PIECE OF MY HEART
“Piece of My Heart” is a romantic love song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns and originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. The song came to greater mainstream attention when Big Brother and the Holding Company (featuring Janis Joplin on lead vocals) covered the song in 1968 and had a much bigger hit with it. In 2004 the Big Brother and the Holding Company version of this song was ranked Number 353 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song is also included among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. (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)
