Janis Joplin – Piece Of My Heart ….Under The Covers Tuesday

Erma Franklin, Aretha’s sister, was the first to record this song. She did a fantastic job and Janis Joplin came later and did what is probably the definitive version of it.

Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns wrote this song. Aretha Franklin’s younger sister Erma sang the original version and put it on the R&B charts in 1967. It peaked at #63 on the Billboard 100, #10 on the Billboard R&B Charts, #3 on the Canada Adult Contemporary Charts, and #9 in the UK in 1967.

Big Brother and the Holding Company covered it and it peaked at #12 on the Billboard 100 and #9 in Canada a year later in 1968. For Erma Franklin, it was her biggest hit. She went on to sing backup on some of Aretha’s songs and ran a childcare agency called Boysville. Erma died of cancer in 2002 at age 64.

I like Erma’s version of it. It’s a very soulful version of the song. I’m surprised it didn’t do better on the charts. I have to wonder if Aretha would have covered it first…would it have been more of a hit since she was so popular and had more of a presence on the charts?

A great song by one of my favorite artists…Janis Joplin. I could listen to her sing the phone book and be happy….but some songs I really like are…Down On Me, Summertime, Piece of My Heart, Ball and Chain, Try (Just a little bit Harder), Maybe, Little Girl Blue, Cry Baby, Me and Bobby McGee, Mercedes Benz, and anything live she did with either band…She could sing the blues and she lived them…

I covered this song back around 5 years ago but I wanted to get this in for a Tuesday cover.

Piece Of My Heart

Didn’t I make you feel
Like you were the only man?
Didn’t I give you everything that a woman possibly can?
(Ohhhh ohhh ohhhhh)

But with all the love I give you
It’s never enough
But I’m gonna show you, baby
That a woman can be tough
So come on
Come on
Come on
Come on
And
Take another little piece of my heart now, baby
(Break it!)
Break another little bit of my heart now, honey
(Have a)
Have another little piece of my heart now, baby
(You know you got it if it makes you feel good)

You’re out on the streets (looking good)
And you know deep down in your heart that it ain’t right
And ohhhhh you never never hear me when I cry at night
Ohhhhhhhh

I tell myself
That I can’t stand the pain
But when you hold me in your arms
I’ll say it again
So come on
Come on
Come on
Come on

And take it
Take another little piece of my heart now, baby
Heyyyy!
(Break it!)
Break another little bit of my heart now, baby
You can
(Have a)
Have another little piece of my heart now, baby
(You know you got it if it makes you feel good)

Hey heyyyyy!
Take another little piece of my heart now, baby
Ohhhh
(Break it!)
Break another little bit of my heart now, honey
Heyyyyyy!
(Have a)
Have another little piece of my heart now, baby
Come on
(Take it!)
Take another little piece of my heart now, baby

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball fan, old movie and tv show fan... and a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

48 thoughts on “Janis Joplin – Piece Of My Heart ….Under The Covers Tuesday”

  2. I think I knew Aretha’s sister had done it, but I had forgotten. As you suggest, if Aretha had , with her voice & name, it might have been a big hit. But whether or not it would be better than Janis’, who’s to say?

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Well it would have been completely different versions for sure (like it ended up being)…but it probably would have gotten a bit more push I think…because of who she was.

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      1. definitely. Janis was still fairly unknown at the time. Aretha, I suspect would have made it sound similar to ‘Respect’…not like an exact template obviously, but that kind of voice and strength.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Yea she would have put more ophmmm in it…I erased it but this is the song that has the worse cover ever…Faith Hill…to me anyway…but I didn’t want to be negative.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. I don’t want to put a downer on all the love for Janis. Amazing artist! I listened to her a lot in my 20’s and her voice empowered me. Since then, I haven’t really been enticed to revisit her music. To me, it hasn’t really aged well, and I understand that is a very subjective opinion. I just don’t want to hear her music again. I prefer Erma Franklin’s version.

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    1. Thats alright! Something about her voice for me…just rings true. I like the passion behind it instead of just another pretty voice.

