The fantasy four-piece of Jimi Hendrix
The ‘fantasy band line-up’ is a question that has been a staple of music nerd pub discussions for years. As one of the greatest guitarists of all time, Jimi Hendrix probably features in those line-ups more than most, but who would have made the cut for Jimi himself?
‘Icon’ is a term that is banded around excessively, but there seems to be little other way to describe Jimi Hendrix. The pioneer of psychedelic guitar music quickly became one of the defining artists of the 1960s, representing the growing counter-cultural movement and rebellious nature of the younger generation.
Hendrix has always been open about his influences, citing everybody from Muddy Waters to Eric Clapton within his pool of inspiration. A select few groups received the ultimate praise of being favourites of Hendrix, one of which was King Crimson. A group is nothing without a beat, so let’s start Hendrix’s fantasy four-piece with Michael Giles, the band’s founding drummer. Despite being in their infancy during Hendrix’s time, he was a noted fan of Crimson and Giles. The guitarist actually met Robert Fripp’s group in 1969 and, as Giles’ sister-in-law once revealed, “He was jumping up and down,” she told Fripp, shouting: “This is the best group in the world!’”
Sticking with the rhythm section, we’ll move on to the bass role in this fantasy group. Hendrix’s own bassist, Noel Redding, is surely among the most talented of that time period anyway, but if we’re talking fantasy line-ups, then there doesn’t seem to be any logical choice other than Paul McCartney. Unsurprisingly, The Beatles were a favourite of Jimi, particularly as they entered their psychedelic era. In fact, mere days after the release of their seminal album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Hendrix opened a London set with a cover of the titular track. As McCartney recounts, “Jimi opened, the curtains flew back, and he came walking forward, playing ‘Sgt. Pepper’, and it had only been released on the Thursday so that was like the ultimate compliment.”
As the guitarist for the majority of fantasy band line-ups, you would be forgiven for thinking Hendrix might be his own fantasy guitarist. However, the actual choice of the ever-humble Hendrix comes in the unlikely form of Chicago’s Terry Kath. Though ‘soft rock’ might not be a term you expect to hear when discussing Hendrix, the guitarist was a dedicated fan of Chicago. Indeed, Kath’s incredible guitar playing with the band arguably overshadowed the rest of the group, a claim backed up by the decline in quality of Chicago’s music after the guitarist’s tragic death. Hendrix was once reported as saying that Kath was, not only a better player than himself, but “the best guitarist in the universe”.
When it comes to the leader of Hendrix’s fantasy band, Bob Dylan is the only acceptable choice. The Seattle-born guitarist was a disciple of Dylan, often talking about how moving he found the folk artist’s lyrics, “All those people who don’t like Bob Dylan’s songs should read his lyrics. They are filled with the joys and sadness of life,” he told Steve Barker in 1967. While the pair shared little in common musically, Dylan’s songwriting talents were an unavoidable beacon of inspiration for Hendrix. This is perhaps best signified by his cover of Dylan’s ‘All Along the Watchtower’, the success of which has eclipsed the original in many ways.
Eclectic, psychedelic and awash with musical talent, Hendrix’s fantasy line-up shares a lot in common with the man himself. It would be an impossible task to culminate all of the guitarist’s luminaries within one four-piece, but the above line-up seems to hit all the major avenues which went into his iconic sound.
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