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Late Night: Janis

By Jeralyn, Section Media
Posted on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 12:10:10 AM EST
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Sunday night is usually my favorite tv night. Not tonight. The American Music Awards pre-empted the good shows and the only other thing on was football.

I tried, I really did, to get into the Music Awards show -- if not for the music, for the dresses. Both were pretty dismal. The best of the music was Sugarland doing a song with Beyonce.

It made me long for the old days, when singers had personality and belted out their songs while having fun onstage. Here's Janis, and a live version of "Piece of My Heart" -- performed in Germany in 1970 1969. Watch how she invites the audience onto the stage and how much fun she's having.

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    Late Night: Janis | 18 comments (18 topical)

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    I met Janis (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by Repack Rider on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 06:15:56 PM EST
    at her house in 1970, a few months before she died.

    I have roadied for a SF rock band since 1968.

    I was delivering David Getz's drums to Janis' house for a rehearsal.  When I went in the house, she was talking with Sam Andrew, wearing only red panties and red shoes.

    My only conversation with Janis went like this:

    "Where would you like these drums?"

    "Over there."

    Heh... nice story. (none / 0) (#18)
    by desertswine on Tue Nov 20, 2007 at 12:50:44 PM EST


    Parent
    1970? (none / 0) (#1)
    by ding7777 on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 02:21:00 AM EST
    Where's all the long hair hippies? Or was this an Army base audience?

    Ah I remember it well. (none / 0) (#2)
    by Saul on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 07:12:00 AM EST
    Jeralyn, were you of that era? You don't look old enough to have been part of that era as an adult.

    thanks, and (none / 0) (#5)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 10:49:18 AM EST
    while I didn't consider myself an adult back then, I was in college in Ann Arbor, MI in 1969. Since I worked at record stores the entire time I was in college, music was pretty much it for me, aside from classes and protesting the war and our drug laws. (Think, John Sinclair, who got ten years for possessing two joints.)

    Parent
    April 1969, I think, not 1970 (none / 0) (#3)
    by Peter G on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 08:05:39 AM EST
    Janis died on October 4, 1970.  I don't think she performed in Germany that year, nor was she performing with horns then.  Probably April 1969.  Try this link for another performance from what seems to be the same concert.  

    it was 1969 (none / 0) (#4)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 10:03:56 AM EST
    thanks Peter.

    "live @ Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt, Germany
    Apr 12, 1969 (her one and only show in Germany) "

    I fixed it.

    Parent

    Wow. (none / 0) (#6)
    by Edger on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 11:50:13 AM EST
    What a powerful performance! In both your and in Peter's links.

    I saw Janis in '68 (none / 0) (#7)
    by SteveAudio on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 12:39:19 PM EST
    with Big Brother.  As a band, they were pretty ragged, but intense.

    She, however, was jaw-droppingly great.  A stunning show I'll never forget.

    Youtube has a lot of really great Janis videos (none / 0) (#8)
    by Edger on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 12:42:48 PM EST
    At Monterey Pop, for example.

    Parent
    I'm glad to see so many old music buffs here (none / 0) (#9)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 12:46:05 PM EST
    with Thanksgiving around the corner, it's going to be time for Arlo Guthrie's 22 minute version of Alice's Restaurant,  I'm getting happy just thinking about it.

    The original version of Alice's Restaurant ... (none / 0) (#10)
    by cymro on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 02:35:51 PM EST
    ... is 18:20, not 22 minutes. That's why Arlo later claimed that the gap in the White House tapes originally contained a recording of Nixon listening to Alice's Restaurant.

    Thanksgiving Trivia!

    Parent

    you are correct (none / 0) (#11)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 03:48:37 PM EST
    but I can't fix it because comments can only be deleted, not edited.

    I also can't find a full version that's not a spoof on you tube. If anyone knows of one, on You Tube or anywhere else, please let me know. I'd like to post it Thursday.

    Parent

    Try this link (none / 0) (#13)
    by Molly Bloom on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 04:34:29 PM EST
    Alice's Restaurant. I haven't checked it out, but it is the right length and it was posted by Arlo's wife. Off topic, but you should check out their daughter's collaboration with Willie Nelson's daughter- Folk Uke. It is hilarious.

    Parent
    thanks, it really is him (none / 0) (#14)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 04:42:11 PM EST
    i took one look at the photo and listened to the first 5 seconds and thought it was a spoof, but you're right -- that's him singing the whole song.

    Parent
    Alice Going to Great Lengths (none / 0) (#16)
    by Peter G on Tue Nov 20, 2007 at 12:36:48 PM EST
    The original recorded version of Alice's Restaurant is around 18 minutes, but the true original version, which I first heard on WBAI radio and then saw performed live in Greenwich Village basement folk clubs several times in 1967, was more like 40 minutes.  There were other versions, too.  "Alice's Restaurant Multi-Colored Rainbow Roach Affair: A Real Spy-Tingler" and "Alice Around the World" are two that I remember.  I've never heard recordings of them, I don't think.

    Parent
    I still use (none / 0) (#17)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Nov 20, 2007 at 12:40:34 PM EST
    the Alice's Restaurant cookbook which I bought new in 1971 or so. It came with a rubber '45 of the song.  I think it's out of print now, but the recipes are terrific -- and so, so easy.

    Parent
    Wow. (none / 0) (#12)
    by scribe on Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 04:21:20 PM EST
    Amazing.

    -
    Re:  short hair.  Not everyone was a long-haired hippie freak in 68-69. Beyond that, there were probably 30k American troops stationed within an hour's train ride of Frankfurt (and happy to be there, considering the alternative was a hotter, steamier place called Vietnam).  Having longer-than-allowed hair was a sure ticket to being selected for a levy out of Germany.

    Late Night: Janis | 18 comments (18 topical)

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