The Grammy®-nominated documentary Music, Money, Madness... Jimi Hendrix In Maui makes its debut theatrical screening on Wednesday, October 25 at 7:15 PM at LOOK Dine-In Cinemas W57 (657 W. 57th Street) in Manhattan.
His entourage rented a Bushwhacker dune buggy that was over-the-top.
It was customized with a metal-flake paint job overlaid with pin-striping, and a loud floral-printed rag top and interior. The crew unbolted the top and Hendrix would flip himself around on the roll bar like a gymnast. (selvedgeyard)
The company was set up to produce ‘Rainbow Bridge’, which Warner Brothers would distribute. Jimi had already committed himself to Rainbow Bridge by signing a contract with Warner Brothers which also involved an advance of money for the completion of the Electric Lady Studio.
No doubt Warner Brothers thought that the film would be successful based on the strength of Jimi Hendrix’s soundtrack and his live performance in the film.
The more Hendrix learned about the film, the less he wanted to be involved. He quarreled with Mike Jeffery about having to take part. In the end Mike Jeffery instructed Jerry Stickells, Hendrix’s tour manager to get Hendrix drugged up after a gig in Seattle on 28th July 1970 and bring him to Hawaii for filming. Once in Hawaii and after a lot of arguing.
Hendrix reluctantly agreed to appear in the film and do a concert near the Rainbow Bridge Occult Centre.
The plot of Rainbow Bridge, a documentary-style film, involved a New York model who travels from California to an occult centre on the island of Maui, Hawaii. While there she encounters various devotees of surfing, clairvoyance, zen, yoga, meditation and Tai-Chi.
The star of Rainbow Bridge, Pat Hartley and Jimi Hendrix argued with Chuck Wein and Michael Jeffery about how they were being asked to perform.
The actors were supposed to improvise their lines but, in fact, were being told what to say. Hendrix eventually did what was asked of him and completed his acting part. The film also includes seventeen minutes of the Jimi Hendrix Experience playing at an open air concert in front of a crowd of hippies.
Warners Brothers was nervous. The original budget had been set between $200,000 and $300,000 but it looked as if a further $500,000 would be needed to complete the film. Mike Jeffery went to Warner Brothers and suggested that more of Jimi’s future royalties be used. However, the record company objected, so Mike Jeffrey pledged more of his own money. At this stage he thought the end result of the Rainbow Bridge project would be the means to rescue his own desperate financial situation.
At last, burnt out on touring, Jimi told his manager he was disbanding the Experience. No sooner did he reveal his intention than he was busted for heroin possession in Toronto. He came to suspect that Jeffery, desperate that he might lose his cash cow, had engineered the bust so he, Jimi, would be forced to keep the Experience alive to foot his legal expenses.
Four months later, just after Woodstock, Hendrix was kidnapped at gunpoint, held hostage for several days, then ‘rescued’ in a dramatic shoot-out at his Woodstock compound. Soon he came to suspect that his manager was behind this intimidation too. To read the full article click here
