| "Dolly Dagger" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 1997 reissue single picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by Jimi Hendrix | ||||
| from the album Rainbow Bridge | ||||
| B-side | " The Star-Spangled Banner" | |||
| Released | October 1971 | |||
| Recorded | July–August 1970 | |||
| Studio | Electric Lady, New York City | |||
| Genre | Funk Rock | |||
| Length | 4:45 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jimi Hendrix | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Jimi Hendrix U.S. singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Dolly Dagger" is a song written and recorded by Jimi Hendrix. On October 9, 1971, it was released on the posthumous album Rainbow Bridge, followed by a single on October 23. Backed with a multi-tracked studio solo rendition of the " Star Spangled Banner", the single peaked at number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the last Hendrix single to appear on the main Billboard chart. [1]
Biographers consider the song to be written about Hendrix's girlfriend Devon Wilson, with the song's name referencing her "concurrent relationship with Mick Jagger". [2] The lyrics "she drinks her blood from a jagged edge" refer to a "party where Mick Jagger cut his finger, Wilson elbowed her way in to suck the blood off as Hendrix watched". [3]
The Rainbow Bridge album was used to fulfill manager Michael Jeffery's obligation to give Reprise Records a soundtrack album for the film Rainbow Bridge. Although labeled "Original Soundtrack", the album did not feature any music performed in the original film. [4] However, most of the tracks on the album were used as incidental music for the film. In 2020, the songs Hendrix performed during the filming were released on the two-CD set Live in Maui, including "Dolly Dagger", which opened the second set. [5]
Between July and September 1970, Hendrix occasionally played "Dolly Dagger" during The Cry of Love Tour. [6] A version recorded at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 was included on Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight album and DVD. In a review for AllMusic, Sean Westergaard noted that "much of the new material was under-rehearsed for a live setting, giving some of the newer songs like 'Dolly Dagger' more of a jam feel". [7]
- ^ "Jimi Hendrix: Chart History – The Hot 100". Billboard.com. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
- ^ Shaar Murray, Charles (1990). Crosstown Traffic: Jimi Hendrix & the Post-War Rock 'N' Roll Revolution. New York City: St. Martin's Press. p. 73. ISBN 0-31204-288-4.
- ^ Lough, James (July 1, 2013). This Ain't No Holiday Inn: Down and Out at the Chelsea Hotel 1980–1995. Tucson, Arizona: Schaffner Press. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-93618-252-7.
- ^ Westergaard, Sean. "Jimi Hendrix: Rainbow Bridge [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
- ^ Bienstock, Richard (September 10, 2020). "Jimi Hendrix's infamous 1970 Maui concerts documented in new film and live album". Guitarworld.com. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- ^ McDermott, John; Kramer, Eddie; Cox, Billy (2009). Ultimate Hendrix. New York City: Backbeat Books. pp. 207–208, 211–215. ISBN 978-0-87930-938-1.
- ^ Westergaard, Sean. "Jim Hendrix: Blue Wild Angel – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- Jimi Hendrix: "Dolly Dagger" on Vevo (full song)
- "Dolly Dagger": Behind the Scenes on Vevo (Audio engineer Eddie Kramer and others provide commentary on the recording)
- " Dolly Dagger" at Discogs (list of releases)
