Mitch Mitchell
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| Mitch Mitchell | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | July 9, 1947 Ealing, Middlesex, England |
| Genre(s) | Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Hard Rock, Jazz |
| Instrument(s) | Drums |
| Years active | 1966-present |
| Associated acts | The Coronets Johnny Harris and the Shades The Pretty Things Georgie Fame The Riot Squad The Jimi Hendrix Experience Gypsy Sun and Rainbows Gypsy Sun Experience The Dirty Mac Ramatam |
John "Mitch" Mitchell (born 9 July 1947 in Ealing, Middlesex) is a British drummer, most famous for his involvement with The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Mitchell was considered one of the greatest rock drummers of the late 1960s and early 1970s[1]. In the few years before joining The Experience, aged twenty, he has gained considerable experience touring and as a session musician[2] and had hosted a children's program on TV. Pre-Experience bands included Johnny Harris and the Shades, The Pretty Things, The Riot Squad and Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames.
Mitchell is noted for his work with The Jimi Hendrix Experience on such songs as "Manic Depression", "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", "Fire" and "Third Stone from the Sun". Mitchell came from a jazz background and like many of his drummer contemporaries was strongly influenced by the work of Elvin Jones, Max Roach, and Joe Morello.[3]
Mitchell pioneered a style of drumming, which would later become known as fusion.[citation needed] This is a "lead" style of playing distinguished by interplay with lead instruments such as guitar or keyboards, and the melding of jazz and rock drumming styles. Alongside Hendrix's revolutionary guitar work and songwriting, Mitchell's playing helped redefine rock music drumming.[4] He did this, incidentally, using 'traditional grip'.
Mitchell was Hendrix's most important musical collaborator,[1][5]playing in Hendrix's Experience trio from October 1966 to mid-1969, his Woodstock band in August 1969, and also with the later incarnation of the "Jimi Hendrix Experience" in 1970, with Billy Cox on bass, known as the "Cry of Love" band. Hendrix would often record tracks in the studio with only Mitchell,[citation needed] and in concert the two fed off of each other to exciting effect. Buddy Miles only replaced Mitchell for the three months it took to rehearse, record, produce and deliver the finished Band of Gypsys LP to Ed Chalpin
Mitchell played in the band The Dirty Mac which was assembled for The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus in 1968. The band contained John Lennon as "Winston Leg-Thigh" as vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Eric Clapton as guitarist, Keith Richards as bassist, and Mitch Mitchell as drummer. They recorded a rendition of the song Yer Blues, as well as a jam called Whole Lotta Yoko.
After Hendrix's death, Mitchell (along with engineer Eddie Kramer) finished production work on multiple incomplete Hendrix recordings, resulting in posthumous releases such as "Cry of Love" and "Rainbow Bridge". In 1972, he teamed up with guitarists April Lawton and Mike Pinera (who would later go on to join Iron Butterfly) to form the quite innovative act Ramatam. They recorded one album and were Emerson, Lake & Palmer's opening act at a number of concerts. Interestingly, Mitchell had been offered the drum spot in ELP during 1970, but turned it down in favour of playing with Hendrix. Ramatam never achieved commercial success and Mitchell left the act before their second LP release. Mitchell also did some gigs with Terry Reid, Jack Bruce, and Jeff Beck (subbing for drummer Cozy Powell, then sick).
According to Eddie Kramer's book Hendrix: Setting the Record Straight, Michael Jeffery, Hendrix's manager, an innovator in getting Hendrix promoted and established, relegated both Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding to the status of mere paid employees without an ownership share in future revenues. This limited their earnings to a very low rate and led to Mitchell and Redding being largely excluded from sharing in future revenues generated from their work with The Jimi Hendrix Experience. This arrangement pressured Mitchell in the mid-1970s to sell a prized Hendrix guitar. In addition, he sold his small legal claim to future Hendrix record sales for a sum reported to be in the range of $200,000. In 1974, he auditioned for Paul McCartney's band Wings, but was turned down in favour of drummer and martial arts expert Geoff Britton.
For the rest of the '70s through to the '90s, Mitchell continued to perform and occasionally record although essentially doing so under the radar of most of his previous fans. He kept reasonably busy doing occasional session work (such as Junior Brown's "Long Walk Home" album) as well as participating in various Hendrix-related recordings, videos, and interviews. In the song EXP he plays the radio announcer.
In 1999, Mitchell appeared on the late Bruce Cameron's album, "Midnight Daydream" that included other Hendrix alumni Billy Cox and Buddy Miles along with Jack Bruce, with whom Mitchell had worked after Hendrix's passing. Mitchell, seemingly in an attempt to satisfy the most enthusiastic fans of his drum work with Hendrix, even played a series of live shows with the very accurate Hendrix emulator Randy Hansen. Most recently, he was part of the "Gypsy Sun Experience" band, along with former Hendrix bassist Billy Cox and guitarist Gary Serkin. He is now in semi-retirement and lives in Europe.
[edit] Equipment
Mitchell's equipment circa 1967:
Drums:
Premier 20" x 14" Bass Drum, 2000 Metal Snare, 14" x 8" tom (nicknamed the "The Tuna Can" because of its shape), 14" x 14" Floor Tom, 16" x 16" Floor Tom
Ludwig Silver Sparkle(in classic jazz setup) 22" x 14" bass 13 x 9" tom 14 x 14" & 16 x 16" Floor Toms Ludwig Supra-phonic snare
Ludwig double bass kit(1969) 24" bass drums 12 x 8" Tom 13 x 9" Tom 16 x 16" & 18 x 16" Floor Toms Ludwig Supra-phonic snare (He also used this same setup on Gretsch)
Cymbals:
Zildjian 14" Hi-hats, 16" Crash, 18" Crash Ride, 20" Riveted Ride
[edit] External links
- ^ a b Mitch Mitchell - Allmusic
- ^ Cross, Charles R (2005). Room Full of Mirrors p.162 Hodder and Staughton Ltd. ISBN 0-340-82683-5
- ^ Mitch Mitchell
- ^ The Hendrix Experience
- ^ Jimi Hendrix - AllMusic
