The Criterion Collection

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Jimi Hendrix—Guitar, vocals
Noel Redding—Bass
Mitch Mitchell—Drums

It was the performance of Jimi Hendrix at Monterey that made the ABC television network—which had paid an advance for the broadcast rights to the film of the event —forfeit those rights. Formed in England in late 1966, The Jimi Hendrix Experience came roaring out of Monterey after crossing swords with more orthodox blues-based outfits such as Canned Heat and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band—what they played was scarcely recognized as blues by traditionalists, but it rocked harder than almost any of the other psychedelic sounds circulating in 1967; the trio survived a tour with The Monkees with its reputation intact and, for the next year and a half, was on music’s cutting edge. The Experience broke up in early 1969 and then reformed briefly a year later, and Hendrix was suddenly gone in September of 1970.

Jimi Hendrix—Guitar, vocals
(1942 - 1970)

Jimi Hendrix, born Johnny Allen Hendrix in Seattle, Washington, was one of the unlikeliest of guitar heroes—before he was discovered by ex-Animals bassist Chas Chandler playing at a tiny club in Greenwich Village, Hendrix had spent years struggling as a side-man playing R&B. A guitar enthusiast from an early age, his influences included Robert Johnson, B. B. King, and Hubert Sumlin, and he played in various R&B bands while in high school, did a stint as a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division, and passed through stage bands backing such artists as The Impressions, Sam Cooke, and The Valentinos, all without making too much of an impression—he also cut sides with Little Richard, King Curtis, and, most importantly, The Isley Brothers. He later recorded with New York-based soul singer Curtis Knight, briefly changed his name to Jimmy James, and formed a band called The Blue Flames, which included guitarist Randy California in their lineup. It was with this band that Hendrix was spotted by Chandler and persuaded to relocate to London, where The Jimi Hendrix Experience trio was put together and signed to Track Records in England and Reprise in America.

Although they’d charted a handful of records in England in early 1967, and their debut album and single were both out in America in the spring of that year, it was the appearance at Monterey that broke the band in the United States. Hendrix came to epitomize a brand of electric blues that was unique unto himself—not only did he play like nobody else, but to this day guitarists don’t know how he generated many of those sounds. For all of his success in 1967 and 1968—including the release of three classic albums—Hendrix disbanded the Experience in early 1969 and performed for a time with The Band of Gypsies, but seemed to lack a coherent, focused vision. Additionally, his professional situation was blighted by layers of overlapping and contradictory contracts that he’d signed over the years leading up to his breakthrough. And his personal habits—the usual indulgences of the day—included various controlled substances. Amid this chaos, his work declined in quality and frequency—and not even his appearance at Woodstock could redeem the promise of his early success. Hendrix died of drug-related causes in London in September of 1970.

Noel Redding—Bass
(1945 - )

Noel Redding started out in music as a guitarist, and passed through several groups before forming his own band, The Loving Kind, in 1965. The group landed a recording contract with Pye Records in England, but it never saw any chart success. He had failed to land a spot with Eric Burdon and The Animals when the offer of an audition with Hendrix came up in late 1966. He switched over to bass in order to get the gig, and quickly achieved a mastery of the instrument. He later formed The Noel Redding Band, and went through some serious financial travails during the 1970s. He remains a 1960’s legend thanks to his association with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and in 2002 was playing as part of a group called The British Invasion All-Stars.

Mitch Mitchell—Drums
(1947 - )

It was music that came to attract more of Mitch Mitchell’s attention as he grew up, and by the time he was in his teens, he was playing drums with Peter Nelson’s Travelers (whose lineup included future Eric Burdon and The Animals guitarist Vic Briggs) and by age eighteen had risen to the top rank of session drummers in London. He passed through the lineup of Georgie Fame and His Blue Flames, and then auditioned for the proposed new group being assembled around Jimi Hendrix. From the moment the first records by The Experience were issued in England, Mitchell found himself ranked among the most well-known drummers in the world. Although the Experience was disbanded by Hendrix in 1969, the guitarist and drummer resumed working together during the final year of Hendrix’s life. Mitchell has gone on to play with numerous other acts, and released his own album, Offering, in 2001.

