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Big Brother & the Holding Company — Piece Of My Heart
Album: Cheap Thrills
Avg rating:
8.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 3231









Released: 1968
Length: 4:07
Plays (last 30 days): 2
Oh, come on, come on, come on, come on!

Didn't I make you feel like you were the only man?
Yeah!
And didn't I give you nearly everything that a woman possibly can ?
Honey, you know I did!
And each time I tell myself that I, well I think I've had enough,
But I'm gonna show you, baby, that a woman can be tough.

I want you to come on, come on, come on, come on and take it,
Take it!
Take another little piece of my heart now, baby!
Oh, oh, break it!
Break another little bit of my heart now, darling, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Oh, oh, have a!
Have another little piece of my heart now, baby,
You know you got it if it makes you feel good,
Oh, yes indeed.

You're out on the streets looking good,
And baby deep down in your heart I guess you know that it ain't right,
Never, never, never, never, never, never hear me when I cry at night,
Babe, and I cry all the time!
But each time I tell myself that I, well I can't stand the pain,
But when you hold me in your arms, I'll sing it once again.

I'll say come on, come on, come on, come on and take it!
Take it!
Take another little piece of my heart now, baby.
Oh, oh, break it!
Break another little bit of my heart now, darling, yeah,
Oh, oh, have a!
Have another little piece of my heart now, baby,
You know you got it, child, if it makes you feel good.

I need you to come on, come on, come on, come on and take it,
Take it!
Take another little piece of my heart now, baby!
Oh, oh, break it!
Break another little bit of my heart, now darling, yeah, come on now.
Oh, oh, have a
Have another little piece of my heart now, baby.
You know you got it — whoah!

Take it!
Take it! Take another little piece of my heart now, baby,
Oh, oh, break it!
Break another little bit of my heart, now darling, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Oh, oh, have a
Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, hey,
You know you got it, child, if it makes you feel good
Comments (267)add comment
 squidish wrote:
Comes right outta the speakers and grabs you by the neck!

Grabbed me way lower than that.  
Saw Sweet Lizzie Project - a band from Cuba that the Mavericks had touring with them open with this song.  We thought wth how will she pull it off.
Well, she did!
The Holding Company sang the backing vocal chorus to perfection.  Lifts my heart every time.  
 verbius wrote:

As with LP immediately before this, I think these represent the female voice at it's poorest. At least Janis has become iconic but LP was just over-engineered crap.

Regardless, I would appreciate it if Radio Paradise explored the other end of the female voice spectrum equally . Perhaps 'opera' is a bridge too far (more's the pity!), but when this noise is compared with, say Kiri te Kanawa's rendition of "O Mio Babbino Caro" or any expert rendition of Puccini's "Un bel di vedremo", it shows how far female singing can go in the pursuit of true excellence, and how far Janis and other screamers, warblers and heavy breathers are from it.

But really, RP seldom disappoints, and this is just my opinion and observation.



What a bunch of misogynist BS. The voices you mentioned may be imperfect in your opinion, but that's the nature of rock 'n roll. It's about feeling and emotion, warts and all. 

Next tell us how Robert Plant can't compare to Pavarotti.... <eye roll>
 GTT wrote:

The opening micro-second of this song is instantly recognizable and brings a burst of energy and joy--always!




I  Agree.  Same here!   
The opening micro-second of this song is instantly recognizable and brings a burst of energy and joy--always!
All I can add to the widely varying comments is.... When a , I dunno, 12, 13, or 14y.o. girl chose to perform this song on America's got talent, and blows the judges away, that speaks (screams?!) volumes over most opinions! Scrawny little kid did a near identical rendition! COULDA almost imagined a younger JJ doing it, it was so well done! 
 RazzCat wrote:

After all this time, I've yet to hear another singer pour so much of herself into her voice.

She's missed to this age, though they may not realise it... :-(


not to diminish Janis at all, but Otis Redding (both of them require a moment after listening to gather myself) and possibly Joe Cocker.
Sometimes raw emotion is better than perfection! Variety is the spice of life!
Horrid screeching vocals but instrumentally adequate.
GODLIKE!!!
Interesting and thoughtful post. Thank you. I too have lived and worked at your location. My handle will tell you what I did.
As with LP immediately before this, I think these represent the female voice at it's poorest. At least Janis has become iconic but LP was just over-engineered crap.

