JIMMY JAMES AND THE BLUE FLAMES
Jimmy James and the Blue Flames was a short-lived American rock group that was fronted by Jimi Hendrix, who was then going by the name “Jimmy James”. The band was Hendrix’s first extended foray into the 1966 Greenwich Village music scene and included future Spirit guitarist Randy California. At various New York clubs, they played a mix of rock, blues, and rhythm and blues songs as well as early versions of songs that became part of the Jimi Hendrix Experience repertoire. It was at such a performance that Animals’ bassist Chas Chandler first heard their rendition of “Hey Joe” and decided to invite Hendrix to England and become his producer. (More from Wikipedia)
A noted guitar prodigy, Randy Craig Wolfe of Spirit was given his moniker at age 15 by none other than Jimi Hendrix (before Jimi started using that spelling); when they played together in 1966 in one of Hendrix’s early bands, Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, Jimi called him “Randy California” in order to distinguish him from Randy Palmer who was also in the band.
(November 2014)
