Little Wing
Encyclopedia
"Little Wing" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix
. It was first recorded by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
on their 1967
album Axis: Bold as Love
. It is ranked #366 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of "the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
When asked by a London reporter in 1967 what his favorite track off the Axis: Bold as Love
album was, Hendrix listed "Little Wing" and "You Got Me Floating
" as his favorites.
Author Rotimi Ogunjobi
states that "'Little Wing' is the name of Hendrix's guardian angel (like 'Waterfall', that is mentioned in the song 'May this Be Love
' on the debut album)."
to the use of a Leslie speaker cabinet for the guitar. The speaker baffle rotates, creating a Doppler effect of rising and falling waves of sound. Jimi plays the song almost like a pianist with the thumb fretting the bass notes like the pianist's left hand, while the fingers of the fretting hand correspond to the right. The song fades on a magical solo after only two minutes and twenty-five seconds. Even live, 'Little Wing' was hardly any longer – he said what he wanted to say and stopped."
While on the initial studio track Hendrix played his guitar through a Leslie speaker
, which was normally used with Hammond organ
s, the simultaneous use of a distortion effect gave the guitar a unique sound. During live shows and on later recordings, Hendrix "used the 'Univibe' effect pedal to get a simulated Leslie sound, instead of using a real speaker."
Due to the heavy use of studio recording techniques in creating the Axis: Bold as Love album, only "Spanish Castle Magic
" and "Little Wing" were performed regularly at concerts.
(1993). He also performed the song in concert, and some of those recordings are available on CD, including The Jimi Hendrix Experience and "Winterland".
Main theme in *Vietcong (video game) was based on Little Wing and named Pseudohendrix and played by Rudé Kostry.
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
. It was first recorded by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
on their 1967
1967 in music
The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The...
album Axis: Bold as Love
Axis: Bold as Love
Axis: Bold as Love is the second studio album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Under pressure from their record company to follow-up the successful debut of their May 1967 album Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love was released on Track Records in the UK in December 1967...
. It is ranked #366 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of "the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
Inspiration
Hendrix spoke to a Swedish journalist about the song in January 1968, saying "Well, that was one song on there we did a lot of sound on, you know. We put the guitar through the Leslie speaker of an organ, and it sounds like jelly bread, you know….It’s based on a very, very simple American Indian style, you know, very simple. I got the idea like, when we was in Monterey, and I just happened to…just looking at everything around. So I figured that I take everything I see around and put it maybe in the form of a girl maybe, something like that, you know, and call it 'Little Wing', in other words, just fly away. Everybody really flying and they’s really in a nice mood, like the police and everybody was really great out there. So I just took all these things an put them in one very, very small little matchbox, you know, into a girl and then do it. It was very simple, you know. That’s one of the very few ones I like."When asked by a London reporter in 1967 what his favorite track off the Axis: Bold as Love
Axis: Bold as Love
Axis: Bold as Love is the second studio album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Under pressure from their record company to follow-up the successful debut of their May 1967 album Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love was released on Track Records in the UK in December 1967...
album was, Hendrix listed "Little Wing" and "You Got Me Floating
You Got Me Floating
"You Got Me Floating" is a song composed by Jimi Hendrix. The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded it in 1967 and released it on their album Axis: Bold as Love....
" as his favorites.
Author Rotimi Ogunjobi
Rotimi Ogunjobi
- Non-fiction :* The Essential Jimi Hendrix, Tee Publishing 2008* Drupal 6 Site Blueprints, Packt Publishing 2009* Joomla!1.5 Site Blueprints, Packt Publishing 2010- Fiction and poetry :* Edidare...
states that "'Little Wing' is the name of Hendrix's guardian angel (like 'Waterfall', that is mentioned in the song 'May this Be Love
Are You Experienced
Are You Experienced is the debut album by English/American rock band The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released in 1967, it was the first LP for Track Records...
' on the debut album)."
Style
Author Harry Shapiro examined the song, saying musically it is "structured to lay a gossamer touch across the whole song from the arresting opening statement and the haunting glockenspielGlockenspiel
A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
to the use of a Leslie speaker cabinet for the guitar. The speaker baffle rotates, creating a Doppler effect of rising and falling waves of sound. Jimi plays the song almost like a pianist with the thumb fretting the bass notes like the pianist's left hand, while the fingers of the fretting hand correspond to the right. The song fades on a magical solo after only two minutes and twenty-five seconds. Even live, 'Little Wing' was hardly any longer – he said what he wanted to say and stopped."
While on the initial studio track Hendrix played his guitar through a Leslie speaker
Leslie speaker
The Leslie speaker is a specially constructed amplifier/loudspeaker used to create special audio effects using the Doppler effect. Named after its inventor, Donald Leslie, it is particularly associated with the Hammond organ but is used with a variety of instruments as well as vocals. The...
, which was normally used with Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
s, the simultaneous use of a distortion effect gave the guitar a unique sound. During live shows and on later recordings, Hendrix "used the 'Univibe' effect pedal to get a simulated Leslie sound, instead of using a real speaker."
