One of the last performances Janis Joplin did with Big Brother and the Holding Company. On the Saturday night variety TV show "The Hollywood Palace" (11/2/68). Performing the songs "Summertime" and "I Need A Man To Love."
Janis is one of the most brilliant and soulful performers ever to take to the stage. Good lord, how can we even compare her to anyone? She is the best.
I always thought Sam (and yes--may he rest in peace) and the others in Big Brother were one of the most underrated bands of the sixties--Janis just stole the spotlight, but DAMN!! They were f**ling red hot! Remember seeing them at Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara not long after Monterrey Pop and being blown away...
nick geist - Absolutely, totally agree, Nick!! Big Brother was the hottest Haight-Ashbury band back in The Day, far and away. Sure, The Jefferson Airplane were the most famous. Certainly, The Grateful Dead (who I saw about 24 times in the 1970s!!) were the most iconic. However, Big Brother was the hottest! You heard about 20 seconds of any song by them, and you KNEW it was Big Brother! How many bands can say that? James Gurley was known as THE psychedelic guitarist before you-know-who hit the scene. Big Brother was amazing! With Janis, they were beyond iconic. Yes, agree with you all the way. Others agree with us too, you'd be surprised to know. Peace & Joy
Janis succeeded very well with the group " Big Brother" but she also needed to expand newer musical horizons and could only do so by leaving Big Brother. I really enjoyed her second band " Kozmic Blues" but the audience and even the rock star magazine " Rolling Stone" were just brutal in their opinions of the new band. The band did have many problems with the constant changing of group members and Janis's ever looming alcohol and drug addictions. Sam had left " Big Brother" to join Janis's new group and he also was struggling with drug addictions. Once Janis had quit the band to try and clean up from the drug and alcohol problems, she formed a new band called the "Full Tilt Boogie Band". I believe this band was just the right combination for her and everything seemed to be going well until her sudden death from drug's. I will admit that the song " Me and Bobby McGee" was totally overated and overplayed !! Janis had sang a different version at "Thread Gills Bar" in Texas and it had a more lost on the road feeling. I'm not really sure how else to explain it. When the album "Pearl" was released posthumously in 1971, the song had to much of a organ sound it's not nearly as good as the one at Thread Gills. The song that really would have hit the chart's would have been the song " Buried Alive in The Blue's". Janis was to record the vocals on Sunday Oct 4, 1970, but she had died much earlier in the day ( 1:30 AM to be exact ). I got a chance to see "Big Brother" after Janis death and yes they were still quite good. The female vocalist at the time was Michelle Bastin and I got to hear what the vocals would have been for "Buried Alive in The Blue's" and holy cow it was just fabulous !! So yes Big Brother was a good band but with two guitar players and one drummer it needed more in terms of musical instruments. Long Live Janis ✌️
This would be a monumental work on the history of rock and roll. It is needless to say that the singing of Janis Joplin is remarkably excellent. And we mustn't neglect the existence of twin guitars. Two guitar players were making nice and long melody's fugue that any rock and roll guitar player could not invent. I don't doubt that they learned a kind of baroque music or something. Therefore, this summer time has become an amazing excellent tune as same as a stair way to heaven of Led zeppelin. This will keep on striking our hearts for long long timeｓ.
In the summer of 1986 (I was 15 or 16) I bought two albums at the local Goodwill for a dollar, Jimi Hendrix Experience 'Axis Bold as Love' and Big Brother and the Holding Company's 'Cheap Thrills'. Axis is pretty much one of my favorite albums but Joplin singing 'Summertime' is my all time favorite version of this song. So much conviction in her voice.
Hey Ragnar, Bought Cheap thrills the moment it hit Australia in 68 .I was 16 and it was my first album and soon after also had Axis....both oldies but absolute gold!!
