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Mitch Mitchell

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For theGuided by Voicesguitarist, seeMitch Mitchell (guitarist).
For other people named John Mitchell, seeJohn Mitchell (disambiguation).

Mitch Mitchell
Mitchell in 1967
Mitchell in 1967
Background information
Birth nameJohn Graham Mitchell
Born(1946-07-09)9 July 1946
Ealing,Middlesex,England
Died12 November 2008(2008-11-12)(aged 62)
Portland, Oregon,U.S.
Genres
OccupationMusician
InstrumentDrums
Years active1960–2008
Formerly of

John Graham "Mitch" Mitchell(9 July 1946 – 12 November 2008)[1][2]was an English drummer and child actor, best known for his work inthe Jimi Hendrix Experience,for which he was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Famein 1992.[3]He was inducted into theModern DrummerHall of Fame in 2009.[4]In 2016, Mitchell was ranked number 8 inRolling Stonemagazine's list of the "100 Greatest Drummers of All Time".[5]

Biography

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Early days

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Mitchell was born inEaling,Middlesex,[2]to Phyliss C. (née Preston) and Thomas J. Mitchell[6][7]on 9 July 1946 (although several modern sources have incorrectly claimed that he was born in 1947).[1][2]As a 13 year old, he had aleading rolein the British filmBottoms Up(1960) withJimmy Edwards.[8]As a teenager he starred in a children's television programme,Jennings at Schooland also had a bit part in the 1963 filmLive It Up!which starredHeinz Burt,David HemmingsandSteve Marriott.

Mitchell became a musician through working atJim Marshall's drum shop on Saturdays while still at school. Among drummers, his chief influences wereElvin JonesandTony Williams.[9]One of his first bands was the Soul Messengers, formed in November 1963 at theEaling Clubwith tenor saxophonist Terry Marshall (born 15 March 1944), son of Jim Marshall.[10]Mitchell left this band inc. July 1964.

Early in his career, he gained considerable musical experience as a touring and session musician, working with Pete Nelson and the Travellers, Frankie Reid and the Casuals (1962),Johnny Harris and the Shades,the Pretty Things,Bill Knight & the Sceptres,the Riot Squad,andthe Whoas a session drummer while the band was in the process of replacingDoug SandomwithKeith Moon.[11]In 1965, he also temporarily replacedViv Princeas drummer inthe Pretty Things.

Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames

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From December 1965 until October 1966, Mitchell was the drummer ofGeorgie Fame and the Blue Flames,appearing on their 1966 albumSweet Things.In a 2015 interview, Fame recalled: "His main hero was jazz drummerRonnie Stephensonand if you look at early film clips of Mitch, he had that Ronnie Stephenson look, the way he set his jaw. And he loved crashing around on the cymbals like Ronnie, but in my band I liked the arrangements pretty tight. When he started splashing around I'd say 'just play the hi-hat!' ".[12]

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

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Mitchell auditioned forthe Jimi Hendrix Experienceon 6 October 1966[13]and was chosen overAynsley Dunbarin a coin toss. Mitchell's fast, driving,jazz-influenced playing meshed well with Hendrix's open-ended, revolutionary approach to the electric guitar. He played on the three best-selling Experience studio albums,Are You Experienced(1967),Axis: Bold As Love(1968), andElectric Ladyland(1968).

Mitchell remained with Hendrix after the Experience broke up whenNoel Reddingquit in June 1969. He performed with Hendrix's expanded lineup atWoodstock(August 1969). Mitchell was replaced briefly withBuddy Milesfor theBand of Gypsysalbum (1970), but rejoined Hendrix (withBilly Coxon bass) for the April–September 1970the Cry of Love Tour.[13]He played drums for most of the songs included on the posthumously-released Hendrix studio albumsThe Cry of Love(1971) (also listed as a co-producer),Rainbow Bridge(1971), andWar Heroes(1972).

Drum sets

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Mitchell debuted with the Hendrix Experience playing aPremierdrum kit in England and Europe in 1967. When the Experience came to the US for the Monterey Pop Music Festival in June 1967 Mitchell was playing that same set. Later in the summer, Mitchell switched to aLudwigdrum set and stayed with Ludwig through the rest of the year, 1967, and continued with Ludwig in 1968 and 1969.[14]In 1970, Mitchell switched to a double-bassGretsch Drumsset, his last year with the Hendrix Experience. With the exception of the 1969WoodstockMusic Festival, during which he played a Rodgers Powertone snare drum, during his time with the JHE, Mitch played a Ludwig Supraphonic 400, a 5- by 14-inch metal snare drum. Much later, and until his untimely passing, he playedDWdrums.

On April 11, 1969, Mitchell played with Jimi in Dorton Arena, in Raleigh, NC, using George Hayman Drums.

