The performance that explains Janis Joplin’s genius: “I’ve got to feel it”
“I have to have the ‘umph.’ I’ve got to feel it, because if it’s not getting through to me, the audience sure as hell aren’t going to feel it either.” — Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin is undoubtedly a musical powerhouse for the ages. For many fans, though, she remains a distant figurehead of music, one that is so rarely talked about and mused upon in the present day, unlike acts like The Doors or The Grateful Dead.
Considering her impact, over the course of a few short years, it is dumbfounding that she is not more thoroughly heralded as perhaps one of the defining performers of the 20th century, if not at least her generation. Joplin provided something that, at least in the rock world, had never been delivered before. She had guile and alent, but she coupled this with a passion saved only for the ferocious growl of a tiger in waiting.
It is perhaps obvious that her lack of placement among the greatest acts of the 1960s was her comparatively small offering of songs and the preference for singer-songwriters over performers. However, if there was one sure-fire way to understand why every muso worth their weight in musical notes loves Joplin, it is to watch this incredible live performance of the classic ‘Cry Baby’.
The track was originally performed by Garnett Mims and The Enchanters, but only found notoriety when Joplin picked up the mic and added her own capsizing lungs to the track’s proceedings. The track is a stone-cold classic and deserves its spot among the very best ever created in the presence of a recording studio.
Recorded by Joplin for her solo record Pearl, the singer would sadly pass away before the single was released in 1971, when it was backed by the B-Side ‘Mercedes Benz’. It remains today as one of the most powerful performances Joplin has ever given.
“So what?” We hear you ask. Well, the difference between Janis Joplin and pretty much every other singer since was that, above all else, she saw herself as a vocal artist, a sonic performer, an actor of music. Joplin was not at the front of the stage for glory or the gold, she put herself under that spotlight so she could use her vocal brush strokes to paint a raw, emotive and impassioned picture of expression. Looking back, there’s truly no better canvas for Joplin than a song like ‘Cry Baby’.
‘Cry Baby’ hangs on Joplin’s delivery. It’s a performance which is perfectly encapsulated in the song’s first fledgling moments, even more beautifully shown in the video below. As the opening notes kick out, Joplin’s wail sounds guttural yet gilded.
The scene in Toronto is dark and vulnerable, and soon Joplin’s eagle-like vocal comes screeching from the mountains, dutifully lit by the spotlight, as the singer goes about delivering a sensational performance. It is a reminder of just how potent a singer can be. Like so many generations before her, Joplin takes on a sirenic role as she beckons the heavens with her humanity.
It’s the beginning of a quite triumphant rendition of the track, which not only sees Joplin ad-lib notes on the world around her, both near and far, but also switches from Janis’ wonderful sense of humour to her expression of lost-love pain in a swift and succinct instant, always feeling utterly unique and authentic.
Authenticity is perhaps an artist’s greatest talent. To truly connect and interpret a song, especially a song written by someone else, is a special thing indeed. It’s the kind of moments that remind us why art is so intrinsic to human existence. With it, we feel understood and heard, and while Joplin belts notes in this dark and beautiful performance, we can be sure she did better than most.
As Joplin continues to find the humour and the pain in every moment of the song, it becomes truly apparent that there truly will never be another performer quite like Janis Joplin.
Watch below as Janis Joplin delivers a mesmeric performance of ‘Cry Baby’ in Toronto, 1970.
