Some more Janis Joplin, in the studio, maybe some live I forgot...

I couldn't really decide how to break these down once I got the material all sorted, it's tricky as she
was backed by so many combos in such a short time......hope you liked that mega 9-disc thing, and also yesterday featured some great live stuff, I think.......I think today I am going to post a bunch of studio stuff, both rare and fairly ordinary, I'm going to leave the anthologies pretty much alone asa they are, mostly, what I was speaking of before (same material, different order.....if you have an "Anthology" or a "Greatest Hits" or something with something special on it that I have missed, send it my way, and I'll post it.......enough stuff here though......now, take note, I am NOT posting the legitimate Big Brother and the Holding Company studio releases, I am going to do them in a separate post, they have their own goofy charm that allows them to stand on their own, it'll be the next post as we finally wrap up this Jopstravaganza.

Still having some Zippyshare issues, not sure what's going on then, but it's really holding me back what with these big posts......oh well, what can one do? I'll just stay with it, and there will come a time when we get it done.

So, what's for today? Well, I'll try to keep this fairly chronological, hope I don't stray to far.....lets begin with a fairly scant but surprisingly entertaining "This Is JJ" from around 1965.....some gruff, bluesy stuff here, some of which I don't think turned up on any of the latter albums....."Apple of My Eye" and "219 Train" come to mind, very fine historical treasure.

Now, somewhat confusingly, we skip the Big Brother era, and jump right to the very good "I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!", on which, of course, she is backed by The Kozmic Blues Band....it's a fair album, personally I am partial to Big Brother's stoned stupidity, but this does contain fine versions of "Try" and "Kozmic Blues", and plenty more as well...this extended CD version gives us a couple live tracks from Woodstock, which we've already posted elsewhere, as well as an outtake of Bob Dylan's "Dear Landlord".

Generally cited as her best album, "Pearl" is regarded by many as a classic of the era/genre.....can't
argue, also can't imagine a fan NOT having a copy, but let's put one up in our effort at completness.
The hit "Me and Bobby McGee", "Mercedes Benz", "Move Over" and the great "Half Moon" (an underappreciated track if ever there were one) are all here, and again, some bonus live tracks are tacked on at the end.

"The Rarest Pearls" is kind of a cool companion piece, some odds and ends collected from her latter years, some alternate takes and unreleased tracks,nothing earth quaking here, but not without it's merits. I am trying not to venture too far into "overlap" territory, because perhaps NEVER was an artist as mistreated in death as was Ms. Joplin, I see that as late as 2009 there is ANOTHER "Collection" of YET AGAIN the same tracks piled on top of each other in a different sequence. some may be OK with it, personally, I find it rather revolting.....

A friend knew I was working on this project and loaned me a copy of "Wicked Woman", which I should have posted yesterday (it's live).........it's not real good, (audience recordings) but it is significant as it is from her final live show.....8/12/70 at Harvard Stadium......despite the recording issues, Janis really puts out as she generally did on stage....to be honest, I did not know this album existed until today, so consider us blessed to find a new little gem.

Another that I should have put up yesterday is "Janis Joplin in Concert", released after her passing away. Various live tapes pasted together for a "concert" feeling and sound, hell, there IS some good material here, it's here if you want it.....as I said, if I was perfect I'd have put this up yesterday but it got under the pile of stuff I was sorting through (I should post  a picture of my desk or my computer room sometime, they are disgraces).

The 1984 release "The Early Performances" contains a bunch of pre-Big Brother material that we most likely have touched upon already, (don't feel like cross referencing), I think this is simply a label's attempt to milk out every penny from a performer who dared to die while under contract, as I touched on before.  I am going to include it, taking it that there is SOMETHING here we haven't collected yet, and blaming my own laziness for not checking.

In 1971, post-death, there was a re-release of "Pearl", the two-disc legacy edition, which was the beginning of all of this piling-on, I suppose, BUT there are some cool alternate takes and the like here, I wanted to put up "Pearl" in it's "original form", but also wanted to add this for anyone who doesn't have it. The second disc has some nice live stuff that I think is unique to this set.