Regardless, I would appreciate it if Radio Paradise explored the other end of the female voice spectrum equally . Perhaps 'opera' is a bridge too far (more's the pity!), but when this noise is compared with, say Kiri te Kanawa's rendition of "O Mio Babbino Caro" or any expert rendition of Puccini's "Un bel di vedremo", it shows how far female singing can go in the pursuit of true excellence, and how far Janis and other screamers, warblers and heavy breathers are from it.

But really, RP seldom disappoints, and this is just my opinion and observation.
 Ralf wrote:

It doesn’t get any more classic than this! Signed, Captain Obvious




YOU BET!!!
It doesn’t get any more classic than this! Signed, Captain Obvious
 TheKing2 wrote:

With 56 I'm to young for this.


But with 65 I'm not....
Simply a 10. Nothing more to say 
With 56 I'm to young for this.
 Highlowsel wrote:

Oh I dunno....Beth Hart comes to mind.  For me Janis was good; she bespoke an era.  But as is the way of all things she's dead and gone.  Long gone.  And life....it goes on with a whole new cast of characters shining as is their wont. 

Highlow
American Net'Zen  



Beth is good, and also a very trained voice.  Janis, IMHO was raw.  I don't believe she ever had voice training, and probably would have trouble with her voice if she had lived longer.  She was very special and charismatic [edit] and very much of her era.
 danthebeachman wrote:
Etta James and Beth Hart are the only two artists that I've listened to over the years who come close to Janis!!
 

I'd like to add Betty Davis to this list :) Oh, and Mia Zapata from the Gits. To me, she sounds like if Janis had lived long enough to discover grunge. 
My heart breaks every time I hear Janis <3
 crogers wrote:
If even one of today's so-called popular musicians put that much heart and soul into their music... I'm afraid that it would promptly and sadly be ignored. Janis was uncontrollable and like a supernova, she was brilliant and she was the most powerful thing in the universe for a very short time.   Fear and PC and narrowed perspectives have taken the guts out of so much of today's musical talent — I fear that we'll never see another like her and the world is a crappier place because of that.

I love the progress we've made in the 21st century overall, but i truly fear that some of what we've left behind is like a blueberry pie left too long to cool on the sill.  Delicious and so special when fresh, but utterly forgettable and a bit disgusting when it's forced to suffer the ravages of time without enough singing of its praises.  It shouldn't be so, but I feel powerless to slow its loss.  :sigh:
 

Wow...and your comment only has become more relevent in the last 5 years...:sigh:...
 SpencerAR wrote:
I've never seen this album cover before. Nor did I know that Joplin was part of a band when she sang this song.  Wow! 
 

R. Crumb. cover. Cover plus the and music blew my 15y.o. mind first time I heard it at my cousin's house in the middle of Iowa FARMLAND! 1969!!!
Etta James and Beth Hart are the only two artists that I've listened to over the years who come close to Janis!!
 Proclivities wrote:

Of course it's gone - it was 50 years ago.  Everything seemed possible to me when I was 50 years younger.
 
I am aging too ,we all are aging😁
This has really hard edges and even though it is a fine tune it sounds like a beer smelling pub
I've never seen this album cover before. Nor did I know that Joplin was part of a band when she sang this song.  Wow! 
I never thought much of this band. She completely overpowered them. 
 RazzCat wrote:
 
 
Oh I dunno....Beth Hart comes to mind.  For me Janis was good; she bespoke an era.  But as is the way of all things she's dead and gone.  Long gone.  And life....it goes on with a whole new cast of characters shining as is their wont. 

Highlow
American Net'Zen  
 AndyJ wrote:
A moment in time, when it seemed everything was possible and people could be open and honest.

The moment is gone and things are different... Play this loud and savor that moment...  
 
