JIMI HENDRIX AND THE MONTEREY POP FESTIVAL

The Jimi Hendrix Experience and the Monterey Pop Festival. Critically acclaimed and influential, their performance at the Monterey Pop Festival showcased the raw talent and groundbreaking sound that would make Jimi Hendrix one of the most revered musicians in rock history. It was a defining moment for the band, solidifying their place in music history and signalling the arrival of a new era of rock music. In this episode we examine the full story including the background to the Hendrix’s historic performance. Here’s the link to Jimi’s rendition of ’Wild thing’: Video chapters: THE MONTEREY POP FESTIVAL (John Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas reaches out to the Experience. He invited them to perform at the Monterey Pop Festival, an event he was helping organize) THE CONCEPT BEHIND MONTEREY (The initial concept of the festival was conceived was a blend of the San Remo Song Festival’s focus on unknown acts and the Newport Jazz Festival, but non-profit venture) THE SAN FRANCISCO CONNECTION (San Francisco had become synonymous with events such as the Human Be-in in January 1967, and Haight Ashbury and the Hippies movement) CHALLENGES FOR FESTIVAL ORGANISERS (Examines the organizers of the Monterey Pop Festival encountered numerous challenges along the way) SAVILLE THEATRE FAREWELL SHOW (The Experience held a “farewell“ concert at the Saville Theatre marking their last performance before heading to Monterey, where they thrilled the audience, which included Paul McCartney, and a rendition of “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band“) THE STAKES WERE HIGH (As the sole American gig the Monterey Pop Festival, represented a crucial opportunity for Hendrix and the Experience to the American audience) ARRIVING IN SAN FRANCISCO (Monterey offered the entire band an opportunity to connect with new people, engage in jam sessions, exchange ideas, and enjoy the festivities) ENJOYING THE SCENE (Amidst socializing with fellow musicians, soaking up the atmosphere, and enjoying themselves, Jimi had one specific task in mind) JIMI HENDRIX’S PERFORMANCE (After a short introduction by the Rolling Stones’ own Brian Jones, for which the Experience would be forever grateful, Hendrix, Mitchell and Redding strode on stage together to make their American debut) THINGS WEREN’T COMING IN HALF MEASURES ( Noel redding’s account of the Monterey trip) MITCH DESCRIBES THE TRIP TO THE US – AND A CHANCE MEETING AT MONTEREY (Mitch Mitchells account of Monterey) END #jimihendrix endrix #jimihendrixexperience #noelredding #mitchmitchell #celebrity #JanisJoplin #brianjones #jimihendrixlive #heyjoe #purplehaze #likearollingstone #voodoo #voodoochild #voodoochile #rockmusic #wildthing #montereypopfestival #monterey #beatles #sgtpepper #hendrix #rock #rockstar #rockmusic #beatles References: ‘JIMI HENDRIX - STARTING AT ZERO’ By Leon Hendrix, Bloomsbury 2013 ‘Jimi Hendrix – Electric Gypsy’ by Harry Shapiro & Caesar Glebbeek, Heinemann, 1990. ‘Hendrix – Setting the Record Straight’ By John McDermott with Eddie Kramer, Warner Books, 1992. ‘THROUGH GYPSY EYES – My Life, The 60s, and Jimi Hendrix’ by Kathy Etchingham, Orion, 1998. ‘Are You Experienced? – The inside story of the Jimi Hendrix Experience’ by Noel Redding and Carol Appleby, Fourth Estate Ltd, 1990. ‘Jimi Hendrix – The Inside Story’ By Mitch Mitchell with John Platt, Harmony Books, 1990. ’Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky - the Life of Jimi Hendrix, by David Henderson, Bantam Edition, October 1981. ‘The Inner Word of Jimi Hendrix’ by Monika Dannemann, Bloomsbury Publishing, 1995. ‘CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC: Jimi Hendrix and post-war pop’ by Charles Shaar Murray, Faber & Faber, 1989. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research.
Back to Top