Greg Lake confirms that Jimi Hendrix was considered for a spot in the earliest incarnation of Emerson Lake and Palmer — and that he was utterly aware of how that might have changed things when it came to the group’s name.
After all, had the fiery guitarist joined, their alphabetic moniker would have changed to HELP.
“It didn’t escape the notice of the press at the time,” Lake tells BackstageAxxess. “But to be honest with you, I never believed it would have worked, really, in the long run. It may have been great for a couple of days, because Jimi was fantastic, and (stalwart keyboardist) Keith (Emerson) also. But two virtuoso players in one band, it would have soon melted down.”
The issue quickly became moot, of course, because Hendrix died not long after. He passed on September 18, 1970, at just 27. Emerson Lake and Palmer’s celebrated self-titled debut followed in October.
Still, the idea of their collaborating remains a deeply intriguing talking point for rock fans.
“The first drummer we interviewed with (Hendrix band) drummer Mitch Mitchell,” Lake says, “and it was actually Mitch who suggested getting together with Jimi. At the time Jimi was working with Band of Gypsys. Mitch said: ‘He’s finishing that in two or three weeks. When he’s finished, why don’t we get together and have a play to see if it would work?’ I said OK, and we left it at that. We were waiting, really, for Jimi to finish that project.”
In the meantime, however, Lake was contacted by manager Robert Stigwood (then manager of Cream and Bee Gees), who suggested Carl Palmer as a drummer. “And of course, once we played with Carl,” Lake adds, “all three of us instantly realized: That was the band.”
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I just can’t really think of E.L.P. configured any other way. As I said before Mr. Emerson’s talent and showmanship with the keyboards is second to none. Mr. Palmer’s mastery of percussion has to be seen to be believed. At the World series of Rock in Cleveland Mr. Palmer was playing two bass drums with his feet one hand playing something his other hand playing something else. He was biting a rope to ring a large bell over his head. It really would have not surprised me if he pulled out his ummmm “Third stick” and played a snare drum with it. Last but in no way least Mr. Lake’s talent with string instruments of so many kinds. I can’t think of a person that plays so many on stage during a single show. His talent with stringed instruments can only be topped by his singing. I have listened to him sing for 40 years and love it as much today as I did when I first heard his Silk at midnight voice. I can’t thank the three members enough for a lifetime of wonderful music. Scott W. Arnold