Kris Kristofferson is one of country music’s most covered songwriters and the most famous instance of the troubadour’s work translating beautifully to another performer is Janis Joplin’s iconic recording of “Me And Bobby McGee”, certainly the one we recall when thinking of her doing bluesy country rock. Her rendition is full of vocal improvisation and heartbreak …. an embrace of blissed-out guitars, smokey twang and free spirits. Without a doubt, Janis Joplin was the most transcendent, mesmerizing, complex yet naïve and unpretentious artist I’ve had the privilege of seeing in concert.
A posthumously released version of “Me And Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin topped the US singles chart in 1971, making the song the second posthumously released #1 single in US chart history after “Dock Of The Bay” by Otis Redding. Billboard ranked Joplin’s version as the #1 song for 1971. In 2002, Janis Joplin’s “Me And Bobby McGee” was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame.
Let’s listen to the original first. From 1970, this is “Me And Bobby McGee” by singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson.
And this is what the song sounded like when Janis Joplin recorded it.
That’s today’s Twofer Tuesday!
See you on the flip side. 😎
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We did a version of this in the band but we dropped it from the set after getting booed for playing it!
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Probably a good move!
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Terrific Tuesday Tunes….
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Totally! Thanks!
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😊😉
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Janis. Janis. Janis! One of my favorites. Never get tired of it.
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Neither do I! She’s so fabulous!
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Janis was my first and chosen, but Kris lets me understand the words. My guesses were mumbles, but I sure loved singing with Janis. 😆
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Kris is so mellow and smooth but Janis is Janis. A shooting star 💫
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excellent both 💜
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It’s such a great song!
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Janis made it her own. (Kinda like Whitney made “I Will Always Love You” her own.)
I give my respect to Kris for being such a prolific and generous song-writer.
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Good comparison, Dale.
There are a lot of versions of this song but I think Janis did it best.
Kudos to Kris!
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Absolutely!
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Gotta give this one to Janis.
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My thoughts exactly.
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Kris Kristofferson….swoon….
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Oh, I agree … but … Janis wins this one.
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😊
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