Hendrix arrived in England in October 1966, and auditions were launched to find him a backing band. Noel Redding was chosen for the bass spot. Even though he had never played bass before auditioning (he was a guitarist), Hendrix liked his look and attitude. Mitch Mitchell was a seasoned London drummer who brought jazz chops and a lead style of playing to the table. He would prove to be Hendrix's most valuable musical partner.
Though initially conceived as Hendrix's backing band, The Experience soon became much more than that. Along with Cream, they were the first group to popularize the "power trio" format, which essentially strips a rock band lineup down to the essentials: bass, guitar and drums. This smaller format also encourages more extrovert playing from the players involved, often at very high volumes. In the case of The Experience, Hendrix mixed lead and rhythm guitar duties into one, while also making use of then-revolutionary guitar effects such as feedback and wah-wah.
Mitchell played hard-hitting jazz-influenced grooves that often served a melodic role as much as they did timekeeping. Redding was the eye of the storm, playing deceptively simple bass lines that helped to anchor the band's sound. Visually, they decked themselves out in matching psychedelic costumes and permed afros.
The lineup first came to prominence during the Monterey Pop Festival, one of the first major music festivals. The band delivered a stellar performance, that ended with Hendrix famously setting his guitar on fire. The moment was immortalized in a photograph which was used as a cover of Rolling Stone[1] magazine. The appearance was also filmed and put into the documentary film Monterey Pop. This brought them to the attention of North American audiences. They were then asked to go on tour with The Monkees as the opening act. They abruptly left the tour after only a few dates. It was later revealed by Chas Chandler as being a publicity stunt.
With the band, Hendrix recorded his three most successful albums, Are You Experienced?, Axis: Bold as Love, and Electric Ladyland. In June of 1969, he decided to break up the group. Deteriorating relations with Redding had come to a head, and he also felt stilted by the trio format. He used a larger band lineup for his Woodstock concert in August 1969.
Hendrix would revert back to the trio format with Buddy Miles on drums and Billy Cox on bass and called themselves the Band of Gypsys. A live self-titled album was released in March 1970. This line up only lasted a couple of months. From early 1970 they were back to the original The Jimi Hendrix Experience, except Noel Redding was replaced by Billy Cox on bass.
This line up continued until Jimi Hendrix died in London, England from a drug overdose on the 18th September 1970.
Third Stone From The Sun
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With your majestic silver seas
Your mysterious mountains I wish to see closer
May I land my kinky machine?
Although your world wonders me,
With your majestic and superior cackling hen
Your people I do not understand,
And you'll never hear surf music again
The lyrics of Third Stone From The Sun by The Jimi Hendrix Experience are cryptic and thought-provoking. Hendrix speaks of the beauty of Earth, with its lush green grass, vast oceans, and towering mountains that he wishes to explore. However, he also seems to express his frustration with humans and their inability to understand one another.
The line "With your majestic and superior cackling hen" is particularly interesting, as it can be interpreted in many ways. Some believe that it refers to the sound of laughter, while others think that it could be a reference to political power structures. Regardless, it's clear that Hendrix feels a sense of detachment from the people of Earth and their ways of life.
The final verse in which Hendrix declares, "And you'll never hear surf music again" is particularly poignant. It's a surreal moment that reinforces the idea that Hendrix is an otherworldly being who is frustrated with the limitations of the human race. The line can also be interpreted as a metaphor for the end of an era or a significant change in society.
Line by Line Meaning
Strange beautiful grass of green,
Oh, how fascinating it is to see the greenery around in such an unusual way!
With your majestic silver seas
Your sea amazes me, it looks breathtakingly beautiful with the reflection of silver.
Your mysterious mountains I wish to see closer
The mysterious mountains that I see in the distance intrigue me and make me curious to explore and see them up close.
May I land my kinky machine?
Can I please land my strange machine here to explore your world?
Although your world wonders me,
Even though I find your world very interesting and fascinating,
With your majestic and superior cackling hen
Your people confuse me with their fanciness and superiority like a hen that cackles very loudly and intimidates everyone else.
Your people I do not understand,
I cannot comprehend the behavior and mindset of the people living here.
So to you I shall put an end
Therefore, I am going to stop trying to understand you and your people.
And you'll never hear surf music again
I will leave your world and take away any influence or music I brought with me, which in this case is surf music.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMI HENDRIX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind