Mitch Mitchell and The JHE/ELP Connection

Mitch Mitchell c. 19 humma humma

No, not the Mitch Mitchell from Mitch Mitchell's Terrifying Experience who had a mustache in sixth grade and went bald in seventh according to Guided by Voices front-man Robert Pollard but Mitch Mitchell the drummer for The Jimi Hendrix Experience(JHE), Jeff (The Greater Satan) Beck,

former Pakistani military leader, president and jack booted thug Sally Struthers, and bongo consultant for the Lou Rawls Honkey-Ass Cracka' Devil sessions.

Jeff Beck: The Benefit Concert for Jeff Beck's Pompous Ego.

Mitchell was the last surviving member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience: James Marshall Hendrix (d.1970) Noel Redding (d. 2003) and Mitch Mitchell (d. last week)

It pains me to think Mitchell might go down being remembered as the guy who almost played for Emmerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) but then they would be MEL and though there were plans for a sitcom where Greg Lake played robotic superintendent with that name who that dispenses industrial solvents to directly McKenzie Phillips central nervous system (her real name is McFonzie Pollips) the deal fell through for a number of reasons according to an "internet that I found" or "assumed" by me.

Still there are all sorts of rumors about the JHE and ELP forming as one band, discussions and meetings both real and really silly have been reported; like Mitchell arranging a 2AM show up at Kieth Emmerson's flat with two gorilla bodyguards and pulling up in a limo with a white fur coat and scaring Keith half to death (Emmerson hid in his moog for days and could only be coaxed out when Robert Fripp showed up with some especially smelly Stilton that had been craftfully aged in Sebestian Cabbot's stocking feet. As far as I know it's true, ‘cus I read that before my internet.


Keith Emmersons Moog
(Note: Emmerson had been stung by a bee, which explains the size of that hand)

The reality in that in closing time of Hendrix being on this plane of existence and constantly weirdifying the name of the band (A Band of Gypsies, Electric Church, Gypsy Sun & Rainbows, Sky Church Rainbow Electric Gypsy Purple Buffalo Freakout, and the worrisome sounding Nordick Penatraytor) Mitchell never worked bands of great success after Jimi's death.

Mitchell was also the dude who failed the audition for Paul MaCarney and Wings (and they got Joey Q. Fangs or something, crap if I know!). I have to admit after I found this out I felt like MaCarney was a bit of a dick for not hiring Mitch, but just because I like a persons music or art does not mean I automatically have to like them (except for Hendrix and Christopher Walken.)


(Photo by Linda Eastman)

My theory is this: Linda McCartney had been working with the newly developed Timex Synclavier keyboard at the time (this is known, at least now it is) and in her "noodling" struck the elusive and sphincter crippling brown note during one of Mitchell's signature snare fills. Unable to contain the Haggis Vindaloo he had pureed for breakfast the remains drum stool had to be burned beside a 12th century cathedral in Hicksville, NY and the ashes were mixed with Audrey Hepburns dung and thrown at the French.

I don’t know what Mitchell did after he failed to impress Paul and Linda but like anyone who had previously worked for Michael Jefferies (Hendrix's agent, and combination Con/Hit man), he was completely financially screwed by Michael Jefferies with no recourse other than to keep his mouth shut or someone would break everyone’s legs at Jefferies insistance.

I always thought Mitchell deserved much more credit as a drummer than he got, he was the Alex Lifeson of the band, Hendrix being both a hipper Neil Pert and a funky, smoother then fellow Afro brandishing (and later mullet welding) Geddy Lee (Hendrix could pass as Sephardic)


Gary Liebowitz: Permanent Mullet

and Redding was... Ok, I have to be honest, why did they pick Noel Redding, where did they find him for that matter? Redding showed up to play lead guitar for the Animals and they handed him a Gibson EB4 bass.

How many bass tracks did Hendrix overwrite after Noel left the studio? By the time Electric Ladyland (an album name parodied more than once a week, my all-time favorite:" Electric Landlady") came out Redding was not even showing up to borrow a cup of rolling papers. Redding was hardly a member of the band, his contributions sound incredibly dated buried behind Hendrix and Mitchells intergalactic musical ventures.

