My FIRST Time Hearing Janis Joplin! ANALYSIS of "Ball & Chain" as a Patron Choice Winner!

[@kevin6667]

Just in case it hasn't already been shared.. the 'ahhh' face moment in the audience was Mama Cass Elliot.. another amazing vocal talent who tragically left this place way too early at 32 .. heart attack. :-( Thank you for giving Janis a listen. Such a unique gift and talent.

[@ShortOrderCook]

I thought it was her - one great singer admiring another - priceless shot!

[@danatowne5498]

I was going to leave this comment, thank you. :)

[@juliemanarin4127]

Yep! It is!

[@ericminch]

And Mama Cass, BTW, was also one of the organizers of that year's Monterey Pops Festival.

[@jamessummerlin9516]

I saw an interview with Mama Cass where she talked about how awestruck she was at that moment. Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane was there as well and talked of being totally amazed.

[@lawrenceschabell5740]

Janis autographed my draft card drew a heart and wrote Don't go! I was blown away. 😊

[@islgrl292]

That is something special, a signature of our time, from a leader of the movement! ❤

[@hollyboardman1820]

Did you go?

[@KneeAches]

Great video capturing why she was who she was and how we all enjoyed her so much.

[@KneeAches]

The woman in the audience is Mama Cass.

[@nagoranerides3150]

Now, that is a thing. Fabulous.

[@michaelmilne9914]

I was a stagehand for several of her performances and travelled as with her as such. She was a very nice person as well. I saw first hand how hard it was for her, since learning her background, it is a miracle she gave us the music she did. Everytime since she died when I hear any of her songs, I cry. And I was a nobody who met her and spoke only a few sentences to her, "good morning, have a good show!" It was like you were in a different dimension around her.

[@stevendavid5370]

You obviously appreciate what only a very few had a chance to experience. No matter how brief, there are people who have the ability to connect with someone in a very special way. For me Robin Williams was your Janis experience, except I was guest at a graduation and a few moments with Robin before he went out on stage to do his thing. But in just a few minutes I was so touched to my soul in such a loving way that I will never forget his kindness. My moment and your moment with Janis are true treasures of a lifetime.

[@michaelmilne9914]

@@stevendavid5370 Not to lessen your experience. Janis was probably like how you describe Williams right up to when it was her turn to perform, that is why I said a nice person. I was not unfamiliar with being on stage with a lot of "star" bands - stagehands, security, record execs etc just do their thing, and do right up to when Janis took the mic. Everyone simply stopped and stood there watching. When she put the mic down she was just Janis again but all the hands, security and execs simply didn't move or were able to be normal around her again. I think this is why she drank so much, how can you be such an ordinary person but see in everyone around you an anxiety to want you to be recognized by her. Because of my belief in God I was less affected. There were times when I was the only one not immobilized, that is not to say she did not affect me as well. She was a talent so far above any we will not if ever see that talent again.

[@CICORIA977]

What a great experience did you have. What a unic moment to be able to read this 50 years later tanks to web connection. You must have been very young at that time.

[@michaelmilne9914]

@@CICORIA977 I was just turned 20, we celebrated Janis' 27th birthday even though it was past (weird but muscians always were doing weird things, or maybe her official birthday was different - I don't know the story), her last, with the Grateful Dead in Calgary.

[@taknothing4896]

You were still lucky to work with Janis, even at a distance like that. I never met her, even tho I was living in the Haight Ashbury at the same time she was.

[@markthomsen51]

The "wow" lady at the end is none other than the great Mama Cass, and like you, experiencing Janice for the first time.

[@joneses1962]

Aw, you beat me to it! LOL! I've always loved the glimpses of Mama Cass at Monterey.

[@joeyahoo3902]

yup 18:17...wow indeed.

[@daveismoseley]

Pretty sure this was everybody’s first time

[@mimib323]

Thank You for pointing that out. I thought it was, but I wasn't certain.

[@avanellehansen4525]

At the time, Mama Cass was considered huge! Now you can see bigger teenagers at Walmart!

[@missstorrm]

There are great singers, there are emotional singers, there are emotive singers, there are perfect-pitch singers, there are powerful singers... And then, somewhere above all them, there's Janis.

[@Merzui-kg8ds]

We call them...charismatic voices.

[@Sleuth_Squad]

Rest in power Janis ❤

[@quinn-tessential3232]

Yeah, well...if nails on a blackboard works for you...

[@ghomerhust]

@@quinn-tessential3232 obviously that isnt the deal here because she was world famous. you dont get to her level by being nails on a blackboard. you are the outlier.

[@steveullrich7737]

@eRRoRoiD ditto

[@carlos-fv1rc]

As an opera singer, I think Elizabeth would be particularly fascinated by Joplin's version of Summertime (from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess). It's a vocal masterpiece, and I dare say the most memorable and expressive version there is.

[@Sirianta]

I love it!

[@Pwnage9191]

100% she neeeds to watch that!

[@BrianMacMusicVideos]

Yes.... agreed...

[@fredfarkle-bp9en]

Agree good call on Summertime

[@bobdamico1099]

Agree

[@skip92025]

Janice was, in a word, primal. She went to the roots of a song, and dragged it kicking and screaming to places unimaginable. Powerful, emotional, nowhere near on any pitch known to man, she did things vocally that few, if any, ever could or did.

