Nobody on this planet had (or will have) a voice quite like Janis Joplin. She died tragically young, but in the time that she had, she cemented herself as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. That much is obvious to anyone with ears, and it’s made even more obvious when you listen to the isolated vocal tracks from some of Janis Joplin’s biggest songs. Let’s take a look!
Videos by American Songwriter
“Me And Bobby McGee”
We just had to start with a classic. “Me And Bobby McGee”, originally a Kris Kristofferson classic, was taken on by Janis Joplin and made into her own. It’s one of her most well-known songs, if not her most well-known song, period. This isolated vocal track shows how much control and restraint Joplin actually had with her voice, despite sounding so free and unrestrained. That takes some serious skill, and this song just sounds like it was made for her.
“Piece Of My Heart”
Another classic from Joplin’s discography, “Piece Of My Heart” is quite a gorgeous arrangement. However, as it is in most of Joplin’s work, her voice is at the forefront of this song’s appeal. Originally written by Bert Berns and Jerry Ragovoy for Erma Franklin back in 1967, “Piece Of My Heart” quickly became associated with Joplin after she debuted her version of the tune.
“Mercedes Benz”
This isolated vocal track will blow your eyebrows off. “Mercedes Benz” is a fine song with all of its parts intact, but there’s something about just hearing Joplin a cappella that just commands the attention of every listener. It’s heartbreaking to think that this song was recorded just a few days before she died. That passion, that ability to belt. They don’t make ‘em like Janis Joplin anymore.
“Cry Baby”
Janis Joplin impresses yet again with this isolated vocal track from “Cry Baby”. I’d be bold enough to say that this song would have been just as good without any instrumentation. If Joplin released an a cappella version, I’m sure it would do just as well as the OG version of “Cry Baby”. The way she switches directions with her voice in this song is insane, and I’d say this is one of her most vibrant performances.
Photo by Estate Of Keith Morris/Redferns/Getty Images
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