David Gilmour: I mixed Hendrix at the Isle of Wight festival

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Pink Floyd guitarist reveals hand in historic gig

Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour has revealed that he was at least partly responsible for Jimi Hendrix's sound during his iconic performance at 1970's Isle of Wight Festival.

Speaking to Prog magazine, Gilmour reveals, “I helped mix the sound for Hendrix at the Isle of Wight in 1970. Not a lot of people know that. 

They said ‘Help! Help!’ so I did

David Gilmour

"I went down to go to it and I was camping in a tent, just being a punter," he continued. "I went backstage where our main roadie guy, Peter Watts, was trying to deal with all the mayhem, with Charlie Watkins of WEM.

"They were very nervous; they were going to have to mix Hendrix’s sound. I did some mixing stuff in those days and they said ‘Help! Help!’ so I did.”

That performance, though hampered by a series of technical hitches, was released in part on a 1971 compilation, before being issued in its entirety as a film, Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight.

You can read Gilmour's full interview in the current issue of Prog, which is on sale now.

(Image credit: ullstein bild / Getty)
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