[@T-bone1950]

Very well said. ❤👍😊

[@janibeg3247]

Big Brother and the holding company was her best band - raw and primal

[@killermiller1980]

This lady opened me up to so many different genres of music. There will never be another janis❤

[@MeLoNHeAd00]

Shannon Hoon

[@paulwooton4390]

​@@janibeg3247 cheap thrills, best of the 60's west coast. Wish she'd stayed with big brother. Dave Getz is the only one still with us.

[@emanuel81111]

totally unhinged, insane out of her mind, absolutely magical, she took me out earth and i landed in mars with this song.

[@jeremyfagner6808]

Welcome to the world of Janis Joplin. She gave 120% in every song she sang. There will never be another “Pearl”

[@tattoodude8946]

“Why should I hold back now and sound mediocre, just so I can sound mediocre twenty years from now?” - Janis Joplin

[@albaby6954]

@jeremyfagner6808 I named my two and a half year old blue English staffy Pearl after Janis. They are both precious rare jewels.

[@kimhubbard826]

When Mama Cass, (another great legend, from the legendary band, The Mama's and the Papa's) is blown away, and says "WOW!," you know you have watched and heard, one of the best/greatest singers ever!

[@davidboivin7996]

Yup. Nuff said!!

[@craigvincent8344]

I love that moment of Mama Cass in this video so, so much

[@jocelynclemens2036]

And both left us WAAAAAY too soon 😢

[@Cadinho93]

A most brilliant cover of Big Mama Thorton's song. She didn't even have her version out yet when Janis Joplin performed this and she absolutely CRUSHED it here. Also, my favorite part is when the camera is panning to Mama Cass, who is transfixed and in awe of what she is hearing. Also, Mama Cass is no slouch as a vocalist herself. RIP to the both of them.

[@youbertu]

And Mama Cass was just one of thousands having that reaction! Monterey Pop Festival was never the same afterward...

[@Paul-D-Hoff]

I was just going to write about Mama.

[@PSA78]

Yes, this was the second day, they had no idea who she was an didn't film her. So they asked her to do it again to get it on film. 🙌

[@pizmeyre5055]

@@PSA78 They were going to film them the first night but the bands manager decided that they couldn't unless the filmmakers paid the band. The festival promoters were so blown away that they asked them to play again the next day. Interestingly, the shot of Mama Cass in the audience was filmed surreptitiously during the original performance. The camera people had been order by the band's manager to turn the cameras off but they just sneakily filmed the audience during it and ended up cutting it into the next day's performance. The ban later got a different manager, lol.

[@stevenmeyer9674]

@@youbertu Not exactly . Mama Cass was the promoter of this event.

[@BobbyKewley]

I felt so excited for you in this one Elizabeth - could not wait for Janis to fully unleash onto you 😊 I hope this inspired you to explore her back catalogue. She was always 100% expression, soul and emotion. Just when you think she's run out of gas, she goes above and beyond! Such a huge loss when she passed. A bona fide legend. She'll never be forgotten ❤

[@AeroDude73]

The lady they showed in the crowd a couple times with the sunglasses on, if someone hasn’t mentioned it already, that was Cass Elliott, the lead singer of the mamas and papas, the heavyset girl. Her voice is truly amazing as well. You should obviously check out some of her songs with them.

[@gilliancourtney4701]

Beat me to that comment lol

[@7of9RebelHarborth]

She was in awe which was such a compliment to Janis. I agree 💯 about Mama Cass.

[@christopherwinkler4451]

I had little doubt someone would point this out. And I don't think Elizabeth has covered Cass or The Mama's and the Papa's yet.

[@Mountain_Mutt]

I’d love to see Elizabeth check out Mama Cass with John Denver singing Leaving on a Jet Plane if she hasn’t already. Beautiful performance that was.

[@RMForbes505]

The Mamas and the Papas were the primary organizers of this music festival in 1967 which launched the careers of several of the acts that were there, Janis was one of them.

[@timothyofgaul6817]

I love this performance so much, MOSTLY for the look of “Oh, this woman isn’t my competition, this woman is a goddess.” on Mama Cass’ face. I remember hearing that, up to this exact moment, Cass Elliott and Michelle Phillips were under the assumption that Janis did exactly what they did and was a direct threat to their popularity, and I think Mama and Papas had played earlier so the girls sat in on Janis for the first time and, at that performance, realized she wasn’t a counteract but instead was doing something totally different and that something was wholly unbelievably amazing.

[@DrivingSA-ot8ds]

Apparently Janis and BB&THC played on the Friday with no TV cameras and were asked to perform again on the Saturday. One reason I prefer her Frankfurt version is that the cameras were in front, not behind her as in the Monterey concert

[@karenboyette2897]

One of the greats.

[@killermiller1980]

There's this awesome doc of big brother and the dead touring across Canada... The festival express

[@aheineman9138]

Awww…that was Mama Cass. I thought she looked familiar. ❤

[@lricciuti13]

She’s like, Hello Goddess.

[@Murdo2112]

The thing that always strikes me, when listening to Janis, is how many modern singers build their style on feigned emotion. They learn the techniques for making it sound like you mean it. The know how to make you feel like they're feeling a particular way. Janis is one of those singers who doesn't feign anything. She opens her mouth and lets the emotion spill out in its most raw and real form. She's the reality that many singers learn to pretend to be.

[@tucor]

One of my complaints about many modern singers is that I don't get the impression that they feel the words they are singing.

[@IIIIDCIIII]

She never cared to strain her voice when singing and I think in a way she knew her life was going to be short and she just went for it. She sang like this in every single performance. She was fearless with her voice.

[@michaelwiley3221]

Knowing the very real pain that she endured in her life, I can't listen to her without the tears flowing. Janis makes you feel her pain. I miss her.

[@dalmac5978]

Same

[@Mark13091961]

This

[@roozshah]

Yes.

[@kathelenecriswell749]

Exactly. I cry for her pain everytime I listen to her.. i love her & she is a goddess. So unappreciated by the people that knew her at home. Tortured soul.

[@d.l.607]

I don't understand how this lady "The Charismatic Voice" can sit there and laugh the whole way thru the song while Janis is spilling her heart out in pain

[@n0madtv]

'Wild' is probably the best word that describes Janis. She was off the chain wild in every way possible.

[@reedhaley15]

A female Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

[@raidrfrk]

Wasn't he from Texas to?

[@metalmamasue3680]

She was. 100% she lived out loud.

[@rickoshay2589]

Janis had enough passion to overcome perfection.

[@okfalcon6444]

That’s well put.

[@Merzui-kg8ds]

brilliantly put

[@patthewoodboy]

agree.

[@Dan_moon_sun]

Hell fire, yes! Unbelievable passion. This is much more than a song.

[@danchristopher7957]

Wow....great choice of words.

[@buch434]

The fact she brought you to the edge of tears at the end makes me happy! Janis does that.

[@Steve_V1066]

When my mom listened to Janis, it was the only time i saw her happy and joyful, she danced and sang along. The rest of her life was sadness. Janis had great impact on people.

[@ericamcdaniel4318]

Janis is my mom’s favorite too ❤️

[@metalmamasue3680]

My mom's favorite was Elvis. When he passed, it was Iike a death in the family. I still love Elvis to this day. As little kids we would be dancing around to Hound Dog and his other hits. 😅

[@zentradei]

Janis, she's pure emotion on stage, and that's sorely needed today, this is one of her best phrases." On stage I make love to 25,000 different people. Then I go home alone".

[@johnfriedrich1343]

Only person close to Janis for pure emotion is Beth Hart.

[@metalmamasue3680]

Yes, I think that captures it perfectly. I love her passion in her singing. I love Summertime and Bobby McGee.

[@siliconcowboy2010]

I don't think there has ever been anyone more expressively authentic than Janis. She poured her soul into every song. Like she was saying, "Do you feel this? Have you ever felt this? This is how I feel about it" with every drop of honesty in her being.

[@metalmamasue3680]

Cry Baby is one of them. I will always love me some Janis Joplin. Me & Bobby McGee is a personal fave and Summer Time..

[@JonFirstenfeld]

My dad, Mort Feld (Firstenfeld) with McCune Audio mixed the shows and provided the live sound and feeds to overflow. He also recorded the shows. That is what your hearing now. I was only 15 but I was there. Part of the stage crew but usually running video camera in the pit next to the sound stack. Janice was a wake up call to so many of us. She broke the dusky ceiling that white girls couldn't bring the soul.

[@jocelynclemens2036]

Oh man, super jelly ❤

[@Jazzy.girl.Sarah2023]

How awesome!!

[@muzikizfun]

Those of us who grew up listening to her are so glad you have rediscovered the great Janis! Her soul was in pain, and that is what she shared with her listeners

[@Rascal77s]

Check out Beth Hart too 🍻

[@Best2never]

When you were so entertained by the opening guitar riff I was thinking, "when you hear Janis sing, you'll get it". Janis Joplin was one of a kind. So tragic that we lost a voice like that, a beautiful human being like that, so early.

[@andrewsackville-west1609]

Yes! The guitarist is echoing Janis' tone, so well, here.

[@Boudreaux641]

James Gurley was an under appreciated guitarist that's for sure! @@andrewsackville-west1609

[@wayneandrews1022]

I think that guitar was on drugs. Not necessarily the guitarist (though probably), but the instrument itself. And so it is perfect for the time.

[@Iowagrown123]

​@@wayneandrews1022probably be easier to listen to, if one is on drugs... 😬

[@noyatin]

Big Brother was (in)famous for not playing in tune.

[@jeffconley6698]

If a person wasn’t a young adult during the era, including the darkness, drugs, confusion, the war, friends & family dying or being blown to pieces… politics, etc, etc, etc… It’s hard to understand the frustration, pain and emotion Janis poured out… she literally put her complete soul into her singing performances ❤Rest In PEACE.

[@cr-nd8qh]

We need to get back to the roots and dismantle this hierarchy

[@AloisiaSedai]

Amen

[@thespanner5046]

No war, darkness or drugs these days….🤨

[@jeffconley6698]

@@thespanner5046 hahaha - nope, everything in this lovely world is just hunkey-dorey

[@jefflowry4896]

Janis was great. The guitaristnwas probably under the influence of of some hallucinogenic.

[@RaeTheYeti]

When she said "The guitar is giving me tingles" and I'm just thinking......wait till you hear her voice! You're going to be bliwn away!

