BALL AND CHAIN
“Ball ’n’ Chain” or “Ball and Chain” is a blues song written and recorded by American blues artist Big Mama Thornton. Janis Joplin, who frequently acknowledged Thornton’s musical influence, recorded several live performances of “Ball and Chain”. According to Big Brother and the Holding Company guitarist James Gurley, Joplin first heard the song during a performance by Thornton at a bar in San Francisco. Another live version of “Ball ’n’ Chain”, recorded March 8, 1968 at the Fillmore East, was included on Big Brother’s 1968 breakthrough album Cheap Thrills. (More from Wikipedia)
But of course it was the music from Cheap Thrills that made a true impression on me. An old friend from my model-rocket days had introduced the album to me, playing the devastating live track “Ball and Chain” first and then Side 2 in its entirety after that (including “Ball and Chain” again). The song that closed the first side, “Piece of My Heart” was one of my two favorite songs in my first year at college in 1969-1970 – the other was “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” by the Band.
(February 2014)