This brings us to "Farewell Song".....not sure I like this one at all, but it's not my job to make such
judgements....what is unique about this hodgepodge is that the Big Brother material here actually has Big Brother's instrumental tracks removed and replaced by studio musicians....Sam Andrews and Co were pissed and justifiably so, BUT, this, I guess, like it or not, are versions we can't get elsewhere, thus we include it.

In 1999 there was a release entitled "Mercedes Benz, (Rare Tracks 1962-70)", I don't know this is wearing me down, there might be a unique track or two here, again, too tired and bored to cross-check, besides watching the NCAA Tournament while doing this......read the track list, judge for yourself.

I have an EP here called "Rare Pearls" I guess it came as a bonus disc with one of the many anthology/collection things, I don't know which, but there actually ARE some rarities you'll want on here notably "Bo Diddley"

OK Last one for today I promise.....tomorrow (or maybe later tonight) we'll round up all the Big Brother albums I can locate, but this one here really is a good one......the 2 disc "Pearl Sessions" contains a BUNCH of stuff that eventually went into "Pearl" or missed the cut, lots and lots of alternate takes of varying quality, if they MUST pick the flesh from the corpse of a deceased artist, at least do it in this fashion, not the "Greatest Hits"/"Essential Hits"/stuff.......too much to ask? Comments please......

OK, another load of material of varying quality from one whom I was actually quite surprised had this MUCH material........this has been an ass-load of work, trust me, I'm glad it's about over, and if you've utilized any of these resources, PLEASE leave a comment....I doubt if there is much if any more "unknown" or lost stuff out there, but if anyone has an audience tape or anything, now would be the time......see you in a while with a Big Brother post.

THIS IS JJ-01 Apple of My Eye/02 219 Train/03 Codine/04 Down and Out/05 Turtle Blues/06 I Ain't Got a Worry/08 Brownsville

I GOT DEM OL KOZMIC BLUES AGAIN MAMA-01 Try (Just a Little Bit harder)/02 Maybe/03 One Good Man/04 As Good As You've Been To this World/05 Too Love Somebody/06 Kozmic Blues/07 Little Girl Blue/08 Work Me Lord/09 Dear Landlord/10 Summertime (Live)/11 Piece of My Heart (Live)

PEARL-01 Move Over/02 Cry baby/03 A Woman Left Lonely/04 Half Moon/05 Buried Alive in the Blues/06 My Baby/07 Me and Bobby McGee/08 Mercedes Benz/09 Trust Me/10 Get It While You Can/11 Happy Birthday, John (Happy Trails)/12 Me and Bobby McGee (demo)/13 Move Over (alt. version)/14 Cry baby (alt. version)

THE RAREST PEARLS-01 Coo Coo (7" single")/02 The last Time (7" B Side)/03 Call On Me/04 Bye Bye Baby (Alt. Take)/05 Easy Once You Know How(Live)/06 It's a Deal (outtake)/07 Easy Once You
Know How (outtake)/08 Flower In the Sun (Outtake)/09 Road Block (Outtake)/10 Misery'n (outtake)/11 Catch me Daddy (outtake)/12 Harry (Outtake)/13 Dear Landlord (outtake)/14 Me and Bobby McGee (unknown acoustic take/demo)/15 One Night Stand

WICKED WOMAN-01 Intro/02 Tell Mama/03 Half Moon/04 Mercedes Benz/05 My Baby/06 Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)/07 Maybe/08 Summertime/09 Full Tilt

JANIS JOPLIN IN CONCERT-01 Down On Me/02 Bye Bye Baby/03 All Is Loneliness/04 Piece of My Heart/05 Road Block/06 Flower in the Sun/07 Summertime/08 Ego Rock/09 Half Moon/10 Kozmic Blues/11 Move Over/12 Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)/13 Get It While You Can/14 Ball and Chain

EARLY PERFORMANCES-01 Trouble In Mind/02 What Good Can Drinkin Do/03 Silver Threads and Golden Needles/04 Mississippi River/05 Stealin/06 No Reason For Livin/07 Black Mountain Blues/08 Walk Right In/09 River Jordan/10 Mary Jane/11 Kansas City Blues/12 Daddy Daddy Daddy/13 See See Rider/14 San Francisco Bay Blues/15 Winin' Boy/16 Careless Love/17 I'll Drown In My Own Tear

