Jimi Hendrix's 'The Cry of Love' and 'Rainbow Bridge' Treated to Reissues

BY Alex HudsonPublished Aug 20, 2014

Much of Jimi Hendrix's work was sadly released after his passing so many years ago, but now two of those posthumous releases are getting a new lease on life thanks to some upcoming reissues. New pressings of 1971 releases The Cry of Love and Rainbow Bridge will arrive on September 16 through Experience Hendrix, LLC/Legacy Recordings.

These have been remastered from the original analog masters will be released digitally, as well as on CD and vinyl. This is the first-ever official CD pressing for Rainbow Bridge; The Cry of Love hasn't been pressed on CD since 1992.

The Cry of Love was recorded between late 1969 and mid-1970. It was supposed to be part of a double LP called First Rays of the New Rising Sun, and it features Experience members Mitch Mitchell (drums) and Billy Cox (bass) on most tracks.

Rainbow Bridge was recorded during the same sessions, and released separably as a soundtrack to a film of the same name conceived by his manager Michael Jeffery. Mitchell and Cox again appear on most songs, and Hendrix performs a solo version of "The Star Spangled Banner."

These songs have since appeared on various releases, including 1997's First Rays of the New Rising Sun, which attempted to fulfill Hendrix's original vision for the material. These reissues, on the other hand, present the albums as they were originally heard soon after Hendrix's death in 1970. See the tracklists below.

The Cry of Love:

1. Freedom
2. Drifting
3. Ezy Ryder
4. Night Bird Flying
5. My Friend
6. Straight Ahead
7. Astro Man
8. Angel
9. In from the Storm
10. Belly Button Window  

Rainbow Bridge:

1. Dolly Dagger
2. Earth Blues
3. Pali Gap
4. Room Full of Mirrors
5. Star Spangled Banner (studio version)
6. Look Over Yonder
7. Hear My Train a Comin' (live)
8. Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)

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