The Mamas and the Papas

John Phillips—Lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Michelle Phillips—Lead vocals
Cass Elliot—Lead vocals
Denny Doherty—Lead vocals

No vocal group defined the ethos of mid-‘60’s rock more clearly than The Mamas and the Papas. The quartet managed to weave folk, rock, pop, and elements of classical music together into a mix that was so smooth that their appeal crossed all demographic barriers. The group formed out of the remnants of a handful of East Coast and Canadian folk outfits from the early 1960s. John Phillips came out of The Journeymen and brought along his second wife Michelle, an ex-teen model; Denny Doherty was a veteran of The Halifax Three from Canada, and Cass Elliot, in addition to some experience singing on stage, had passed through such New York-based outfits as The Big Three and The Mugwumps. They got together in New York, lived hand-to-mouth, and then headed out to California where they were signed by Lou Adler at Dunhill Records.

At its best, the group embodied an idealized fantasy of California life—easy-going, slightly spaced out, thoroughly carefree, and love-drenched. Those very same elements came to threaten the group cohesion almost from the start of their recording career— before they finished their second album, the quartet was struggling from various personality difficulties, growing out of romantic entanglements and infidelities in and out of the lineup. Michelle Phillips almost didn’t make it onto their second album, though she did get onto the cover and was back for the Monterey performance. The whole Festival was the brainchild of John Phillips and Lou Adler, and became the best performance showcase the group ever had. By 1968, however, the spell was broken for the public as well as for the members—they remained together until 1972, due only to lingering contractual obligations. At various points in the 1980s and 1990s, John Phillips participated—along with Phillips’ longtime friend Scott McKenzie and Cass Elliot replacement Elaine “Spanky” McFarlane, and Phillips’ daughter MacKenzie, and Doherty as well—in a reformed Mamas and the Papas.

John Phillips—Vocals, guitar
(1935 - 2001)

Born in the 1930s, John Phillips survived a rough-and-tumble childhood, discovered a love of music, and evolved from ‘50s style Four Freshmen-type vocal pop into folk music. By the dawn of the 1960s, he came close to hitting the big time as a member of the folk trio, The Journeymen. His second marriage was to a young model named Michelle Gilliam, and after a stint as part of The New Journeymen, gathered together a coterie of similar talents-in-waiting in Denny Doherty and Cass Elliot. With Phillips handling most of the songwriting, they pulled together a sound that embodied the best remnants of the folk revival and set it against a heavier rock beat. Consequently, they conquered the pop music world for close to two years. Tales of drug use and financial problems marred Phillips’ attempts at a solo comeback during the 1970s. Ultimately, he went back out on the road with a reformed Mamas and the Papas in the 1980s and 1990s.

Michelle Phillips—Vocals
(1944 - )

Michelle Phillips was the only native Californian in The Mamas and the Papas, born Holly Michelle Gilliam in Long Beach in 1944. She was already an up-and-coming model when she met John Phillips. They were married, which solidified the lineup of half of the future group but also led to a number of emotional entanglements that, in turn, led to their demise just two years after their debut. Michelle did cut some solo sides and an LP after the breakup of the group, but she chose to concentrate on her acting instead. She turned in impressive performances in any number of movies, including John Milius’ Dillinger (1973). She and John Phillips had one daughter, Chynna, who achieved success on her own as an actress and in partnership with ex-Beach Boy Brian Wilson’s daughter Carnie, as half of Wilson Phillips.

Cass Elliot—Vocals
(1943 - 1974)

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Cass Elliot was already pursuing a career as an actress and singer before she got involved with folk music as a performer, first with The Big Three and then with The Mugwumps. She was the last of The Mamas and the Papas to be asked into the lineup, but once she was in, in all of her big-voiced glory, the group had all the ingredients needed for success.

Even before the group’s official breakup, Elliot was stepping out in front on certain songs, and released a solo album, Dream a Little Dream of Me, in 1968. Of all the members, she had the busiest solo career over the next six years, cutting albums that were well-received and sold well. After overcoming a disastrous solo-performing debut, she resumed acting, hosting television specials, and achieved stardom among the ranks of younger viewers for her work in the movie and the television series H.R. Pufnstuf. She died of a heart attack in London.

