''Janis'' is a collection of performances by

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and musician. One of the most successful and widely known Rock music, rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage ...

, issued in 1975 as a compilation album containing film soundtrack and live recordings. Disc one is subtitled "From the soundtrack of the motion picture '' Janis'' (with substituted performances of 'Piece of my Heart' and 'Cry Baby')". In addition to concert recordings from Toronto and Frankfurt, there are several short TV-interviews. Disc two contains recordings from Austin, Texas (1963 and 1964), plus four recordings from San Francisco (1965). The album booklet contains a photo documentary, with 22 pictures from Janis Joplin's life and career.

Track listing

Disc one: ''Janis''

# "

Mercedes Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...

" (Janis Joplin,

Michael McClure Michael McClure (October 20, 1932 – May 4, 2020) was an American poet, playwright, songwriter, and novelist. After moving to San Francisco as a young man, he found fame as one of the five poets (including Allen Ginsberg) who read at the famous ...

) (With The Full Tilt Boogie Band; from the album ''

Pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...

'') # "

Ball and Chain A ball and chain is a physical restraint device historically applied to prisoners, primarily in the British Empire and its former colonies, from the 17th century until as late as the mid-20th century. A type of shackle, the ball and chain is de ...

" ( W. M. Thornton) (With The Kozmic Blues Band; Frankfurt, Germany Concert 1969) # Rap on "Try" (Toronto, Canada Concert 1970) # "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" (

Jerry Ragovoy Jordan "Jerry" Ragovoy (September 4, 1930 – July 13, 2011) was an American songwriter and record producer. His best-known composition " Time Is on My Side" (written under the pseudonym of Norman Meade) was made famous by the Rolling Stones, alt ...

, C. Taylor) (With Full Tilt Boogie; Toronto, Canada Concert 1970) # " Summertime" ( DuBose Heyward,

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

) (With The Kozmic Blues Band; Frankfurt, Germany Concert 1969) # Albert Hall Interview (1969) # " Cry Baby" (Jerry Ragovoy,

Bert Berns Bertrand Russell Berns (November 8, 1929 – December 30, 1967), also known as Bert Russell and (occasionally) Russell Byrd, was an American songwriter and record producer of the 1960s. His songwriting credits include "Twist and Shout", "Piece ...

) (With The Full Tilt Boogie Band; from the album ''Pearl'') # "Move Over" (J. Joplin) (With The Full Tilt Boogie Band) # Dick Cavett T.V. Interview (1970) # "

Piece of My Heart "Piece of My Heart" is a romantic soul love song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns, originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. Franklin's single peaked in December 1967 at number 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles char ...

" (Jerry Ragovoy, Bert Berns) (With Big Brother and the Holding Company; from the album '' Cheap Thrills'') # Port Arthur High School Reunion # "Maybe" (R. Barrett) (With The Kozmic Blues Band; Frankfurt, Germany Concert 1969) # "

Me and Bobby McGee "Me and Bobby McGee" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and originally performed by Roger Miller. Fred Foster shares the writing credit, as Kristofferson wrote the song based on a suggestion from Foster. A posth ...

" (

Fred Foster Fred Luther Foster (July 26, 1931 – February 20, 2019) was an American record producer, songwriter, and music business executive who founded Monument Records. As a record producer he was most closely associated with Roy Orbison, and was also ...

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are "Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Nig ...

) (With The Full Tilt Boogie Band; from the album ''Pearl'')

Disc two: ''Early Performances''

# " Trouble in Mind" (

Richard M. Jones Richard M. Jones, born Richard Marigny Jones (sometimes written Richard Mariney Jones), (June 13, 1892 – December 8, 1945) was an American jazz pianist, composer, band leader, and record producer. Numerous songs bear his name as author, includi ...

) (Austin, Texas 1963 or 1964) # "

What Good Can Drinkin' Do "What Good Can Drinkin' Do" is a blues song by Janis Joplin, the first song she ever recorded. The song has six verses, following the 12-bar blues pattern. Lyrics in the first and last verse are almost identical: "What good can drinkin' do ?" is ...

