"Maybe" - Two Versions of One Song

One of my favorite R&B songs is "Maybe", which was recorded by the Chantels in 1957. The song was written by Arlene Smith and producer Richard Barrett. It went on to become a huge hit for the group, selling over one million copies, which made them the first "girl" group to accomplish this feat. They are considered to be one of the earliest of the "all girl" groups, which would eventually spawn acts such as The Cookies, The Supremes, and The Shangri-Las, to name only a few. The influence of these goups also spread into the Rock and Roll genre, with artists like The Beatles covering songs such as The Cookies version of "Chains", which had been written by Carole King.

By the late 1960's even Janis Joplin was covering some of the best songs of the 1930's through the 60's. "Summertime" by Cole Porter comes to mind, as does "Little Girl Blue" by Rodgers and Hart. But one of my favorite covers by her was when she did "Maybe" on the "I Got Them Ol' Kozmic Blues Again, Mama" album. She infused that song with the blues, pure and simple. I have both versions on my flash drive, back to back, and sometimes even I have to stop and marvel at the two interpretations of this great song. There is also another live version of this song, by Janis Joplin, from the Dick Cavett Show, which left the audience near tears. This version is from Germany in 1969.

And this is a link to an interview with Arlene Smith, which I hope you will find interesting;

http://www.classicbands.com/ChantelsInterview.html

"On the Road with Janis Joplin" by John Byrne Cooke (2014)

To my mind there has never been a good book yet about Janis Joplin’s life on the road; from Big Brother and the Holding Company through the final days of the Full Tilt Boogie Band. Now there is. John Byrne Cooke was the road manager for all three incarnations of Janis’ career and he was taking notes; and filming some of it on his 8mm. And because he did that we have a great record of what Janis; and the 3 bands she fronted; were doing from early 1968 until her death in October 1970.

Written in the present tense and against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the attendant election of Richard Nixon in 1968, this book is almost animated in its presentation. The 1960’s were lively, to be sure, which can make them difficult to capture on paper. No such problem for the author here. He has done a great job of melding the two into a very entertaining, and yet informative, account of one of the most vibrant stars of the decade.

Along the journey you will hear the story behind some of the stories which have become legendary since Janis Joplin’s passing. The Jim Morrison and Janis fight; in which she smashed a bottle on his head while playing pool and he told her she couldn’t sing the blues worth a shit;  or the slapping of Jerry Lee Lewis, who slapped back; are two great examples of the raucous side to Janis. But there are softer moments, too.

A bit of rock and roll history gets thrown in; the situation which existed in NYC that literally made Bill Graham feel as if he had to open a decent musical venue on the East Coast is explored. The Anderson Theater was right across the street from another old Yiddish Theater. Bill Graham had it up and running in about 8 weeks flat. Big Brother and the Holding Company were the headliners on opening night.

My own memory of “Cheap Thrills” did not include the fact that within a few weeks of the album’s release and ascension to number 1 on the charts in November 1968, the band dissolved by the end of November. Janis was going to front a new band and they were already booked for engagements beginning in January. Many fans were upset with the breakup. Big Brother seemed to embody the San Francisco scene and the album, with its cover by Robert Crumb, quickly became an icon of acid rock and hung on the walls of many bedrooms across the country.

This new band became the Kozmic Blues Band and featured a horn section for the first time. With this album’s releaaseI began to think of Janis as the female version of James Brown. Listen to, and watch, some of the performances and her introductions on You Tube and you’ll see what I mean.

Still not happy with the sound she was searching for led to the Kozmic Blues Band going through many changes in personnel. Mr. Cooke has supplied a listing of personnel associated with each band at the front of the book which comes in handy for reference on several occasions. Just keeping track of the horn section is a chore. They underwent 3 changes in that department before getting it right. Still, they produced a magnificent album with the release of “I’ve Got Them Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama.”

The author also adds a nice touch to the book by showing the dates of almost all of the shows Janis performed with the band during his time as road manager, which was pretty much her entire recorded career from before “Cheap Thrills” until the very end. This lends an air of immediacy to the narrative as you can actually see the hectic touring schedule as you read about what the band was up to in between shows and cities.

With Full Tilt Boogie Band being formed and a new album waiting to be recorded Janis ventures back home for a high school re-union in 1970. I always have felt that this visit; along with the lack of any real acknowledgement of her success by her peers; contributed to her spike in heroin use which finally killed her a few months later. Instead of just giving her a dozen roses and making her feel welcome, she was summoned to a meeting of the “clique” and asked what she “wanted”.

What can you say to that? So, she replied that she was just there to enjoy herself and they took that a license to basically ignore her. That; along with the fact that her parents were away at a wedding for someone else’s daughter; had to have hurt her. You can see it in her face when watching the film of the press conference.

The Full Tilt Boogie Band had recorded about 10 songs for the new, as yet unnamed, album when Janis died. The numbers ran from a Capella to raw vocal tracks and even an acoustic version of “Me and Bobby McGee”, the song written by Kris Kristofferson. If you look at the material you get the sense that Janis was trying to lay out all of her musical influences and styles in one album. This is a woman who was influenced very early on by Jean Ritchie and her dulcimer; which she often played using a feather. She was also a devotee of Bessie Smith; a la “Turtle Blues.” And she also enjoyed country music, hence her acoustic version of “Bobby McGee.” With her death came the unique problem of what to do with these recordings.

The outcome was a posthumous album which would have made Janis proud; “Pearl.” It was named using the nickname she had bestowed upon herself while on the road. It was a way for her friends not to have to call her Jains Joplin. When Kris Kristofferson was invited to the studio to hear the demo of Janis singing “Me and Bobby McGee” he was only able to listen to the first 2 verses before leaving in tears.

This is still my favorite version of the song. It’s exactly the same length as the overdubbed version on “Pearl”. I have included a link to it here;  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5EArR3Qnzg

If you like Janis Joplin you will find this book very enjoyable. If you are interested in the 1960’s there will be much to interest you. And if you enjoy learning about the history of making music this book will fit the bill nicely. 

But the best part of reading this book is that it was written by someone who enjoyed what he was doing then, and is still finding satisfaction in it all these years later. His enthusiasm for his subject is palpable and easily transferred to the reader.

Moondog - Jazz Great

If you were alive and living in New York City during the late 1960’s then you are familiar with Moondog, the blind Viking poet who wandered up and down 6^th Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) in the West 50’s. What many people don’t realize is that he had a name. Born Louis Thomas Hardin, Moondog was a presence felt not only by New Yorkers, but also by many of the stars and musicians who passed through the city.

Janis Joplin recorded one of his songs, “All Is Loneliness”, in 1970; and Charlie Parker, the legendary jazz musician, was the subject of his world renowned composition  “Bird’s Lament." Charlie Parker was known as “The Bird.” Moondog's  recording career spanned the years 1953-2005. He even cut an album with Julie Andrews. Much of this work was done while he was living in the streets.

Basically, Moondog, was born Louis Thomas Hardin on May 26, 1916. He is most remembered for standing around on 6^th Avenue in the West 50’s from about 1948 until the early 1970’s. If you meet anyone who claims to have seen him after 1974, then they are not telling the truth. That was the year he moved to Germany, where he pursued his art and music in a more serious manner.

He was blind, and a composer, musician and poet. He is even credited with having invented a couple of musical instruments. When he came to New York; sometime around 1944; he decided that he was going to live on the streets as much as possible. He did have a few apartments over the years; and was quick to accept temporary shelter when offered; but mostly he really did live on the streets around 6^th and 57^th.

His clothes were a self-styled costume of what many believe was Odin, the Norse God. We used to refer to him simply as a Viking. In all the years I saw him I never once saw anyone harassing him. And New York is a tough town! Mostly we spoke to him hoping for a reply, or even a poem. He actually composed music on a braille pad of some kind.

I have no idea why I started thinking about him about a week ago. I even posted a little thing about him on my Facebook page. I got just one comment. You have to be kind of special to “get” a guy like Moondog. You have to color outside the lines a bit to understand his thinking.

I once made the deliberate decision to live in a rooming house with a toilet down the hall in a rundown section of Baltimore for $35 a week. I had $20,000 in my pocket and more in the bank. I just wanted to experience life in that way. To me it was art.

For Moondog the streets were both his canvas and a balnk soundtrack; both needing to be filled in. He passed away in 1999. It’s a good thing in a way. I don’t think he would have liked the 21^st Century. Hell, I’m not even sure he ever accepted the 20^th.

For everything you ever wanted to know about Moondog, start with Wikipedia and then expand your search to include You Tube. There are a couple of good articles there just underneath of the videos.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moondog

And here is a sample of his music, “Bird’s Lament”;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSimbyS_YlA

"I'd Rather Go Blind" - Etta James (Live at Montreux 1975)

"I'd Rather Go Blind" is one of my favorite all time songs. Just listen to the lyrics. This woman is so in love with her man that she would do anything to keep him; but if she can't, she's not gonna keep him from someone else; no. Instead she would rather go blind than see him walk away. The song was written by Ellington Jordan with a co-credit to Billy Foster.

In reality Ms. James co-wrote the song with Mr. Jordan when she was visiting him in jail. She credited Foster with her share of the work for tax reasons. It is unclear whether or not she received any royalties from the film version of the song by Beyoncé. You can read about this in Ms. James autobiography “Rage to Survive.”

David Hood, the bass player on the original recording, which has been used many times over the years in films and on TV, has not been paid for those uses of the song. He is quoted as saying; after hearing the song on an Episode of “Law and Order”; "I said, 'I cut that. That's me playing.' And so we have written it down, and now I'm going to go through whatever process it takes to try to get paid on that. Because when they make a show and they put music in it, the producers of the show have to pay to use that song. And if they can't find the people who played on it, that money just sits with the Musicians Union or wherever it goes. Someplace there's a lot of money stacked up."

This version was captured on video at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1975. The original record was released in 1968. If you have seen the film "Cadillac Records" then you are familiar with the story of Leonard Chess and his affair with Ms. James; who was reportedly the illegitimate child of Minnesota Fats, the pool player.

Her struggles in her attempts at a relationship with her father; who spurned her; and her love for Leonard Chess; who was already married; both contributed to her heroin addiction. By 1975 Ms. James was still struggling with her dependence on drugs, but her voice remained perfect; as it would for the remainder of her life.

An interesting thing to note about this video is the similarities in what Ms. James was actually doing on the road, compared to the efforts of Janis Joplin, who was already dead several years at the time. This band is what Ms. Joplin was striving to emulate on her own with the Full Tilt Boogie Band and her last album, the posthumously released "Pearl." She just about had it down at the time of her death.

In many ways I have always considered both Ms. James and Ms. Joplin to be the female versions of James Brown. Don’t laugh until you watch a bunch of their videos together in one sitting. Etta James' music will be with us for a long time coming. Her searing vocals and performance style, along with the sweetness of her face, will haunt the airwaves for a long, long time.

To hear the original recording and compare how well Ms. James voice stood the test of time, hit this link;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY0sFBHtt8c

"A Little Piece of My Heart" - Live - 1969 Germany

I was very pleasantly surprised to find this on You Tube, my favorite place to hang out. All of the other “live” versions I have heard of this classic song by Janis Joplin are really hard to listen to. She is either too stoned, or the band is way out of tune with one another. The Jefferson Airplane had the same problem. I always called it the San Francisco sound. But this version, live from German television in 1969, just one year after the songs release, really shines.

Ms. Joplin is often portrayed as being way out of touch with her career, being “led” by handlers and promoters. Nothing could be further from the truth. Ms. Joplin was in firm control of both the direction of her career, as well as the material she chose to record, right up until her death.

A quick listen to her original “demo” of “Me and Bobby McGee” by Kris Kristofferson will confirm my assertion. She merely arrived at the studio, whipped out her acoustic, and played the song the way she felt and heard it. Here is the link to that “demo”;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o2kURk-YtU

With the new tribute show, "A Night with Janis" making the rounds, it's quite a treat to watch the real thing from the archives of my old friend You Tube.

Recording "Summertime" - Janis Joplin (1968)

The creative process behind the music we listen to has always fascinated me. The interaction between the musical artists; who can hear in their heads the sound they are attempting to create; and the producers/engineers, who are attempting to understand the artists  creative concepts can sometimes be fraught with peril. Witness Phil Spector’s famous shooting of a pistol while working; for the last time; with John Lennon, over some difference of opinion in the studio.

So, I was delighted to run across a piece of video, on You Tube of course, of Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company, recording “Summertime” for their upcoming album “Cheap Thrills”, which would be released in the late summer of 1968. This video was shot at CBS Recording Studios in New York City.         

The video; which was too large for the video player here, according to blogspot; runs a little over 10 minutes. In the video, Janis is clearly in control, while at the same time displaying a unique quality to compromise with both the band and the engineer/producer John Simon. The band felt that he did not understand their psychedelic sound. Manager Albert Grossman was in agreement with Mr. Simon, and pressured the band to change some of their arrangements on several songs. Their reaction to this is evident in the video, as they attempt to talk music with a technician and businessman.

As the video begins, the band is rehearsing, sounding like the best garage band on earth, as Janis enters the studio dancing. This would be their first album for Columbia, and the band is clearly excited. The album would not be released until late that summer/ early fall, and so the band worked on the record on their off days.  The “Lenny” who Janis refers to in her story about the “bust” in Vancouver is Henry McCullough, who would later play with “Wings” and Paul McCartney. Janis is clearly pissed about the whole incident, particularly the way in which “Lenny” was being used by his record company, as well as his band mates and manager. But, she is able to put all that aside in an instant to begin recording her iconic rendition of “Summertime” from Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess”.

The band is summoned into the control room to listen to the playback, and a very technical discussion begins between the band members and Mr. Simon, who is clearly not in touch with the vision the group has for the song. This is one of the most interesting parts of the video, as the band shifts, seamlessly, between the music and some gossip about a party the night before. It seems that James Gurley, the group’s guitarist, had put on quite a load the night before, and his band mates just can’t resist ribbing him about it.

The cover for the album was supposed to be a black and white photo of Janis, alone. This was the suggestion of Mr. Grossman. His working motto was always to conquer and divide the artists with whom he worked. But, Janis would have none of it, opting instead for the brilliant cover art of cartoonist Robert Crumb, who was a staple of the psychedelic scene in San Francisco, where the band was based. He had already done several posters advertising gigs for most of the bands in San Francisco at the time, including Big Brother’s shows at the Avalon Ballroom.

The album, which was to be recorded live; and actually states that on the inside cover; contained only 1 song, which was recorded at Winterland in San Francisco; “Ball and Chain”. And, even that version was altered, with James Gurley overdubbing a new intro.

Originally named “Sex, Dope and Cheap Thrills”, Columbia nixed the title, allowing the band to retain only the “Cheap Thrills” portion. It went on to 8 weeks at number one, though not in succession. The biggest hit on the album was “Piece of My Heart”, which went on to become a classic of the era. It’s still played daily on most “classic rock” stations. By October 15^th the album had already surpassed $1 million dollars in sales. Shortly after that, the album sold over 1 million “units”, or copies.