Due to the heavy use of studio recording techniques in creating the Axis: Bold as Love album, only "Spanish Castle Magic
Spanish Castle Magic
"Spanish Castle Magic" is a song by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Written by Jimi Hendrix and produced by Chas Chandler, it is the third track from their second studio album Axis: Bold as Love...
" and "Little Wing" were performed regularly at concerts.
Additional albums
Besides appearing on Axis: Bold as Love, Hendrix's studio version can also be found on numerous compilation albums, including The Ultimate ExperienceThe Ultimate Experience
The Ultimate Experience is a 1993 compilation album of songs by songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix. It features 20 of his greatest hits, most of them recorded with The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and live renditions of "The Star Spangled Banner" and "Wild Thing". It was released in the U.K. in...
(1993). He also performed the song in concert, and some of those recordings are available on CD, including The Jimi Hendrix Experience and "Winterland".
Covers
"Little Wing" has been covered by numerous artists:- Steve LukatherSteve LukatherSteve "Luke" Lukather is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer best known for his work with the rock band Toto. Lukather has played with many artists, released several solo albums, and worked as a composer, arranger, and session guitarist on more than 1,500 albums...
and Steve MorseSteve MorseSteven J. "Steve" Morse is an American guitarist and composer, best known for his work in the hard rock band Deep Purple since 1994. He began his career to form the unique styled instrumental rock band Dixie Dregs in the 1970. Morse's musical inspiration comes from country, funk, jazz fusion, and...
covered it for the Ernie Ball Guitar Center Session. - Allman Brothers Band w/ special guest Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Beacon Run Shows, New York, NY, 03-19-2009. - G3: Live in DenverG3: Live in DenverG3: Live in Denver is a live DVD of G3, the touring band in which Joe Satriani and Steve Vai invite another player to come tour with them. In 2003, Yngwie Malmsteen was the chosen one. Along with this DVD, a double-CD album was released, G3: Rockin' in the Free World. The DVD was recorded at the...
, a live DVD of G3, the touring band in which Joe SatrianiJoe SatrianiJoseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
and Steve VaiSteve VaiSteven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
invite another player to come tour with them. In 2003, Yngwie Malmsteen was the chosen one. - Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
has performed the song on many occasions, including:- with Derek and the DominosDerek and the DominosDerek and the Dominos were a blues rock band formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton with keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon, who had all played with Clapton in Delaney, Bonnie & Friends...
on the 1970 album Layla and Other Assorted Love SongsLayla and Other Assorted Love SongsLayla and Other Assorted Love Songs is a blues-rock album by Derek and the Dominos, released in November 1970, best known for its eponymous title track, "Layla"...
, with Pete Townsend and Ronnie Wood on the 1973 live album Eric Clapton's Rainbow ConcertEric Clapton's Rainbow ConcertEric Clapton's Rainbow Concert is an album recorded live at London's Rainbow Theatre on January 13, 1973, and released within the year. The concert was organized by Pete Townshend and marked Eric Clapton's comeback after the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh...
and on the live recording Live At The Fillmore - on tour with Steve WinwoodSteve WinwoodStephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
in 2008, as documented on the CD/DVD Live from Madison Square Garden
- with Derek and the Dominos
- Gil EvansGil EvansGil Evans was a jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader, active in the United States...
on the 1975 album Plays The Music Of Jimi Hendrix. - Sting on the 1987 album ...Nothing Like the Sun...Nothing Like the Sun…Nothing Like the Sun is a 1987 album by Sting. The title comes from Shakespeare's Sonnet #130 , which Sting used in the song "Sister Moon"...
. - Stevie Ray VaughanStevie Ray VaughanStephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
, in a Grammy-winning instrumental version on 1991's The Sky Is CryingThe Sky Is Crying (album)The Sky Is Crying is an electric blues album containing studio performances spanning most of the career of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble...
and a live cover with another song, "Third Stone from the SunThird Stone from the Sun"Third Stone From the Sun" is a song written and originally recorded by Jimi Hendrix and released as "3rd Stone From The Sun" on the 1967 Are You Experienced album by Jimi Hendrix Experience...
" on the compilation cover album, "Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi HendrixPower of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi HendrixPower of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix is a 2004 tribute album featuring various artists performing the music of Jimi Hendrix.-Track listing:...
" - Skid Row on the album B-Side OurselvesB-Side OurselvesB-Side Ourselves is an EP released by the American rock group Skid Row. All of the songs are cover versions of songs originally recorded by bands which influenced Skid Row...
(1992). - TOTOTotòPrince Antonio Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno De Curtis di Bisanzio Gagliardi, best known by his stage name Totò and nicknamed il principe della risata was an Italian comedian, film and theatre actor, writer, singer and songwriter...
on the live VHS/DVD Live (1992). - PappoPappo-, 1968:-, 1969:# # # # # # # # # -Rock de la mujer perdida, 1970:...
on the album Blues Local (in Spanish) (1992). - Concrete BlondeConcrete BlondeConcrete Blonde is an alternative rock band based in the United States. They were initially active from 1982 to 1995, and again from 2001 to 2004, and once again in 2010.-Biography:...
on the 1994 album, Still in HollywoodStill in HollywoodStill in Hollywood is a collection of unreleased material, live tracks and cover songs from alternative rock band Concrete Blonde.-Track listing:# It'll Chew You Up and Spit You Out...