Other projects

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In December 1968, Mitchell played withthe Dirty Mac,an impromptu band assembled forThe Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus.Others includedJohn Lennonas vocalist and rhythm guitarist "Winston Leg-Thigh";Yoko Onoproviding improvisedprimal screams;Eric Claptonas guitarist, andKeith Richardsas bassist. The group recorded a cover of "Yer Blues"as well as a jam called" Whole Lotta Yoko ". While working with Hendrix from late 1969 until early 1970, Mitchell also collaborated with the Jack Bruce and Friends band fronted by ex-Creambassist/vocalistJack Bruce,with keyboardist Mike Mandel and jazz-fusion guitarist and futurethe Eleventh HousefrontmanLarry Coryell.

Post-Hendrix

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After Hendrix' death, Mitchell finished production work with engineerEddie Krameron incomplete Hendrix recordings, resulting in the releasesThe Cry of LoveandRainbow Bridge.[15]In 1972, he teamed up with guitaristsMike PineraandApril Lawtonto formRamatam.They recorded the first of Ramatam's two albums and were an opening act forEmerson, Lake & Palmerat a number of concerts.[16]Mitchell and Hendrix had been offered spots in the bandKeith EmersonandGreg Lakewere forming, butCarl Palmergot the drum position instead. Ramatam never achieved commercial success, and Mitchell left the act before their second album was released. He also performed in concerts withTerry Reid,Jack Bruce,andJeff Beckas a substitute for drummerCozy Powell.[17]Mitchell drummed alongsideJohn Halseyin the 1970s jam band Hinkley's Heroes, the only time he played alongside another drummer.[18]In 1974, he auditioned forPaul McCartney's bandWingsbut lost the part toGeoff Brittonin another coin toss.[19]

For the rest of the 1970s through to the 1990s, Mitchell, semi-retired and living in Europe, continued to perform and occasionally record. In 1986, Mitchell teamed up with jazz musician Greg Parker and made a music video session ofLed Zeppelin's "Black Dog".He did session work onJunior Brown'sLong Walk Back[20]and participated in various Hendrix-related recordings, videos, and interviews. In 1999, Mitchell was part of the Gypsy Sun Experience, along with former Hendrix bassist Billy Cox and guitarist Gary Serkin.[21]He also appeared onBruce Cameron's albumMidnight Daydreamthat included Billy Cox,Buddy Milesand Jack Bruce.[22]

Death

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Mitchell was part of the 2008 Experience Hendrix Tour which for nearly four weeks in October and November 2008 travelled on an 18-city tour of the US, finishing inPortland, Oregon.[23][24]The tour also featuredBilly Cox,Buddy Guy,Jonny Lang,Robby Krieger,Kenny Wayne Shepherd,Eric Johnson,Cesar Rosas,David Hidalgo,Brad Whitford,Hubert Sumlin,Chris Layton,Eric Gales,andMato Nanji.

Five days after the tour ended, Mitchell died in his sleep on 12 November, in his room at theBenson Hotelin Portland ofnatural causes.[25]Mitchell had been in ill health for many years due to an immune system disorder and cancer. Mitchell had earlier bouts with extreme fatigue but had recovered from them after a few days' rest in 2007 and 2008. But by the end of the 2008 show, Mitchell was playing only two or three songs and always with a backup drummer alongside. At his last concert in Portland, Oregon, Mitchell looked so weak that his drum technician and tour manager asked him to sit out the entire show. The drum tech filled in for him on the drums on this, the last show of the tour, and the last show of his life. Afterwards, he asked to rest up for a few days due to exhaustion. From Seattle, he had planned to return to his home in England. The tour manager respected Mitchell's request but had outspoken reservations about its wisdom.

Legacy

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QueendrummerRoger Taylorhas described Mitchell as his early role model. He said: "I still think listening to Mitch Mitchell, especially the early stuff with Hendrix, is just fantastic".[26]Matt Sorum,drummer withthe Cult,Guns N' Roses,andVelvet Revolver,has praised his "pure musicianship" and called him "one of the greatest drummers of all time".[25]

In an interview withthe PolicedrummerStewart Copelandin the late 2000s, Copeland listed the Jimi Hendrix Experience debut albumAre You Experiencedas his favourite drum album of all time, and relates that as a child in school, he would walk around with drum beats in his head and wonder how Mitch Mitchell would carve out a rhythm were he to play that song.[27]

In 2016, Mitchell was named the eighth-greatest drummer of all time byRolling Stonemagazine.[28]

Discography

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For a more complete listing of Mitchell's recordings with Hendrix, seeJimi Hendrix discographyandJimi Hendrix posthumous discography.

