When Jimi Hendrix Invited Paul McCartney to a Super Group

By editorial board on April 13, 2018

Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis were making plans to record together the year before Hendrix's death in 1970, but it turns out  they were hoping that Paul McCartney would join them on bass.

Davis and Hendrix sent McCartney an impromptu October 21st, 1969 telegram request to record with them in New York:

"We are recording an LP together this weekend. How about coming in to play bass stop call Alan Douglas 212-5812212. Peace Jimi Hendrix Miles Davis Tony Williams."

It's unclear if McCartney was aware of the request. The telegram advises him to conta

 

ct producer Alan Douglas, and is seemingly an impromptu note asking McCartney to

visit New York from London on short notice.

Beatles aide Peter Brown responded the next day, telling Hendrix and Davis that McCartney was out on vacation and wasn't expected back for two weeks.

The invitation came at an extremely awkward moment for the Beatles' bassist. It was sent the same day a prominent New York City radio station gave wide exposure to a rumor that McCartney had died in a car crash and been replaced by a lookalike. The bizarre story, supposedly supported by hints on Beatles records and album covers, briefly gained worldwide credibility. Its dark nature apparently prompted the exasperated McCartney to retreat with his family to their farm in Scotland.

Of course, by late October 1969, John Lennon had already dabbled with life outside of the Beatles universe. He had performed with Eric Clapton and future Yes drummer Alan White in Toronto that September and released two experimental solo albums, Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions and The Wedding Album (which came out October 20, 1969, one day before the telegram was sent).

Meanwhile, George Harrison had already written and recorded a soundtrack album under his own name (1968's Wonderwall Music) and released an experimental album of his own (1969's Electronic Sound). He also was about to hit the road with Delaney & Bonnie and Friends.

to

The telegram, a part of the Hard Rock Cafe's memorabilia collection, was purchased at an auction in 1995. But it's received more attention with the March release of People, Hell and Angels, a collection of 12 previously unreleased recordings from Hendrix

The telegram is now on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Prague in the Czech Republic.

 

DISCLAIMER: the images used by Videomuzic are for the purpose of criticism and exercise of the right to report news, in low quality, in compliance with the provisions of the law on copyright, used exclusively for the information content.
DISCLAIMER: Videomuzic usa le immagini per finalità di critica ed esercizio del diritto di cronaca in modalità degradata conforme alle prescrizioni della legge sul diritto d'autore utilizzate ad esclusivo corredo dei contenuti informativi.
Copyright © 2022 Videomuzic | Rome. ITA | Pictures, videos remain the property of the copyright owner, Any copyright owner who wants removed should contact us..
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram