"...She stayed with me just long enough for afternoon tea..."
Episode #006: JIMI HENDRIX
Song: Angel (home recording)
(Photo: HENDRIX RECORD COLLECTION/MUSEUM)
Angel was a beautifully sweet song that Jimi wrote after a dream he had of his mother, Lucille. His mother died when he was young and it greatly affected him, yet like his father he eternalised his sorrow until later in life when he started dreaming about her. Another song, 'Gypsy Eyes' was also based on a visit by his mother in his dreams.
A few days after recording it he had the lyrics with him and read it out to his friend Freddie Mae as a piece of poetry: "It was very deep, it was what was in him". - Excerpt from the book 'Electric Gypsy' by Harry Shapiro & Ceaser Glebbeek
This recording comes from circa March 1968 from the 'Black Gold' bootleg which featured a few home recordings Jimi had been working on with a four-track cassette player in private at his hotel apartment. The lyrics are different to the final version which was featured on 'The Cry of Love' album which was released posthumously after he died. The finished version of the song was completed by his drummer Mitch Mitchell who added fresh drum tracks and helped complete the album for release after Jimi's death on September 18th, 1970.
Angel - Home Recording, March 1968
(source: Vimeo, Experience Hendrix L.L.C)
Lyrics
Angel come down from heaven yesterday
She stayed with me just long enough for afternoon tea
And she tell me a story yesterday,
about the love between the moon and the deep blue sea
And when it was time for her to go,
she spread her wings high over me
And she said "I shall return tomorrow"And I said "fly on my sweet angel,
fly on through the sky,
fly on my sweet angel,
tomorrow I look for you by my side"And sure enough this morning comes to me
With silver wings silhouetted against the glow of the child's sunrise
And as the bluebirds and the sparrows envy me,
she says "I love you little boy
and today you shall fly"
She kissed me once
and the feelings so good she made me cry
And now, we can fly together
Angel: Behind The Scenes, the evolution of Angel
Official video by Experience Hendrix with Jimi's studio engineer Eddie Kramer talking about the studio recording of Angel
(source: Youtube / JimiHendrixVEVO)
Music Monday Playlist:
Episode #001: DAVID BOWIE - Evolution of 'SPACE ODDITY'
Episode #002: JASCHA HEIFETZ - Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D Major
Episode #003: KYU SAKAMOTO - Sukiyaki (Ue o Muite Arukou)
Episode #004: DEATH - Politicians In My Eyes
Episode #005: RANDY RHODES - Crazy Train