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      1. Yes, she has passion in abundance in her voice, but I find it’s a bit overdone. Like yeh, I get it and how it possibly reflected the alt voice of feminism at that time. That’s great – all power to you.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Hi Max, long time no see! Even though Erma Franklin does a great soulful version, this will always be Janis’ song for me. Her heavy, raspy voice pushes the song to another level.

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  8. I really like the Big Brother version- yes, I know the band has been dissed since it came out but the skewy screwy full-bore backing vocals really help shove the song along and help highlight Janice’s vocals. And thanks Max, for nothing; I just watched/listened to Faith Hills countryfied version. Ouch. My eyes and ears- they hurt, they burn!

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    1. I like Big Brother also…I’m glad she was the lead singer for them…and yea the background vocals help.

      LOL…I think…that is absolutely the worse cover version of any song. Obbverse I had a paragraph on that version alone…but I tried to be positive.

      The story goes that she never heard the Joplin version and her producer would not let her hear it. I’ve read where she regrets it….and rerecorded it later with a little more…uh passion…it still doesn’t cut it though. They WILL burn.

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  11. This is among my all-time favorites by Janis Joplin. Her intensity is just through the roof – holy cow, what an incredible vocalist she was! I mean, you’re right, Max, she could have sung the phone book, and it still would have sounded awesome!

    I had never heard Erma Franklin’s rendition. At first, it almost sounded a bit timid, but I increasingly liked it went on – it’s a bit more soulful than Janis’ forceful rendition.

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    1. Oh Erma’s is great…but Janis is Janis…it’s hard to beat her version. Every bit of her soul was in every song she did.

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      2. Yes they are…but I lean toward Janis…I have to wonder though. What if Aretha would have done it? I bet Janis wouldn’t have covered it. She really respected Aretha a lot.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Interesting thought. In this case, I would selfishly say I’m glad Aretha didn’t cover it – something I think I’ve never said when it comes to Aretha covering a song! But we possibly would have missed out on Janis’ great rendition.

        Liked by 1 person

  12. Really like Erma’s version also. Maybe it’s because I heard Janis’ cover first that Erma’s original seems a little slow on the tempo. I had no idea Janis’ was a cover.

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    1. Thats what I try to go for… that you had no idea it was a cover. I like Erma’s also…The one that shocked me the most was Jet Airliner…I would have bet it was written by Miller.

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  13. I can only take Joplin in small amounts. I know she was a very nice person by all accounts.

    Erma’s is so cool and smooth. I like it. And, I will have to be the odd one in the group (story of my life) but, Faith Hill’s is not bad (she IS country) and her later versions (particularly live) are damn good.

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    1. Oh Vic…it’s terrible…she was even embarrased by it later lol…she recut it and it was better anyway…no soul, no life, no nothing in it. Tanya Tucker…that would have been interesting.

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      2. Well they might…she didn’t. My cousin Randy knows her and McGraw. I told him I would kick her in the knee if I ever met her lol…for doing that to that song.
        After she heard the Joplin version she knew…shit.

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      4. No there was no considering lol…a kick in the knee and she is getting off lucky lol.

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      6. I get serious when it comes to this…if you are going to represent a classic song…do it right. I blame the producer…if she would have put some uphmmm to it…it would have been better…it was so cheesy light.

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      7. This leads me to Fleetwood Mac’s Legacy Tribute album of Rumours. A lot of the performers made changes to the songs. Christine’s song You Make Lovin’ Fun was sung by Jewel. She made it her own and I think it is good. Have you heard it or any of the other bands?

        Liked by 1 person

      8. No I haven’t heard any of them…I look some of them up…I do like Jewel…she is a good writer…and yea for a man…and some women I guess…she is a cutie…I’ll stop there lol… Ray Charles covered a lot Beatle songs and made them his own…but they didn’t sound wimpy, weak, and cheesy….no kick in the knee for Ray lol.

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    1. Me also…it wasn’t in my index or archive. It should have been the first one I did.
      I am going to do one over again coming up….Carnes.

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  16. Pingback: Janis Joplin – Piece Of My Heart ….Under The Covers Tuesday – MobsterTiger

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