Rainbow Bridge (album) - Overview

Overview

The pairing of Rainbow Bridge with The Cry of Love comprises the bulk of the most realized 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 '70, 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 (first show). The album was the second to be produced by Eddie Kramer and Mitch Mitchell, with the help of Jansen, and was again fairly well received, reaching #15 and #16 in the US and the UK respectively. "Dolly Dagger" b/w "Star Spangled Banner" was released as a single in the US, 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) Simeon from the Silver Apples has claimed that it features him playing six bass oscillators, although there is no audible evidence of this and he is not credited or mentioned by anyone else. 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 actually feature most of the songs on the original soundtrack of the film Rainbow Bridge that are played as background to various scenes. The one song on the album that does not feature in the film is the Berkeley performance of "Hear My Train A Comin'". On the actual film soundtrack this is the live version from the Maui concerts, which is not played as background music, but is only heard as part of the concert sequence. Four songs by Hendrix that feature on the film soundtrack are missing from the album: his unique arrangement of Elmore James' "Bleeding Heart" - it was released on the next LP War Heroes, a 1968 instrumental "New Rising Sun", released on West Coast Seattle Boy, "Bolero", also on West Coast Seattle Boy and the still officially unreleased "Ezy Rider" (played as background to a surfing clip) which is from the Maui concerts. For details of recordings of the live Maui concerts, see Rainbow Bridge Concert.