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.
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.
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