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Full tilt boogie band me and bobby mcgee5/18/2023 She intended to show her former classmates that this person whom they scorned had become a superstar. Janis defiantly declared on The Dick Cavett Show, four months prior to her death, that she would be attending her high school reunion, which was filmed. Listen to Janis Joplin’s birthday message to John Lennon: She sounds like Mae West or Zarah Leander! It’s incredible to hear her singing a straight non-bluesy vocal. She and her band did a rendition of the Dale Evans Rodgers song ‘ Happy Trails to You’, which sadly includes the lyric, “until we meet again.” John received the tape a few days after Janis passed away. One of the last things Janis did in her life was to record a birthday message to John Lennon. It remains on the album as an instrumental. Janis died before recording the vocals for ‘Buried Alive in the Blues’ – which could have been her epitaph. See my story about Howard Tate’s collaboration with Lou Reed on the song ‘How Do You Think It Feels Ragovoy also produced many of Howard Tate’s albums. ‘Get It While You Can’ was first released by the great Howard Tate in 1967. ‘Get It While You Can’ was co-written by Brill Building writers Mort Shuman, who co-wrote many huge hits with Doc Pomus – and Jerry Ragovoy, who also wrote ‘Piece of My Heart’ and ‘Time is On My Side’ made famous by The Rolling Stones. Kraftwerk: Mercedes-Benz Auf Der Autobahn This was her final recording, three days prior to her death. I would love to hear the voice of Janis in a multi-tracked gospel choir backing herself on this, although it is a gorgeously simple arrangement. The gospel-infused ‘Mercedes Benz’, written by Janis, Bobby Neuwrith and Michael McClure. The album features the incredible ‘Cry Baby’, the perfect showcase for the amazing vocals of Janis. ‘Me and Bobby McGee’ was written by Kris Kristofferson. ‘Trust Me’ was composed by Bobby Womack for Janis. Some of the album’s nine songs were recorded live during her shows in Canada with touring group, the Full Tilt Boogie Band. The album was recorded at Sunset Sound in L.A. In the dimly lit Pearl album cover photo taken by Barry Feinstein, Janis reclines on a small couch wearing a cascading crown of feathers, drink and cigarette in hand. It was eventually certified quadruple platinum. It was released three months after her death at age 27 on October 4, 1970, spending nine weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. Reflecting on her incredible legend and continuing presence of Janis in our lives to this day, it’s hard to believe that Pearl was only her second (and final) album. This was the title of her final album, released fifty years ago today on January 11, 1971. However, this force-field was a shield – put up by a fragile and sensitive girl, Janis Joplin was a forceful whirlwind, spewing out the blues in a way that nobody had done before. © Madeline Bocaro, 2021. No part of this site may be reproduced or re-blogged in whole or in part in any manner without permission of the copyright owner.
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