[@greggary7217]

This was her coming out, and she wasn’t going to wow them with technical virtuosity so she punched them in face instead. It was brilliant, shocking & classic. I was an instant fan, but she really did have some proper chops too. Cry Baby & Summertime (studio not live) are my personal favourites for showing off her vocal talent. She was and remains the one and only, never to be duplicated or forgotten. ❤

[@1pixman]

Yes Cry Baby... and Her version of Summertime.but plenty more.

[@bkooo5363]

I’ve always been a fan of Turtle Blues too.

[@jackstrawful]

Also Little Girl Blue and Kozmic Blues

[@jennifersilves4195]

It's still too soon.

[@clarkpd1]

The voice of a whiskey soaked angel. RIP Janis

[@MsThebeMoon]

My mom would refer to her as " the one that cries when she sings". Me: "Huh?" But then I figured out who she was talking about.

[@andydavis8437]

Southern Comfort was her poison

[@fakelandtommy4471]

Yay, I added yore 100th upvote

[@sandrastone5847]

Southern Comfort

[@laurabarr2464]

@@sandrastone5847 Yep....... I have only had it once and that shit is nasty. It was a very very long time ago and all I remember was that it tasted like cinnamon. No wonder I hate Fireball.......

[@BBQDad463]

No one did anything like this before Janis. She was unique, and is still unequalled, fifty-five years later. I still have my "Cheap Thrills" LP.

[@catboxvideo]

i also have Cheap Thrills and Pearl lps. I think next weekends JamJam day with my little one (pajamas, dad plays records and talks music and she and i do arts or crafts) will be a Janis and Jimi

[@johnhutton2500]

Great album. Stood the test of time, still just ríps me up. Better today then way back then.

[@TheNerdshire]

The woman in the audience was Mama Cass..if you aren't familiar; look her up. She had vocal power and control.

[@andrewthecelt3794]

Fantastic album, even the cover art captured the zeitgeist of the age

[@brucemcdonald4060]

Me too. LP, reel to reel tape and CD.

[@kirielbranson4843]

I keep coming back and rewatching this. It is wonderful how you analyze voices. Janis Joplin was a little before my time since I was born in 62 but these concerts were legend and the older kids in the neighborhood were listening to them.

[@peterriley5466]

Janis gave her entire heart and soul in her performance. Not a thing was left on the table. She was a national treasure

[@MsThebeMoon]

And at that time, shunned by her hometown.

[@RainingRebecca]

This is when you take what's going on inside and belt it out to the world. Hard thing to do. ❤

[@taknothing4896]

@@MsThebeMoon And vice versa. Janis wasn't too thrilled by Port Arthur (I think actually she hated the place), so I'm really thankful she came to SF.

[@sharonrosen2730]

I saw Janis in concert several months before she passed. I sat on the floor right next to the stage. It was almost too close. Her pain was so raw and so intense. It was overwhelming for a 17-year-old college student with not much experience in the world. To this day, the picture of her standing right above me is clear as a photograph. I can't have been any sadder when she, Jimi, and Jim passed so close together, all at 27 years of age. It was such a wipe out. Those years were exciting, historic, and cruel.

[@elconijo]

Your second paragraph is so well put. Cruel. That just feels so spot on.

[@gwcstudio]

Die before you can F- up?

[@TheDeadlyDan]

Every time I've ever heard her do this one, I cannot help but cry. Not out of sadness, but from feeling the way she can emote the injustice of life. She has a way of pulling you into whatever she's singing. You see how she insists you not only hear it but you feel it. I'm surprised you weren't aware of her, but it's very interesting watching someone discover her and enjoying it for the first time.

[@shilohauraable]

There's only 1 first time hearing Janis! I'm so glad to be here for this reaction! 💖

[@benwashburn8553]

I do too. Even during this one with the breaks and everything.

[@nobodyinterviews]

Elizabeth, you should give a listen to more of Janis's tracks, in particular, "Bobby McGee" and "Piece of my Heart." She was truly a one-of-a-kind singer.

[@metalmamasue3680]

I love both of those songs and Summertime ❤

[@BrewKnowURSA]

Piece of my Heart is my favourite of Janis. I've often requested the song for fiery singers in my life. One recently in Austin. Fun tourist moment. 😉

[@JanKirb]

I saw her perform in person and to this day it was unforgetable and unmatchable. I get goose pimples. It was so intense that I was worried for her. Thanks

[@LindsayWilson-vj1wc]

I am not generally jealous but I will make an exception for you. 53 years of miserying

[@svenlima]

+JanKirb Wow, you must be 100 years old! ;-)

[@JanKirb]

@@svenlima not quite but getting there , I was a young lad then

[@kathiereilly1]

I did too in 69 at Atlanta pop.

[@CindySylvester]

Lol my family tells me I'm 69 but I'm staying 29 forever! I loved Janis's voice. My favorite Mercedes Benz with no music accompaniment.

[@PoubelleKansas]

Fifty-six years after the fact, this performance still knocks me off my feet. I shake, weep, and sit slack-jawed.

[@warrenhughes911]

Well put

[@jimw.4161]

Me too! 👍

[@frankolivito9242]

Me too !!!what a performance,speechless still weeping 10 minutes later !!!she's something!!!!!!

[@MummyBrown]

18:20 this whole performance is FANTASTIC, but something about the late, great Mama Cass being shook by it makes it all the more mindblowing.

