Beatles Jimi Hendrix: Were The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix friends? (2024)

Jimi Hendrix’s London flat opens to the public

The Beatles dominated the musical landscape of the 1960s - especially in the UK. Jimi Hendrix landed in London in 1966, where he was a huge hit with blues and rock fans. Jimi died shortly after this arrival, in 1970, but during his short stint in London did he become friends with The Beatles?

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    The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix were certainly friends, though Jimi and Sir Ringo Starr’s relationship was a little trickier.

    Jimi arrived in London on September 24, 1966, after impressing his later-manager Chas Chandler.

    In London, Jimi made some incredible music and performed some huge gigs, with his first taking place the same night of his arrival at The Scotch of St James nightclub.

    After this, Jimi’s music went from strength to strength and he recorded a great deal of music in the country’s capital city.

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    Beatles Jimi Hendrix: Were The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix friends? (1)

    Beatles - were they friend with Jimi Hendrix? (Image: Getty)

    Beatles Jimi Hendrix: Were The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix friends? (2)

    34 Montagu Square (Image: Getty)

    While it is unclear how they met, one place became a haven for both The Beatles and Jimi: 34 Montagu Square in Marylebone.

    Only a couple months after arriving in London, Jimi, along with his girlfriend Kathy Etchingham, manager Chas and Chas’ girlfriend Lotta Null, moved into the basem*nt and first floor flats of 34 Montagu Square.

    The reason this is notable as the flats were, at the time, being leased by Sir Ringo, who sublet the spaces to Jimi.

    Prior to Jimi’s arrival, Sir Paul McCartney had been writing music in that space, making it synonymous with music history even before their arrival.

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    Beatles Jimi Hendrix: Were The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix friends? (4)

    Jimi Hendrix and the Experience (Image: Getty)

    Beatles Jimi Hendrix: Were The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix friends? (5)

    The Beatles (Image: Getty)

    Jimi composed some of his classic tunes at the flat, including The Wind Cries Mary, and according to Jimi Hendrix – From the Benjamin Franklin Studios: Pt. 1, he also shared the space with his friend and bass player Gordon Haskell.

    However, his time in this flat was not destined to be long term, as eventually Sir Ringo kicked him out of the apartment.

    As has been reported by biographer Craig Cross, Sir Ringo was forced to evict Jimi when, after taking LSD, the guitarist whitewashed the walls, some of which had been expensively decorated.

    He was asked to leave but despite this, Jimi, Sir Ringo and Sir Paul remained close, which is made clear by Jimi’s performance at the Saville Theatre.

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    On June 4, 1967, Jimi performed a tribute to the band in his performance, where he played Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart’s Club Band just three days after its release.

    Sir Ringo and Sir Paul were in the audience for the performance, and it clearly impressed them as Sir Paul said of the moment: “I remember him opening at the Saville on a Sunday night, 4 June 1967.

    “Brian Epstein used to rent it when it was usually dark on Sunday.

    “Jimi opened, the curtains flew back and he came walking forward, playing ‘Sgt. Pepper’, and it had only been released on Thursday so that was like the ultimate compliment.”

    34 Montagu Square clearly brought the performers together, and later provided the set for Yoko Ono and John Lennon’s famous album cover for Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins.

    Beatles Jimi Hendrix: Were The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix friends? (2024)

    FAQs

    Beatles Jimi Hendrix: Were The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix friends? ›

    Jimi died shortly after this arrival, in 1970, but during his short stint in London did he become friends with The Beatles? The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix were certainly friends, though Jimi and Sir Ringo Starr's relationship was a little trickier.

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    What did Beatles think of Jimi? ›

    Paul was a particular admirer, and accompanied by Ringo, had previously seen Jimi perform at the Bag O'Nails Club in London on 11th January. “Jimi was a sweetie, a very nice guy. I remember him opening at the Saville on a Sunday night, 4th June 1967. Brian Epstein used to rent it when it was usually dark on the Sunday.

    What did Paul McCartney think of Jimi Hendrix? ›

    Jimi was a sweetie, a very nice guy.” When Sgt. Pepper's later arrived in June Hendrix would be one of, if not the, first artist to perform a song from the record before a live audience. “I remember him opening at the Saville on a Sunday night, 4 June 1967,” Paul later shared.

