The world’s worst performance at a top-class rock concert

Updated 9 August 2011

The following seems to be the only recorded collaboration between rock icons Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison. It was an impromptu jam at the The Scene Club in New York in March 1968. Both Hendrix and Morrison were drunk, and Morrison’s lyrics has to be heard to be believed.

Dubbed “Morrison’s Lament”, the highlight is basically Morrison’s drunken obscene screamings.

The track is included in Bleeding Heart, a posthumous Jimi Hendrix live album which was finally released officially in 1994.

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2 June 2010

The supergroup Dirty Mac performed together on 11th December 1968 for The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus with the following members:
- John Lennon (of The Beatles – vocals & rhythm guitar)
- Eric Clapton (of Cream – lead guitar)
- Keith Richards (of The Rolling Stones – bass)
- Mitch Mitchell (of The Jimi Hendrix Experience – drums)

Absolutely living legends, world-class rock stars of the 60s (and even until now).

Add to that Ivry Gitlis, a top violinist, who apparently played a 1713 Stradivarius.

So how can you spoil such a heady mix?

Simple: put the inimitable Yoko Ono into the fray.

They performed a “bluesy jam” entitled Whole Lotta Yoko (composed by Ms Ono). Yoko put in a vocal performance that has to be seen and heard to be believed, and has been described as “endless caterwauling,” and that “a car alarm can sing better.”

Here it is in all its glory (unfortunately audio only). Ms Ono makes her entrance around 1:30.

Her performance, especially considering the qualify of musicians she was next to, was enough to make me wonder if her life insurance rates had just skyrocketed.

I hope you survive the next 5 minutes or so