[@BassistInATutu]

I read she was tr*pping at that concert! lol

[@themetalhippieplays7993]

The Mama approves, and so do we! 😍

[@davidwade9209]

Yes, Momma Cass reacting is so cool

[@Judith-wq2jp]

Your comment about singers sometimes making ugly faces brought to mind the lead singer of the Alabama Shakes. She's really a belter and puts everything she's got into her songs

[@johnjohn37371]

​@@Judith-wq2jpBrittany Howard is fantastic...her solo stuff is good, too.

[@maryhelton-ek4mt]

Janis is an intoxication. Never had opportunity to see her live. Wow!

[@DEPARTMENTOFREDUNDANCYDEPT]

Janis was all about raw, authentic, emotional expression. It is rough, it is raw, but it is extraordinarily beautiful in its own way. One of Janis's blues heroes was Big Mama Thornton, one of whose records was titled, "STRONGER THAN DIRT!"

[@4406bbldb]

I’m 76 so I was a teenager back then and I’ve been on stage with Janis and I have tears in my eyes. I remember the crowd of those days, we were so energized. 🎉.

[@ChimeraActual]

I'm also 76. You are so fortunate. tears here, too.

[@ms2am]

I wish I had been a teen then…music seemed a lot more real,no lip syncing,music was always live and people seemed a lot more loving

[@mlasch1478]

59 years old here. I went from Baltimore to visit a friend in LA back around 2000. We went to the Whiskey A Go Go for the first time, where I saw hundreds of signatures on the walls, doors, etc and the one signature that stood out was Janis'

[@leah9084]

I seen Janice in 1968, inn San Jose CA. There will never be another Janice. See was great!

[@mlasch1478]

@@leah9084 I was a wee 4 year old in 1968. You were so lucky.

[@maryvallas772]

Her studio version of Summertime is sublime. Just a beautiful song! While I can cover a few of her songs, I can't sing that one! I wish to God I had that range!

[@drumzRfun1]

Then the band Sublime did a version of Summertime 🙂

[@colleenmcclurg2010]

@@drumzRfun1 maybe so, not taking anything away from them, they're a great band, but Janis's version is pure beauty.

[@richardpare3538]

The woman with the "Wow" at the end is Mama Cass, of The Mamas and Papas", and one of the great vocalists of that era.

[@Toobeegort]

Janis didn't just sing with her voice, but with her whole soul and body, there will never be another like Janis.

[@jmazoso]

Except maybe Joe Crocker

[@fredbays]

@@jmazoso no where near

[@firehawk2324]

Courtney Hadwin is Janis Joplin reincarnated. That girl embodies her spirit and soul perfectly. She was on American Idol and I got goosebumps when I watched her perform for the first time.

[@fredbays]

@@firehawk2324 ya i have seen her. She is good butno where near Janis. The girl is auto tuned so bad it is not funny. She cant do the slide to sharp b/c of this. If she can it is auto tuned out,

[@firehawk2324]

@@fredbays she wasn't autotuned on her original performance. Also, she's a kid. She was 13 (I believe) on her first performance. Give her a decade to practice and I think she'll be just as powerful as Janis.

[@ceciangel1997]

I was 7 yrs old when I was introduced to Janis music by my eldest brother. I was so devastated by her passing . I was so young but the impact of her expressing herself was “Awww” to me. She’s was One of a kind!!! Ohh the woman with the sun glasses at the end who says “WOW” that’s Mama Cass Elliott. She’s was a classic also❤ RIP to the Both of em’❤

[@ladylisaromance8129]

She died before I was born but I started listening to her at 16 when my friends were into Backstreet Boys 😂 etc. I was grooving to Janis, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Deep Purple, Etta James, The Carpenter's, etc. Janis is my all-time favorite female singer. ❤❤❤❤ I am still in awe of her, too after 30 plus years of listening to her.

[@cynergy4]

Boy I could write a book on this performance! One of my faves by anyone EVER! She drips with passion. Janis didn't have a very happy childhood and never felt accepted by those around her. She was filled with loneliness and pain, and every bit of it comes out in her singing. Her voice shows it, her face shows it, her whole damn body shows it! My favorite part is watching her feet and legs, and they way she almost seems to levitate at times. I've watched this at least 100 times and could watch it 100 more. By the way, that was Cass Elliot of The Mama's And The Papas being wowed in the audience. Janis wasn't really well known outside of the bay area and most of the people in the audience had never seen her before! The same is true with Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding who performed at the same concert and were also mostly unknown. I could go on and on but I'll stop now. You will read much of the same in other comments. Thanks for reacting to this song! Love ya forever Janis!

[@BokFrak]

She was a broken soul, to say the least. And she left Texas where she grew up and was rejected by her peers and headed to Frisco to find her way. And when she made it and was a true rockstar she gathered her strength and headed back down to her hometown of Port Arthur, Texas, to attend her high school reunion. She went to show them all that she got the last laugh at her tormentors, but it kinda backfired on her and she left even more miserable than when she arrived. The way she was flamboyantly dressed didn't go well with her Texan peers and she couldn't take the rejection, yet again, from those that she had desperately yearned for acceptance, approval and even admiration. She escaped back to Frisco and very soon after she was found in L.A. dead of an overdose. She was instinctual and like Stevie Ray Vaughan with the guitar had that 'groove' flow that so little possess. You might wanna take a listen to Ray LaMontagne. His performance in England was unbelievable. His "Shelter" performance was a highlight and "Empty", as well.