I still have my original vinyl copy of the album. The cover is in excellent condition, and I have been thinking of framing it as a way to capture a bit of the past. Here is the link to the You Tube video which prompted me to write this short article;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HesegFuY3pk

Janis Joplin and Daytime TV

This is a really great clip from You Tube of Janis Joplin on the Dick Cavett Show from July, 18, 1969. She is singing her own arrangement of the Bee Gees “To Love Somebody.” It was probably several years before I realized that she was singing a Bee Gees song. She really made this song her own, much as Joe Cocker did with “With A Little Help From My Friends.” It’s not an easy thing to do; taking an established hit song and turning it into something more. As a matter of fact, it’s an art. Hendrix did well with other people’s songs, most notably Bob Dylan’s stuff, like “All Along the Watchtower”, and “Like a Rolling Stone.” The better the song is, the harder it is to “re-invent” it. Innovation is something that I have always held in high regard.

Daytime TV used to be a varied place. When I was home from school, for whatever reason, there were always old movies to watch, and if you could avoid the “soaps”, there was actually some very interesting stuff happening on the tube. And at 4 PM there was a “sea change” in the programming, with shows like Dick Cavett and Mike Douglas highlighting some of the best music of the era. You can still watch them all on You Tube and they have not lost any of their charm, or edge.

After the performance there was always the obligatory interview between the host and the performer, in this case Janis Joplin. And it was always kind of amazing to see and hear these icons of rock talking and joking in such a “normal” manner. It was so at odds with the image we had in our heads of the typical stoned out, unintelligible rock star, whom we expected to see. And it was always a source of pride if your Mom, or Dad, said something along the lines of, “Well, she’s not so crazy.” It was like a personal compliment, or stamp of approval, both of the artist as a person, as well as the music in general. These shows broke down a lot of walls between generations.

Here is the interview portion of the show immediately following the performance above;

For the rest of this interview, including the portion with Michael Thomas, hit this link;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyBkNAfD0Dg

"You Can't Always Get What You Want" by Sam Cutler

In a real close-up look at the darker side of Rock and Roll, Sam Cutler, former tour manager for the Rolling Stones 1969 tour; which ended in complete disaster at Altamont Speedway in California; asks the hard questions, and provides some of the harder answers to the "how's and why's" behind the disastrous killing of a gun wielding young black man at the hands of the Hell's Angels in December 1969. The resulting furor over the killing, coupled with the trial of Sonny Barger, heralded the end of the Woodstock Nation, which had been born only 4 months earlier in upstate New York.

Mr. Cutler examines the differences, and egos, which formed the disaster, and then simply vanished, leaving him to face the legal issues. With a keen eye for detail, and just enough sex and drugs thrown in to make it interesting, he has covered all the bases, from the security concerns to ticket scalping. The madness of touring with the Stones is apparent in the whirlwind pace of the author's writing.

Also, there is an added bonus for those who did not know, or like me, were unaware of Mr. Cutler's connection to the Grateful Dead. He became, on the strength of their connection through the Altamont Speedway concert, at which the Dead never played, tour manager for the Grateful Dead for decades to come. His accounts of Jerry Garcia, and what the man was really like, are very revealing, and will definitely be of interest to his fans. Although not a huge Dead fan myself, the business end of the Grateful Dead empire was really a fascinating thing to watch grow. It simply happened, which is, of course what that band is all about. Happening.

A great quick read for fans of either band, and illustrated just enough to make it interesting, this is one memoir which will not disappoint the reader.

Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin passed away 40 years ago today at the all too young age of 27. Her image as a hard drinking, heroin shooting blues singer has endured the 4 decades since her death. But there was so much more to this woman than the hype of drugs and booze. She really was a very talented singer who was in control of her career, and it's direction, right until the end.

With both movies and books depicting her as merely a stoned out blues singer,acting at the direction of others, it is often hard to keep sight of the vision and talent she possessed. Not many artists can take a song, which is already a hit by someone else, and make it their own. Janis Joplin did this several times.

