FIRST RELEASED IN 1993
The cleverly titled “If 60’s Were 90’s” by the band Beautiful People, is a truly unique and seminal record.
“Beautiful People are a bunch of movers and shakers from London's Acid House Scene, who have a highly developed fascination with the music of Jimi Hendrix, emphatically not a ‘Tribute’ band in the style of the Bootleg Beatles or the Australian Doors, Beautiful People have used sampling technology to virtually recruit Hendrix into the groups line up.” - David Sinclair, Billboard Magazine
Consisting of over fifty guitar riffs, vocal cut outs, out- take lead breaks, and word raps from guitar god Jimi Hendrix, “If 60’s Were 90’s” also features spoken steals from Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell, 60’s blues guitarist Mike Bloomfield and a party called the “Milky Way Express” that included the one and only Frank Zappa. Like some Groovy Psychedelic time-machine cruising the Hendrixphere, Beautiful People pluck from over 30 different Hendrix recordings, writing nine new songs creating an... “Ambient Dance Dream Tribute” (Kris Needs, NME)… of … “Super Psychedelic Baggy Indie dance with Orb like overtones..” (Ian McCan, VOX) creating a sound that arguably helped kick off the rock dance crossover phenomenon of the early 90’s, bringing guitars back into dance music while still retaining the psychedelic rock majesty of one of the greatest guitarists of the 20th Century.
It all began when Singer/ Guitarist turned Acid House promoter Duncan Elder AKA Du Kane teamed up with Keyboardist/Studio Tech Whizz Luke Baldry, and created a one-off Hendrix sampled house track that found its way to Eric Clapton. Eric initially wanted to release the track but on managerial advice generously passed it on to Alan Douglas, (who ironically had been looking for an “environment” for the sampling of Hendrix at that time.) Douglas gave the gig to Kane and Baldry, the boys decided to name the band after Kane’s Acid House promotion company “Beautiful People” a name inspired by and attributed to author Ken Kesey and his team of 60’s Merry Pranksters. The album was completed in July 1992 with live drums recorded by Robin Goodridge (later of BUSH fame) and first released in 1993 on Castle Communications Essential label with remixes by Killing Joke bassist and Legendary producer YOUTH (Pink Floyd, Verve, U2.) The album was generally well received even if the idea of it did freak out some purists, but it proved to be a grower. The New York Post called it “An inspired bit of Grave Digging.” In 1994 Beautiful People toured Europe supporting HAWKWIND then on the personal request of Noel Gallagher toured the UK on the OASIS “Definitely Maybe” tour.
After securing an American deal with Continuum records Beautiful People racked up a number #1 and number #3 in the US dance chart with “If 60’s Was 90’s,” and “Rilly Groovy” (the former with accompanied video featuring Jimi’s son James Sunquist, aka Jimi Hendrix Jnr,) “Rilly Groovy” which was also placed in the opening credits for the movie “P.C.U” (a Grunge Era National Lampoon’s Uni flick starring Jeremy Piven and David Spade), as well as “If 60’s Was 90’s” being added to the movie soundtrack of “Prefontaine” starring Jared Leto... With a huge American Tour booked and the single about to be released to the mainstream chart, everything was looking good when out of the blue their American Label Continuum went bankrupt ...everything halted and the album was frozen.
...And this Cult favorite was lost in a 90’s ethereal mist...
That is... until now...Out on Gonzo MultiMedia in box set form, and for the first time on (Purple) Vinyl is the whole remastered album, a triple CD selection of the best remixes by YOUTH, PM DAWN, Ben Mitchell, and Astralasia amongst others, a remastered CD of the album, also a DVD of all the bands Live TV performances, music videos, an interview with Alan Douglas, as well as a scrapbook coffee table book put together by Ian Brown and Fall. Producer Mike Bennett, with Du Kane telling the whole story with pictures and testimonials from members of the Darkness, Happy Mondays, The Fall, Sub Sub, Wishbone Ash, Sisters of Mercy, Oasis, Spiritulised, Steve Etherington, BUSH, Primal Scream, blues guitarist Will Johns, Fuzz Box, The Dust Junkys, and Hendrix photographer Karl Ferris commenting on how much influence “If 60’s Were 90’s” had on them personally, and on the music that followed, proving that Jimi Hendrix was still showing the way to another generation twenty five years after his tragic passing, and still inspiring future generations.
“It’s an album to dream to... or just play spot the lick ...and the closing ‘The Sea’...Eventually incredibly combines the beautiful intro of ‘Hey Baby’ with those stoned vocals of Electric Ladyland. It’s as if Jimi just got up and walked into the studio yesterday.” - Record Collector
“Listening to this album it is obvious it was made with the utmost respect...in fact somewhere or other Jimi is probably smiling” - Guitarist magazine
“Mixing previously unheard slabs of Hendrix into an Ethereal Post Rave haze will appeal to psychedelic warlords of all ages” - Melody Maker
“Sounds like the ghost of Jimbo is its executive producer”- SELECT MAGAZINE
“The fact that Jimi’s 60’s freakouts are still lightyears ahead of what passes for rock in the 90’s is not wasted on this group...An ambient dance dream tribute” – NME
“You get the sense Beautiful People do actually know and love Hendrix’s music ...it’s a great record both cheeky and elegant” - TIME OUT
“Loved if 60’s Were 90’s a hidden Gem...and a welcome relief from Brit Pop” - Billy Duffy (Guitarist - The Cult, Dead Men Walking)
“One of my favorite bands of the 90’s. It’s great to hear If 60’s Were 90’s is out again... Historic!” - Kenney Jones (Drummer - Small Faces, The Faces, The Who and Jones Gang)
“A right Royal Hendrix Groovathon!” - Toby Toman (Drummer - Primal Scream, Nico)
“Beautiful People were massive in Manchester...It was Perfect as purist Hendrix fans loved it and another generation in the indie scene lapped it up too... and not a duff track on it!” - Nicky Tunes (Dust Junkys and collaborator with the Fun Lovin Criminals)
“I played all the Live drums on this Jimi inspired dance /rock crossover record... I gave a copy to Gavin Rossdale and he was so impressed he called me early the next morning about doing an audition for BUSH!” - Robin Goodridge (Drummer - Beautiful People, Spear Of Destiny, BUSH, Ellis)
“When I first heard the ‘Beautiful People - If 60’s was 90’s’ album,
I was Blown Away with how they respectfully fused Jimi Hendrix’s music with their modern Electronic Beat and played along perfectly with him as if he was there in the group! And therefore, I absolutely know that he would have loved it and would have wanted to Jam with them...” - Karl Ferris (Photographer & Designer of “The Jimi Hendrix Experience” 1967-1968 US Album Covers:“Are You Experienced?” and “Electric Ladyland”)
“Wow when of my favorite remixes, I remember hearing it as the closing track on a beach on a 20k rig with 2000 freaks going crazy just after dawn, dolphins were flippin, naked beautiful people in the waterfall... Certainly one of the best and most memorable experiences I’ve ever had...” - Youth (Bassist for Killing Joke and Producer for Pink Floyd, The Verve, Paul Mcartney and many more.)
To purchase: https://www.musicglue.com/beautiful-people/
Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com
