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.
You Got Me Floatin'
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always up, you never let me down
The amazing thing, you turn me on naturally
And I kiss you when I please
You got me floatin' round and round
You got me floatin' never down
You got me floatin' naturally
You got me floatin' across and through
You make me float right on up to you
There's only one thing I need to really get me there
Is to hear you laugh without a care
You got me floatin' round and round
You got me floatin' never down
You got me floatin' naturally
You got me floatin' float to please
You got me floatin' round and round
You got me floatin' never down
You got me floatin' naturally
You got me floatin' float to please
Now your Daddy's cool, and your Mamma's no fool
They both know I'm heads over heels for you
And when the day melts down into a sleepy red glow
That's when my desires start to show
You got me floatin'
The lyrics to You Got Me Floatin', a song by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, are a beautiful expression of love and the euphoria that comes with it. It is an ode to the woman who has captured the singer's heart and taken him on a journey of joy and bliss. The song describes the way the woman makes him feel, and how she has the power to lift him up and keep him floating. The first few lines of the song make it clear that she is an amazing woman who is always there for him, never letting him down. He is constantly floating, and she is the reason for it.
The singer goes on to describe the way the woman turns him on naturally and how he can kiss her whenever he pleases. It is a beautiful expression of the intimacy shared between two people in a loving relationship. The song also talks about how the woman takes the singer across and through, how she makes him float right up to her. It's almost as though she has a magnetic pull that keeps him close to her at all times.
The final few lines of the song talk about the woman's cool parents and how they know that the singer is head over heels in love with her. The song describes how, at the end of the day, as the sun sets, the singer's desires start to show. It's a very sensual song that expresses the love and passion that two people can share. Overall, the lyrics to You Got Me Floatin' beautifully capture the essence of a deep, romantic connection between two lovers.
Line by Line Meaning
You got me floatin' round and round
You make me feel like I am constantly moving in circles, always happy and never bored
Always up, you never let me down
You bring me up and motivate me, never allowing me to feel down or discouraged
The amazing thing, you turn me on naturally
You are naturally irresistible and I cannot help but be drawn to you
And I kiss you when I please
I have the freedom to show you affection whenever I want to
You got me floatin' across and through
You take me on a journey through your world, and I am completely entranced by you
You make me float right on up to you
You have a magnetic energy that pulls me towards you and makes me feel higher than I ever thought possible
There's only one thing I need to really get me there
The only thing that I need to truly feel complete is you
Is to hear you laugh without a care
The sound of your laugh is music to my ears and fills me with joy and happiness
Now your Daddy's cool, and your Mamma's no fool
Your parents are accepting and understanding of our relationship
They both know I'm heads over heels for you
They are aware of how much I love and adore you
And when the day melts down into a sleepy red glow
As the day draws to a close and the sky turns red, I am reminded of how lucky I am to have you
That's when my desires start to show
As the night sets in, my passion and love for you become even stronger
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMI HENDRIX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind