The five best unreleased Jimi Hendrix songs
I’ve never been a huge fan of posthumous albums, not that they can’t be good, but there’s something about them which feels a bit off. The fact that we are listening to the work of an artist that they haven’t completed and signed off on themselves feels odd, and I tend to steer clear of them. That being said, there are some exceptions to this, and one of the biggest is Jimi Hendrix.
Hear me out on this. Hendrix was famous for being one of the greatest guitarists of all time, but his ability didn’t start and stop at studio recordings. He was praised because of his ability to improvise and play live, so the fact that these posthumous releases capture him either improvising or playing live means that they don’t take away from the kind of artist he was. They feel like honest portrayals of his music and like something we can enjoy.
Also, given his attitude towards Electric Lady Studios, it feels right that the work he recorded there was all eventually released to the public. “My brother had a musical vision,” said his sister Janie Hendrix. “With this project, it felt appropriate to shed light not only on his own music, but also on his lasting contribution of Electric Lady Studios. He was driven internally to build a home base where he could record everything he felt. While his life was cut short, so many other talented artists continue to express themselves within those magical walls on 52 West 8th Street.”
There are a number of great Hendrix songs that weren’t released until after his death but are now available to listen to. Here are some of the very best that you should give a spin.
The greatest unreleased songs by Jimi Hendrix:
‘Sunshine Of Your Love’
Cream are one of the most definitive bands in the ‘60s, so much so that they inspired the majority of guitarists who were making music during this period somehow. Jimi Hendrix is no exception, as the guitar style of people like Eric Clapton can be heard in every note he plays. Hendrix was always prone to cover artists he was a big fan of, and this meant he was well-versed with the iconic guitar line that runs through the foundation of ‘Sunshine Of Your Love’.
There was a recording of Hendrix and his band playing the song with no lyrics and multiple improvised guitar solos. It went unreleased for decades and eventually made an appearance on his album Valleys of Neptune. The spontaneity of the song and the quality of his improvisation are great reflections of what makes Jimi Hendrix such a unique talent.
‘Hear My Train a Comin’
This is a classic-sounding Hendrix track. It’s laced with the blues, incredibly upbeat, and a lot of fun to listen to. Additionally, the song has an upbeat energy to it, a catchy chorus, and some great guitar solos spread out throughout the entire thing. The song was never released while Hendrix was alive, and the public didn’t get to listen to a recording of it until a posthumous record.
Hendrix was always keen on being recognised as a lyricist as well as a guitar player, but his skill on the six-string meant that it was difficult for people to consider him anything other than a great guitarist. We hear his poetic nature on this track, as the train acts as a metaphor for salvation and freedom. This is quintessential Hendrix and a must-listen for any fans of the artist.
‘Dolly Dagger’
‘Dolly Dagger’ was initially recorded in 1970 but wasn’t released until Hendrix passed away. The posthumous album Rainbow Bridge was released in 1971, and that was the first time that a lot of people got to hear this track. It did well in the charts when it came out, climbing the rankings and cementing a place at number 74. It was one of the last ever Hendrix songs to make it into the Billboard Hot 100.
While it isn’t definite who the song is about, the general consensus is that the track was written about Hendrix’s girlfriend Devon Wilson and her relationship with Mick Jagger, which overlapped with Hendrix. Some subtle hints include the line “She drinks her blood from a jagged edge,” which is supposedly about a party where Mick Jagger cut his finger.
‘Heaven Has No Sorrow’
In a deluxe box set of recordings from Electric Lady Studios, there was an initial recording of Hendrix’s ‘Heaven Has No Sorrow’. It’s an incredibly grainy sound as it was recorded on a four-track; however, it perfectly reflects the relentless of Hendrix’s guitar playing given every take captured his incredible musical ability.
The song was unreleased until it appeared on this box set, and it is supposedly a rephrasing of a Bible verse from Isaiah 35:10. The quote is “Earth has no sorrow that heaven can’t heal.” It was adopted by many Hendrix fans in one way or another after he died, given that it’s frequently used in a religious context to provide comfort to those going through hardship.
‘Angel (Take 7)’
‘Angel’ was a well-known Jimi Hendrix song; however, it was also contained on the Electric Lady boxset, a lost take of the song that he had previously recorded, most notably, take seven. The song feels a lot more sparse than the track that fans will be aware of, and it gives Hendrix more space to improvise.
Mitch Mitchell helped bring the song to life as he added percussion to the track that allowed producers to get it finished. If you want to hear unmonitored improvisation by one of the greatest guitarists of all time, this recording is a must-listen.
