Hendrix, with bandmates Mitch Mitchell (drums) and Billy Cox (bass), was already booked to perform a concert in Honolulu at the H.I.C. Arena on August 1, 1970, and the film’s director, Chuck Wein, desperate to feature Hendrix in some capacity, devised a plan to film a free “color/sound vibratory experiment” on the lower slope of the dormant Haleakala volcano.
Word of mouth about a free Jimi Hendrix concert led a few hundred curious Maui locals to the Baldwin cattle ranch in Olinda where a makeshift stage was constructed and the audience was arranged by their astrological signs. The performance captured the Jimi Hendrix Experience at the height of their powers, playing two full sets against the natural backdrop.
“Jimi loved adventure and there was certainly no shortage of it during his time in Hawaii, a place he also loved,” said Janie Hendrix. “The back story of Rainbow Bridge and these recordings paint a picture of Jimi’s uncanny ability to turn the bizarre into something amazing! We’re excited about this release because it gives the world a closer look at Jimi’s genius.”
Link to Article on Documentary Film