Of course it's gone - it was 50 years ago.  Everything seemed possible to me when I was 50 years younger.
One of the all-time great choruses... impossible not to sing along even when I don't know all the words!
What a voice!!! Instantly recognizable. {#Notworthy}
 Norwood9 wrote:
Saw her in Copenhagen in '69. While waiting for the show to start, they were late, the crowd started to chant what sounded like booing. She appeared through the curtain and told the audience to go fuck themselves and stormed back behind the curtain. Several minutes passed and the curtain opened and she proceeded to blow the audience away while swigging from a bottle of Southern Comfort. Unforgettable.
 
Great story.  
Saw her in Copenhagen in '69. While waiting for the show to start, they were late, the crowd started to chant what sounded like booing. She appeared through the curtain and told the audience to go fuck themselves and stormed back behind the curtain. Several minutes passed and the curtain opened and she proceeded to blow the audience away while swigging from a bottle of Southern Comfort. Unforgettable.
Solid
 crogers wrote:
If even one of today's so-called popular musicians put that much heart and soul into their music... I'm afraid that it would promptly and sadly be ignored. Janis was uncontrollable and like a supernova, she was brilliant and she was the most powerful thing in the universe for a very short time.   Fear and PC and narrowed perspectives have taken the guts out of so much of today's musical talent — I fear that we'll never see another like her and the world is a crappier place because of that.

I love the progress we've made in the 21st century overall, but i truly fear that some of what we've left behind is like a blueberry pie left too long to cool on the sill.  Delicious and so special when fresh, but utterly forgettable and a bit disgusting when it's forced to suffer the ravages of time without enough singing of its praises.  It shouldn't be so, but I feel powerless to slow its loss.  :sigh:

 
After all this time, I've yet to hear another singer pour so much of herself into her voice.

She's missed to this age, though they may not realise it... :-(

 haresfur wrote:

That's like suggesting that Louis Louis would have been better if the Kingsmen were better musicians. Totally missing the point.

 
No, the band's playing is fine, but their singing is ill-advised.
 kcar wrote:

It's amazing how often you hear about famous people getting a crazy one-off break in their salad days. My guess is that the cover really helped Crumb take off. 

Janis was not...a traditional beauty but it's quite possible that she would have balked at dating R. Crumb. I listen to performances like this and wonder how long she could have belted like this before her voice gave out.  

While wandering one sultry afternoon through a neighborhood renowned for giving away free books, I came across an unusual treasure: a large hardback copy of the Bible's Book of Genesis. Illustrated by R. Crumb. 

Illustration by R. Crumb from

You're damned right I took it home. The rest of you can score your own copy on Amazon

  Awesome find!  We have a lot of those book "kiosks" in Seattle neighborhoods too. 
And after clicking the Amazon link, the Crumb book I want is" R. Crumb's Heroes of Blues, Jazz & Country


 haresfur wrote:

That's like suggesting that Louis Louis would have been better if the Kingsmen were better musicians. Totally missing the point.

 
I hope you don't mind if I borrow your reply for future use.  It's that on point.  Well said.
 LawrenceSheppard wrote:
If only she'd had a proper backup band ...
 
That's like suggesting that Louis Louis would have been better if the Kingsmen were better musicians. Totally missing the point.
 kcar wrote:

It's amazing how often you hear about famous people getting a crazy one-off break in their salad days. My guess is that the cover really helped Crumb take off. 

Janis was not...a traditional beauty but it's quite possible that she would have balked at dating R. Crumb. I listen to performances like this and wonder how long she could have belted like this before her voice gave out.  

While wandering one sultry afternoon through a neighborhood renowned for giving away free books, I came across an unusual treasure: a large hardback copy of the Bible's Book of Genesis. Illustrated by R. Crumb. 

Illustration by R. Crumb from

You're damned right I took it home. The rest of you can score your own copy on Amazon

 
Janis and Co. were A1 in my book man! And Crumb's cartoony version makes Genesis seem interesting  : P  Thanks kcar
A goddess of pain, love, and song.
I love this song
 LawrenceSheppard wrote:
If only she'd had a proper backup band ...
 

 
Then maybe it would have turned out diluted, proper and safe. I prefer it raw, drunk and sloppy.
 LawrenceSheppard wrote:
If only she'd had a proper backup band ...
 
