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22 май 2025
K.K. DOWNING Says JIMI HENDRIX's 'Purple Haze' And 'Foxy Lady' Were 'Cutting-Edge Metal' Songs When They Were First Released
"I'm so lucky, by the way," he continued. "I'm absolutely blessed to have been born in 1951. And I have to say that, because just as I was coming of age and started to have a bit of common sense and awareness, when I was kind of 13, 14 and 15, everything was happening musically — everything. So much was happening. Admittedly, a lot of it, to start with, was kind of on the pop front, with THE BEATLES and so many other bands. But also we had coming along, obviously we had the blues movement with JOHN MAYALL & THE BLUESBREAKERS and the CREAM, and, obviously, THE ROLLING STONES, THE SMALL FACES were great, THE TROGGS, THE PRETTY THINGS and so many bands. And I was just, like, 14 years old or something. It was so exciting because it was moving so fast. And then when I was 16, I went to see Jimi Hendrix for the first time, and that was life changing. But everything was so exciting. There were so many bands, progressive blues movement. JETHRO TULL, BLODWYN PIG, TEN YEARS AFTER, TASTE, FREE. I mean, it was endless, endless. But, obviously, me being and thinking the way that I was, in my mind, I was always into the kind of more kind of moody, darker… That's why I liked THE ROLLING STONES early on, 'cause they were kind of eclectic and kind of dark looking — in the early days, whenever you used to see them. But it was exciting times."
Downing added: "The evolution of what happened between the late '60s, especially, and the mid-'70s — SCORPIONS, UFO, BLACK SABBATH — there were so many other ingredients coming into play that wasn't blues, wasn't particularly progressive blues, but there was another different style, which I was attracted to, which was more kind of riff-orientated songs as opposed to kind of 12 bars or something a bit more blues based. 'Cause so many great bands were very much blues based, progressive, hence progressive blues — FLEETWOOD MAC and so many bands that I mentioned. But what was to become eventually heavy metal was actually there. It was prevalent in bands like JUDAS PRIEST, definitely BLACK SABBATH and some other bands. These ingredients were there. But the great Jimi Hendrix had some heavy metal in there — 'Purple Haze' and 'Foxy Lady'. I mean, those songs, they were cutting-edge metal, as far as I was concerned."
Back in May 2021, Downing picked Hendrix as his "Rock God" during an appearance on BBC's "The Rock Show With Johnnie Walker" and stated about his choice: "I first saw Jimi at Coventry Theatre way back in 1967, and what an amazing night that was. I was lucky enough to see Jimi no less than six times, including his two appearances at the Royal Albert Hall [in February 1969]. And yes, I was out there, at the stage door, autograph hunting. I was really lucky — Jimi arrived, and I managed to get his autograph, which was a real treat.
"I absolutely must tell the story about the Isle Of Wight festival where Jimi was performing [in August 1970]. Myself and a friend cunningly worked our way back to the dressing room area, which was outside, but Jimi, Noel and Mitch were in a caravan that they were using for a dressing room. And me and my friend, we hinged the window up and there they were, the three of the [JIMI HENDRIX] EXPERIENCE around a table with a couple of ladies. And myself and my mate, we managed to get a drumstick from Mitch and a Coke bottle that Jimi had just finished drinking a beverage from, and that was a real highlight of my whole life."
He continued: "Jimi could absolutely stir any audience up into a complete frenzy; they would jump from the balconies and they would rush the stage. And I know, because I was one of those fans that did just that."
Widely recognized as one of the most creative musicians of all time, Hendrix's influence with his genre-defying mix of blues, funk, soul jazz and R&B still impacts musicians worldwide today.
Hendrix pioneered the explosive possibilities of the electric guitar. His innovative style of combining fuzz, feedback and controlled distortion created a new musical form and his influence resonates to this day.
Jimi died of a drug overdose on September 18, 1970 at the age of 27.
Hendrix's 1968 album "Electric Ladyland", hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.
In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."
Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.
The remixed and remastered version of "Rocka Rolla" was released digitally in the U.S. and Canada last September. The CD and vinyl versions of "Rocka Rolla - 50th Anniversary: Remixed And Remastered 1974 - 2024" arrived in November.
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А рок для меня начался с Deep Purple и Black Sabbath.