Bleeding Heart (song)
Encyclopedia
"Bleeding Heart" is a song written and recorded by American blues
musician Elmore James
in 1961. Considered "among the greatest of James' songs", "Bleeding Heart" was later popularized by Jimi Hendrix
, who recorded several versions of the song.
. It was recorded during one of his last recording sessions and has session musicians providing accompaniment, instead of James' regular band the "Broomdusters". According to producer Bobby Robinson
, it was his idea to record James with a "big band sound" and to hire band leader Paul Williams
to arrange the horn section. The song opens with one of James' more memorable verses:Franz 2003, p. 113.
Although recorded in 1961, "Bleeding Heart" was not released until 1965, two years after James' death. It was first issued as the B-side to the first pressing of "It Hurts Me Too
" (Enjoy 2015), which became a Billboard R&B chart hit and made an appearance in the pop chart
. "Bleeding Heart" was later released with "Mean Mistreatin' Mama" (Enjoy 2020). These single versions were edited to 2:37; a 3:05 version later appeared on the Elmore James Memorial Album and various compilation albums, sometimes with the title "(My) Bleeding Heart".
. Again Hendrix used some new lyrics, but the performance was marred by "a very drunken Jim Morrison
... burbling a combination of lyrics and obscenities over the jamming musicians" for half of the song.
On February 24, 1969, a live version was performed by the Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Royal Albert Hall
for possible inclusion in a concert film. The film has not been released, although "Bleeding Heart" appeared on a purported soundtrack album Experience. Also in 1969, Hendrix recorded at least two studio versions of the song at the Record Plant in New York – one on March 18 that appeared on Blues and another on April 24 that is featured on his 2010 posthumous studio album Valleys of Neptune
. Both versions saw Hendrix moving away from a blues arrangement and using different backing musicians.
Hendrix with the Band of Gypsys
recorded a live version of "Bleeding Heart" on December 31, 1969 at the Fillmore East
in New York. With Billy Cox
and Mitch Mitchell
, the basic track for a new studio version was completed March 24, 1970 at the Record Plant, with additional recording at the recently finished Electric Lady Studios
in June 1970. Further developments to the song were made and a rough mix was prepared by Hendrix and engineer Eddie Kramer
. This version was later remixed by Kramer and released on the 1972 album War Heroes
and later on South Saturn Delta
.
from the album on March 1 (digital download) and March 8, 2010 (7" vinyl) and is backed with a previously unreleased version of the song "Peace in Mississippi". The music video
for "Bleeding Heart", directed by Julien Temple
, debuted on Spotify
on February 25, 2010.
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
musician Elmore James
Elmore James
Elmore James was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and band leader. He was known as "the King of the Slide Guitar" and had a unique guitar style, noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice.-Biography:James was born Elmore Brooks in the old Richland community in...
in 1961. Considered "among the greatest of James' songs", "Bleeding Heart" was later popularized by Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, who recorded several versions of the song.
Original song
"Bleeding Heart" is a slow-tempo twelve-bar blues that features Elmore James' vocal and slide guitarSlide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
. It was recorded during one of his last recording sessions and has session musicians providing accompaniment, instead of James' regular band the "Broomdusters". According to producer Bobby Robinson
Bobby Robinson (record producer)
Bobby Robinson was an African-American independent record producer and songwriter in New York, most active from the 1950s through the mid 1980s. He produced hits by Wilbert Harrison, The Shirelles, Dave "Baby" Cortez, Elmore James, Lee Dorsey, Gladys Knight & The Pips, King Curtis, Spoonie Gee,...
, it was his idea to record James with a "big band sound" and to hire band leader Paul Williams
Paul Williams (saxophonist)
Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams was an American blues and rhythm and blues saxophonist and songwriter. In his Honkers and Shouters, Arnold Shaw credits Williams as one of the first to employ the honking tenor sax solo that became the hallmark of rhythm and blues and rock and roll in the 1950s and...
to arrange the horn section. The song opens with one of James' more memorable verses:Franz 2003, p. 113.
- People, people, people, you know what it means to be left alone (2×) ...
- Misunderstanding and a no-good woman, they both have caused my heart to bleed
Although recorded in 1961, "Bleeding Heart" was not released until 1965, two years after James' death. It was first issued as the B-side to the first pressing of "It Hurts Me Too
It Hurts Me Too
"It Hurts Me Too" is a blues standard that is "one of the most interpreted blues [songs]". First recorded in 1940 by Tampa Red, the song is a mid-tempo eight-bar blues that features slide guitar...
" (Enjoy 2015), which became a Billboard R&B chart hit and made an appearance in the pop chart
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
. "Bleeding Heart" was later released with "Mean Mistreatin' Mama" (Enjoy 2020). These single versions were edited to 2:37; a 3:05 version later appeared on the Elmore James Memorial Album and various compilation albums, sometimes with the title "(My) Bleeding Heart".
Personnel
- Elmore JamesElmore JamesElmore James was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and band leader. He was known as "the King of the Slide Guitar" and had a unique guitar style, noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice.-Biography:James was born Elmore Brooks in the old Richland community in...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles... - Paul "Hucklebuck" WilliamsPaul Williams (saxophonist)Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams was an American blues and rhythm and blues saxophonist and songwriter. In his Honkers and Shouters, Arnold Shaw credits Williams as one of the first to employ the honking tenor sax solo that became the hallmark of rhythm and blues and rock and roll in the 1950s and...
– baritone saxophoneBaritone saxophoneThe baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece... - George ColemanGeorge ColemanGeorge Edward Coleman is an American hard bop saxophonist, bandleader, and composer, known chiefly for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s.-Biography:...
(probably) – tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble... - Danny Moore – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Dickie Harris (probably) – tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Nehemiah "Riff" Ruffin – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Johnny Acey – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- Unknown – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Johnny or Earl Williams – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Jimi Hendrix versions
Jimi Hendrix, who frequently cited Elmore James as an influence, recorded several different arrangements of "Bleeding Heart". An early performance with Hendrix on vocal and guitar was recorded with Curtis Knight and the Squires in 1965 or 1966. It followed James' version, but Hendrix added some new lyrics: "No letter today, not even a call on my telephone". In 1968, a live version of the song was recorded at a jam session at the Scene Club in New York and later released on several bootleg and gray-market albums, including Bleeding HeartBleeding Heart (album)
-Personnel:*Jimi Hendrix – electric guitar, vocals*Jim Morrison – vocals, screaming, harmonica*Unknown – bass guitar*Randy Zehringer – drums-External links:...
. Again Hendrix used some new lyrics, but the performance was marred by "a very drunken Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
... burbling a combination of lyrics and obscenities over the jamming musicians" for half of the song.
On February 24, 1969, a live version was performed by the Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
for possible inclusion in a concert film. The film has not been released, although "Bleeding Heart" appeared on a purported soundtrack album Experience. Also in 1969, Hendrix recorded at least two studio versions of the song at the Record Plant in New York – one on March 18 that appeared on Blues and another on April 24 that is featured on his 2010 posthumous studio album Valleys of Neptune
Valleys of Neptune
-Recording details:All recording details are included in the Valleys of Neptune booklet, except for the Target tracks, which are listed on the inside of the Digipack behind the CD.Target bonus tracks-Album artwork:...
. Both versions saw Hendrix moving away from a blues arrangement and using different backing musicians.
Hendrix with the Band of Gypsys
Band of Gypsys
Band of Gypsys was a blues rock band led by Jimi Hendrix and backed by Billy Cox and Buddy Miles. Hendrix formed the band after the dissolution of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Band of Gypsys is also the band's eponymous live album recorded on two separate nights, 31 December 1969 and 1 January...
recorded a live version of "Bleeding Heart" on December 31, 1969 at the Fillmore East
Fillmore East
The Fillmore East was rock promoter Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue near East 6th Street in the East Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City. It was open from 1968 to 1971, and featured some of the biggest acts in rock music at the time...
in New York. With Billy Cox
Billy Cox
William "Billy" Cox is an American bassist, best known for performing with Jimi Hendrix.-Early years:Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, Cox was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Schenley High School. He first met Jimi Hendrix in the early 1960s, when they were both in the United States...
and Mitch Mitchell
Mitch Mitchell
John Ronald "Mitch" Mitchell was an English drummer, best known for his work in The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Early life and the Jimi Hendrix Experience:...
, the basic track for a new studio version was completed March 24, 1970 at the Record Plant, with additional recording at the recently finished Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios, at 52 West 8th Street, in New York City's Greenwich Village, is a recording studio originally built by Jimi Hendrix and designed by John Storyk in 1970...
in June 1970. Further developments to the song were made and a rough mix was prepared by Hendrix and engineer Eddie Kramer
Eddie Kramer
Edwin H. Kramer is an audio engineer and producer who has worked with, among others, Led Zeppelin, Triumph, Kiss , Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Spooky Tooth, Peter Frampton, Curtis Mayfield, Santana, Anthrax, Carly Simon, Loudness, and Robin Trower.-1960s:Eddie...
. This version was later remixed by Kramer and released on the 1972 album War Heroes
War Heroes
-Personnel:*Jimi Hendrix – guitars, lead vocals, bass on track 1, backing vocals on "Izabella"*Mitch Mitchell – drums*Billy Cox – bass*Noel Redding – bass on "Highway Chile", "Tax Free" & "Midnight"-Recording details:...
and later on South Saturn Delta
South Saturn Delta
South Saturn Delta is a posthumous Jimi Hendrix album compiled by the Hendrix estate that consists of material such as demo tapes, unfinished takes and alternate mixes, previously released material, most of which Hendrix had been working on prior to his death in 1970.When the Hendrix family...
.
Single and music video
The Valleys of Neptune version was released as the second singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the album on March 1 (digital download) and March 8, 2010 (7" vinyl) and is backed with a previously unreleased version of the song "Peace in Mississippi". The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Bleeding Heart", directed by Julien Temple
Julien Temple
Julien Temple is an English film, documentary and music video director. He began his career with short films featuring the Sex Pistols, and has continued with various off-beat projects, including The Great Rock And Roll Swindle, Absolute Beginners and a documentary film about Glastonbury.-Temple...
, debuted on Spotify
Spotify
Spotify is a Swedish-founded, UK-headquartered DRM-based music streaming service offering streaming of selected music from a range of major and independent record labels, including Sony, EMI, Warner Music Group, and Universal. Launched in October 2008 by Swedish startup Spotify AB, the service had...
on February 25, 2010.
Personnel (single version)
- Jimi HendrixJimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Billy CoxBilly CoxWilliam "Billy" Cox is an American bassist, best known for performing with Jimi Hendrix.-Early years:Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, Cox was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Schenley High School. He first met Jimi Hendrix in the early 1960s, when they were both in the United States...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Rocky Isaac – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Chris Grimes – tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
- Al Marks – maracas