They clearly weren't the best musicians on the planet, but Janet was comfortable with them, and that's just as important, probably more important. Kinda like Neil with Crazy Horse.
Back in the Sixties again.  {#Daisy}  

Ain't it great?
 ChrisVIII wrote:
this song doesn't age well....

 
actually it doesn't age at all, we go through changes the recordings stay the same
If only she'd had a proper backup band ...
 
this song doesn't age well....
If even one of today's so-called popular musicians put that much heart and soul into their music... I'm afraid that it would promptly and sadly be ignored. Janis was uncontrollable and like a supernova, she was brilliant and she was the most powerful thing in the universe for a very short time.   Fear and PC and narrowed perspectives have taken the guts out of so much of today's musical talent — I fear that we'll never see another like her and the world is a crappier place because of that.

I love the progress we've made in the 21st century overall, but i truly fear that some of what we've left behind is like a blueberry pie left too long to cool on the sill.  Delicious and so special when fresh, but utterly forgettable and a bit disgusting when it's forced to suffer the ravages of time without enough singing of its praises.  It shouldn't be so, but I feel powerless to slow its loss.  :sigh:
How about these guys?

 Boy_Wonder wrote:
Not an attractive bunch...


Members of the classic 1966-1968 Big Brother and the Holding Company
 

  hey, your statement says more about your shallowness than anything else.   Attractiveness is in the eyes and hearts of the beholder
This one is a 10....C'mon man I have smoked many times under the Janis Tree!
 
RIP Sam Andrew.
Not an attractive bunch...


Members of the classic 1966-1968 Big Brother and the Holding Company
 


 Humdrumhum wrote:
So happy to hear this one from my dim and distant past. Had to restrain myself from winding up the volume and disturbing my neighbours. Quarter to midnight in UK. 
 
Now 23:19 in the UK... otherwise nothing changes..


Members of the classic 1966-1968 Big Brother and the Holding Company



 nagsheadlocal wrote:

R. Crumb recently discussed this in an interview - he did it for $300 and what he thought was a chance to get close to Joplin, on whom he had a huge crush. Crumb was, at the time, still relatively unknown and needed the $300 to make rent.

Good thing they never got together because, despite the fact I have huge respect for their talents, they would have had some remarkably unattractive kids . . .  

 
It's amazing how often you hear about famous people getting a crazy one-off break in their salad days. My guess is that the cover really helped Crumb take off. 

Janis was not...a traditional beauty but it's quite possible that she would have balked at dating R. Crumb. I listen to performances like this and wonder how long she could have belted like this before her voice gave out.  

While wandering one sultry afternoon through a neighborhood renowned for giving away free books, I came across an unusual treasure: a large hardback copy of the Bible's Book of Genesis. Illustrated by R. Crumb. 

Illustration by R. Crumb from "Book of Genesis": God making man from clay and breathing life into him

You're damned right I took it home. The rest of you can score your own copy on Amazon


"Didn't I make you feel like you were the only man?"    Sweetheart: look at me, smile, and I will KNOW it.
 AndyJ wrote:
A moment in time, when it seemed everything was possible and people could be open and honest.

The moment is gone and things are different...  

 
Perhaps it's just that you were younger and less jaded back in the day so saw the world as being full of possibility and people as being more open and honest. 
The whole album is a 10.

Or on the beach after too much sun, surf and beers ahead for the evening with someone just-so-special your teeth ache...

nagsheadlocal wrote:
Imagine hearing this in a California biker bar, around 2 am after a dozen beers or so. 

 


Dogs of Lust -> Piece of My Heart: one of those astounding and perfect segues that I listen in constant hopes of. Nice, Bill!
A moment in time, when it seemed everything was possible and people could be open and honest.

The moment is gone and things are different... Play this loud and savor that moment...  
Imagine hearing this in a California biker bar, around 2 am after a dozen beers or so. 
The Crumb cover is worth the price of the album plus one of the worlds greatest blues
singers of all time..  Her flame was intense it just didn't burn nearly long enough.  
Great wailing.

Always liked the juxtaposition of the baseline chorus with Janis' soaring vocals.   