. - The CorrsThe CorrsThe Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea ; Sharon ; Caroline ; and Jim .The Corrs came to international prominence with their performance at the...
on the album Talk on CornersTalk on CornersTalk on Corners is the second album by Irish band The Corrs, released in 1997. The name of the album is derived from a line from the album's song "Queen of Hollywood"....
(1997). - Snowy WhiteSnowy WhiteSnowy White is an English guitarist, known for having played with Thin Lizzy and with Pink Floyd and, more recently, for Roger Waters'...
on the album Little Wing (titled Melting in the United State) (1998). - Nigel KennedyNigel KennedyNigel Kennedy is a British born violinist and violist. He made his early career in the classical field, and he has performed and recorded most of the major violin concerti...
, the English violinist and violist, on the album, The Kennedy Experience (1999). - Ottmar LiebertOttmar LiebertOttmar Liebert is a German-born composer and guitarist, born to a Chinese-German father and a Hungarian mother. As a child, he spent most of his time traveling Europe and Asia with his family...
+ Luna Negra XL on the album Little Wing (2001). - Popa ChubbyPopa ChubbyTed Horowitz , who plays under the stage name of Popa Chubby , is an American electric blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist.-Life and career:Born the son of a candy store owner, at age thirteen Horowitz began playing drums; shortly thereafter, he...
on the live/studio album Electric Chubbyland: Popa Chubby Plays Jimi Hendrix (2006). - Def LeppardDef LeppardDef Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
on the Deluxe Edition of AdrenalizeAdrenalize-Deluxe Edition :*Tracks 1-4 are taken from the band's Live: In the Clubs, in Your Face EP, recorded at Bonn, Germany, on 29 May 1992*Tracks 5 & 6 taken from "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" single....
(2009) - SantanaSantana (band)Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
(led by Carlos SantanaCarlos SantanaCarlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
) featuring Joe CockerJoe CockerJohn Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
on the album Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All TimeGuitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All TimeGuitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time, referred to as simply Guitar Heaven, is the 21st studio album by Santana, released on September 21, 2010...
(2010). This cover is noteworthy because Santana, Cocker, and Hendrix all appeared at the Woodstock FestivalWoodstock FestivalWoodstock Music & Art Fair was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969...
in 1969 (although Hendrix did not perform "Little Wing" there). - Josh CharlesJosh Charles (musician)Josh Charles is an Traditional Country/ New Orleans - style inspired pianist and singer/songwriter who was mentored by the famous Dr. John. He has had TV spots on Good Morning America, Tavis Smiley, Voice of America, CNN, and more, and has also been a featured artist in USA Today, LA Weekly, The...
on the 2010 albumTrippin' The Keys: Music Of Jimi Hendrix. - Corinne Bailey RaeCorinne Bailey RaeCorinne Bailey Rae is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leeds, who released her debut album Corinne Bailey Rae in February 2006....
on her album The Sea (2010). - Tak MatsumotoTak Matsumotois a Grammy Award-winning Japanese guitarist, producer, arranger, composer, singer and songwriter. In addition to guitarist and lead composer for the hard rock band B'z, he has also had a successful solo career.-Background:...
covered an instrumental version of the song on live performances. - Kirk HammettKirk HammettKirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stones list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
of MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
has also covered the song on live performances." - Raimundo Amador on the album Noches de Flamenco y Blues (1998).
- Pearl JamPearl JamPearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
guitarist Mike McCready sometimes plays the riff from Little Wing during Pearl Jam's own Yellow LedbetterYellow Ledbetter"Yellow Ledbetter" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Mike McCready, "Yellow Ledbetter" was an outtake from the band's debut album, Ten...
, and Pearl Jam has also played the song in its entirety during concerts. - Tuck & PattiTuck & PattiTuck & Patti are an American husband and wife jazz duo.Oklahoma born guitarist Tuck Andress met singer Patti Cathcart, a native of San Francisco, at an audition in Las Vegas in 1980. Prior to this, Tuck had been a session performer with The Gap Band....
medleyed Castles Made of SandCastles Made of Sand (song)"Castles Made of Sand" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and released by The Jimi Hendrix Experience on their second studio album, Axis: Bold as Love, in 1967 in the UK and 1968 in the U.S. It was available in two different stereo mixes and a mono mix....
/ Little Wing on their 1989 album Love Warriors.
Main theme in *Vietcong (video game) was based on Little Wing and named Pseudohendrix and played by Rudé Kostry.
- DivididosDivididosDivididos is an Argentine rock band.The band was formed in 1988 after the death of Luca Prodan and the consequent dissolution of the band Sumo...
por Ricardo mollo (Argentina)