Stars that Play with Laughing Sam's Dice

Dear James,

I was watching one of those rock biography films last night of the type that should appear on the Hallmark channel but in this case appeared on VH1. You know the type, like the one which imagines what the conversation might have gone like when Paul McCartney and John Lennon met up in New York in 1975, with actors with a passing resemblance to the people in question and questionable accents. This particular one was about Jimi Hendrix, although the filmmakers didn't appear to have obtained the rights to include any Jimi Hendrix songs, so had him singing "Like A Rolling Stone" in a Hendrix styley, and also recreating the Wild Thing guitar burning bit. It was so dull, I switched over to Ray on the other channel, but even heroin and the devil's music couldn't keep me from going to bed.

Before turning over, I noted with curiosity that The Jimi Hendrix Experience once toured with The Soft Machine in support. The Soft Machine, who may even be called plain Soft Machine, is a band that has frequently piqued my interest, though never enough to bother watching anything on Youtube or download any of their songs illegally. Even now, in what is by all rights a Soft Machine post, I can't be bothered to look for videos, although this is mostly down to knowing that you'll have something up your sleeve and my being at work.

This much I know about The Soft Machine:
1. Robert Fripp was in them, and he's supposed to be this really good guitarist who features frequently in magazines like "Guitarist Monthly".
2. They were named after a William Burroughs novel. I used to be interested in William Burroughs, back in my subversive days, but the film for Naked Lunch was just a bit too boring.
3. Brian Eno might have had something to do with them, or I'm just making that up to suggest some tie-in with my previous post.
4. The chap in the wheelchair who sang "Shipbuilding" was in them too.

So as you can see, I'm at a bit of a loss and would appreciate any assistance. In return, I can tell you that Stars who Play with Laughing Sam's Dice was a b-side to Burning of the Midnight Lamp, the title includes a reference to LSD and to STP, and in common with most songs off Smash Hits, it brings back fond memories of my first girlfriend, Lucy.

Dear Daniel,

If Stars That Play... was the B-side of Burning of the Midnight Lamp, then that's my two favourite Hendrix moments in one concise package. If they'd put Crosstown Traffic and Fire (or just the comedy "let Jimi take over..." bit) in the run-off grooves, that would be the only Hendrix record I'd listen to.

I want to continue this reply as a new post, so that I can bring more attention to one of my favourite guitarists... it'll be Bowie's Fashion.

Dear James,

You don´t like Hendrix? All this time, and you never told me.