Denny Doherty—Vocals
(1941 - )

Canadian-born Denny Doherty was the male presence in the group that the girls swooned over. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Doherty began singing folk music in the late 1950s and became a member of The Colonials, they subsequently changed their name to The Halifax Three, and cut several albums but saw little success. He later became a member of The Big Three, a New York-based trio whose other members were Cass Elliot and Tim Rose. By 1964, Doherty and Elliot were members of The Mugwumps, who also counted Zal Yanovksy, later of The Lovin’ Spoonful, in their lineup. Doherty soon linked up with John Phillips in the New Journeymen, rounded out by Phillips’ second wife Michelle, but before too long, Doherty was trying to persuade them to add Elliot to the lineup. After the breakup of The Mamas and the Papas, Doherty cut a couple of solo albums and singles, and also turned to acting. He participated in one of the reunion incarnations of The Mamas and the Papas, and continued to perform solo on occasion into the 1990s.

Scott McKenzie
(1944 - )

Scott McKenzie was born Philip Blondheim in Jacksonville, Florida in 1944. By the 1950s, he was living in Alexandria, Virginia where he first crossed paths with John Phillips, who dabbled in music—mostly street corner harmony singing. He later joined Phillips in a singing group called The Abstracts, who evolved into The Smoothies, a ‘50’s-style pop harmony outfit. The Smoothies, in turn, evolved into a folk trio, The Journeymen. McKenzie gave up performing after the breakup of the Journeymen in 1963, though he and Phillips remained friends, and he was often part of The Mamas and the Papas’ entourage. It was while he and John Phillips were working on putting the Monterey Pop Festival together that McKenzie suggested that Phillips write a song for the occasion—the result was “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair),” which became not only the de facto theme for the Festival but also the anthem for the entire pop culture phenomenon known as the “Summer of Love.” McKenzie’s recording of the song reached the top-five in America. He followed it with an album that included original songs as well as covers of other John Phillips songs. McKenzie, who suffered from varying degrees of stage fright, was never able to replicate the single’s success in his recordings, and performed only intermittently. He later joined Phillips in a reformed version of The Mamas and the Papas, and he and Phillips (with Mike Love and Terry Melcher) co-authored the song “Kokomo,” which hit number one in 1988 in a recording by the Beach Boys. McKenzie had officially retired from performing as of 2001.

Al Kooper
(1944 - )

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Al Kooper was a self-taught pianist and guitarist, and discovered rock ‘n’ roll as it was coalescing out of rhythm and blues and country music. He sang doo-wop music in the middle-late 1950s, did a stint as a member of the Royal Teens (“Short Shorts”), and began writing songs in the early 1960s, his early efforts including the Gene Pitney hit “I Must Be Seeing Things” and the song “This Diamond Ring,” which Gary Lewis and the Playboys took to No. 1 on the charts. Kooper’s break into rock ‘n’ roll grew out of his friendship with producer Tom Wilson, who invited him to a recording session with Bob Dylan. Kooper was there as a guest, but was deputized for an absent organist and ended up playing on “Like a Rolling Stone.” He subsequently backed Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival performance where he introduced rock to the folk audience, and played on the Blonde on Blonde album as well. In 1965, Kooper was invited by Wilson to sit in with a newly-organized blues-rock outfit called The Blues Project, and he became one of the group’s lead singers. It was after leaving The Blues Project that Kooper turned up at Monterey, initially helping to organize the Festival and then playing—it was there that he saw a new band called The Electric Flag. Seeing them gave Kooper the notion of organizing a jazz-rock fusion group—the band that he put together to back his set stayed together as Blood, Sweat and Tears, with Kooper as lead singer and principal composer.

