One Scottish holiday was apparently all that was standing in the way of Jimi Hendrix forming what would have become a historic supergroup of epic proportions. The rock ‘n’ roller sent out a telegram to his colleague across the pond in the late 1960s, but the musician was away on vacation.
Videos by American Songwriter
Hendrix died before the mega-stars could reschedule, leaving us to muse on what this incredible musical collaboration would have looked like. In diving into this topic, we also discovered Hendrix was a fan of another notable musician. That partnership would have been mind-blowing, too.
The Jimi Hendrix Supergroup That Never Came To Be
After skyrocketing to international stardom in the late 1960s, Jimi Hendrix was looking to return to his roots and start deep diving into new musical projects. One of those projects included a star-studded collaboration with jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. According to a physical telegram currently a part of the Hard Rock Cafe memorabilia collection, dated October 21, 1969, Hendrix and Davis were also considering looping in soon-to-be ex-Beatle, Paul McCartney.
“We are recording and [sic] LP together this weekend,” the telegram read. “How about coming in to play bass stop call Alan Douglas 212-5812212. Peace Jimi Hendrix Miles Davis Tony Williams.” (The Williams in question was the American jazz drummer who was famously a part of Davis’ “Second Great Quintet.”)
Because McCartney was away on a Scottish holiday, the musician’s aide, Peter Brown, intercepted the message. Brown told Hendrix that McCartney wasn’t coming back from vacation for another two weeks. McCartney was never able to reschedule with Hendrix and Davis, who didn’t seem to make much headway on their collaboration, either. In mid-September the following year, Hendrix tragically died from barbiturate-related asphyxia.
Long-time Hendrix engineer Eddie Kramer said of the potential collaboration, “It would have been phenomenal,” per The Telegraph. “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.”
Another Dream Collaboration Between a Rockstar and Jazz Great
Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis were two musicians who pushed the boundaries of their respective genres, so it’s unsurprising that the two would wish to collaborate. But in a 1970 interview with Guitar Player, Hendrix revealed another jazz giant of whom he was particularly fond: Nina Simone. The magazine asked the rock ‘n’ roller who, if anyone, he went out of his way to hear. “Nina Simone and Mountain,” Hendrix replied. “I dig them.”
Simone was just as inventive, ingenious, and rebellious in her own musical career—so much so that she was infamously blacklisted due to racially charged songs like “Mississippi Goddam”. Putting her and Hendrix in the same room would have made for an incredibly unique and likely explosive musical partnership. It’s a true shame that this collab—and the Jimi Hendrix supergroup posed to Paul McCartney via telegraph—never came to be.
Photo by Chris Walter/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.