45th Anniversary of Janis Joplin's Death

Janis Joplin, 1943 - 1970

It’s hard to believe that in the space of just 16 days, the world lost two of the most influential musicians. On Sunday 4th October 1970, just two weeks after Hendrix died in a London hotel, Janis Joplin was discovered by her road manager in her hotel room after an accidental heroin overdose. In both cases there are such sad similarities, including their age of course (they are probably the two best known members of the 27 Club). In marking her passing, let us remember what a truly unique woman Joplin was, a talent so raw it’s unlikely we will ever see someone match it again.

Born in Texas in 1943, Joplin was a very needy child, and craved individual attention from her parents despite having two other siblings. She was an outcast at school and often bullied by her school mates for being overweight and having skin prone to very bad acne, which left her scarred for the rest of her life. However, she did find comfort in music and also painting. In her early 20s she moved back and forth from San Fransisco to Texas, often staying with her parents due to her ill health (by this time she had also gained a reputation as a drug user and heavy drinker). 

In 1966 she joined the psychedelic rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company, with whom she was to have a large number of hits (Down on Me, Summertime, Piece of my Heart…). Cheap Thrills was their second and most successful album, and launched Joplin’s career. By 1969 she’d left Big Brother and had ventured into her solo career, again with a stream of successful songs (mainly covers), and backing bands including the Kozmic Blues Band and Full Tilt Boogie. Two of her most notable performances were Woodstock (although being crippled with nerves at the size of the crowds) and Madison Square Garden, both in 1969. Despite her nervous disposition, Joplin was electrifying, both on stage and in the recording studio. In interviews you can hear her cackle like a small school girl, but knowing her difficult and slightly tortured past explains all that pain and anguish which you can hear in her voice when she sings.

Pearl was to be her final solo album, which held the Number 1 spot in the States for nine weeks, despite being released three months after her death. It included songs for which she will forever be known: Cry Baby, Me and Bobby McGee, and the song I have chosen to cover, Mercedes Benz, written by Joplin along with Bob Neuwirth and Michael McClure. The song was recorded in one take, just three days before she died. I decided that in true Janis style, I too should record it in one take, completely a cappella, with no effects or tweaks (if you listen carefully you can also hear the perfectly timed car horn in the background - I so hope it was a Mercedes!). Forgive the squeaks and strains, but I hope Janis would approve.