Covers Week Day 2

I've mentioned before that when I was a teenager and a member of  CND I hung about with a group of older folk who thought that they were hippies what with the patchouli, Italian Army jackets,  taking the legs off their beds and shit but they did introduce me to some different music some good a lot up it' own arse gash. One album that Jim gave me was Janis Joplin's greatest hits which I must admit that I loved at the time and still do, that Southern Comfort, 40 Luckies a day voice still sends shivers up my spine. But all that "man" patter during Ball and Chain really does my head in.

From the first time I heard the album one track always got me and it wasn't for a few years that I realised that it was a cover version and it wouldn't be for a few more years before I heard the original, which although good, in my eyes at least isn't nearly as good as Joplin's version.

The other day while reading Just Kids which I posted about the other day I read another passage which amazed me and sort of led to me having the idea for this week of covers.

". . .  Janis was the queen of the radiating wheel, sitting in her easy chair with a bottle of Southern Comfort, even in the afternoon. Michael Pollard was usually by her side. They were like adoring twins, both with the same speech patterns, punctuating each sentence with man. I sat on the floor as Kris Kristofferson sang her " Me and Bobby McGee", Janis joining in the chorus. I was there for these moments, but so young and preoccupied with my own thoughts that I hardly recognised them as moments."

Janis Joplin - Me And Bobby McGee.