" (Janis Joplin) (Austin, Texas 1963 or 1964) # "

Silver Threads and Golden Needles "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" is a country song written by Dick Reynolds and Jack Rhodes. It was first recorded by Wanda Jackson in 1956. The original lyrics, as performed by Jackson, contain a verse not usually included in later versions, w ...

" (J. Rhodes, D. Reynolds) (Austin, Texas 1963 or 1964) # "Mississippi River" (Austin, Texas 1963 or 1964) # "Stealin'" (L. Stock, A. Lewis) (Austin, Texas 1963 or 1964) # "No Reason For Livin'" (Janis Joplin) (Austin, Texas 1963 or 1964) # "Black Mountain Blues" (R. Cole) (Recorded 1965 San Francisco with Dick Oxtot Jazz Band) # "

Walk Right In "Walk Right In" is a country blues song written by musician Gus Cannon and originally recorded by Cannon's Jug Stompers in 1929. Victor Records released on a 78 rpm record and in 1959, it was included on the influential compilation album ''The Cou ...

" (

Gus Cannon Gustavus "Gus" Cannon (September 12, 1883 or 1884 – October 15, 1979) was an American blues musician who helped to popularize jug bands (such as his own Cannon's Jug Stompers) in the 1920s and 1930s. There is uncertainty about his birth year; ...

, H. Woods) (Recorded 1965 San Francisco with Dick Oxtot Jazz Band) # "River Jordan" (Recorded 1965 San Francisco with Dick Oxtot Jazz Band) # " Mary Jane" (Janis Joplin) (Recorded 1965 San Francisco with Dick Oxtot Jazz Band) # "Kansas City Blues" (C. Parker) (Austin, Texas 1963 or 1964) # "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy" (Janis Joplin) (Austin, Texas 1963 or 1964) # "

See See Rider "See See Rider", also known as "C.C. Rider", "See See Rider Blues" or "Easy Rider", is a popular American 12-bar blues song that became a standard in several genres. Gertrude "Ma" Rainey was the first to record it on October 16, 1924, at Param ...

" (

Ma Rainey Gertrude "Ma" Rainey ( Pridgett; April 26, 1886 – December 22, 1939) was an American blues singer and influential early blues recording artist. Dubbed the "Mother of the Blues", she bridged earlier vaudeville and the authentic expression of s ...

) (Austin, Texas 1963 or 1964) # "

San Francisco Bay Blues "San Francisco Bay Blues" is an American folk song and is generally considered to be the most famous composition by Jesse Fuller. Fuller first recorded the song in 1954, which was released by the World Song label in 1955. A "one-man band" renditio ...

" (

Jesse Fuller Jesse Fuller (March 12, 1896 – January 29, 1976) was an American one-man band musician, best known for his song "San Francisco Bay Blues". Early life Fuller was born in Jonesboro, Georgia, near Atlanta. He was sent by his mother to live with ...

) (Austin, Texas 1963 or 1964) # "Winin' Boy" (

Jelly Roll Morton Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (later Morton; c. September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that a gen ...

) (Austin, Texas 1963 or 1964) # "

Careless Love "Careless Love" is a traditional song, with several popular blues versions. It has been called a "nineteenth-century ballad and Dixieland standard". The death referenced in an old version was the son of a Kentucky governor. Although published acco ...

" (

Huddie Ledbetter Huddie William Ledbetter (; January 20, 1888 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the folk standa ...

Alan Lomax Alan Lomax (; January 31, 1915 – July 19, 2002) was an American ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings of folk music of the 20th century. He was also a musician himself, as well as a folklorist, archivist, writer, sch ...

) (Austin, Texas 1963 or 1964) # " I'll Drown In My Own Tears" (

Henry Glover Henry Bernard Glover (May 21, 1921 – April 7, 1991) was an American songwriter, arranger, record producer and trumpet player. In the music industry of the time, Glover was one of the most successful and influential black executives. He gai ...

) (Austin, Texas 1963 or 1964)

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Janis Joplin Janis Joplin compilation albums Albums produced by Paul A. Rothchild Compilation albums published posthumously 1975 compilation albums Columbia Records compilation albums