PEARL LEGACY EDITION DISC 1 01 Move Over/02 Cry baby/03 A Woman Left Lonely/04 Half Moon/05 Buried Alive In the Blues/06 My Baby/07 Me and Bobby McGee/08 Mercedes Benz/09 Trust Me/10 Get It While You Can/11 Happy Birthday John (Happy Trails)/12 Me and Bobby McGee (demo)/13 Move Over (alt Version)/14 Cry Baby (alt Version)/15 My Baby (Alt Version)/16 Pearl (instrumental)

PEARL LEGACY EDITION DISC 2 (LIVE FROM THE FESTIVAL EXPRESS TOUR 1970-01 Tell Mama/02 Half Moon/03 Move Over/04 Maybe/05 Summertime/06 Little Girl Blue/07 That's Rock n Roll/08 Try (Just a Little Bit harder)/09 Kozmic Blues/10 Piece of My heart/11 Cry Baby/12 Get It While You Can/13 Ball and Chain

FAREWELL SONG-01 Tell Mama/02 Magic of Love/03 Misery 'N'/04 One Night Stand/05 Harry/06 Raise Your Hand/07 Farewell Song/08 Medley: Amazing Grace/Hi-Heel Sneakers/09 Catch Me Daddy

MERCEDES BENZ-RARE TRACKS 1962-1970-Mercedes Benz/02 Leaving This Morning/03 Trouble In My Mind/04 Long Black Train/05 Kansas City Blues/06 Hesitation Blues/07 Nobody knows You When You're Down and Out/08 Daddy Daddy Daddy/09 Turn On Your Lovelight/10 My Baby/11 Happy Birthday John Happy Trails

RARE PEARLS (BONUS EP)-01 It's a Deal (outtake)/02 Easy Once You know How (outtake)/03 Maybe (Live)/04 Raise Your Hand (Live)/05 Bo Diddley (Live)

PEARL SESSIONS DISC 1-01 Move Over/02 Cry Baby/03 A Woman Left Lonely/04 Half Moon/05
Buried Alive In the Blues/06 My Baby/07 Me and Bobby McGee/08 Mercedes Benz/09 Trust Me/10 Get It While You Can/11 Me and Bobby McGee (mono)/12 Half Moon (mono)/13 Cry baby (mono)/14 Get It While You Can (mono)/15 Move Over (mono)/16 A Woman Left Lonely (Mono)

PEARL SESSIONS DISC 2-01 Overheard in the Studio/02 Get It While You Can (Take 3)/03 Overheard in the Studio/04 Get It While You Can (Take 5)/05 Overheard In the Studio/06 Move Over (take 6)/07 Move Over (Take 13)/08 Move Over (Take 17)/09 Me and Bobby McGee (demo)/10 Me and Bobby McGee (Take 5 alternate)/11 Cry Baby (alternate Version)/12 A Woman Left Lonely (Alternate Vocal)/13 Overheard in the Studio/14 My Baby/15 Overheard in the Studio/16 Get It While You Can (Take 3)/17 My Baby/18 Pearl/19 Tell Mama (Live)/20 Half Moon (Live On Dick Cavett Show)

I AM NOT KIDDING THIS THING HAS BEEN A HELL OF A LOT OF WORK....., SERIOUSLY, NEVER WOULD HAVE DREAMED I HAD SO MUCH OF THIS STUFF LAYING AROUND......and, I still have ONE MORE part to go yet, as I intend to post all (I think I have em all, not certain) of the Big Brother and the Holding Company albums tonight or tomorrow........please please please, leave a comment.....NOT necessarily a "thank you", you are most welcome, but maybe if something new (to you) here really made your ears perk up, please just say so.......thanks for listening/reading, please stay involved because this one has REALLY been a bitch! At least Zippy seems to have gotten whatever THIER problem was straightened out, THAT was a bitch too!