Could Eric Clapton, in his prime, perform Jimi Hendrix's songs live?

Hendrix or Clapton's ?

 

But not necessarily in the correct order............

 

Junior Brown does a mean Jimi.

 

Hendrix is so unique that he’s untouchable. Yes, many people could play the notes but there is so much more to it than that. Jimi’s guitar was an extension of himself and his personality, thoughts and feelings. That’s something no one could duplicate fully unless they were him, which they never will be. He is the real deal, everyone else is just playing the part.

 

I really doubt whether Clapton could pull off something like Jimi's Woodstock improvisation.. just doesn't have the technique IMO. To be honest, I've always felt he's overrated as a guitar player, strictly pentatonic blues box stuff. I guess you just had to be there or something...

 

Supernatural.

 

That's a better question: Could Jimi play like Beck? Well, the more mature Beck where he uses his wiggle stick to sing like a bird in perfect pitch. Beck's on an island in that regard.

 

Peter Green?:

 

He could play it. But NOT like this.

 

I can't point you to any interviews where he states this explicitly, but Clapton's undying admiration for Jimi (and recognition that nobody could touch him, then or now) is absolutely evident.

My actual feeling re: the poll is, something between options 1 and 2.

 

Jimi came from outer space, Peter Green went there.

 

This reminds me of a show where SRV was the headliner but played first. Robert Cray was next up. I like him too but after Stevie...it just seemed lifeless, a lot of people left.

 

There seems to be a lot of misinformation here already. The poster asks if someone can play someone else's songs. That is not the same as asking if someone can

a) copy someone else's solo
b) is as good as someone else or better than someone else.

So the answer, as evidenced by Little Wing and other is 'yes'.

Technique is not the issue. There are a lot of people with technique, who can only copy someone else. It's not what makes someone special as an artist.

They were both also pentatonic blues players, but Hendrix was more obviously attempting to set himself free from it. He probably would have in time

 

He could do it and it would sound like Clapton. Why would he want to sound like Hendrix?

 

Still sounds apologetically polite to me.

 

He would sound like Clapton. I do guitar set-up for a professional guitar player and it does not matter what guitar, amp or effects he uses, he had his own unique tone. Strange but true.

 

I dunno, around the two minute mark, there weren't many people with that sound - level of sustain and attack, at that particular time ('66), but then Hendrix hadn't shown up yet (but was just about to!)

 

Well, Eric was ENGLISH after all ...

 

Certainly not a clone; but who'd want that anyway... an interpretation? of course Eric honed his chops by reflecting on and interpreting other guitarists styles, most notably to my ear, Freddy King... but on some songs we might not want that, an interpretation either. On others though the results have been, would be very interesting at the very least.

 

As long as he didn't sing...

 

I've seen cover bands do a decent job. Of course Clapton could have. Silly question.

 

both seriously OVERRATED

 

No.

 

I'm English and no-one's ever accused me of being apologetically polite.

 

Clapton has written some classics, but he's associated with more songs written by others than he is with self penned ones.