GUITAR SUPER HEROES

1. GUITAR SUPER HEROES History and Development Of Rock and Roll

2. 2 Guys to Remember • Les Paul and Leo Fender • Inventors and developers of electric guitar • No electric guitar = no rock and roll • Three classic rock electric guitars • Gibson “Les Paul” • Fender “Telecaster” • Fender “Stratocaster”

3. Eric Clapton

4. Childhood • Born March 30, 1945 • Ripley, Surrey, England • Illegitimate son • Raised by grandparents • Thought they were his parents • Thought mom was his sister • The truth hurt

5. Early Music Influences • Influenced by the blues at early age • Got his first guitar at age 13 • Tried to copy sounds of black blues artists • Practiced for hours on end • Found it so difficult he almost gave it up

6. Main musical influence was Robert Johnson • Did a tribute album entitled “Me and Mr. Johnson” • Liner notes: “It is a remarkable thing to have been driven and influenced all of my life by the work of one man . . . I am talking of course about Robert Johnson.” • Other influences included B.B. King, J.J. Cale, and others

7. Groups and Recordings • Joined the Yardbirds in 1963 • Blues influenced • Clapton forged a distinctive style • One of the most talked about guitarists • Left the group in 1965 • After their first big song – “For Your Love” • Replaced by Jimmy Page

8. Joined in 1965 • Worldwide name as blues guitarist • Inspired famous graffiti • Clapton embarrassed by the slogan • Did not feel he was the greatest guitarist

9. Formed Cream in 1966 • Early “super group” and “power trios” • Developed as singer/songwriter • Huge commercial success • 15 million records in 3 years • “Sunshine of Your Love” • “White Room” • “Crossroads”

10. Developed close friendship with George Harrison • Co-wrote “Badge” • Clapton played on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” • Lennon even proposed Clapton replace George

11. Blind Faith • Short lived group that featured Ginger Baker and a young Steve Winwood • “Can’t Find My Way Home” • “Presence of the Lord”

12. Derek and the Dominos • Included guitarist Duane Allman • Met back stage after Allman Brothers concert • Jammed and became friends • Asked Duane to join group • A year later killed in a motorcycle accident

13. “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs” • “Layla” • Had fallen deeply in love with Patty Boyd-Harrison and rejected • Supplied most material • “Bell Bottom Blues” • “Little Wing” • Hendrix cover • Did it a week before Jimi died • Initially cool response, now regarded as Clapton’s masterpiece

14. Solo Career

15. “461 Ocean Boulevard” • “I Shot the Sheriff” • “Slowhand” • “Wonderful Tonight” • Another Patty Boyd inspiration • Now married • “Cocaine”

16. “Unplugged” • Part of MTV’s series • Acoustic versions • “Layla” • “Tears in Heaven”; Clapton’s son, Connor, fell from a 53rd story hotel balcony and was killed

17. Style(s) • Blues – “Hey, Hey” • Rock – “Sunshine of Your Love” • Blues-rock – “Crossroads” • Psychedelic rock – “White Room” • Reggae – “I Shot the Sheriff” • Acoustic – “Tears in Heaven” • Pop – “Change the World”

18. Clapton’s Legacy • Three inductions in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame • Yardbirds (’92) • Cream (’93) • Eric Clapton (2000) • #53 on the Rolling Stone “100 Immortals” • #4 on the Rolling Stone “100 Greatest Guitarists”

19. Clapton’s Tragedies • Bought Hendrix a guitar for his birthday, but Jimi died before he could give the gift • Duane Allman died a year after joining Derek and the Dominos • Stevie Ray Vaughn was touring with Clapton and was killed in a helicopter crash • Clapton’s son, Connor, was killed • Many drug and alcohol problems

21. JimiHendrix

22. Childhood and early years • Born November 27, 1942 • Seattle, Washington • Troubled youth • Mom died in 1958 • Moved in with grand mother • Kicked out of high school • For holding hands with a white girl • Enlisted in and released from army in 1961

23. Early Career • Post army he played the “Chitlin Circuit” • Black oriented venues in American South • Experienced extreme racism and poverty • Moved to New York in 1964 • Guitarist in back up bands for The Isley Brothers, Little Richard, Ike and Tina Turner • Often clashed with headliners because of flamboyant style and stage antics

24. Groups and Recordings • The Jimi Hendrix Experience • Moved to London and formed in 1966 • Cool reception from Andrew Oldham; rejected by Rolling Stones manager (referred by Keith Richards girlfriend)