Oh yes it does 
Oh, Janis come on and stop crying at the end!
Oh Janis... come and take a little piece of my heart!!!
So happy to hear this one from my dim and distant past. Had to restrain myself from winding up the volume and disturbing my neighbours. Quarter to midnight in UK. Most of the covers I have heard are naff in comparison to JJ. However will investigate Erma, of whom I know nothing.

 Stratocaster wrote:
 The_Enemy wrote:

Irregardless of any other argument, that's all that really matters.

Well put.

Irregardless? IRREGARDLESS?

That is not a word!

 
I'm with the Strat....not a word....make it go away....


Relax, guys.... The_Enemy obviously meant "undisirregardless".
And the year was 1969 ... music was just golden that year
Absolute classic!!
 Stratocaster wrote:
 The_Enemy wrote:

Irregardless of any other argument, that's all that really matters.

Well put.

Irregardless? IRREGARDLESS?

That is not a word!

 
I'm with the Strat....not a word....make it go away....
 d-don wrote:
One of the greatest album covers ever.
 
R. Crumb recently discussed this in an interview - he did it for $300 and what he thought was a chance to get close to Joplin, on whom he had a huge crush. Crumb was, at the time, still relatively unknown and needed the $300 to make rent.

Good thing they never got together because, despite the fact I have huge respect for their talents, they would have had some remarkably unattractive kids . . .  
 The_Enemy wrote:

Irregardless of any other argument, that's all that really matters.

Well put.

Irregardless? IRREGARDLESS?

That is not a word!


 cohifi wrote:
I'm not sure I have given a 1 rating, but I do know I'm not a big Janice fan.  sorry
 


Well, when everyone only plays two songs of her's (this one and Bobby McGee), it's easy to get bored. Deeper cuts would be appreciated.
 d-don wrote:
One of the greatest album covers ever.
 
Ditto.......

One of the greatest album covers ever.
RP is doing a number on me this afternoon.
I'm not sure I have given a 1 rating, but I do know I'm not a big Janice fan.  sorry
My first (and as of now, only) 1 rating !
 RockinBlueVoodoo wrote:

Erma's version is the original from 1967. Janis' more popular version is actually a cover tune released a year after in 1968 and has subsequently been covered by a myriad of artists from Dusty Springfield to Bryan Ferry to Sammy Hagar to Etta James, Faith Hill and more.

I uploaded Erma's version last year and it never even made it to the LRC which surprised me because I figured RP would be a place to hear some original soul music but it wasn't to be.
 
Yup.  Erma's version is waaaaay better than what Janis put down back in the hurly burly days. (IMHO)

 azdcryan wrote:
she (and this band) could just flat lay it down
 
Irregardless of any other argument, that's all that really matters.

Well put.

I rated this a 1 9-years ago and my vote still stands - what a P.O.S.

 Manbird wrote:
<snip>
 
Y'know, buddy, I've defended your right to say what you want—the "me and god" stuff—and suggested folks check out your web site. Interesting stuff there. But now you're just a parody. You figure if you're bigger, louder, and take up more space than anyone else that what you have to say—essentially nothing—will have some value. Sorry, pal. You just take up more space.

 Papernapkin wrote:
Enough of the old stuff please.
 

Yes, your highness.
Enough of the old stuff please.
 ianmoff wrote:
Never got this. A shouting, screeching, drunken old woman

Sorry, but there's much better out there 

IMHO 
 

Old?  She died at 27.
Goddesslike.
AAAAAHHHHHHHH, Janis.  10
 azdcryan wrote:

You are certainly entitled, but I would submit that art is/should be emotive.  How does one define "better".  However you do, I would agree that there are better out there...but JJ is just fine as a peach.

From a documentary I saw, JJ was a very soulful albeit flawed artist.  She was a social pariah as a younster, and singing/bellowing/screeching (whatever you want to call it) was her way of expressing herself.

You don't dig, that's cool.

For me, it gets my rocks off everytime.  I have a handful of recordings of her/them, all I enjoy...as I do a nice drunken stupor from time to time.  Of course, I can do without the overplayed radio stuff - but she (and this band) could just flat lay it down.  You should give it a better listen I think.

