Whilst born in Seattle, Jimi Hendrix was one of many extraordinary talents who called London home, having moved to the capital 60 years ago and created in four all-too-brief years a legacy so potent that it continues to influence the world of music to this day.
Credited as one of the best electric guitarists to ever play, Mr Hendrix’s impact on rock music from the moment he touched down in London in 1966 to his untimely death in 1970 was immediate, dramatic and unprecedented, comparable only to the Beatles in the same period.
From effectively stringing his guitar upside down, playing two guitar parts at the same time or turning undesirable amplifier feedback into the distorted sound of heavy metal, Jimi Hendrix forged a path for the future of music as we know it.
The best way to experience the Jimi Hendrix Experience is through a private tour of the places, famous, unknown and infamous, that weave the tale of the greatest guitarist of all time.
The Scotch Of St James
After being spotted by the then-girlfriend of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, Linda Keith, whilst playing at New York’s Cheetah Club, he was quickly spotted and signed by Chas Chandler, the original bassist for rock group The Animals.
This brought him to London on 24th September 1966, when he would not only sign with both Mr Chandler and Michael Jeffery, the former manager of The Animals, but he would also play an unplanned set at the hidden nightclub and music venue The Scotch of St James the same night.
He joined the house band on stage and immediately set himself apart from everyone else, wowing the elite of the rock music scene of the time, but also wooing the author Kathleen Etchingham, who would become the inspiration for songs such as Foxy Lady and The Wind Cries Mary.
A month later, Mr Hendrix, along with bass guitarist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, would play their first ever concert as the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Royal Polytechnic Institution
Now known as the Regent Street campus of the University of Westminster, the Royal Polytechnic Institution was an important venue in the early history of many legendary London bands, but it is known as the place where Jimi Hendrix changed rock history.
At the time, the biggest band in the UK was the supergroup Cream, consisting of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce, with Mr Clapton in particular being considered the greatest guitarist in the country.
A week after Jimi Hendrix touched down, he corrected the record in one of the most amazing concerts never recorded.
On 1st October, 1966, Jimi Hendrix asked if he could play with the band, playing Killing Floor by Howlin’ Wolf, a blues song that Eric Clapton simply could not play at the time.
The entire set stunned the audience, which included a young Nick Mason from Pink Floyd, as well as Mr Clapton himself, immediately changing the landscape of the London rock and blues scene.
23 Brook Street, Mayfair
Whilst Jimi Hendrix lived around London for four years from 1966 until 1970, his rigorous touring schedule meant that he did not have a regular home until 1968, when he moved into the flat owned by Kathy Etchingham at the top of 23 Brook Street, now commemorated by a Blue Plaque.
The building is now home to Handel Hendrix House, a museum that celebrates the influence both he and legendary composer George Handel had in the city in two adjacent houses.
Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club
Still one of the most famous and influential venues in London, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club was also where Jimi Hendrix played on stage for the last time on 16th September 1970.
The concert itself, where he jammed with the then-new band War (most famous for the song Why Can’t We Be Friends), was quite surreal, with Mr Hendrix far less theatrical and flamboyant than he had been throughout his career.
Regardless, it was still loved by the crowd, and there was a rumoured plan for Mr Hendrix to join the progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake and Palmer to form HELP, but tragedy struck two days later.
Samarkand Hotel
On 18th September 1970, Jimi Hendrix passed away at the age of 27 at the Samarkand Hotel in Lansdowne Crescent, due to an overdose of barbiturates, although the precise details and time of death remain disputed to this day.
Regardless, the building has remained an important landmark in the history of British music, given that one of its biggest influences spent much of his final day there.
Where Were Jimi Hendrix’s Albums Recorded?
All three studio albums released by the Jimi Hendrix Experience whilst he was alive were recorded in various studios around London, all of which have become little landmarks in their own right:
- Are You Experienced – Recorded at De Lane Lea in Soho, CBS Studios at 104 New Bond Street, and Olympic Studios in Barnes.
- Axis: Bold as Love – Entirely recorded at Olympic Studios in Barnes.
- Electric Ladyland – Whilst parts were recorded at Record Plant Studios in New York City, it was also recorded at Olympic Studios in Barnes and Mayfair Studios (then Rymuse Studios) at 64 South Molton Street.