[@pault1964]

I was going to say the same,a lot of legendary acts,

[@kenbaker9738]

Great info, thanks.

[@nicola4877]

She is the definition of blues

[@douglassnyder214]

There is no other singer who affects me like Janis. When she sings the blues, it sounds so authentic, like it's from a wounded place deep in her soul. I always find myself wishing I could have given her a hug and told her it would be alright.

[@nicolehand]

Decades of listening to her music but she still gives me full-body chills & brings me to chills. I’m so excited for you to take this Janis journey!! I wish more younger people were aware of her immense talent.

[@Falstaff-mr8fk]

It always surprises me how none of these musical performance reaction channels ever recognize the "WOW" woman, Mama Cass Elliot of The Mamas And Papas, who was considered to have one of the best voices of her generation before, like Janis, she died way to early.

[@kamaliancirranoush1916]

Right?! They were a vocal group first and foremost. I always thought they were widely known to “real musicians”….

[@birrextio6544]

I had this record when it was released and when playing it my old mother (only 45 but old to me :) came in to my room and just sat there listening. Then she said "I love her", nothing more.

[@mayflowerlash11]

If you watch a longer clip of this performance, up to when Janis leaves the stage, you will see that she almost skips of the stage with a smile. Despite emoting all though the song, she is pleased with the audience reaction (they just went nuts). She was brilliant.

[@michaelmcknight8419]

You are right! She clicks her heels

[@T-bone1950]

Yes, and she did that because she knew that she had just given one of the most noteworthy performances of her young life and career.

[@mayflowerlash11]

@@T-bone1950 Totally agree.

[@muskratflats]

I've seen this performance before. What gets me every time is how blown away Mama Cass is as she bears witness to this amazing performance.

[@AnthonyAmorteguy]

I am so glad you mentioned Mama Cass. It wasn't mentioned during the video as to who that was saying "wow" at the end. It adds a lot more impact to that little cut-away because Mama Cass was such a phenomenal singer in her own right, and she was blown away by Janis.

[@macleadg]

I’ve listened to this 1000 times, but just got goosebumps… again.

[@melanieshelby476]

I like the line " it feels sooo personal" gosh doesn't it though... truly soooo Epic! I'm loving this reaction!!!!!!!

[@BryanAlaspa]

Janis took all of the years of hurt and pain she had growing up, and then erupted like a volcano with it when she performed. The emotion so strong it knocks you over even on film and this many years later.

[@Gunpaw1958]

Please do more Joplin!! So much diversity in her songs. As always I would love to hear your reaction to her other songs. Thank you!

[@tompava3923]

The passion, the heart, the pain so clear on her face. It is all of that previous and ongoing damage in her life that she spills out so plainly and honestly in her performance. It is that purity of communication between her and her audience that made her the icon she is.❤😮😢 It is what makes an old man like me fall to tears throughout her performances. I still remember the passing of this angel, all too soon for the army of those who loved her. Peace to you, Janice. May you live forever in the hearts and minds of this world! ✌️😎

[@Ittakesavillagetothrive]

You need to hear Janis sing "Me and Bobby Mcgee", very cool!

[@metalmamasue3680]

I freaking love that song and I'm 100% a metal head. 😅

[@iambecomepaul]

The miraculous thing about this woman is: once she approaches a microphone and performs, no human can be indifferent. You may love it… you may hate it… but you cannot deny it. Janis was confrontational. You had to deal. She was dangerous… and unsafe…and undeniable. Stop and consider what other artists in the last 70 years you could say the same thing about. A dangerous artist. God love her.

[@stevenmeyer9674]

And she was also very insecure and jealous of other performers who had the misfortune of grabbing the spotlight from her if they performed on the same bill. Like how she had Linda Tillery barred from performing on any bill that Janis was the headliner.

[@iambecomepaul]

@@stevenmeyer9674 yes. She was a troubled person in many ways.

[@JamesHall-hr4zl]

​@@iambecomepaulnormal people rarely make great art.

[@michaelbeelby1995]

'Dangerous' is perfect. I wanted to say 'feral' but that sounds a bit disrespectful (even if I mean it with nothing but respect).

[@jeffmalloy8200]

​@@michaelbeelby1995actually I think feral is another good descriptive for Janis.

[@matthewgoodA1206]

It’s always pretty special when someone hears Janis unleash her wildly raspy voice for the first time. I don’t think anyone ever has any idea it’s gonna come out like that. Then she goes all-out and goes so intensely into it, but always in her own signature way. I think she had that much creative, vocal and performance ability all bottled up inside. Then she got onstage, or into a studio, and she could awesomely cut loose.

[@andrewspam]

Monterey Pop Festival was organized by Momma Cass and was the introduction of, not only Janis, but also Jimi Hendrix. There was A LOT of acid going down. This was Janis' second performance of the song. The video crew didn't record it the first time because she was thought to be a minor performer and she was asked to do it again.

[@dianegatchell4315]

Love that the video panned to Cass and her amazed expression 😊

[@dacramac3487]

It was her manager that told them not to film it. She was so upset that they let her perform the next day.

[@robertsmathers7959]

You love her from a technical POV. Those of us who were there through her too short life loved her from a purely emotional POV. The gift of sight was not required to SEE her beauty. All we needed was ears and a heart.

