I have a blog in which, on occasion, I write about what I have learned from a book I have just finished.
I was fascinated with what Jas Obrecht wrote about Linda Keith's connection to Jimi Hendrix. I never knew about Linda Keith until I started reading "Stone Free."
I also loved reading about other Hendrix connections previously unknown to me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and University of North Carolina Press for the ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed this deep dive into Hendrix's introduction to life in London.

STONE FREE: JIMI HENDRIX IN LONDON, SEPTEMBER 1966-JUNE 1967 by Jas Obrect , as the title suggests, is an in-depth treatment of the period of time when Chas Chandler decided to go into management after having been the bass player of the Animals and deciding that a relatively unknown guitarist would be who he would pin his hopes upon n becoming successful as a manager.

James Marshall Hendrix becomes Jimi Hendrix, and with the auditioning having taken place and the addition of Noel Redding on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums, the Jimi Hendrix Experience is born and begins the well known story of the success in Britain that proved elusive back in the States for Jimi.

Chandler goes all out in his support of Jimi, which includes selling his basses to finance Jimi’s career, and his bet on the previously unheralded guitarist and trio pays off and thus an “overnight success” is achieved.

Jas Obrecht, known to guitarists as the long time editor of Guitar Player Magazine, does a fantastic job of detailing all of the well known facts and combining them with little known information gained from researching interviews that has not been included in other books, or detailed as in-depth when covered previously.

I’ve read several books on the life of Jimi Hendrix, some good - some bad, and this is among the better ones, as well as being the most complete account of this time period in the trio’s existence that I’ve read to date.

Recommended to all interested in this period of time in the career of Jimi and the band, the success and struggles are detailed here sans the sensationalism present in other accounts previously, and if there is anything that I would have added to this it would have been to include more technical information on the equipment and recording details, although my interest as a guitarist probably influenced my opinion about this with preconceived expectations knowing the author’s background.

Still, this book merits a 5 star rating based on how thoroughly the author researched the material that makes this a must-have book for Hendrix enthusiasts who long for as much information on this important time frame in the history of the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Really enjoyed this! Fascinating history of Hendrix in London told with lots of interesting colour and anecdotes.

As a 15-year-old hanging out in Greenwich Village in the summer of 1966, I was witness to people speaking in awe about a guy named Jimmy James who was playing at the Café Wha? I remember people’s voices were actually elevated with excitement when they spoke of this incredible guitarist, his wild movements and how he played with his teeth and inserted loud psychedelic solos in the middle of songs. I spent many Saturday and Sunday afternoons at the Café Wha? when admission was only 35 cents, but I never got to see Jimmy James. When the summer ended, Jimmy and the buzz about him were gone. But nine months later, another buzz hit the Village with the release of Are You Experienced by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and everybody was exclaiming, “that’s Jimmy James from the Wha?!”

Jimi’s transition from the Café Wha? to the Monterey Pop Festival always fascinated me, but the period was devoid of meaningful, detailed material... until now, with the release of Jas Obrecht’s Stone Free: Jimi Hendrix in London, September 1966–June 1967, a fascinating and exhaustive document of Jimi’s first 9 months in England after leaving New York on September 22, 1966.

Jas immerses you in an incredible amount of detail and nuance that go way beyond Jimi’s numerous Stratocasters and amps and how they changed over nine months. He is specific about every day Jimi spent in the recording studio, and every day he was on the road. Every single concert is documented along with the vehicles, the hotels, the precise songs of each set, and the response of the audience and the critics. He even indulges the finite details of Jimi’s wardrobe to enable you to practically feel the fabrics on Jimi’s body. But the most significant accomplishment of the book is how Jas captures the intimacies of Jimi’s character: his personality, his vulnerability, his emotional essence and their translation to the guitar.

Jas’s details are supplemented with nearly 30 pages of invaluable notes and sources with links to online archives and photo galleries. How fascinating it was to see pictures of Jimi in his first apartment in England, supplemented by Jas’s descriptions of actual furniture and appliances and the dynamics of living with Chas Chandler. This one aspect of the book alone makes such a profound statement on the simple values of Jimi’s life during this period, and the severe contrast to today’s indulgent materialism.

The ultimate success of the book results from Jas’s background: he’s not only an acclaimed rock journalist and former editor of Guitar Player, but he was alive in the sixties; he was there; he experienced the emergence of Jimi Hendrix and the myriad musical and cultural breakthroughs of the period. The book benefits from Jas's self-professed admiration for Jimi Hendrix, and a dedicated and passionate commitment to creating a comprehensive document of perhaps the most significant phase of Jimi’s artistic evolution.

