‘Axis Bold As Love’ is the second album by Jimi Hendrix. Released February 1968. I was 19 years old and into my first year of being a professional drummer, musician on the road. That March of 1968, I had a 4 week gig in Key West. It was quite an experience, I write about it in my book, Notes of a Young Drummer 1966-1969.
Those 4 weeks included ritualistic hookah pipe parties. Jimi’s first record ‘Are You Experienced’ was a regular on the Key West Community Hippie House turntable.
I first heard the ‘Axis’ record later, the summer of 1968. By then, I had joined a new group from Detroit. I was hired in Orlando, went to Albany NY for 2 weeks paid gig rehearsal. Then drove to a house gig at The Fiesta, in Biloxi, Mississippi. It was a very popular Top 40 band, called Jimmy Head and The Head-Lyters.
Myself and good friend, guitarist, singer John Rakestraw were soon replaced. Jimmy brokered a deal with a popular group, The Sons of Tyme for a member swap. He was older, wiser and offered booking agent referrals. An offer that wasn’t refused.
That period, for myself and a couple of my Sons of Tyme band mates, included AM after gig gatherings, which featured certain pharmaceutical elements.
When I heard Axis for the first time, it was certainly under that spell. The sound of Mitch Mitchell’s brushes playing the intro to Up From The Skies was new, unlike anything I’d ever heard. This was Rock n Roll?
1968 was a year of Psychedelics and this album was top of the playlist. My little ‘hang out group of musicians’ played this record over and over. It was perfect to showcase high quality stereo sound. Real analog vinyl never sounded better.
Much has been written about the great skills of engineer Eddie Kramer. There’s also the story how Jimi lost the original mix (left in a taxi) of the complete side one.
Hearing Mitch Mitchell on this record was a new level of drumming. I had only been playing for a year, I couldn’t play a single rudiment, but I was employed in a very professional band. It was all about the big 4,4 beat. My salary was $200 a week, quite good at the time.
I knew I didn’t have the chops Mitch had, but I had the motivation to become a better drummer. The group I was in ‘worked up’ many Hendrix tunes. Crosstown Traffic, Little Miss Lover, Fire, Foxes Lady, Purple Haze, Manic Depression. I don’t know why we didn’t play Up From The Skies. I certainly didn’t own a pair of brushes at the time.
Mitch’s brushes and rolling triplets on the tune sound like Elvin Jones, who he was a fan of. I’ve listened to Jimi and Mitch on all of their tracks, I can’t remember another tune where Mitch plays brushes. He was a great drummer, one of my big hero’s for decades, still is. Because of Jimi tunes, I favored him more than Ginger. Though I am now a big Ginger fan.
Mitch’s work with Jimi on the studio records is brilliant. I have some criticism about his playing on the live gigs. He tried imitating Ginger Baker, I think, by adding the second bass drum.
The groove on Up from the Skies is driven by Jimi’s Wah-wah pedal. It’s an old school swing style, semi four on the floor feel. Again, the genius of Eddie Kramers mic technique captures the soft dynamics of Mitch brushes on snare drum and toms, the opening and closing of his high hats cymbals. In Popular Rock music, this was a first for me.
Jimi’s lyrics and phrasing on this tune is “psychedelic beatnik” “cool daddy-o” sometimes spoken in a hipster style. “I can dig it baby” he says. He was a poet musician. His lyrics are as heavy as his music forms and style, a complete package.
I just want to talk to you, I won't do you no harm
I just want to know about your different lives
On this here people farm
I heard some of you got your families, living in
Cages tall and cold
And some just stay there and dust away, past the
Age of old
Is this true? Please let me talk to you
I just wanna know about, the rooms behind your minds
Do I see a vacuum there, or am I going blind?
Or is it just remains from vibrations and echoes long ago
Things like 'Love the World' and 'Let your fancy Flow'
Is this true? Please let me talk to you, let me talk to you
I have lived here before, the days of ice
And of course this is why I'm so concerned
And I come back to find the stars misplaced
And the smell of a world that has burned
The smell of a world that has burned
Well, maybe, maybe it's just a change of climate
I can dig it, I can dig it baby, I just want to see
So where do I purchase my ticket
I would just like to have a ringside seat
I want to know about the new Mother Earth
I want to hear and see everything
I want to hear and see everything
I want to hear and see everything
Aw, shucks
If my daddy could see me now
Very interesting I play the rolling triplet style for sure... Makes sense because I started playing in 68 didn't get around to getting serious until 2000 or so.
I heard Ginger Baker in London in 1961 and he was the closest I'd heard to Elvin. It makes sense that Mitch Mitchell and Ginger reminded you of Elvin. They both came out of Phil Seamon, who, at that time, was Thee Jazz Drummer in England. He was the only one who had that African rolling triplett/6/8 feel and swing. Ginger got it from Phil.