For people who think sampling old classics like this is wrong. Think again! I discovered this band through Eminem as he sampled this song in Rock Bottom. And since then I have become a huge fan of Big Brother and the Holding Company. I started buying all of their albums (still got few more to get). So with only one sample, I was exposed to true raw talent. I personally feel that music transcends the concept of property. Once you create something, its for all of us to enjoy and appreciate. Thanks
I remember this show well, The Hollywood Palace. A weekly show with guest host. Classsic Joplin performance. No one had the vocal abilities to sing this song except Janis Joplin.
Two Telecasters and a Jazz Bass ! Never knew the Holding company was on Hollywood Palace. This was as far out as the Palace ever got. I would love to see the episodes with the Mothers of Invention and the Fugs.
Agree with you 100%. The only thing that I dare to tell you back is that I still think that she's amazing ... all these years later. Have a great weekend, man. Peace.
Did you see that audience? And Janis still cranked out one of her rawest, purest and most amazing performances! Wow... take me back. Thanks for this posting!
I like how Janis' response to Don's request to elaborate on her quote in a magazine. She is very intelligent and completely puts to shame all the critics of her time (and today). Janis was very beautiful and is VERY missed. Thank You, Janis for the gifts you gave us in beauty and song! Thanks to the guys in Big Brother & THC for the awesome musicianship!
I LOVE the song, summertime!!! There's just so much passion and sorrow. You can hear it in both the songs. you can almost feel all the things she wsa going through being a star.
I was a college student at the time and for me what put this song over the top to be one of my favorites of all time was the guitar duet by James Gurley and Sam Andrew.
She fkn nailed this song here. Its so perfect. (Summertime) I read that ....whatshisface.....the Get Smart bastard....really hurt Janis with his comments and she was in tears backstage. Hollywood is no place for tender souls.
i remember when this album first came out in fall of '68, turned me into a janis fanatic back in high school daze, remember just as clearly, like it was weeks or months ago not 37 YEARS ago, where'd the time go, the way of janis, bennies & dexies, reds & yellows, freedom & all the other values we lost along the way to here, and where are we now?
I was in high school then. The first "big" concert I ever went to was to see Janis at Cobo Hall, even though it was 300 miles from the little resort town in northern Michigan where I lived. My girlfriend had a Mustang with a 425 cu in V8 and we stormed down to Detroit to see Janis. But she was with Kosmic Blues Band by then. She never should have left Big Brother. They had a unique sound that will always be Janis's trademark sound.
Seen em' (,cept'n Janis of course), in St. Cloud , Mn. about 8 years ago @ the "PP5".Front row seat ! Talked to the band after the show and even got the marque that was outside the "PP" sighned by BB@THC, they played like they were kids, spot on. Beautiful!
the great ones shine so brightly accross the sky, then are gone! rest in peace janis for the world is a darker place since you left us.....in the brief time you soared so many lives were touched by your presence! you will never be forgotten nor replaced!
What a talent, we are graced by the good in life for a little while, she had her problems, but she had the gift, the divine universe shares the beauty for just a short time and the pain forever.
Janis Joplin is unique! Definitely, one of the greatest singers of all times! Unfortunately, she left us too young, died of drug overdose aged only 27 years old... Soo sad... However, certainly, she'll live on forever in our memories!
Big Brother And the holding Company STILL ROCKS! They still tour... still sound AMAZING! Check out their other youtube videos. The best 60's band, Ever.
Yes, the solos are exactly, note for note like the album version. The music is on playback while Janis is singing live. This was the way it was done on TV in the late 60s.
Thanks so much for posting this video - I bought Cheap Thrills when it first came out and played it to death, and always wondered what they looked like playing live. Janis of course had an amazing voice, and I have always felt that her best work was done with Big Brother. 5 Stars!! And Don Adams introducing them - unbelieveable...
Thought she was playing over a backing track at first . Timing is perfect , Janis is like a banshee. The solo probably peeled the paint off the walls . Tragic and magic , incredible performance .
