February 03

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”

 ― Jimi Hendrix

On this day in 1967, Jimi Hendrix recorded Purple Haze, the second song of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, at De Lane Lea Studios in London. It is considered one of the greatest guitar songs ever recorded, featuring Jimi’s signature chord, some distortion, and a mix of blues, rock, and Eastern influence. Listeners assumed the song was drug-related by the lyrics, but Jimi always insisted it was a love song in a mythical dreamscape (Hendrix was also a SciFi fan).

In the year 2000, Jimi’s Purple Haze was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Music Du Jour: Purple Haze

Films Du Jour:

• Jimi: All Is By My Side (2013)
• Jimi Hendrix: The Uncut Story (2004)
• Hendrix (2000)
• Jimi Hendrix (1973)
• Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music Director’s Cut (1970)
• Jimi Hendrix – Jimi Plays Berkeley (1970)
• Jimi Hendrix: Live at Monterey (1967)

Miscellaneous:

• During WWII while his father was at war, Jimi was born “John Allen Hendrix.” When his father returned in 1945, he renamed him “James Marshall Hendrix.”
• Jimi’s father considered his left-handedness a sign of the devil, which is how Jimi became ambidextrous on the guitar. He was also proficient playing backwards, upside-down, behind his back, and with his teeth.
• People confused the lyric “scuze me while I kiss the sky,” with “scuze me while I kiss this guy.” There is a website called com dedicated to misunderstood lyrics.
• Hendrix was discharged from the Army’s 101st Airborne in 1962, before being sent to Viet Nam, on the assumption that he was gay.
• Hendrix’ Star Spangled Banner guitar solo at Woodstock was thought to be a war protest as people thought they heard sounds of bombs dropping and screaming in the middle.
• The Purple Haze Turkey Caller will make you the hit of your Thanksgiving party.
• Sound technician, Roger Mayer, designed the Octavio effects pedal for Jimi Hendrix which reproduces the input signal from a guitar one octave higher in pitch, and mixes it with the original with some distortion. Purple Haze features the first use of that pedal.
• You can now smell like Jimi with Purple Haze Eau de Parfum.
• Jimi Hendrix’ cause of death at age 27 is disputed, although we know he had an influenza-related illness, a chronic lack of sleep, and was using barbiturates heavily as a sleeping pill before he died. Post-mortem, he is described by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as “arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music.”
• Purple Haze is also one of the highest rated energy drinks.

Snacks du Jour: A Purple Haze blackberry jam cake looks pretty good, but the Purple Haze Waldorf Salad may be healthier.

Cocktail Du Jour – Purple Haze Cocktail

This modified recipe is from recipeself.com for 4 servings:

• 5 oz of vodka
• 5 oz of gin
• 5 oz of blue curacao
• 5 oz of lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 5 oz of lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 7 oz of soda water
• 5 oz grenadine syrup

Fill a half-gallon pitcher half-way full of ice (crushed if possible). Add all ingredients except for soda water and grenadine and stir. Top the mixture with soda water and grenadine and add ice if necessary. Fill highball glasses half-way with ice. Pour cocktails and garnish with lime wheels.

Mocktail Du Jour – Purple Haze Mocktail

• 7 blackberries

licensed under CC BY 2.0