References

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  1. ^abIn his book about the Experience, Mitchell states he celebrated his 21st birthday while on tour on 9 July 1967, which makes his birth year 1946.Mitchell, Mitch;Platt, John (1990).Jimi Hendrix: Inside the Experience.New York City:St. Martin's Press.pp. 68, 173.ISBN978-0-312-10098-8.
  2. ^abcMitchell's obituaries inBillboard[1],The New York Times[2]andRolling Stone[3]indicate that he was 62 years old at the time of his death (making his birth year 1946). Other obituaries and writers have indicated he was 61 or was born on 9 July 1947:BBC[4],Drummerworld[5],Encyclopædia Britannica[6],The Guardian[7],Los Angeles Times[8],NME[9],NPR[10],The Oregonian[11],The Telegraph[12],Variety[13],Colin LarkininThe Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music(Concise 4th Edition)[14]andHarry ShapiroinJimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy[15]
  3. ^"Jimi Hendrix Experience | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame".
  4. ^"Modern Drummer's Readers Poll Archive, 1979–2014".Modern Drummer.Retrieved10 August2015.
  5. ^Greene, Christopher R.; Weingarten, Jon; Dolan; Diehl, Matt; Micallef, Ken; Ma, David; Smith, Gareth Dylan; Wang, Oliver; Heller, Jason; Runtagh, Jordan; Shteamer, Hank; Smith, Steve; Spanos, Brittany; Grow, Kory; Kemp, Rob; Harris, Keith; Gehr, Richard; Wiederhorn, Jon; Johnston, Maura; Greene, Andy (31 March 2016)."100 Greatest Drummers of All Time".Rolling Stone.Retrieved25 April2024.
  6. ^"Findmypast.co.uk".Archived fromthe originalon 7 February 2017.Retrieved19 September2016.
  7. ^"Search Results for England-and-Wales-Marriages-1837-2008".findmypast.co.uk.Retrieved25 April2024.
  8. ^Cross, Charles R. (2005).Room Full of Mirrors p.162Hodder and Stoughton Ltd.ISBN0-340-82683-5
  9. ^Herman, Gary (December 1981/January 1982)."The Continuing Experience of Mitch Mitchell".Modern Drummer.Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  10. ^Saunders, William (2010)Jimi Hendrix LondonRoaring Forties PressISBN978-0-9843165-1-9
  11. ^McMichael, Joe; Lyons, Jack (15 June 2004).The Who Concert File.Omnibus Press.ISBN978-1-84449-009-7.Retrieved22 October2011.
  12. ^George Fame interview in the booklet accompanying the 2015 Polydor boxset, 'The Whole World's Shaking'
  13. ^abSweeting, Adam (14 November 2008)."Obituary: Mitch Mitchell".Theguardian.
  14. ^Sisario, Ben (3 February 2022)."Drum History Interviews, Episode 121 – The Biography of Mitch Mitchell with Kevin John Simon".drumhistorypodcast.
  15. ^"Mitch Mitchell".Telegraph.co.uk.13 November 2008.
  16. ^Sisario, Ben (12 November 2008)."Mitch Mitchell, Drummer in the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Dies at 62".The New York Times.
  17. ^Gray, Chris (13 November 2008)."R.I.P. Mitch Mitchell".Houston Press.
  18. ^Moody, Micky (3 November 2016).Snakes and Ladders – My Autobiography: A Rock 'n' Roll Odyssey as Whitesnake's Guitarist.John Blake Publishing.ISBN9781786063489– via Google Books.
  19. ^"Mitch Mitchell: drummer with the Jimi Hendrix experience".Thetimes.co.uk.14 November 2008.
  20. ^"Junior Brown takes the long road – September 1998".Countrystandardtime.
  21. ^Goodwin, William (12 November 2008)."Hendrix Experience Drummer Mitch Mitchell Found Dead".Spin.
  22. ^"Bruce Cameron Dead At 43".Mtv.Archived fromthe originalon 12 August 2019.
  23. ^"A brief history of 2008 National Tour".Experience Hendrix Tour.
  24. ^"Jimi Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell dies aged 62".Daily Telegraph.13 November 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 5 December 2008.
  25. ^abKreps, Daniel (12 November 2008)."Jimi Hendrix Experience Drummer Mitch Mitchell Dies".Rollingstone.Retrieved10 August2015.
  26. ^"Roger's Drum Master Class (Music Works – BBC World Service, November 28 1993)".Queen Online.Retrieved10 August2015.
  27. ^Bosso, Joe (19 December 2015)."Stewart Copeland: the 12 Records That Changed My Life".Classic Rock Magazine.Retrieved28 January2020.
  28. ^"100 Greatest Drummers of All Time".Rollingstone.31 March 2016.Retrieved16 September2016.

Further reading

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