Little Wing – On #JimiHendrix’s birthday; a classic song that takes the listener on a musical journey that features some of the best guitarists ever. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #DerekandtheDominos #StevieRayVaughan #QuinnSullivan

Today would have represented 76 trips around the sun for the immortal Jimi Hendrix. Ted Tocks Covers will celebrate the occasion with a guitar extravaganza that will take us through the years. This will reinforce Jimi Hendrix’s influence on some of the greatest guitarists ever and show that the reverence is still alive today. To commemorate his birthday I could have chosen any number of songs but for today’s feature I chose the beautiful ballad ‘Little Wing’.

For Hendrix, the song had many influences that came together in this relatively short piece. ‘Little Wing’ can be traced back to a year before it’s 1967 introduction. Before forming the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Hendrix performed in New York’s Grenwich Village. During that time he frequently played a song called ‘(My Girl) She’s a Fox’ that owed it’s inspiration to Curtis Mayfield. Hendrix spent some time touring with Curtis in 1963 (Mental note…Check out more of the Curtis Mayfield library). Jimi is thought to have taken some of the components of this song and channeled them into his new creation. The lyrical inspiration for ‘Little Wing’ was heavily inspired by Jimi Hendrix’s experience at Monterey Pop Festival in June of 1967. The orchestral and dream like presentation of the song spoke to the studio collaboration with producer Chas Chandler. ‘Little Wing’ was completed in October of 1967 and it was released on the ‘Axis: Bold As Love’ album in December (U.K.) and January ’68 (U.S.).

Speaking to how moved Jimi Hendrix was by Monterey here is a direct quote:

I got the idea like, when we were in Monterey and I was 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, somethin’ like that, you know, and call it ‘Little Wing’, and then it will just fly away. Everybody’s really flyin’ and they’re really in a nice mood, like the police and everybody was really, 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, but I like it though.

Jimi Hendrix

‘Little Wing’ is one of a handful of Hendrix songs where the artist idealizes women and gives them angelic qualities. Music journalist Charles Shaar Murray emphasized the point that ‘Little Wing’ reinforced the feminine ideal;

Sometimes she is a spirit, sometimes a fantasy, sometimes a woman as solidly, palpably physical as he is.

Charles Shaar Murray

The recording process surrounding ‘Little Wing’ was a strong collaboration between Jimi Hendrix’s vision and studio personnel Chas Chandler and Eddie Kramer. The latter two being the producer and the engineer. The original recording was an instrumental with a more rock oriented feel but Kramer and Chandler wanted to slow it down to give it a more sentimental feel. To lend itself to this approach Hendrix, who often looked around the studio for instruments that might add to the uniqueness of the track, noticed a glockenspiel. The combination of a slowed tempo and the introduction of a new sound gave way to the gentle and soulful recording we all know. Here is a good video that gives a brief explanation to the recording background of ‘Little Wing’.

This combined with the dreamy lyrics that draw effectively on Native American mythologies capture the listener right from the beginning.

She’s walking through the clouds.

Jimi Hendrix

Just a beautiful line…and when coupled with this imagery Hendrix paints a dream like portrait.

With a circus mind that’s running wild
Butterflies and zebras, and moonbeams and fairy tales
That’s all she ever thinks about, riding with the wind.

Jimi Hendrix

When it comes down to it, it must be said that Jimi Hendrix does not receive enough credit for his ability as a lyricist. This true quality is obviously overshadowed by his status as one of the best guitarists who ever lived. I just urge readers to go back and really listen to his words and you will get a sense of how he employed literary devices to enhance his songs. When combined with the music he created, the result was the amazing library we all know.

As mentioned at the outset ‘Little Wing’ has always been held to a standard that inspires other musicians to perform the piece. One of the first to take a stab at it was the equally influential, Eric Clapton. Clapton recorded ‘Little Wing’ with the legendary Derek and the Dominoes project in 1970. The star studded group recorded the song just before Hendrix’s death in September, 1970. It featured the immortal Duane Allman on second guitar. For those of you keeping score, this paragraph alone features three of the best guitar players who have ever lived. Speaking to Clapton’s decision to record ‘Little Wing’ he explained in an interview;

I found that his lyricism when he was writing ballads, like “Wind Cries Mary” or “Little Wing,” was so different, in a way, that it was powerfully attractive to me. [It was] much more structured than some of his other things, and more melodic, too. [“Little Wing”] stands up so well that anyone could do it.

Eric Clapton

This is high praise that speaks to Jimi Hendrix and his songwriting ability on every level. Eric Clapton would make ‘Little Wing’ a standard part of his live performances from 1970 right on through to his most recent shows. Here he is playing it with Derek and the Dominoes in what would be considered a more rock and blues, guitar oriented piece. Considering his personnel this decision is easily understood. The fact we lost both Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman so young is a true rock and roll tragedy. What these two would have been capable of had they lived longer lives is worth contemplating. They were both simply magnificent players.

From Eric Clapton we move on to the great Stevie Ray Vaughan. Here we have another one of the finest guitarists who has ever lived. This recording of ‘Little Wing’ is torn down and given a brilliant blues edge by this guitar wizard. The version I have chosen was recorded as Stevie Ray was in the midst of his rapid ascent to guitar superstardom. This video comes from his El Mocombo performance; the legendary Toronto nightclub that played host to many great live acts in its time. Enjoy this piece of guitar virtuosity.

Finally, I bring you to one of today’s finest up and coming guitarists. Quinn Sullivan is only 19 years old and he has a music resume that goes back ten years. He was basically discovered by the great blues guitarist Buddy Guy. Through the years Guy has been one of his biggest mentors and supporters. Sullivan’s own body of work speaks for itself though, and by all indications he will only continue to get better. Fans of roots oriented rock and blues music should check him out because he is a stellar guitarist and performer. He is mature beyond his years. Here he is doing his own version of ‘Little Wing’.