Vi har af og til nævnt ham her på bloggen, men der har aldrig været en artikel om Jimi Hendrix. I dag kunne han være blevet 70, men han blev kun 27; han døde få uger efter jeg begyndte i 1. klasse. Denne blogs forfattere er nu gamle nok til at kunne være hans far – vi glemmer ofte, at han trods alle sine bedrifter var en ung fyr, der reelt endnu var i begyndelsen af sin karriere.

Jeg vil ikke påstå, at jeg er Hendrix-ekspert, men når jeg lytter til hans musik, genopdager jeg hvor innovativ og udfordrende den faktisk har været sammenlignet med f.eks. samtidige The Doors, som jeg altid har syntes var temmelig gumpetunge og selvoptagede. Hos Jimi Hendrix mødes en afro-amerikansk guitar-baseret bluestradition med den psykedeliske rock og stor musik opstår i det lille trio-format.

I sit korte liv nåede Jimi Hendrix at inspirere et hav af andre musikere. I Patti Smiths selvbiografi Just Kids er et af de afsnit, der især gør indtryk på mig, hendes beretning om det korte møde med Hendrix og hvordan det påvirkede hende. Mange år senere, på Thirteen, kan vi høre hendes hyldest – en (meget ærbødig) udgave af “Are You Experienced”.

Vi tænker tit mest på Hendrix som en blændende guitarist, men også hans vokal er interessant. Prøv f.eks. at høre de første albums på Gasolin’ og sammenlign med “Crosstown Traffic” eller “Foxy Lady” – Franz Beckerlee har tydeligvis hørt Hendrix spille, men Kim Larsen har så afgjort også hørt Hendrix synge!

Parallellen til Kurt Cobain, en anden venstrehåndet sanger og guitarist fra Seattle, der også kun nåede at blive 27, er selvfølgelig slående. Men Jimi Hendrix nåede noget ekstra (som Cobain af naturlige årsager var afskåret fra at blive), nemlig at blive et afroamerikansk idol i et USA, der stadig var dybt præget af indgroet racisme og hvad der kun kan betegnes som regulær apartheid. Dét i sig selv var også en bedrift.

Fra nyt interview på thestranger.com med The Smiths’ Johnny Marr:

I’m aware that the music for the Smiths song “A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours” was borrowed from a song called ‘Shoes’ by Reparata. How were you introduced to that song?

It was inspired by that, yeah—the bulk of that tune I kind of remembered from being a kid while it was on the English charts. I liked the electric piano—it stuck in my subconscious. It’s funny how these things come out.

De fleste forbinder Lawrence med det engelske 80’er-kultband Felt, der udsendte blinkende guitarguirlander forklædt som perfekt indiepop. Nuomdage spiller han i det mærkværdigt humoristiske konceptband Go-kart Mozart, men imellem de to havde for et par år bandet Denim, hvis debutalbum Back In Denim er en absolut brit-klassiker. Herfra denne outstanding popsymfoni, om Lawrence’s opvækst i Birmingham i 1970’erne – enjoy!

THE OSMONDS

In the ’70s there was long hair
There were left-over hippies everywhere
And I should know ’cause I was there
In the ’70s they had prayer mats
There were stringy beards and floppy hats
And men looked like Jesus in crushed velvet flares
And in the ’70s there were Osmonds
There were lots of Osmonds
There were lots of little Osmonds
Everywhere everywhere everywhere
In the 70’s there were skinheads
There were bovver boys and brummie reds
And greasers, grebos judge and natty dread
In the 70’s there were chopper bikes
Oxford bags and kung fu fights
Trojan sounds Lee Perry dub
And in the ’70s there were Osmonds
There were lots of Osmonds
There were lots of little Osmonds
Everywhere everywhere everywhere
In the 70’s there were lots of bombs
They blew my home town up and
Lots of people were killed
And on the news the relatives cried
Everyone knew someone who’d died
They’ll never forget it for the rest of their lives
And all around the people say
We hate the I-R-A
And we asked for justice but it never come
And in the ’70s there were Osmonds
There were lots of Osmonds
There were lots of little Osmonds
Everywhere everywhere everywhere
In the 70’s there was Hughie Green
Lieutenant Pigeon hit the scene
Paper Lace and Candlewick Green
Mouldy Old Dough Chicory Tip
Gilbert O and Hurricane Smith
Billy Don’t Be A Hero hey David Rock On
In the 70’s Lesley Whittle died
The black panther went inside
And Jeremy Thorpe oh he resigned
And at school the girls would bring
A thousand volts of holt and sing
Hey there lonely girl impossible love
And in the ’70s there were Osmonds
There were lots of Osmonds
There were lots of little Osmonds
Everywhere everywhere everywhere
In the 70’s the Rollers came
Best retired from the game
And Cassidy quit oh what a shame
In the 70’s I was just a kid
Still knew what it was all about
I soaked it in now it’s all dripping out
And in the ’70s there were Osmonds
There were lots of Osmonds
There were lots of little Osmonds
Everywhere everywhere everywhere
Osmonds
Oh now
There were lots of paper roses yeah
Lots of crazy horses
Everywhere everywhere everywhere
Three button waistband
Side pockets
Star jumpers
In the 70s
Nelson House and
Orange Hand and
Bomber jackets
In the 70s
Timothy Davey
Gordeno
The Persuaders
In the 70s
Cartoon belts and
Barry Blue and
Do The Bump man
In the 70s
Jaytex shirts and
Brutus shirts and
Pete Duel
in the 70s
Bell records
Eddie Holman
Chinn and Chapman
In the 70s
Tank tops and
Hot pants and
Can The Can
In the 70s
K-tel and
Blackfoot Sue and
Tony Christie
In the 70s
Mungo Jerry
Clodagh Rodgers
Hot Butter
In the 70s
Donny caps and
Clifford T. Ward
Tina Charles…

© Lawrence/Denim