Rainbow Bridge (album)

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
Experience
(1971)
Rainbow Bridge
(1971)
Isle of Wight
(1971)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Robert Christgau A−[1]
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information.

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. It has never been released on compact disc.

Contents

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. 

Side one
No. Title Length
1. "Dolly Dagger"   4:45
2. "Earth Blues"   4:20
3. "Pali Gap"   5:05
4. "Room Full of Mirrors"   3:17
5. "Star Spangled Banner" (Francis Scott Key, John Stafford Smith, arr. Hendrix) (Studio Version) 4:07
Side two
No. Title Length
1. "Look Over Yonder"   3:28
2. "Hear My Train A Comin'" (Live) 11:15
3. "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)"   6:05

Non album tracks that appear in the film

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

Recording details

References