25. “Are You Experienced” – 1967 • 1st album • Only The Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s” album kept it from being #1 • Key Songs • “Hey Joe” • “Purple Haze” • “The Wind Cries Mary” • “Foxy Lady” • “Fire”

26. Moved back to America in 1967 • Debuted at the Monterey Pops Festival • Recommended by Paul McCartney • Large audiences plus a documentary of the festival that showed in movie theaters • Immortalized the guitar burning

27. Short lived gig as warm up band for The Monkees • Continued to develop wild man image • Play guitar with teeth; behind his head

28. “Axis Bold As Love” – 1967 • 2nd album • Continued style established by 1st album • More profound sense of melody with well known technical prowess • Almost lost master tape Key Songs • “Little Wing” • Covers by Derek and the Dominos (Clapton), and Stevie Ray Vaughn • “If 6 Were 9”

29. “Electric Ladyland” – 1968 • 3rd album • Departure from previous style • Experimenting with different musicians and instruments • Jimi turned perfectionist • Key Songs • “Voodoo Child” • Stereophonic phasing • “All Along the Watchtower” • Cover of Bob Dylan • “Crosstown Traffic”

30. 1969 not a good year • The break up of The Jimi Hendrix Experience • Legal problems • Legal dispute over live album • Drug charges • EXCEPT FOR . . . .

31. Woodstock • Was headliner at Woodstock music festival in August of 1969 • Included Santana, The Who, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, CS&N • Hendrix was highest paid • $18,000 • Featured “Star Spangled Banner”

33. Politics and Racism • Continued to experience racism from both sides • Felt the white hatred in the American South • Shunned by much of the black community for playing “white music” and having whites in his band

34. Drug Use • Used hallucinogenic drugs – LSD • “Sleeping pills” and alcohol • Contributed directly to his death • September 18, 1970

35. Legacy • Flamboyant and expressive guitar style • Strove to combine “earth and space” • “earth” – a blues, jazz or funk accompaniment • “space” – high pitched psychedelic sounds from improvised guitar solos

36. Fender Stratocaster – always used a right handed one • Could play lead and rhythm at same time • Experimented with various sounds • Distortion • Feedback • Wah • Fuzz • Stereophonic phasing

37. Recognitions • Inducted into R&R Hall of Fame in 1992 • #1 on Rolling Stone list of “100 Greatest Guitarist of All Time” • (also Guitar World) • #6 on Rolling Stone list of “100 Immortals” • #3 on VH1 list of Greatest Rock Artists of all time (behind Beatles and Stones)

38. FYI • One of rock music’s tragic “3 J’s” • Jim Morrison • Janis Joplin • Jimi Hendrix • All suffered drug related deaths at age 27 within a few months of each other

40. Jimmy Page

41. Childhood and early years • Born January 9, 1944 • Heston, Middlesex, England • Got his first guitar at age 12 • Primarily self-taught

42. Musical Influences • Rockabilly • Scotty Moore and James Burton (Elvis) • Acoustic folk • Blues • Elmore James, B.B. King

43. Early Career • Played in a skiffle band at first • Left school at 15 to pursue music • Toured with The Crusaders for 2 yrs • Became quite ill • Quit music to concentrate on painting • While in school worked as session player

44. The Yardbirds • Joined in 1965 when Clapton left • Later Jeff Beck left as well • Group remained a quartet

45. Yarbirds broke up in 1968 • Page recruited new players • Toured as “The New Yardbirds” • Manager changed the group’s name to:

46. Led Zeppelin Years • Personnel • Jimmy Page – guitar • Robert Plant – vocals • John Paul Jones – bass • John Bonham - drums

47. Served as producer, composer and guitarist • Trademark Gibson “Les Paul” • Also Telecaster • Acoustic guitar • Fuzz • Pedal steel • Slide guitar • Mandolin

48. Guitar Innovations • “Distance in depth” recording technique • Played guitar with a cello bow • FYI – reputed to own over 1500 guitars

49. Close working association with singer Robert Plant like many other “pairs”; Mick and Keith, Steven and Joe, Slash and Axl, Zakk and Ozzy

50. Led Zeppelin Success • One of the 1st heavy metal bands • #1 on VH1’s “100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists” • #14 on Rolling Stone “100 Immortals” • 7 albums on Rolling Stone “500 Greatest Albums” list • Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – 1995 • Grammy Lifetime Achievement - 2005