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    Did The Beatles like Hendrix? ›

    Jimi died shortly after this arrival, in 1970, but during his short stint in London did he become friends with The Beatles? The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix were certainly friends, though Jimi and Sir Ringo Starr's relationship was a little trickier.

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    During a particularly bad acid trip, Hendrix had a bit of an episode, and by “episode”, I mean he made a relatively permanent mess by throwing whitewash all over the walls. After this, Ringo Starr had to put his foot down and evict the musician for ruining his apartment.

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    Paul McCartney was certainly the most attractive, at least when he was younger, which is the reason Paul was often called as the “Cute Beatle.” Plus, Paul took good care of himself so well and he often stood out as being the best dressed Beatles member.

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    He played for hours daily, watching others and learning from more experienced guitarists, and listening to blues artists such as Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, and Robert Johnson. The first tune Hendrix learned to play was the television theme "Peter Gunn".

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    But Morrison's arrogance didn't sit well with Hendrix, who is is said to have taken an immediate disliking to him. “Jimi was very different from Morrison. He had a lovely vibe about him,” Weber continued. “He was very shy and reserved.

    What did Albert King say about Jimi Hendrix? ›

    The esteemed 'Born Under a Bad Sign' bluesman continued: “Everybody says, 'Well, he's a hell of a blues player. ' No way, man. We played many shows together, and that night, I taught him a lesson about the blues. Now I could've very easily played his songs, but he couldn't play mine.”

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    Is Hendrix better than Clapton? ›

    I feel like Clapton, at his peak, was just as technically proficient, badass and creative as Hendrix but the ubiquitous consensus is that Hendrix is a superior player.

    Why was Jimi Hendrix so good at guitar? ›

    Hendrix used an old blues technique, using the thumb of his fretting hand to play the bass notes. By applying this technique to electric guitar, he could use the other four fingers more freely to create distinct voicings, which can be heard on songs like “The Wind Cries Mary,” “Bold As Love,” and “l*ttle Wing.”

    Did Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan ever meet? ›

    Dylan remembers the only meeting he shared with the artist when he was “just the guitar player,” in a band and despite being more than a little drunk, recalls it fondly. In 1969, it was a sentiment that Hendrix reciprocated saying, “I only met him once, about three years ago… before I went to England.

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    Despite the fact that neither Jimi Hendrix nor Elvis Presley had the opportunity to collaborate or meet, the influence of Elvis on Hendrix's musical trajectory was undeniable.

    Who were famous Hendrix fans? ›

    Clapton, Beck, and Jimmy Page all really liked Hendrix and respected him and became friends. Paul McCartney , and just about everyone thought he was brilliant , and a great showman. McCartney was largely responsible for getting Hendrix booked at Monterey Pop Festival .

    Who is closest to Jimi Hendrix? ›

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    • Sly & the Family Stone.
    • The Who.
    • Blue Cheer.
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    Did Jimi Hendrix meet John Lennon? ›

    It is widely speculated that Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon did meet at some point in their careers, however there is no concrete evidence to prove that the two ever crossed paths.

    Was Janis Joplin ever with Jimi Hendrix? ›

    No recordings or evidence has ever been found of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin ever performing together. Because they often hung out backstage together, it's reasonable to assume that they may have jammed together while waiting to perform.

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    While we'll never really know if Eddie actually said that, what we do know is that the guitarist had a lot of respect for Hendrix, even though he was not a fan of comparisons between the two as he thought he was “nothing like Jimi Hendrix.” Having said that though, he was a pretty big fan of covering Hendrix's songs.

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    Elvis told Nixon: “The Beatles had been a real force for anti-American spirit,” and also claimed, “The Beatles came to this country, made their money, and then returned to England where they promoted an anti-American theme.”

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    Freddie still loved Jimi Hendrix, (he once saw Hendrix perform live 14 night in a row), and was a huge fan of Cream and a new group called Led Zeppelin.

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    Widely recognized as one of the most creative and influential musicians of the 20th century, Jimi Hendrix pioneered the explosive possibilities of the electric guitar. Hendrix's innovative style of combining fuzz, feedback and controlled distortion created a new musical form.

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    Hendrix did not perform for half a million people.

    In fact, when he took to the stage at 9 a.m., the crowd, which once numbered 500,000, had dwindled to fewer than 200,000. With the demands of work and school weighing on them, many fans waited just long enough to see Hendrix begin his set, and then departed.

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