[@ericnorteman5341]

The pearl. Her singing was always coloring outside of the lines. You feel her voice, the pain, happiness, the anger. Its all there. True she doesn’t hit clean notes but she is full energy

[@kirstenhemmer988]

It is not her aim to hit clean notes which she surely could if she w anted to.

[@jeffreyflint6286]

Elizabeth!!!! You've made my day! This is my favourite female artist all time. My first crush as a young man. Her voice blew me away way back when. Still does today! Thank you for doing this.❤👍👍🤟🤟 RIP Janis my love.

[@cliffirddelbridge2810]

She is the heart of what the '60s were. Lots of pain and anger. She was in the first generation to let that realness out.

[@zivanajadresic8604]

You put your finger on it!

[@peterjohnson9291]

No she wasn't. Jesus.

[@MrAugustoLobo]

Mama Cas' reaction - who was watching Janis' performance... is the best summary of what Janis Joplin's live performance represents as a true artist. 😜🤷😉✌️🎶💃💃💃

[@misspowers]

Janis is one of the only artists who can make me sob. Truly. I don’t know why or what it is. She hits me in such a guttural way. Talk about being moved lol how lucky the world was to have her! 🖤

[@swesttttt]

If you’re like me, it’s because you know she absolutely wasn’t “performing” in the way of an entertainer… she was feeling every bit of that agony and putting it on naked display.

[@Sonny_Eclipse]

This performance was recorded at the 1967 Monterey pop festival. It’s their second performance, because the band refused to allow the first performance to be filmed, but after some convincing, they performed a second time, This was really the coming out of Janice Joplin. I enjoy watching young people listen to the music that I grew up with for the first time. The Monterey pop festival was put on by the Mamas and the Papas, that’s why the close-up of mama Cass, in association with Lou Atler who was their record producer. I do believe you can find the entire Monterey pop festival on KZbin somewhere.

[@barence321]

That performance brought tears to my eyes. I think the are probably some singers with great range and finely tuned technique. Then there's Janis Joplin. She didn't just sing the song, she lived it, right out there for everyone to see. Simply amazing!

[@LostMyMojo100]

Perfect comment!!! 👍

[@Sleuth_Squad]

❤️👍

[@maudessen573]

Everyone in the east coast music scene had heard of this magnificent singer from the west coast. This was the performance that introduced them to Janis Joplin for the first time. So it was a very significant breakthrough performance for Janis and the band. They put everything into it.

[@jlaufangyt]

If you get a chance listen to her rendition of "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess. I truly believe, had she survived, she'd be the greatest blues singer of all time!!

[@jackn4853]

Incredible the way the band followed her vocals and allowed her to express herself. True talented musicians.

[@jamesdenecochea5709]

Big Brother and the Holding Company: Sam Andrew(RIP) & James Gurley(RIP) on guitars, Peter Alvin on bass & Dave Getz on drums. You should have had the opportunity to see them "live"!

[@JeffryGonzalezHt]

I feel like you are therapy for all the times I've shared a favorite, meaningful song with a friend and they just don't get it, they talk over it, and you feel crushed. So much fun. Thank you!

[@sallahgypsy1590]

People who do not listen are not in tuned with their environment. Thay are only in tuned with their self. Take note of that friend. File it as that person in your mind of what to expect of that person.

[@humanure0]

this is so real. it’s why i just keep stuff to myself now unless someone asks

[@dogpatch8266]

still gives me the chills.

[@jamessweet5341]

The Kozmic Blues album is a great accomplishment and great music. I had the pleasure of seeing Janis live in concert twice and there wasn't a dry eye in the house on this one. Watching you as Janis really lights into this song is a pure joy. THATS HOW THIS WAS. For all of us.

[@dalecash2236]

There are times in life so emotionally charged, you choke on the emotions. Janice is the ONLY singer I've ever heard who could capture that in a song. Absolutely amazing!

[@livinginparallel]

You should check out Lola Young, "What is it About Me?" 🫶

[@georgesheffield1580]

I've heard a number of Blues men and women who also sang like this .

[@7of9RebelHarborth]

❤Janis was amazing. She put her whole self into her performances as you can well see here. She had no idea how much people loved her. Gone way too early! Thanks for reacting to this.

[@janicekelly6667]

You REALLY need to check summertime by her🎉❤

[@samiam74]

I have listened to Janis since I understood what music was and I am close to being half a century old. I never tire of witnessing someone experience her music for the first time. She was a force of nature.

[@hiredgun05]

I'm almost 61, and I agree completely. It's often a special experience when we get to witness someone new getting their first experience with our music.

[@marenehanson5526]

71 here. Saw her once. 2 hours late and nobody cared❤❤

[@samiam74]

@@marenehanson5526 sounds about right. I was 4 years too late to see her live, but I can still appreciate a power talent like her. I always thought it seemed like she was almost posessed by the spirit of an old blues singer. Her intense passion showed and could be felt by those who value good music.

[@RobertERensch]

Janis was amazing. This performance got her national attention, but her singing evolved as she went. I would suggest “Cry Baby”, or especially “Work Me Lord” as indications of where she could have gone. ✌️

[@Paulxs420]

"Summertime" Elizabeth would freak out on that one also.