Though it's easy to blame Hendrix's James Brown/M.C. Hammer regiment of exercise for discipline and strictness (e.g. Bong hits and sleeping until 3 PM) for he was just someone in the band who Hendrix could not wait to replace with Billy Cox anyway.

Mitchell was a monster drummer, in many ways and equal to Hendrix’s supernatural abilities on what has been called the "Hillbilly Blow Jug", but he just kept getting overlooked and it must have been frustrating. Mitchell was known for his temper, and the story goes when Hendrix and Eddie Kramer bounced his drums into a single track Mitchell began to throw amps and P.A.’s around the room with what Hendrix described as “Hey man, he was like a very heavily super freaked out super-chimp with like Aquadog strength.”

Kramer and Hendrix unable to calm the enraged Mitchel and at some point had climbed a frightened Noel Redding's afro and started bang on his head with a pair of Pastie Rude-Boy 32” gongs. "Irish borrowed" from Jimmie Osmond (see below). Mitchell could only be coaxed down with the tangy fruit cocktail that Eddie Kramer will always be remembered for (that and engineering Hendrix, Zeppelin, The Faces, etc.), but Noel's Afro was so badly dented it may have been the deciding factor his split from the JHE.

This guy in front of Electric Lady Studios once told me (I don't know if he worked there, he was in the doorway, he smelled like pee and I think he was in the band Sponge for a while) "The Afro’s were the band!", and Hendrix, Mitchell, Redding and Kramer would not be photographed or loofa-ed without them."
He then mentioned something about tin-foil, the masonic order of the New York Cosmos and the sinister origins of Highlights magazine and how it dominates all other publications in dental offices.


Goofus and Gallant courtesy of Highlights LLC

It was said at the meeting with Keith Emmerson that Jimi’s finger light ala E.T., he touched Keith and the keyboardist suddenly had four Afros, and like the hydra of Greek myth every time Emerson would cut one off it would be replaced with the head of Fran Tarkenton.

"Real People's" Fran Tarkenton after haircut.

Jimi stole a mess of stuff (he was after all part Irish, therefore he was a Leprechaun.)
He stole Orange amps from Pink Floyd, He stole a car when he was a teen and ended up in the 101 Airborne in leu of jail and at the height of the "Jimi Hendrix Experience" he stole a cotton candy machine from the Grateful Dead during a 302 minute Pig Pen (Why do I always bring up Pig Pen?) bass only cover of the Merle Haggard classic "Momma ate paint chips."

Leprechaun displaying a leathal show of Amish Karate which kills 1000's of tourits each day.



The Experience used this device to create instant multi-color Afro's for the '69 European tour until that fateful day (Thank you Senior Wences!) The event became known as "The day when the Afros afroed less then previously."
"Ah, not necessarily Afroed, but... ?"

Well, this is what I discovered, in part research, interviews sitting to close to the microwave and brushing my teeth with Lysergic acid diethylamide

Quaker Oats: A delicious source of LSD

My point is this: Mitchell was the last surviving member of the original lineup. Billy Cox is still around as far as I know, every other week I hear Buddy Miles is dead or fat, or both. So I've been listening to those early albums, and I used to hear something new each time coming from Jimi's guitar, but now I hear Mitchell just as clearly, (The last Experience recording was over 38 years ago.) the music is still as beautiful, still bittersweet, it’s easily approachable and a sacred as a holy place where shoes, and smelly, smelly hippiesare forbidden, and he was part of it. He was the last remaining connection to the Jimi Hendrix Experience I had in this world, so yea, I’m very sad about it, I honestly am.


Hippy 'hopped up' on Goof-Balls.
Used by permission from the DEA

Mitch Mitchell: Honkey, Afro wearer, sincerely f---king amazing drummer.

"Now dig the drummer." -James Marshall Hendrix


Mitchell: Irishing Jimi's Hat.

J3K