Bleeding Heart (song)

"Bleeding Heart"
Single by Elmore James
Released April 1965 (1965-04)
Format 7" 45 rpm record
Recorded Beltone Studios, New York City
late February – early March 1961
Genre Blues
Length 2:37
Label Enjoy
Writer(s) Elmore James
Producer Bobby Robinson

"Bleeding Heart" (sometimes called "(My) Bleeding Heart") is a song written and recorded by American blues musician Elmore James in 1961. Considered "among the greatest of James' songs",[1] "Bleeding Heart" was later popularized by Jimi Hendrix, who recorded several versions of the song.

Contents

Original song

"Bleeding Heart" is a slow-tempo twelve-bar blues that features Elmore James' vocal and slide guitar. It was recorded during one of his last recording sessions and has session musicians providing accompaniment, instead of James' regular band the "Broomdusters". According to producer Bobby Robinson, it was his idea to record James with a "big band sound" and to hire band leader Paul Williams to arrange the horn section.[2] The song opens with one of James' more memorable verses:[3]

People, people, people, you know what it means to be left alone (2×) ...
Misunderstanding and a no-good woman, they both have caused my heart to bleed

Although recorded in 1961, "Bleeding Heart" was not released until 1965, two years after James' death. It was first issued as the B-side to the first pressing of "It Hurts Me Too" (Enjoy 2015), which became a Billboard R&B chart hit and made an appearance in the pop chart. "Bleeding Heart" was later released with "Mean Mistreatin' Mama" (Enjoy 2020). These single versions were edited to 2:37; a 3:05 version later appeared on the Elmore James Memorial Album and various compilation albums, sometimes with the title "(My) Bleeding Heart".

Personnel

Jimi Hendrix versions

"Bleeding Heart"
Single by Jimi Hendrix
from the album Valleys of Neptune
B-side "Peace in Mississippi"
Released March 1, 2010 (digital)
March 8, 2010 (physical)
Format Digital download, 7" vinyl
Recorded April 24, 1969 at Record Plant Studios, New York City, New York
Genre Funk rock
Length 6:20
Label Legacy
Writer(s) Elmore James
Producer Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix singles chronology
"Valleys of Neptune"
(2010)
"Bleeding Heart"
(2010)
"Love or Confusion"
(2010)
Valleys of Neptune track listing
"Valleys of Neptune"
(2)
"Bleeding Heart"
(3)
"Hear My Train a Comin'"
(4)

Jimi Hendrix, who frequently cited Elmore James as an influence, recorded several different arrangements of "Bleeding Heart". An early performance with Hendrix on vocal and guitar was recorded with Curtis Knight and the Squires in 1965 or 1966. It followed James' version, but Hendrix added some new lyrics: "No letter today, not even a call on my telephone". In 1968, a live version of the song was recorded at a jam session at the Scene Club in New York and later released on several bootleg and gray-market albums, including Bleeding Heart. Again Hendrix used some new lyrics, but the performance was marred by "a very drunken Jim Morrison ... burbling a combination of lyrics and obscenities over the jamming musicians"[4] for half of the song.

On February 24, 1969, a live version was performed by the Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Royal Albert Hall for possible inclusion in a concert film. The film has not been released, although "Bleeding Heart" appeared on a purported soundtrack album Experience. Also in 1969, Hendrix recorded at least two studio versions of the song at the Record Plant in New York – one on March 18 that appeared on Blues and another on April 24 that is featured on his 2010 posthumous studio album Valleys of Neptune. Both versions saw Hendrix moving away from a blues arrangement and using different backing musicians.

Hendrix with the Band of Gypsys recorded a live version of "Bleeding Heart" on December 31, 1969 at the Fillmore East in New York. With Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell, the basic track for a new studio version was completed March 24, 1970 at the Record Plant, with additional recording at the recently finished Electric Lady Studios in June 1970. Further developments to the song were made and a rough mix was prepared by Hendrix and engineer Eddie Kramer. This version was later remixed by Kramer and released on the 1972 album War Heroes and later on South Saturn Delta.

Single and music video

The Valleys of Neptune version was released as the second single from the album on March 1 (digital download) and March 8, 2010 (7" vinyl) and is backed with a previously unreleased version of the song "Peace in Mississippi".[5] The music video for "Bleeding Heart", directed by Julien Temple, debuted on Spotify on February 25, 2010.[6]

Personnel (single version)

Notes

  1. ^ Franz 2003, p. 113.
  2. ^ Morris 1992, p. 9.
  3. ^ Franz 2003, p. 113.
  4. ^ Shadwick 2003, p. 144.
  5. ^ "Jimi Hendrix's rare blues cover to be released after 40 years". NME. February 18, 2010. http://www.nme.com/news/jimi-hendrix/49823. Retrieved February 23, 2010. 
  6. ^ "Jimi Hendrix video premiere". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=347320685165. Retrieved February 23, 2010. 

References