When the book ended with Jimi’s performance at the Monterey Pop Festival on June 18, 1967, I was exhausted, feeling like I was just dragged through every day of an intense, unrelenting 9-month journey that gave birth to Jimi Hendrix. Stone Free is the masterful work of an insider, and every single note rings true.

Having not really known anything about Jimi Hendrix I was open minded in picking this one up. I would ultimately learn something because I didn't know anything. A perfect book to pick because it starts right at the beginning! Excellently written and obviously time has been taken by the author to research. It contains interviews from those who knew him, which are a pleasure to read. I was instantly transported back in time and only wish I was a little bit older to have been able to experience in person!
A great read for fans or anyone, like me who didn't know a lot about him!

I was a young fan of Jimi Hendrix way back in the day. Too young and too long ago now to remember all the details, but this book did bring back some happy memories of Hendrix for me. It's written much more to appeal to die heard fans, those young adults from back then who will, I'm sure, appreciate this read much more than me. But it was fun to read about how Hendrix developed himself into the superstar he become a short while later! It's really too bad he burned out so young; it would have been interesting to see how much his talent could have accomplished had he lived longer. Fun and interesting read.

. . . . .

Thank you so much to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ebook version of this book! Jas Obrecht has done a thorough job of documenting the life and times of Jimi Hendrix between September, 1966-June, 1967. I honestly didn't know anything about Jimi Hendrix other than he was an amazing guitar player. This book documented the hard times that Jimi went through backing different singers/ bands in New York City, through his transformation in the UK going into 1967. I loved the details in this book, and would highly recommend it to any Hendrix fans, or anyone else who would be interested in learning about his back story. Very good read!

Stone Free: Jimi Hendrix in London, September 1966-June 1967

In many respects, Jimi changed the sound of rock far more than the Beatles. You know, they brought songwriting to rock and roll, but Jimi changed the sound of the guitar.

-- Pete Townshend

This is a great book for most any Jimi Hendrix fan, it focuses on the nine month period of time when he went to London and really changed the entire trajectory of his career. He worked his behind off developing everything from his wardrobe, his performing skills, expressing himself vocally, etc. Making use of every moment he morphed himself from a backup player to the headlining star he was meant to be. He got a bass player and a drummer, Noel Redding, and John “Mitch” Mitchell, and formed a trio, Jimi Hendrix and the Experience, and they rehearsed some songs until they felt they were ready to go on stage as an opener for another group. This is how he developed himself into a full act, moving from the back of the stage to the front. Then Chas Chandler, formerly of the group The Animals, along with Animals manager Mike Jeffery, who’d gotten Hendrix to go to London in the first place, and were co-managing him, got the band some work in France, Germany and in England to give them the experience they needed.

In October 1966 Chandler also got the band their first studio recording session for “Hey Joe”. Hendrix was still uncertain about his singing voice and wanted to bury the vocals under the music. Chandler wouldn’t allow it though and made Jimi turn the volume back down. Once he got that song down, they needed a song for the B side and Jimi was told he needed to write his own songs in order to get publishing royalties. So, no problem, Hendrix transitions from player to player/songwriter, boom. “He had attempted writing songs before, but the true flowering of Jimi Hendrix, composer, occurred after his move into Hyde Park Towers.” “Stone Free” was his first official composition for the Experience, written in the Hyde Park Towers a day or two after the initial “Hey Joe” session. Soon after, he was playing it in clubs and recording it. Other songs soon followed. Jimi also jammed with lots of other artists, many of whom were world famous names like Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, etc. His very shy, polite manner made him easy to get along with.


The book follows him through that whole period of time, as he transforms from a veritable unknown to someone everyone has heard of and are eagerly awaiting his show back in the US. My thanks for the electronic copy that was provided by NetGalley, author Jas Obrecht, and the publisher for my fair review.

My BookZone blog review:
https://wordpress.com/post/bookblog200.wordpress.com/1047?force=true

First, thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an e-galley of this book. If you are a Hendrix fan, you'll like this book. My husband is a die-hard Jimi fan, I'm not, so thought this book might make me more of a fan. It didn't, but that's just my musical taste. I can still respect the man's unbelievable talent and not really like the music that much. This focuses on Hendrix's time in London, 9/66 to 6/67. He essentially reinvented himself during that period, going from being a poorly paid, mostly studio musician, to being the toast of London. The book, though short, is filled with interviews and observations of people who met him, knew him or worked with him during this time. Very well researched and written. Highly recommended if you're a Hendrix fan...or even if you're not!

