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TL;DR:

  • Jimi Hendrix used profanity to demand radio stations play one psychedelic rock song.
  • The song in question became a memorable one-hit wonder.
  • The one-hit wonder band had a massive impact on other classic rock artists.
Jimi Hendrix playing a guitar
Jimi Hendrix | Michael Putland / Contributor

Jimi Hendrix had a massive influence on classic rock songs. For example, he demanded that radio stations play a certain psychedelic song. The song subsequently became one of the most memorable one-hit wonders of the 1960s.

The psychedelic song Jimi Hendrix liked was not a hit at 1st

Arthur Brown is the frontman of the psychedelic rock band The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. The band is most known for their one big hit: 1968’s “Fire.” During a 2022 interview with NME, he discussed the popularity of the song.

“Everything opened up when ‘Fire’ became a hit and I went from being an underground figure who was regarded as strange to singing and playing with people that were my influences and heroes, like John Lee Hooker and Frank Zappa,” he said.

“When the underground radio stations first turned the song down as not being a ‘hit’, the label took it to the major stations who saw somebody with flames coming out of his head and thought it was an outrageous novelty record that would do well in the summertime,” he added. For context, Brown would wear a helmet he would set ablaze during his live performances.

Jimi Hendrix used profanity to promote The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s most famous song to radio stations

Brown revealed how Hendrix changed everything for The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. “At the same time, Jimi Hendrix helped break ‘Fire’, because he was on the same U.S. label as me, and took the record around the stations demanding: ‘Play this motherf*****!'” he said.

Brown said the song’s crossover appeal had something to do with his makeup, which covered his entire face. “With the makeup I was wearing, nobody could tell where I was from or my race, so all the stations were playing it,” he said.

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The Crazy World of Arthur Brown had an impact on The Who, Alice Cooper, Bruce Dickinson, Kiss and others

“Fire” went on to have a huge impact on pop culture. The Who covered the song, as did the instrumental rock band The Ventures. Marilyn Manson sampled “Fire” for the controversial song “Lunchbox” from the band’s debut album Portrait of an American Family. Like Brown, the members of Marilyn Manson focused on occult themes and often wore kabuki-like face makeup during their performances.

In his interview with NME, Brown said he went on to inspire other artists including Alice Cooper, Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden, and Kiss. Brown said he inspired Kiss’ world-famous makeup.

Brown inspired a lot of rock stars and he is only famous because of Hendrix.

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