[@sirsancti5504]

Man.. "Summertime".. Aaaawww (exhales in awe)

[@Mr.Nubtastic]

@@Paulxs420 yesssss. Summertime is the first one I would've had Elizabeth listen to. I really really REALLY hope she does at some point :)

[@TheDivayenta]

Her Summertime is phenomenal

[@kathelenecriswell749]

@charismatic voice The lady that had the awed face in the audience was the great Mama Cass. Please listen to Summertime, my favorite. I love everything about Janis & still cry for her painful life. I love her.

[@peterblack3665]

This is the most emotional live performances I have ever seen. The fact I lived in her lifetime is a time stamp of stunning music.

[@philburns5656]

One of the most CHARISMATIC performances the world has ever seen and heard. Her combination of long phrase thinking and short term phrase changing styles is second to NONE. Total genius.

[@happymethehappyone8300]

Janis was a rare,, once in a lifetime musical comet that blazed a trail across our sky & you were incredibly fortunate if you had the chance to witness it..R.I.P. Janis 🙏❤️

[@ryverwynd]

I'm so incredibly lucky that as a small child in the late 70's/early 80's, my dad (RIP....yes, Dad, I know you're watching this vid with me and smiling!!), introduced me to Janis (via vinyl....and 8-track that we listened to while driving)! Thank you Dad!!

[@louisbonilla6780]

I was 14 when my Dad took me to NYC to see "Monterey Pop" where this clip comes from and was amazed how many new groups performed at the Festival - Janis especially took me by surprise - her performance seared my heart and brought me to tears and it still happens - that voice was the sound of a broken heart - so glad you were impressed by her vocal range and don't forget Big Brother released their first LP in 1966 WAY BEFORE Led Zeppelin and Judas Priest - she died shooting what they call "Chinese Rocks" which is pure un-cut and fatal heroin in her hotel room during the time she was recording her final LP "PEARL" (1971) with the Full-Tilt Boogie Band - there are many video documentaries and they are all worth watching!❤

[@andreahughes1500]

The first time I heard Janis sing, I got goosebumps. Her music is drenched in emotion. Absolutely amazing talent

[@liliamaramello3008]

The same here. I was like 14. I am 63 and I still remember how I felt. I was this exact song, this exact Monterey version. I was "taken" - by surprise, by emotion. Next day I went to a store to by my first JJ record. She still is my favorite singer - her sincere, from the womb woman's singing still says and means so much to me. It is so vital, só significant. It talks about women before feminism and womanism ever happened. Love Janis - the person she was and her singing.

[@dmoore0079]

She absolutely killed that performance. This was from the Monterey Pop Festival (June 1967), which was well before my time, but I saw the film on VH1 in 1997 (30th anniversary of the festival) and Janis' performance gave me chills. Never seen that level of raw emotion from anyone else.

[@evilfantasy69]

At 18:18 that's Mama Cass in the audience with her mouth hanging open in admiration and awe.

[@slcs369]

Please MORE Janis Joplin- every precious few live performances are worth hearing and seeing. There is only one Janis and she will leave you flabbergasted every time. A truly beautiful person who could make the coldest person feel a thousand emotions through her voice.

[@sadrak-px8wq]

I just LOVE your excitement and beaming joy when listening to / analysing voices! That joy is contagious! It makes me appreciate nuances in singing that I would never have noticed on my own.

[@KasSommers]

I can't wait for this. Janis Joplin's voice is unique and her energy is incredible. She didn't care what she looked like while she sang, as long as she got the sounds out.

[@daniellewinkelspecht8356]

Janis was not only an incredibly talented performer, but she is one of the very rare polyphonics out there. If you listen to her song Cry Baby, its very pronounced in the opening of that one.

[@QueuePea]

Yes. It's amazing to hear the overtones and undertones in her singing. It sounds like she's using her chest voice and head voice simultaneously.

[@adc19671]

When you hear Janis, you hear her soul. I've heard this a million times and it still gives me goose bumps. Check out some Mama's and Papa's too, the "wow" lady in the crowd was Cass Elliott, one of their singers. Unfortunately, she passed way before her time too 😞

[@ronaran8420]

Shivers and goose bumps on and on! So much heart and soul and gut-wrenching electricity sent to us by that genius performer!!!

[@jamescrane9218]

I absolutely love your reactions, you have a truly respectful way of doing it and with unbridled enthusiasm. Janis is the pinnacle of female blues rock voices, its beautiful and painful and stands alone.

[@jesse-blueforrest2953]

This was her first live concert, no one there new who she was… she blew everybody’s mind. Her stardom shot off on that day!

[@AnnikaBernfeld]

I saw her 3X up close. Now, I cry when I hear her perform.....I never realized how amazing she was in 1967;

[@TheAgeOfAnalog]

Perhaps the greatest live vocal on KZbin. Mama Cass’ reaction is everything.

[@robertmccoll3569]

Her vocals and raw emotion is brilliant. So lonely. Her music touches that lonely p,ace in all of us. She wanted, wanted acceptance, love. But like many of us sought it in the wrong places. Leading to further loneliness and great emotional vocals but also a sad short life.. breaks my heart. She deserved so much more in life. So many artists never find love and overdosing or suicide is the result.

[@metalmamasue3680]

Yes I think you're absolutely right. It's sad. Everyone needs someone to care about them ❤