View source for Little Wing

{{Short description|1967 song by Jimi Hendrix}}
{{about|the Jimi Hendrix song}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Little Wing
| artist     = [[the Jimi Hendrix Experience]]
| album      = [[Axis: Bold as Love]]
| released   = 
*{{Start date|1967|12|01}} (UK)
*January 15, 1968 (US)
| recorded   = October 25 & 28, 1967{{efn|A third recording date, October 31, 1967, has also been suggested.{{sfn|McDermott|2000|p=28}}}}
| studio     = [[Olympic Studios|Olympic]], London
| genre      =
*[[Rock music|Rock]]{{efn|"'Little Wing' is so sad yet so hopeful, a ballad not of any particular category, yet blending perfectly between lyric and melody".{{sfn|Henderson|1981|p=175}}}}
*[[psychedelic soul]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Reed|first=Ryan|date=September 14, 2020|title=60 Best Jimi Hendrix Songs|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/best-jimi-hendrix-songs/|access-date=February 2, 2021|website=Ultimate Classic Rock}}</ref>
| length     = 2:24<ref>From US [[Reprise Records]] monaural promotional album (original UK Track and US Reprise albums did not list running times)</ref>
| label      = 
*[[Track Records|Track]] (UK)
*[[Reprise Records|Reprise]] (US)
| writer     = [[Jimi Hendrix]]
| producer   = [[Chas Chandler]]
}}
"'''Little Wing'''" is a song written by [[Jimi Hendrix]] and recorded by [[the Jimi Hendrix Experience]] in 1967. It is a slow tempo [[rhythm and blues]]-inspired ballad featuring Hendrix's vocal and guitar with recording studio effects accompanied by bass, drums, and [[glockenspiel]]. Lyrically, it is one of several of his songs that reference an idealized feminine or [[guardian angel]]-like figure. At about two and a half minutes in length, it is one of his most concise and melodically focused pieces.

The origins of "Little Wing" have been traced back to the 1966 recording of "[[(My Girl) She's a Fox]]", an R&B song which features Hendrix playing [[Curtis Mayfield]]-influenced guitar accompaniment. He developed the song while performing in New York City's Greenwich Village prior to his involvement with producer [[Chas Chandler]]. After being inspired by events at the 1967 [[Monterey Pop Festival]], Hendrix completed the song in October 1967, when it was recorded by the Experience during the sessions for their second album ''[[Axis: Bold as Love]]''.

"Little Wing" was released with the ''Axis'' album in December 1967 in the UK and the following month in the US. As one of only two songs from the album to become part of the Experience's concert repertoire, the Experience often performed it live and recordings were issued on early Hendrix posthumous albums ''[[Hendrix in the West]]'' in 1972 and ''[[The Jimi Hendrix Concerts]]'' in 1982. More recently, demo versions have been released as well as additional live renditions.  "Little Wing" is one of Hendrix's most popular songs and has become a standard, with interpretations recorded by musicians in a variety of styles. In 2004, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine included "Little Wing" on its list of the "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]" at number 357. <ref>https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-151127/</ref>

==Background==
Jimi Hendrix began his career as a rhythm and blues guitarist and performed and recorded with several popular R&B artists, including [[the Isley Brothers]], [[Don Covay]], and [[Little Richard]]. He learned from other R&B guitarists, including [[Curtis Mayfield]], who was known for his understated rhythmic fills and chording.{{sfn|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1990|p=68}}{{efn|Other R&B guitar influences include in-demand session guitarist [[Cornell Dupree]], with whom Hendrix shared guitar duties while touring with [[King Curtis]] in 1966{{sfn|Black|1999|p=39}} and [[Steve Cropper]] with [[Stax Records]]/[[Booker T. & the M.G.'s]].{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=63}}}}  Hendrix toured as a support act with Mayfield in 1963.  He described the experience: "The best gig was with Curtis Mayfield and [[the Impressions]].  Curtis was a ''really'' good guitarist&nbsp;... I learned a lot in that short time.  He probably influenced me more than anyone I'd ever played with up to that time, that sweet sound of his, you know".{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=61}}  In 1966, Hendrix recorded a song titled "(My Girl) She's a Fox" with the [[The Icemen (R&B duo)|Icemen]], an R&B duo.{{efn|"[[(My Girl) She's a Fox]]" was written by brothers [[Richard Poindexter|Richard]] and [[Robert Poindexter (songwriter)|Robert Poindexter]], who later wrote "[[Thin Line Between Love and Hate]]".{{sfn|McDermott|2010|p=11}}}} Hendrix biographer [[Harry Shapiro (author)|Harry Shapiro]] has described it as "paced and phrased in the style of Curtis Mayfield, [that] is virtually a blueprint for 'Little Wing'".{{sfn|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1990|p=77}}  Later Hendrix producer John McDermott called his contribution to "She's a Fox" (included on the 2010 ''[[West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology]]'') "perhaps the strongest of his pre-Experience career.  Hendrix's Curtis Mayfield-influenced guitar styling is the song's strongest attribute".{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|Cox|2009|pp=16–17}}

According to Hendrix, "Little Wing" came from an idea he had originally developed while playing in [[Greenwich Village]], when he was fronting his band [[Jimmy James and the Blue Flames]] in the summer of 1966.{{sfn|McDermott|Cox|Kramer|1995|p=42}}  He later explained that he was further inspired during the Experience's performance at the 1967 [[Monterey Pop Festival]]:{{efn|Underground chemist [[Owsley Stanley]], who perfected the mass production of [[LSD]] before it was made illegal, was present "freely handing out LSD to musicians backstage".  Hendrix was surprised to learn that the purple tabs had been nicknamed "purple haze" by some after his song. {{sfn|Cross|2005|p=191}}}}
{{blockquote|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 and 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.{{sfn|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1990|pp=224–225}}}}

==Recording and composition==
[[File:Jimi Hendrix experience 1968.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Jimi Hendrix Experience promotional photo circa 1968]]
In October 1967, recording sessions for the second [[the Jimi Hendrix Experience|Experience]] album, ''[[Axis: Bold as Love]]'', began at [[Olympic Studios]] in London.  On October 25, after recording the strongly R&B-oriented "[[Wait Until Tomorrow]]", the Experience recorded an instrumental version of "Little Wing".{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|Cox|2009|p=71}}  It followed the same chord progression as the later master recording, but had a more forceful rock feel.{{sfn|McDermott|2000|p=28}}{{efn|On October 14 or 15, 1967, Hendrix and drummer [[Mitch Mitchell]] recorded an early instrumental demo which was apparently labeled "Little Wing" on the tape box, although Shadwick claims that it was a mistake, because of its much closer resemblance to Hendrix's later song "[[Angel (Jimi Hendrix song)|Angel]]".{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=127}}}} After another take in the same vein, Chandler called for a different approach.  Recording engineer [[Eddie Kramer]] explained, "Chas knew right away what was needed.  He had Jimi slow the tempo down and try it again".{{sfn|McDermott|2000|p=28}}  After the basic track was completed, Hendrix and Kramer recorded overdubs on October 28, 1967.{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|Cox|2009|p=74}}  For his recordings, Hendrix expended considerable effort to achieve the optimal tone for his guitar tracks.{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|Cox|2009|p=72}}  For his rhythm guitar, he had set his pickup selector to a nonstandard position between the neck and middle settings to achieve a "hollow" tone, sometimes mistakenly referred to as "out-of-phase".{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=247}}  However, for the lead, Kramer later fed the guitar signal through a makeshift [[Leslie speaker]], which was normally used for electric organs.{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|Cox|2009|p=74}} By rotating the sound, Leslie speakers produce [[vibrato]]- and [[tremolo]]-like effects, i.e., a pulsing or quivering addition to the sound (Hendrix later popularized the use of the [[Univibe]] [[Phaser (effect)|phase shifter]] [[Effects unit|effects pedal]], which can be set to get a roughly similar effect).{{sfn|Rubin|Whitehill|1992|p=22}}  Next, Hendrix added a straight ("dry, without any effects") [[glockenspiel]] to underscore his vocal and guitar.{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|1992|p=95}}  According to Kramer, "Jimi always kept an eye out for odd instruments that would be lying about the studio" and found the glockenspiel in Studio A.{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|Cox|2009|p=74}}  Last to be recorded was his vocal, which was treated with sound processing techniques to give it an airy sound.  These have been variously described as [[artificial double tracking]] (ADT), [[Phasing (music)|phasing]], [[Pultec EQP-1|Pultec filter]] [[Equalization (audio)|equalization]], and processing with a Leslie speaker.{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|1992|p=95}}{{sfn|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1990|p=531}}

Regarding the song's arrangement, Shapiro commented, "Musically, 'Little Wing' is structured to lay a gossamer touch across the whole song from the arresting opening statement and the haunting glockenspiel to the use of a Leslie speaker cabinet for the guitar".{{sfn|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1990|pp=224–225}}  According to [[AllMusic]]'s Matthew Greenwald, it is based on a "gentle, soulful chord progression [which] guides the melody and is an accurate mirror of the title and lyrics".<ref name="Greenwald">
{{cite web
| url = http://www.allmusic.com/song/little-wing-mt0004402125
| title = Jimi Hendrix: Little Wing – Song Review
| last = Greenwald
| first = Matthew
| website = [[AllMusic]]
| access-date = March 25, 2014
}}</ref>  The song has been notated in [[4/4 time|{{music|time|4|4}}]] with one bar in {{music|time|2|4}} at a slow rock (70–72 [[beats per minute]]) tempo and is built on a [[chord progression]] without a [[Bridge (music)|bridge]] section:{{sfn|Experience Hendrix|1998|pp=133–142}}{{efn|As with most Hendrix songs, his guitar is tuned down one-half step, resulting in a lower pitch. {{sfn|Experience Hendrix|1998|p=133}}}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:700px;"
|-
|width=10.5%|Em
|width=10.5%|G
|width=10.5%|Am
|width=10.5%|Em
|width=10.5%|Bm–B{{music|flat}}
|width=10.5%|Am–C
|width=10.5%|G–F<sup>add9</sup>
|width=5.5%|{{music|time|2|4}} C
|width=10.5%|{{music|time|4|4}} D
|width=10.5%|rest
|}
After an instrumental introduction, there are two verses, followed by a guitar solo, which has been described as "richly melodic" by biographer Keith Shadwick.{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=128}}  Shapiro noted the song's brevity: "The song fades on a magical solo after only two minutes and twenty-five seconds. Even live, 'Little Wing' was hardly any longer – he said what he wanted to say and stopped".{{sfn|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1990|pp=224–225}}

Hendrix's use of guitar chords for the song involves unconventional finger positions and approach to the fretboard.{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=128}}  Guitarist [[Frank Marino]] explained:
{{blockquote|He had the tendency to play with his fingers very flat [on the guitar's fretboard], and he had a very long thumb, so he could come over the top of the neck to play bass notes.  That left his fingers in a likely position to do all this chordal-type stuff.  Playing with his fingers so flat also got him that double-string effect every time, like in '[[Castles Made of Sand (song)|Castles Made of Sand]]' or 'Little Wing".  That's an R&B thing.{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=128}}}}
A reference work by [[Hal Leonard Corporation|Hal Leonard]] compares it to a pianist's approach, with Hendrix's "thumb fret[ting] the bass notes, functioning in almost the same manner as a keyboardist's left hand, and the fingers of his fretting hand can be likened to a pianist's right hand".{{sfn|Experience Hendrix|1998|p=133}}  Leonard also adds that guitarist [[Adrian Belew]] describes the technique as a "lost art".{{sfn|Experience Hendrix|1998|p=133}}

The name "Little Wing" was first used by Hendrix as a working title for an entirely separate song, later re-titled "Angel" and released as a single posthumously.<ref>''South Saturn Delta'', liner notes, 1997</ref>

==Lyrics and interpretation==
In discussing his lyrics, Jimi Hendrix was characteristically enigmatic.  In a 1967 interview, he explained "Most ballads come across in different ways.  Sometimes you see things in different ways than other people see it.  So then you write it in a song.  It could represent anything".{{sfn|McDermott|Cox|Kramer|1995|p=142}}  In different interviews, he acknowledged an American Indian-influence on his songs "[[I Don't Live Today]]", "[[May This Be Love]]", and "Little Wing".{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|1992|p=191}}  He described "Little Wing" as being "based on a very, very simple Indian style",{{sfn|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1990|pp=224–225}} perhaps referring to some [[mythologies of the indigenous peoples of North America|Native American mythologies]] in which spirits inhabit nature and animals, including birds.  In one interview, he saw it as self-explanatory: "That's exactly what it's about, like 'She's walking through the clouds'",{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|1992|p=191}}
{{poemquote|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{{sfn|Experience Hendrix|1998|pp=135–136}}}}
Music journalist [[Charles Shaar Murray]] likens the figure to a feminine ideal: "Sometimes she is a spirit, sometimes a fantasy, sometimes a woman as solidly, palpably physical as he is".{{sfn|Murray|1991|p=74}}  The figure first appears as "Waterfall" in "May This Be Love", where she offers solace and hope, and as "a soulful, loving [[Sprite (creature)|sprite]]" in "Little Wing".{{sfn|Murray|1991|p=74}}  However, other writers have suggested that the figure is similar to the guardian angel associated with Christianity,{{sfn|Henderson|1981|p=175}} which is clearly what she represents in Hendrix's later song "[[Angel (Jimi Hendrix song)|Angel]]".{{efn|"[[Angel (Jimi Hendrix song)|Angel]]" was issued as a single and on the album ''[[Cry of Love]]'' six months after his death. {{sfn|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1990|p=540}}}} Hendrix's brother, [[Leon Hendrix|Leon]], interpreted "Little Wing" (and "Angel") as a general tribute: "He wrote it for his girlfriends, our aunties, and especially for our mama, who looked over us from high above in the afterlife".{{sfn|Hendrix|Mitchell|2012|pp=219–220}}{{efn|Biographer [[Charles R. Cross]]' sometimes controversial ''[[Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix]]'' includes an unreferenced statement that "he [Hendrix] later told his brother Leon that both songs were about their mother, Lucille";{{sfn|Cross|2005|p=206}} however, this is not mentioned in Leon's biography.}}  Hendrix's hand-written lyrics for "Angel" (with the note, "Finished January 14, 1968") use the title "My Angel Catherina (Return of Little Wing)", which suggests that he saw a connection between the two songs.{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|Cox|2009|p=71}}  At the time, Hendrix had just finished a short tour of Scandinavia, where he had performed "Little Wing" in concert for the first time.{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|Cox|2009|p=86}}  At some point he responded to a question, "Love? I know a girl, Katerina, in Sweden."{{sfn|Fairchild|1991|p=6}}  In a later 1969 interview, Hendrix described his relationships while he was on tour: "So like 'Little Wing' is like one of these beautiful girls that come around sometimes&nbsp;... She was a very sweet girl that came around that gave me her whole life and more if I wanted it. And me with my crazy ass couldn't get it together, so I'm off here and there and off over there."{{sfn|Hall|Clark|1970|p=134}}

==Releases==
"Little Wing", along with the rest of the tracks for ''Axis: Bold as Love'', was mixed October 31, 1967.  Because some of the masters had been lost, stereo remixes were prepared on November 1 (it is not clear if "Little Wing" was among those remixed).{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|Cox|2009|p=76}}  On November 2, 1967, a monaural mix was prepared, making ''Axis'' the last Hendrix album specifically mixed in mono (subsequent mono albums were electronically "folded" from the stereo mixes).{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|Cox|2009|p=76}}  When recording engineer Kramer was preparing the album for a new mono reissue, he commented on the differences: "Perhaps the most unique track was 'Little Wing'.  Jimi's guitar and vocals were much drier while the drum reverb was much more present.  It was experimentation&nbsp;... the entire [mono] album was all mixed in one day!"{{sfn|Roby|2002|p=80}}

The album was issued by [[Track Records]] in the UK on December 1, 1967,{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|Cox|2009|p=79}} and [[Reprise Records]] on January 15, 1968, in the US.{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|Cox|2009|p=86}}{{efn|Reprise Records held up its US release of ''Axis: Bold as Love'' because of the December release of ''[[Get That Feeling]]'', the [[Curtis Knight]] album on [[Capitol Records]] that was designed to look like a current Jimi Hendrix album.{{sfn|McDermott|Kramer|Cox|2009|p=86}}}} The song appears on subsequent reissues of ''Axis: Bold as Love'', which continues to be a best selling Hendrix album.{{efn|42 years after its first US release, ''Axis: Bold as Love'' reached number five on ''Biilboard's'' "Catalog Albums" chart.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.billboard.com/artist/304657/jimi-hendrix/chart?f=332
| title =Jimi Hendrix: Catalog Albums
| website = [[Billboard.com]]
| access-date = February 14, 2017
}}</ref>}}  It has also been included on numerous Hendrix compilation albums, including ''[[The Essential Jimi Hendrix]]'', ''[[Stone Free (album)|Stone Free]]'', ''[[The Ultimate Experience]]'', ''[[Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix]]'', and ''[[Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection]]''.<ref name="AllMusic">
{{cite web
| url = http://www.allmusic.com/song/little-wing-mt0005443284
| title = Jimi Hendrix: Little Wing – Appears On
| website = [[AllMusic]]
| access-date = March 30, 2014
}}</ref><ref name="Greenwald"/>  In 2022, the [[British Phonographic Industry]] awarded "Little Wing" its Silver certification, signifying sales of over 200,000.<ref>
{{Cite web
| url = https://www.bpi.co.uk/award/18350-2856-1
| author = <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->
| title = Jimi Hendrix Experience: 'Little Wing' Sony Music{{snd}}Silver, Certified date: 09.09.22, Release date: 15.01.10
| website = [[British Phonographic Industry]]
| access-date = September 29, 2022
}}</ref> However, it is unknown whether this applies to the original recording or a subsequent live version.

==Live performances==
"Little Wing" was one of only two songs from ''Axis'' that the Experience regularly performed in concert, the other being "[[Spanish Castle Magic]]".{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=129}}  Except for the glockenspiel and the song's ending, their live performances generally follow the studio arrangement.{{sfn|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1990|pp=224–225}} Since the ''Axis'' recording ends on a fade, Hendrix needed to devise a different live ending.{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=140}} Early recordings show a progression to an open chord, while later ones have more elaborate single-string guitar improvisation with effects, such as [[wah-wah (music)|wah-wah]], before a chiming final chord.{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|p=140}}  For one 1968 performance in San Francisco, Hendrix's guitar signal was routed through a Leslie speaker.{{sfn|Rubin|Whitehill|1992|p=22}} Writer Dave Rubin commented, "the real Leslie played outdoors [out of the studio] like this really gives a very delicate, gentle swirl to the chords and helps the chordal embellishments in the intro".{{sfn|Rubin|Whitehill|1992|p=22}}  This version was also rendered at a slower (56 bpm) tempo,{{sfn|Rubin|Whitehill|1992|p=22}} making it somewhat longer (4:01).<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/winterland-box-set-mw0002173150
| title = Jimi Hendrix: ''Winterland'' [Box Set] – Album Review
| last = Westergaard
| first = Sean 
| website = [[AllMusic]]
| access-date = May 14, 2014
}}</ref>

On January 8, 1968, the Experience debuted the song at the [[Stockholm Concert Hall|Konserthuset]] in Stockholm, Sweden, recordings of which have appeared on [[Bootleg recording|bootleg albums]].{{sfn|Belmo|Loveless|1998|p=359}}  Other live versions appear on ''[[Stages (Jimi Hendrix album)|Stages: Paris 68]]'' ([[Olympia (Paris)|L'Olympia]] Paris, January 29, 1968), ''[[The Jimi Hendrix Concerts]]'' ([[Winterland Ballroom]] San Francisco, October 12, 1968), 
and ''[[Hendrix in the West]]'' ([[Royal Albert Hall]]{{efn|The original ''Hendrix in the West'' liner notes listed the venue as the [[San Diego Sports Arena]].<ref>
{{cite AV media notes
| title = [[Hendrix in the West]]
| others = [[Jimi Hendrix]]
| year = 1971
| type = Liner notes
| location = Burbank, California
| publisher = [[Reprise Records]]
| id = MS 2049
| at = Inside gatefold
}}</ref>}} London, February 24, 1969).{{sfn|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1990|pp=523–562}}  These recordings have been reissued on ''[[Live in Paris & Ottawa 1968]]'', ''[[Winterland (The Jimi Hendrix Experience album)|Winterland]]'', and ''[[The Jimi Hendrix Experience (album)|The Jimi Hendrix Experience]]'' box set.  The 1969 Royal Albert Hall live recording was included on singles issued in the UK and US in 1972.{{sfn|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1990|pp=523–562}}  A March 17, 1968, instrumental jam with Hendrix and members of the [[Paul Butterfield Blues Band]] and [[the Electric Flag]] is built around "Little Wing".{{sfn|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1990|pp=596–597}}  Hendrix recorded it for his personal use around the time he began recording tracks for ''[[Electric Ladyland]]'' at the [[Record Plant]] studio in New York.  This low [[fidelity]] tape from the [[Cafe au Go Go]], along with others from the Generation Club and [[The Scene (performance venue)|the Scene]] in New York, was later stolen from his apartment and has appeared on several bootleg albums over the years.{{sfn|Shadwick|2003|pp=144–146}}

==Notable covers and adaptations==
===Eric Clapton===
English guitarist and singer [[Eric Clapton]] has performed "Little Wing" throughout his career, beginning in 1970 with [[Derek and the Dominos]].{{snf|Bowling|2013|loc=eBook}}  He explained in an interview:
{{blockquote|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.{{sfn|Forte|2010|pp=57–58}}}}
Derek and the Dominos performed the song in London at the [[Marquee Club]] ten days after their live debut at the [[Lyceum Theatre, London|Lyceum]] on June 14, 1970.{{sfn|Shapiro|1992|pp=113–114}} With [[Duane Allman]] on second guitar, the group recorded "Little Wing" at [[Criteria Studios]] in Miami, during the sessions for ''[[Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs]]'' shortly before Hendrix's death on September 18, 1970. {{sfn|Welch|2016|loc=eBook}} Clapton biographer Michael Schumacher notes, "Clapton had intended it as a tribute to a living legend, but now that Hendrix was gone, the song hit on a different emotional level."{{sfn|Schumacher|2003|p=156}}

[[Atco Records]] issued the song on a single as the B-side to "[[Bell Bottom Blues (Derek and the Dominos song)|Bell Bottom Blues]]"{{sfn |Bowling|2013|loc=eBook}} and included it on ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs''.{{sfn|Welch|2016|loc=eBook}}  Critics' comments on Derek and the Dominos' rendition range from "exquisitely arranged" (''[[Rolling Stone]]''){{sfn|Prown|Newquist|1997|loc=eBook}} to "bombastic"(''Legends of Rock Guitar'').{{sfn|Brackett|Hoard|2004|p=230}}  The group performed the song during their tour and a recording from the [[Fillmore East]] in New York City on October 23, 1970, was released on the ''[[Live at the Fillmore (Derek and the Dominos album)|Live at the Fillmore]]'' album in 1994.

After the break up of Derek and the Dominos, Clapton continued to perform "Little Wing".{{sfn|Bowling|2013|loc=eBook}}  Live recordings appear on ''[[Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert]]'' (1973), ''[[Crossroads 2: Live in the Seventies]]'' (1974, released 1996), ''[[Crossroads Guitar Festival#1999 festival|Eric Clapton & Friends in Concert]]'' (DVD with [[Sheryl Crow]] 1999), ''[[Live in San Diego (Eric Clapton album)|Live in San Diego]]'' (2007, released 2016), ''[[Live from Madison Square Garden (Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood album)|Live from Madison Square Garden]]'' (with [[Steve Winwood]] 2008, released 2009).<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.allmusic.com/song/little-wing-mt0053504732
| title = Eric Clapton: Little Wing – Appears On
| website = [[AllMusic]]
| access-date = June 16, 2017
}}</ref>
===Stevie Ray Vaughan===
[[Texas blues]] musician [[Stevie Ray Vaughan]] recorded an instrumental version in 1984, although it was not released until 1991, when it appeared on Vaughan's posthumously released album ''[[The Sky Is Crying (album)|The Sky Is Crying]]''. Vaughan's interpretation of the song won the 1993 [[Grammy Award]] for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.<ref>
{{cite web
|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/stevie-ray-vaughan/14218
|title = Stevie Ray Vaughan Grammy Results
|website = [[Grammy Award]]
|access-date = January 29, 2021
}}</ref>
===Others===
Steve Vai - featured as a regular part of the live set and is included on the album "Live In London" from 2003.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_at_the_Astoria,_London</ref>
The Corrs - featured as an album track on "Talk on Corners" <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk_on_Corners#Track_listing</ref>

==Recognition and legacy==
''Rolling Stone'' has included "Little Wing" on its list of the "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]" at number 357 in 2004,<ref>
{{cite magazine
| title = 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: 351–400
| magazine = [[Rolling Stone]]
| issue = 963
| date = December 9, 2004
| url = http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2004/rs500songs7.htm
| via = Rockonthenet.com
| quote = 357. Little Wing, Jimi Hendrix
}}</ref> number 366 when the list was updated in 2010,<ref>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-151127/the-jimi-hendrix-experience-little-wing-31666/
| title = 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
| website = [[Rollingstone.com]]
| date = 11 December 2003
| access-date = August 5, 2021
| quote = 366 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience, 'Little Wing'
}}</ref> and 188 in 2021 and 2024.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/jimi-hendrix-little-wing-1225150/|title=Little Wing ranked #188 on Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs List|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=15 September 2021 |access-date=23 September 2021}}</ref> Several musicians have recorded the song in a variety of styles.

[[Gil Evans]] included a [[jazz]] arrangement in his band's repertoire throughout his career.{{sfn|Murray|1991|p=201}} A version was later included on an expanded reissue of ''[[The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix]]'' (1974). In 1987, Evans provided an arrangement and backing for a recording by English musician [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] for his second solo album ''[[...Nothing Like the Sun]]''. Murray describes Evans' involvement as "almost his last creative act" (Evans died less than a year later).{{sfn|Murray|1991|p=201}}

Irish [[pop rock]] band [[the Corrs]] recorded the song for their 1997 album ''[[Talk on Corners]]''.  An [[AllMusic]] album review noted "[t]he best and most spirited Celtic cut is 'Little Wing,' deliciously resting on the contributions of the dropping-by [[The Chieftains|Chieftains]]."<ref>
{{cite web
|first = Becky 
|last = Byrkit 
|url = {{AllMusic|class=album|id=r342257|pure_url=yes}} 
|title = The Corrs: ''Talk On Corners'' – Album Review
|website = [[AllMusic]] 
|access-date = April 27, 2019
}}</ref>

==Notes==
'''Footnotes'''
{{Notelist|30em}}

==Citations==
{{Reflist|20em}}

==References==
{{refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}
*{{cite book
| last1 = Belmo
| last2 = Loveless
| first2 = Steve
| title = Jimi Hendrix: Experience the Music
| year = 1998
| location = Burlington, Canada
| publisher = [[Collector's Guide Publishing]]
| isbn = 1-896522-45-9
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Black
| first = Johnny
| title = Jimi Hendrix: The Ultimate Experience
| publisher = Thunder's Mouth Press
| year = 1999
| isbn = 1-56025-240-5
| url = https://archive.org/details/jimihendrixultim00blac
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Bowling
| first = David
| year = 2013
| title = Eric Clapton FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Slowhand
| location = Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| publisher = [[Backbeat Books]]
| isbn = 978-1617135743
}}
*{{cite book
| editor1-last = Brackett
| editor1-first = Nathan
| editor2-last = Hoard
| editor2-first = Christian David
| year = 2004
| title = The New Rolling Stone Album Guide
| publisher = [[Simon and Schuster]]
| isbn = 978-0743201698
| url = https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Brown
| first = Tony
| author-link = Tony Brown (journalist)
| title = Jimi Hendrix: A Visual Documentary – His Life, Loves and Music
| year = 1992
| location = London
| publisher = [[Omnibus Press]]
| isbn = 978-0-7119-2761-2
}}
*{{cite book
| title = Jimi Hendrix: 'Talking'
| last = Brown
| first = Tony
| author-link = Tony Brown (journalist)
| year = 2003
| location = London
| publisher = [[Omnibus Press]]
| isbn = 978-1-84449-006-6
| url = https://archive.org/details/jimihendrixtalki00hend
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Cross
| first = Charles R.
| author-link = Charles R. Cross
| title = [[Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix]]
| location = New York City
| publisher = [[Hachette Books#Hyperion Books|Hyperion Books]]
| year = 2005
| isbn = 0-7868-8841-5
}}
*{{cite AV media notes
| title = [[Axis: Bold as Love]]
| others = [[Jimi Hendrix Experience]]
| year = 1997
| last = Fahey
| first = Jym
| type = CD reissue notes
| location = New York City
| publisher = [[MCA Records]]
| id = MCAD-11601
}}
*{{cite AV media notes
| title = [[Stages (Jimi Hendrix album)|Stages]]: Stockholm 1967
| others = [[Jimi Hendrix]]
| year = 1991
| last = Fairchild
| first = Michael
| type = Album notes
| location = Burbank, California
| publisher = [[Reprise Records]]
| id = 9 26732-2
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Forte
| first = Dan
| editor-last = Molenda
| editor-first = Michael
| year = 2010
| title = Clapton, Beck, Page
| location = Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| publisher = [[Backbeat Books]]
| isbn = 978-0879309756
}}
*{{cite book
| title = Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix Transcribed Scorres
| year = 1998
| location = Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| publisher = [[Hal Leonard]]
| isbn = 978-0-7935-9144-2
| ref = {{harvid|Experience Hendrix|1998}} }}
*{{cite book
| last1 = Hall
| first1 = Douglas Kent
| last2 = Clark
| first2 = Sue C.
| title = Rock: A World Bold as Love
| year = 1970
| publisher = Cowles Book
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Henderson
| first = David
| author-link = David Henderson (poet)
| title = 'Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky: The Life of Jimi Hendrix
| year = 1981
| location = New York City
| publisher = [[Bantam Books]]
| isbn = 0-553-01334-3
}}
*{{cite book
| last1 = Hendrix
| first1 = Leon
| author-link1 = Leon Hendrix
| last2 = Mitchell
| first2 = Adam
| title = Jimi Hendrix: A Brother's Story
| url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780312668815
| url-access = registration
| year = 2012
| location = New York City
| publisher = [[Thomas Dunne Books]]
| isbn = 978-0-312-66881-5
}}
*{{cite book
| last1 = McDermott
| first1 = John
| last2 = Kramer
| first2 = Eddie
| author-link2 = Eddie Kramer
| title = Hendrix: Setting the Record Straight
| year = 1992
| location = New York City
| publisher = [[Warner Books]]
| isbn = 0-446-39431-9
}}
*{{cite book
| last1 = McDermott
| first1 = John
| last2 = Cox
| first2 = Billy
| author-link2 = Billy Cox
| last3 = Kramer
| first3 = Eddie
| author-link3 = Eddie Kramer
| title = Jimi Hendrix: Sessions
| year = 1995
| location = New York City
| publisher = [[Little, Brown]]
| isbn = 0-316-55549-5
}}
*{{cite AV media notes
| title = [[South Saturn Delta]]
| others = [[Jimi Hendrix]]
| year = 1997
| last = McDermott
| first = John
| type = CD booklet
| location = New York City
| publisher = [[MCA Records]]
| id = MCAD-11684
}}
*{{cite AV media notes
| title = [[The Jimi Hendrix Experience (album)|The Jimi Hendrix Experience]]
| others = [[Jimi Hendrix Experience]]
| year = 2000
| last = McDermott
| first = John
| type = Box set booklet
| location = New York City
| publisher = [[MCA Records]]
| id = 08811 23162
}}
*{{cite book
| last1 = McDermott
| first1 = John
| last2 = Kramer
| first2 = Eddie
| author-link2 = Eddie Kramer
| last3 = Cox
| first3 = Billy
| author-link3 = Billy Cox
| title = Ultimate Hendrix
| location = San Francisco
| publisher = [[Backbeat Books]]
| year = 2009
| isbn = 978-0-87930-938-1
}}
*{{cite AV media notes
| title = [[West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology]]
| others = [[Jimi Hendrix]]
| year = 2010
| first  = John
| last = McDermott
| type = CD set booklet
| publisher = [[Legacy Recordings]]
| id = 88697769272
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Murray
| first = Charles Shaar
| author-link = Charles Shaar Murray
| title = Crosstown Traffic
| edition = 1st. U.S. paperback
| location = New York City
| publisher = [[St. Martin's Press]]
| year = 1991
| isbn = 0-312-06324-5
| url = https://archive.org/details/crosstowntraffic00murr
}}
*{{cite book
| last1 = Prown
| first1 = Pete
| author-link1 = Pete Prown
| last2 = Newquist
| first2 = Harvey P.
| author-link2 = HP Newquist
| year = 1997
| title = Legends of Rock Guitar: The Essential Reference of Rock's Greatest Guitarists
| publisher = [[Hal Leonard Corporation|Hal Leonard]]
| isbn = 978-0793540426
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Roby
| first = Steven
| title = Black Gold: The Lost Archives of Jimi Hendrix
| location = New York City
| publisher = [[Billboard Books]]
| year = 2002
| isbn = 0-8230-7854-X
| url = https://archive.org/details/blackgoldlostarc00roby
}}
*{{cite book
| last1 = Roby
| first1 = Steven
| last2 = Schreiber
| first2 = Brad
| title = Becoming Jimi Hendrix
| location = Boston, Massachusetts
| publisher = [[Da Capo Press]]
| year = 2010
| isbn = 978-0-306-81910-0
| url = https://archive.org/details/becomingjimihend00roby
}}
*{{cite book
| last1 = Rubin
| first1 = Dave
| last2 = Whitehill
| first2 = Dave
| title = Octavia & Univibe
| year = 1992
| location = Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| publisher = Bella Godiva Music/[[Hal Leonard]]
| isbn = 0-7935-1403-7
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Schumacher
| first = Michael
| title = Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton
| year = 2003
| location = New York City
| publisher = [[Citadel Press]]
| isbn = 978-0806524665
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Shadwick
| first = Keith
| title = Jimi Hendrix: Musician
| location = New York City
| publisher = [[Backbeat Books]]
| year = 2003
| isbn = 0-87930-764-1
}}
*{{cite book
| last1 = Shapiro
| first1 = Harry
| author-link1 = Harry Shapiro (author)
| last2 = Glebbeek
| first2 = Cesar
| title = Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy
| location = New York City
| publisher = [[St. Martin's Press]]
| year = 1990
| isbn = 0-312-05861-6
| url = https://archive.org/details/jimihendrixelec000shap
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Shapiro
| first =  Harry
| author-link = Harry Shapiro (author)
| year = 1992
| title = Eric Clapton: Lost In The Blues
| publisher = [[Da Capo Press]]
| isbn = 0-306-80480-8
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Welch
| first = Chris
| author-link = Chris Welch
| year = 2016
| title = Clapton: The Ultimate Illustrated History – Updated Edition
| location = Minneapolis, Minnesota
| publisher = [[Voyageur Press]]
| isbn =  978-0760350195
}}
{{Refend}}

{{Navboxes
| title = Jimi Hendrix related articles
| titlestyle = background: khaki
| list1  = 
{{Jimi Hendrix}}
{{Jimi Hendrix songs}}
{{Jimi Hendrix singles}}
}}
{{Derek and the Dominos}}
{{Stevie Ray Vaughan}}
{{Sting}}
{{...Nothing Like the Sun}}
{{Skid Row}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:1967 songs]]
[[Category:1960s ballads]]
[[Category:The Jimi Hendrix Experience songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Jimi Hendrix]]
[[Category:Rock ballads]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Chas Chandler]]
[[Category:Eric Clapton songs]]
[[Category:Derek and the Dominos songs]]
[[Category:Sting (musician) songs]]
[[Category:Stevie Ray Vaughan songs]]