From George Gershwins "Summertime", and The Chantels "Maybe",and even such standards as "Little Girl Blue" by Rodgers and Hart, time and again Ms. Joplin was able to transform established songs into new works that still resonate today. Take Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee" as an example. This was a country-folk song written and recorded by Mr. Kristofferson in 1969. It was one of his first big hits and made him a star. But when that record comes on the radio, even Mr. Kristofferson has to pause and listen. Here is the demo that Ms. Joplin recorded a few months before her death. She simply walked into the studio, announced that she was doing this song and ends it by saying it needs an ending.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnWzQyp3BEA

The finished version is exactly the same length as this demo. The only change is the addition of the electric instruments and her improvised vocal ending. This lady had some serious talent and vision.

She did the same thing with the seemingly banal "To Love Somebody" by The Bee Gees, turning the 4 minute pop song into a lengthy blues number backed by a brass section. And who can ever forget her ballsy live version of Willie Mae (Big Mama) Thornton's "Ball and Chain" from the album "Cheap Thrills." Also on that album is a real gem written by Ms. Joplin, "Turtle Blues."

When it came to cover art, Ms. Joplin was as far reaching as you can imagine. Take this cover by Robert Crumb for the 1968 release "Cheap Thrills." You can literally spend 20 or 30 minutes digesting all the wacky and colorful things which are crammed in this 12" x 12" space. The covers of her subsequent albums were equally daring - the out of focus photo taken under the red and blue stage lights that adorns the cover of "I've Got 'Dem Old Kozmic Blues Again" album is a great example.

Working with Big Brother and the Holding Company really pushed her into the light, but that band was a bit confining for her. She wanted a band like James Brown had, complete with brass. With that thought in mind she formed The Full Tilt Boogie Band, which would be her last. They were the epitome of the Stax Record sound. When viewing live performances of her on YouTube you can see the transformation in her style of singing, often delivering spontaneous blues "raps" in the middle of her numbers. This was standard James Brown procedure, really preaching the blues to a more than receptive audience.

We will never know where Ms. Joplin's career might have taken us. What direction was she going in next? But her unique style of delivering the blues will always be with us to enjoy. Just hit YouTube sometime today and check out the live videos from TV shows like Tom Jones, Dick Cavett and all the rest. You will be amazed at the vitality and sense of humor that ultimately define her.

"Blues Story" - Shout Factory Anthology

This is a compilation of blues from the early 1920's to the mid 1950's. Music underwent vast changes in these decades. And Shout! Records has caught it all in this neatly packaged 2-CD set complete with a booklet outlining those changes in the years between the Roarin '20's and post war Jim Crow America.

The recordings are arranged in the order in which they were released. This lends a nice flow to the evolution of the blues sound. You can listen to each artist as they build upon one another in an ever expanding sound that has evolved into the blues of today.

Just a quick look at this playlist will give you an idea as to the scope of music this album encompasses. Beginning with some very early Mamie Smith and Blind Lemon Jefferson, the 2 CD's take you through the entire history of the blues genre. Pinetop Perkins is represented well with his wonderful version of "How Long" and Big Joe Turner ushers in real Rock and Roll with his "Shake, Rattle and Roll", which really did shake and rattle the world of music when it was released.

The second disc begins with Muddy Waters doing "Hoochie Cootchie Man" and Little Walter doing "Rollin' and Tumblin'." It's interesting to note that Eric Clapton and Cream had mega hits with their version of these 2 recordings. The blues, it would seem, knows no lines of demarcation where race and generation are concerned.

The CD finishes out with Big Bill Broonzy and Mississippi John Hurt (someday I'm going to do a post just on him) and actually closes with Big Mama Thorton's "Hound Dog", which made Elvis Presley a star. And 15 years later Janis Joplin would transform Ms. Thorton's "Ball and Chain" into her own raucous pyschedelic version.

Like I said, the blues neither knows, nor respects, any boundaries. It is a link we all share. And that's why each generation keeps on re-doing these basic standards. They are as relevant today as they were when first released. BB King said it best -"Everyday I Have the Blues."