riviera P93 and 4 cheap pedal Made In China as well. And a tiny Vox 10 practise amp. no Marshall like we did in Fried Ice...
no Gibsons and Fenders like I used to have in 1973 to 1993.
I also have another Epiphone Les Paul Tribute Made In China too, and you hear me play it on Supernatural by Peter Green, Third Stone from the Sun, Sabre Dance.
All with the same pedal efx equipment for the sounds of Jeff Beck (Beck's Bolero, Ain't Superstitious, Superstition), Jimmy Page (Kashmir); Peter Green (Supernatural) , Love Scuplture (Sabre Dance); Eric Clapton (Layla), Roy Buchanan (House of Rising Sun)..
well, not exactly sound like as it's all Matt Tan, really..not Jimi ,nor Jeff nor anybody else. I am Matt Tan and will always be Matt Tan, the pen - pal of Andy's !!!

Please visit and lend an ear to give me encouragement as I have already played 70 new tunes in one month... to 1,475 views so far. Cheers to those who have given me a listen. There 's alot more coming regularly, as I try to jam one new tune a day.