This entertaining read celebrates Jimi Hendrix’s productive months in London, from September, 1966 to June, 1967. We first meet Jimi in New York, where he is a struggling backing musician; frustrated at being on the sidelines, so broke he is patching his shoes with cardboard and devastated at breaking a guitar string, which he can’t afford to replace. However, an encounter in a New York bar, leads to him being championed by Chas Chandler, of the Animals, who organises a trip to London and a band to back Jimi and bring him into the spotlight.

Jimi Hendrix’s time in London is told with much humour. There is the mutual admiration between him and Eric Clapton, while Townsend was intimidated and the Beatles full of compliments. Of course, Hendrix more than paid back the Beatles, when, after Sgt Pepper was released on a Friday, he famously opened a Sunday show at the Saville Theatre, with, “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” while Paul McCartney and George Harrison, watched from Brian Epstein’s box.

In a sense, Jimi Hendrix reinvented himself in less than a year; going from a poorly paid jobbing musician to the toast of Swinging London and the biggest star of the Monteray International Pop Festival. This book is full of interesting interviews with those who knew him, worked with him, met him or watched him over those months in London. A must for all Hendrix fans. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

For around 20 years Jas Obrecht was the editor of Guitar Player magazine and he acknowledges in the books introduction that Jimi was a boyhood hero, enjoying the rare privilege of having worked with Jimi’s dad co-authoring “My Son Jimi”.

Obrecht documents in detail Jimi’s arrival in the UK in 1966 and the nine months that followed concluding with his return to the US to headline at the Monterey International Pop Festival. The timeframe allows the book to focus on Jimi’s rapid ascent to rock stardom, and is done and dusted before the difficulties began.

Obrecht’s research is meticulous and it yields some interesting reminders, such as Keith Richard’s girlfriend Linda Keith being responsible for Chas Chandler coming to see Jim. It seems Jagger was indifferent and Richards jealous, attitudes that would be swiftly revised just a few months later. Obrecht also reveals that – for one rehearsal only – the Experience tried being a 4 piece with Redding switching to rhythm guitar and David Knights of Procol Harum playing bass.

From Hendrix’s touch down in London on September 24th 1966 to the Monterey Festival in mid June 1967 Obrecht gives a close to day by day account of what Hendrix did. Local paper reviews of early gigs are quoted extensively and sown together with interviews given over the years by Chandler, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell plus the initial reactions of Clapton and Townsend. Dick Rowe, the Decca rep that passed on the Beatles proved consistent in his tin eared evaluations by passing on Hendrix too.


Given the authors tenure at Guitar Magazine, he gets his nerd on numerous times in the book, but it’s not overwhelming. The narrative is a little dry given the focus on events and timeline, and whilst there are occasional references to frictions within the band and with management, it’s never developed into anything more than passing reference. Obrecht calls out the casual racism that was endemic at the time - some toe-curling local paper reviews riven with “wild man of Borneo” references and the band routinely refused entrance to hotels - and has few criticisms to offer of his hero. Hendrix’s relationship with Kathy Etchingham sticks to her warm and positive narrative. The book mostly eschews any reference to the darker side of his character other than a passing nod to Jimi’s jealous tendencies and Noel’s testimony of how Jimi punched a girl who spurned him in favour of the bass player’s charms.

The almost haphazard nature of Jimi’s rise is a refreshing read given today’s much more cynically monetised and social media driven music industry. Whilst it might seems something for Hendrix completists, there’s a story here – if a little brief – well told.

A must for Hendrix fans everywhere! Really enjoyed this addition to the many Hendrix biographies out there, Osbrecht has captured another insight into the gentle genius. The photographs are wonderful.

Jimi Hendrix arrived in Britain in 1966 and within nine months the face of popular music had shifted from beat group jangle to psychedelic mayhem. Groups once togged out in polo-necks, hipster jeans and suede boots now took to the stage in kaftans, beads, Victorian uniforms and crushed velvet loon pants. Vox AC30 amps were exchanged for Marshall and WEM monoliths. Lights became part of the show, echoing the head spinning effects of lysergic acid. Music became louder, fuzzier, wobblier and longer. London was the centre of a new culture, it swung, it grooved, it shook and moved the world. Hendrix was at the centre of it all, quiet and unassuming off-stage but a marauding alien invader with unmatchable guitar skills on-stage. Everyone learned from him, stole from him, worshipped him but never matched him - to this day no one has. This book tells the tale of those none months through newspaper reports, interviews, eye-witness accounts and more. It recreates one of the most exciting periods in popular music - some may be put off by the trivia but it's the kind of detail that true music fans love.