Kooper left the group shortly after the release of the highly-regarded album, Child Is Father to the Man, and soon after made his own debut as a producer at Columbia Records—among his other achievements, he rescued from oblivion recordings by the British band The Zombies, from which a million-selling hit “Time of the Season” was derived. He also knocked out a pair of brilliant albums in partnership with Mike Bloomfield, Super Session and The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper; and appeared on records by Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, and The Who, among others. During the 1970s, Kooper had his own label, Sounds of the South, through which he discovered and signed Lynyrd Skynyrd. He also produced albums by The Tubes, B.B. King, Joe Ely, and Nils Lofgren, and found time to author Backstage Passes, a revealing insider account of ‘60’s and ‘70’s rock music. During the 1980s, he worked once again with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Joe Walsh, and wrote soundtrack music for films and television. In the 1990s, Kooper began exploring his own musical past in a series of recordings, including the studio album ReKooperation and live performances with members of the original Blood, Sweat and Tears.

Tiny Tim (aka Herbert Khaury)
(1933 – 1996)

Tiny Tim was one of the stranger popular phenomena of the late 1960s—a six-foot-tall man with a falsetto voice, shoulder-length hair, a nose so large it would’ve made Huntz Hall’s hooter look attractive, wearing a loud purple suit, and playing a ukulele to the 1920’s tune “Tip-Toe Through the Tulips.” The truth was even stranger—Herbert Khaury, as he was born in New York, was of Lebanese/Jewish descent and a musical polymath, with vast knowledge of pop tunes from the first three decades of American history. A loner as a boy, he immersed himself in music and also tried for a singing career as early as the 1950s (under the name “Larry Love”). He had a voice that ranged from baritone to falsetto, and by the early 1960s, he’d begun making some headway in and around Greenwich Village, where his strange interpretations of old popular songs struck a resonant irreverent chord with audiences—the stage name “Tiny Tim” seemed to complete the picture. His appearance on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-in in 1968 turned him into a media phenomenon that led to a series of ever-more-prominent television appearances that culminated with his wedding to Victoria Budinger (aka Miss Vicki) on The Tonight Show, on December 17, 1969—by that time, he had a contract with Reprise Records and enjoyed a huge hit single with “Tip-Toe Through the Tulips,” and an album that sold 200,000 copies. The wedding marked the peak of his media exposure. After a few years of decreasing visibility and gigs in Las Vegas, he was back to performing at small events. The marriage ended in 1977, though the two did produce a daughter, named Tulip. Khaury kept performing into the 1980s, even joining a circus at one point, and in the 1990s could often be spotted at the Library for the Performing Arts (in purple suits with hair died maroon) at Lincoln Center in New York, examining some piece of old sheet music. He suffered a fatal heart attack while performing “Tip-Toe Through the Tulips” at a ukulele festival in Des Moines, Iowa. In the late 1990s, the German-based Bear Family Records label began reissuing his work, and it has since reappeared domestically in the United States.

Lou Adler—Producer
(1933 - )

Lou Adler is one of those unusual figures in the music and entertainment industries—a legend among the ranks of professionals, but a name little recognized by the public. Adler started out in the music business in the late 1950s, a partner with Herb Alpert in a management company that, among others, represented Jan and Dean. He also produced some of Sam Cooke’s early singles for the Keen label, and Alpert and Adler co-wrote such songs as “(What A) Wonderful World” and “All of My Life.” Adler and Alpert also signed and recorded Cooke’s longtime friend Lou Rawls, who was featured at the Monterey Festival.

During the early 1960s, Adler was deeply involved with the Colpix and Dimension labels, both offshoots of Columbia Pictures that served as vehicles for hits by artists such as Little Eva, The Marcels, The Cookies, and provided an outlet for the early songwriting efforts of Carole King. Adler founded Dunhill Productions in 1964, which quickly evolved into Dunhill Records, which, in turn, became the home of the Jeff Barry-P.F. Sloan songwriting team and the spawning ground for such artists as Barry McGuire and The Mamas and the Papas. After Dunhill was sold to ABC Records, Adler founded the Ode Records label, which signed Scott McKenzie in 1967 and enjoyed a top-five hit with his debut single, “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair).” Ode’s later signings included Carole King—who finally achieved superstardom, after years of relative anonymity as a songwriter. Adler branched into larger entertainment ventures during the 1970s, producing such works as the all-star/orchestrated recording of the rock opera Tommy, and films such as Robert Altman’s offbeat comedy Brewster McCloud (1970) and the Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke (1978). His biggest success in the movie field, however, was The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), which became one of the most profitable film releases of the 1970s.