Some people think that missionary is the only way.  Others know better. 

 
Well put...

What do you do with a classic like this...?  vote it high.  It stands the test if time and relativity.

 ianmoff wrote:
Never got this. A shouting, screeching, drunken old woman

Sorry, but there's much better out there 

IMHO 
 
You are certainly entitled, but I would submit that art is/should be emotive.  How does one define "better".  However you do, I would agree that there are better out there...but JJ is just fine as a peach.

From a documentary I saw, JJ was a very soulful albeit flawed artist.  She was a social pariah as a younster, and singing/bellowing/screeching (whatever you want to call it) was her way of expressing herself.

You don't dig, that's cool.

For me, it gets my rocks off everytime.  I have a handful of recordings of her/them, all I enjoy...as I do a nice drunken stupor from time to time.  Of course, I can do without the overplayed radio stuff - but she (and this band) could just flat lay it down.  You should give it a better listen I think.

Some people think that missionary is the only way.  Others know better. 

I grew up listening to JJ & Jimmie H. in the late 60's, and it never gets old......they are all reliable classics that shaped rock & roll for decades to come. Cornerstone's to today's music! Reminds me of good old Woodstock days!!! Great memories.
 Papernapkin wrote:
This is a good song, too bad it's played too often.
 
Agree it's good song. I must have missed it back in February, the last time it was played.

This is a good song, too bad it's played too often.
 MadPercolator wrote:
The Erma Frankin (ReRe's sister) version is also kickass
 
Erma's version is the original from 1967. Janis' more popular version is actually a cover tune released a year after in 1968 and has subsequently been covered by a myriad of artists from Dusty Springfield to Bryan Ferry to Sammy Hagar to Etta James, Faith Hill and more.

I uploaded Erma's version last year and it never even made it to the LRC which surprised me because I figured RP would be a place to hear some original soul music but it wasn't to be.



 burdell wrote:
Never understood the appeal of this song. Screeching is no substitute for singing.
 
I wonder if Enya covered this, what it might sound like? What would Celine Dion make of it?

I'll stick to JJ!

 Razz wrote:
Annoying voice...
 

I thought so at first as well, but now I've grown to like it.  Definitely not "beautiful", but raw, gritty and passionate.  At least, that's what I feel.

Never got this. A shouting, screeching, drunken old woman

Sorry, but there's much better out there 

IMHO 
Annoying voice...
Hard to believe it's been 40 years.  While Joplin was wooing Woodstock, some of us were hunkering down around the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, trying to survive Hurricane Camille; which made landfall 8-17-69.  There were many that did not survive.  To this day, I wish I had been at Woodstock, instead of where I was.  Bittersweet memories.
 stevesaw wrote:
I highly recommend viewing her performance at Monterey Pop. Simple amazing.
 
To that, add Festival Express (DVD).
Never understood the appeal of this song. Screeching is no substitute for singing.

A 10.  Each and every time as she breaks my heart over and over in the best possible way.
I'm afraid this one has become a parody of itself. I've seen way too many female impersonators rip this one up.

I wonder if a cover, with 80s synth backing, sung in German, would be better.
  Very Interesting! but......

I am so mad that ican't crank the volume because of the time of morning here.  This is like about the 4th or 5th song i would have had at 10 this morning.
 
I wonder if a cover, with 80s synth backing, sung in German, would be better.

Sorry - culmination of a load of posts there;  now I feel better.
 kelo wrote:
10 of 10!
 
11 of 10

I grew up on this stuff... I was but a young, impressionable teen.  :D  Loved Janis!

Hell YES, Ms. Joplin!!!
10 of 10!
Part of my rating is attributed to the R. Crumb artwork.
 xkolibuul wrote:
Manbirdexperiment, you are one tired old note.  Show a little creativity for a change (not to mention concern for BillG's bandwidth) and quit posting the same image everywhere.
 
Hear, Hear! Really, enough already.

Manbirdexperiment, you are one tired old note.  Show a little creativity for a change (not to mention concern for BillG's bandwidth) and quit posting the same image everywhere.
Where's the "filter spam" feature?
What's with the crumby cover artwork?