Jas Obrecht provides an opportunity for old fans of Jimi Hendrix to reconnect and new ones to discover the wonder behind his talent. Driven to be the very best artist, Hendrix gained the respect of his famous peers, among them Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney. This short and very interesting biography follows Hendrix as he emerges as one of the greatest guitarists who ever lived. His story is a good one. In this present day of continued racial tensions and profoundly bigoted national leaders, it is a credit to the man Hendrix how he managed in the sixties to politely engage himself flamboyantly in a white man’s world and still be loved for the content of his character, as well as his blistering solos on his Fender guitar.

As the subtitle suggests, "Stone Free:Jimi Hendrix in London, September 1966–June 1967" concentrates on a very specific period in Hendrix's life, from his 'discovery' in New York by ex-Animal, Chas Chandler, until his triumphant appearance at Monterey Pop in June 1967. The nine months between these events, when Jimi left his native USA to come to London, form the Experience, record his first music under his own name before returning to America on his way to global superstardom, are covered in great detail by Jas Obrecht, former editor of Guitar Player magazine. The book takes us on a month-by-month chronological journey as the unknown Hendrix takes 'Swinging London' by storm. The author is thorough if a little dry. He covers the Jimi Hendrix Experience's first gigs, where the guitarist's technique astounded contemporaries such as Eric Clapton and Pete Townsend, the mismatched package tours, with the likes of Englebert Humperdink and the Walker Brothers, which took him around the UK and into Europe. Obrecht lists the recording sessions, locations and numbers recorded, which produced Hendrix's first singles and his debut "Are You Experienced?" album. We also learn where Hendrix lived during the period.

The writing is a little 'matter of fact' but never tedious. The book does appear to be aimed at the 'Guitar Player' crowd rather than a general audience although, strangely given the revolutionary guitar sounds on that first album, Obrecht seems a little unsure how much 'technical' detail to include. There is a detailed analysis of whether the left-handed Hendrix used a right-handed Fender Telecaster on 'Purple Haze' ("the second overdub, at 1:08, is a repeat of the previous motif...") which would certainly appeal to a guitar player but the author only very occasionally revisits HOW Hendrix was playing. Elsewhere, the author touches on potential financial mismanagement by the group's handlers. He also mentions drug-taking. But, by limiting himself strictly to the period in the title, many things are never followed to a natural conclusion.

I enjoyed the book but suspect the readership is going to be fairly limited. It will not attract those new to Jimi Hendrix's music and will not entirely satisfy those familiar with his work. As a fan and a guitarist, I would love an extended examination of the recordings.

Headline : A book for all guitar lovers
Stars : 5
I’ve read many books and articles on Jimi Hendrix and I wondered if Jas Obrecht’s “Stone Free” would bring anything new to the table. I’m glad to report that it does and the book casts some fresh light onto one of the most creative periods by probably the most inventive guitar player in rock history.
I recently bumped into someone who saw him in a small club during this period and he confirmed what a stellar performer Hendrix was – breaking down musical barriers and blowing up electrical circuits at the same time!
Listening again to the music Hendrix made during these years it is quite amazing how he emerged with such a radical and innovative style and sound.
A book for all guitar lovers.
This book was provided as an advance copy by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Note :
I intend to provide the above on Amazon when the book is released on 12 November 2018

I chose STONE FREE: Jimi Hendrix in London, September 1966-June 1967 because my husband adores his music and I dig his tunes too. I remember the angst felt all over the world the day he died — because there would never be another guitarist like him, ever.

STONE FREE gives an engaging portrait of rock's greatest guitarist during his happiest, most productive time, starting in the autumn of 1966. He was essentially an unknown then, struggling to make it in the Big Apple. Just nine months later, he held London in the palm of his hand as a guitar God and the highest wattage star to emerge from the Monterey International Pop Festival. Written in lively fashion by Jas Obrecht, award-winning music journalist, former editor of Guitar Player magazine and writer for Rolling Stone, Living Blues, and many other publications. 5/5

Pub Date 12 Nov 2018

Thanks to University of North Carolina Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#StoneFree #NetGalley

To me, this book gave me a new viewpoint of aspects both of the sixties and of what I thought I knew about Jimi Hendricks.

I enjoyed the writing style and just came away thinking about what the experiences in the book did to Jimi and what might have been had he not gone through them.

This book focuses solely on Jimi Hendrix's time in London. The formation and grueling schedule of the Experience are covered and there are some amusing anecdotes about Jimi's interactions with the top British musicians of the time. Due to his early death most of the material is very much "outside looking in" and we only really hear from Jimi in the press interviews he did; the rest of the book's information is largely based on the recollections of others. Still, this is a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys 1960s music.