Fourty years ago today JIMI HENDRIX had left us
In less than four short years JIMI had shaken guitar music to the core
and flip it upside down.
Fourty years later no one as come any way near to take his crown....
Of course , I never met Jimi , but MITCH MITCHELL was one of my
very first customers, and a regular at CRAZY PIG DESIGNS during
his occasional London visits.
On day Mitch asked me if I minded him coming along to one of my bands rehearsals.
He said , he had not played drums for a while and he would like to have a little practice
before or after our own rehearsal,
That evening MITCH turned up, and did not want to disrupt our rehearsal
but it did not take very long for me to tell my drummer
Tonight is your night off!
Mitch played with us all night ( got it all on tape too!)
Another time.Mitch came round for dinner at my place
and while my girlfriend was preparing food , Mitch was drumming away
on a double LUDWIG kit ( there was no door between the kitchen and the music room)
I had both neighbours banging away at the walls either side of the house
How could I stop MITCH !!!! a chance of a lifetime...
I bought the book writen my MITCH at FOYLES bookstore the very first day it came out
I was walking through SOHO SQUARE, flicking through the pages
and in the middle of the square , I bumped into a man in a long beige coat, It was MITCH
We both laughted at this strange encounter, and after a little while Mitch signed the HENDRIX book
for me.
Of course I miss JIMI but I miss MITCH a lot, a true english gentleman