Brian Meets Jimi Hendrix

by Bob Stanley of St Etienne.

Brian Matthew is sat next to me, recalling the American stars he interviewed back in the sixties - the Everly Brothers, Sonny and Cher, and Gene Pitney ("he was always incredibly co-operative and friendly right from the word go - he was lovely"). Then there was Jimi Hendrix - a meeting Brian remembers rather less fondly...

"I do remember looking forward to it, being rather excited. But he was a peculiar guy, you know? I suppose if you were a rock guitarist and met him it was a different matter. He was a bit - I don't know how to express it... he wasn't very friendly, put it that way.

"But of course he was an extraordinary player. We did a session with him, including Hey Joe, down at the Playhouse Theatre, which we had in those days as a studio. And that was tremendous. It was not good from an interview point of view... probably the fault was mine" Brian laughs, "because I didn't think I really liked what he was doing! Apart from I admired the way he did it, if you see what I mean. It wasn't my kind of music, at that stage, so I've not too brilliant a recollection of that."

Was the interview recorded specifically for the Top Of The Pops radio show? "Yes it would have been. That was a transcription service production, which went to countries all over the world. I did that show every week for forty years! It wasn't for broadcast in this country. Nevertheless, each week, there would be interview material with top stars of the day, mainly British of course but occasional American visitors."

Luckily for us, one of them was Jimi Hendrix, and now we can get to hear the rather problematic interview that the rest of the world heard back in 1967.

You'll find more of Brian's - less tricky - interviews with the stars, here.