Rainbow Bridge

Rainbow Bridge
Studio album by Jimi Hendrix
Released	October 1971
Recorded	1968–1970 at TTG Studios, Record Plant Studios and Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York and Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, California
Genre	Psychedelic rock, blues rock, hard rock, funk rock, acid rock
Length	42:22
Label	Reprise
Producer	Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell, Eddie Kramer, John Jansen
Jimi Hendrix chronology
The Cry of Love (1971) Rainbow Bridge (1971) War Heroes (1972)

Rainbow Bridge is a posthumous fifth studio album by American guitarist Jimi Hendrix, released in October and November 1971 in the United States and the United Kingdom respectively. It was the second Hendrix studio album released after his death and was engineered, mixed and compiled by Eddie Kramer, John Jansen and Mitch Mitchell.

Overview

The pairing of Rainbow Bridge with The Cry of Love comprises the bulk of the most complete tracks that Hendrix was intending to release on his next (double) LP, First Rays of the New Rising Sun. All songs on the album were written by Hendrix, except the cover of "The Star-Spangled Banner", and recorded throughout 1969 and 1970, with the exception of "Look Over Yonder", which was recorded in 1968. "Hear My Train A Comin'" was recorded live at the Berkeley Community Theatre on May 30, 1970 (1st show). The album was the second to be produced by Kramer and Mitchell, with the help of Jansen, and was again fairly well received, reaching #15 and #16 in the U.S. and the UK respectively. "Dolly Dagger" b/w "Star Spangled Banner" was released as a single in the U.S., but only reached #74. Four songs from Rainbow Bridge are featured on the 1997 compilation First Rays of the New Rising Sun. Two songs are featured on another 1997 compilation South Saturn Delta. The (studio) version of "The Star Spangled Banner" can be found in the 2000 box set The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Box set). Though misconstrued to be a live album of the famed concert uptop the Haleakala Crater (but actually nowhere near the crater, it was held in pasture not far from Seabury Hall, just outside Makawao); it is, indeed, the original soundtrack to the film as all tracks, apart from the Berkeley performance of "Hear My Train A Comin'", appear in various scenes. Though a version of this song was played in the film's soundtrack in the Haleakala concert sequence. All other songs are new material from studio sessions. For details of recordings of the live concerts, see Rainbow Bridge Concert.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Jimi Hendrix, except where noted. 

Non album tracks that appear in the film

• "Bleeding Heart" (Recorded at Record Plant Studios in New York City, New York, USA on March 24, 1970) Released on War Heroes in 1972.

• "New Rising Sun" (Recorded Fall, 1968 at TTG Studios) This track has only been partially used in the John Jansen created composite track "MLK", later renamed "Captain Coconut" on the 1975 Alan Douglas produced Crash Landing and as the opening track to 1995's deleted Voodoo Soup. An unaltered and full length version of this track was finally released on 2010's West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology box set.

• "Bolero" (Recorded July, 1970 at Electric Lady Studios) Originally intended as a prelude to segue into Hey Baby (New Rising), this track remained officially unreleased until 2010's West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology box set

• Room Full Of Mirrors - alternate mix - (Recorded at Record Plant Studios on November 17, 1969 and Electric Lady Studios, October 22, 1970) This alternate mix has Buddy Miles' original drum tracks replaced with that of Mitch Mitchell, recorded onto open tracks on the original 16 track master reel, while saving Miles' parts. This alternate mix only appears very briefly in the movie and has not seen release elsewhere, bootleg or official, and is still in the Hendrix tape archive.

• "Beginnings" (Recorded July, 1970 at Electric Lady Studios) Released on War Heroes and the 1997 Experience Hendrix compilation "First Rays of the New Rising Sun". An alternate take was later erased of the original backing tracks and replaced with session musicians for use on the second Alan Douglas/Hendrix release Midnight Lightning.

These original 1971 Reprise album mixes found on later releases

Rainbow Bridge, as an album, was never released on compact disc. However, all of the original Reprise mix masters from the original Rainbow Bridge album have been issued on subsequent compilations.

"Dolly Dagger" is on First Rays of the New Rising Sun (1997).
"Earth Blues" is on First Rays of the New Rising Sun.
"Pali Gap" is on South Saturn Delta (1997).
"Room Full Of Mirrors" is on First Rays of the New Rising Sun.
"Star Spangled Banner" [Studio Version] is on The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Box set) (2000).
"Look Over Yonder" is on South Saturn Delta.
"Hear My Train A Comin'" [Live], with a slightly truncated end applause fade, is on Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection (2001).
"Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" is on First Rays of the New Rising Sun.

Personnel

• Jimi Hendrix – guitars, lead vocals, backing vocals on tracks 1 and 2
• Mitch Mitchell – drums on all tracks except track 4.
• Billy Cox – bass on all tracks except track 6.
• Juma Sultan – congas, percussion
• Albert Allen – backing vocals on track 1
• Buddy Miles – drums on track 2 (prior to 1970 overdubs by Mitch Mitchell) and track 4, backing vocals on track 2
• The Ronettes (Veronica Bennett, Estelle Bennett, Nedra Talley) – backing vocals on track 2
• Noel Redding – bass on track 6

Recording details

• Tracks 1, 3 and 8 recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York on July 1, 1970
• Track 2 recorded at Record Plant Studios in New York City, New York on December 19, 1969 and Electric Lady Studios, July, 1970
• Track 4 recorded at Record Plant Studios on November 17, 1969 and Electric Lady Studios, July, 1970
• Track 5 recorded at Record Plant Studios on March 18, 1969
• Track 6 recorded at TTG Studios in New York City, New York on October 22, 1968
• Track 7 recorded at Berkeley Community Theatre in Berkeley, California on May 30, 1970 (1st show)

References

• Shapiro, Harry; Caesar Glebbeek (1995-08-15). "Appendix 1: Music, Sweet Music: The Discography". Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy (3rd Edition ed.). New York: St. Martin's Griffin. pp. 540–541. ISBN 978-0-312-13062-6.