Nothing was more satisfying and guaranteed to infuriate the old guys on the Nha Trang Mike Force than Purple Haze blaring from my record player. They hated Jimi! So I turned him up. Their heads would pop. It was 1968, a lot was changing in the world, I was exposed to great music in Washington D.C. where I would hitchhike on many weekends. The revolution was in full blossom and there were plenty of Sisters of Mercy turning us on playing us new music, and telling us to desert. I took Are You Experienced with me to Vietnam, along with The Doors, Strange Days, and Frank Zappas FREAK OUT. All three would keep the officers and senior NCOs ay bay. They only wanted to listen to Johnny Cashs Ring of Fire. So I played Jimi every second I could. The Purple Haze was the purple smoke from the smoke grenades used to mark helicopter landing zones in the jungle.
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 10:55:19 +0000