Pearl (Janis Joplin album)
Pearl | ||||
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Studio album by Janis Joplin and the Full Tilt Boogie Band | ||||
Released | January 11, 1971 | |||
Recorded | July 27 – October 4, 1970 | |||
Studio | Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 34:09 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | Paul A. Rothchild | |||
Janis Joplin and the Full Tilt Boogie Band chronology | ||||
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Singles from Pearl | ||||
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Pearl is the second and final solo album (and fourth album overall) by
Content
The album has a more polished feel than the albums she recorded with Big Brother and the Holding Company and the Kozmic Blues Band due to the expertise of producer Paul A. Rothchild and her new backing musicians. Rothchild was best-known as the recording studio producer of The Doors, and worked well with Joplin, calling her a producer's dream. Together they were able to craft an album that showcased her extraordinary vocal talents. They used Sunset Sound Recorders in Los Angeles.
The Full Tilt Boogie Band were the musicians who accompanied her on the Festival Express, a concert tour by train of Canada, in the summer of 1970. Many of the songs on this album were recorded on the concert stage in Canada two months before Joplin and the band started their Los Angeles recording sessions. The band also appeared twice on The Dick Cavett Show. They also played many American cities, both before and after Festival Express, although no recordings of those concerts have been officially released.
All nine tracks that she sings on were personally approved and arranged by Joplin. Pearl features the #1 hit "
Joplin sang on all tracks except "Buried Alive in the Blues", which was actually a backing track in which she had not yet recorded vocals. The song's writer Nick Gravenites was offered the opportunity to sing it as a tribute to Joplin, but he turned it down, so the song ended up as an instrumental. He later sang the song with Joplin’s former band Big Brother and the Holding Company for their 1971 album How Hard It Is. The recording sessions, starting in early September, ended with Joplin's untimely death on October 4, 1970. Her final session, which took place on Thursday, October 1 after a break of several days, yielded her a cappella "Mercedes Benz." It was the last song she recorded before her death.[2] The album cover, photographed by Barry Feinstein in Los Angeles,[3][4] shows Joplin reclining on her Victorian era loveseat with a drink in her hand.[5]
Release and reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [6] |
Rolling Stone | (favorable) [7] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
The Village Voice | A−[9] |
In 2003, the album was ranked number 122 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,[10] moving to 125 in a 2012 revised listing.[11] It was moved to a 259 ranking in the 2020 list. In 2010, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[12]
Reissues
In 1993 Columbia reissued the album on
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Move Over" | Janis Joplin | 3:39 |
2. | "Cry Baby" | Jerry Ragovoy, Bert Berns | 3:55 |
3. | "A Woman Left Lonely" | Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham | 3:27 |
4. | "Half Moon" | John Hall, Johanna Hall | 3:51 |
5. | "Buried Alive in the Blues" | Nick Gravenites | 2:24 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "My Baby" | Jerry Ragovoy, Mort Shuman | 3:44 |
2. | "Me and Bobby McGee" | Kris Kristofferson, Fred Foster | 4:28 |
3. | "Mercedes Benz" | Janis Joplin, Bob Neuwirth, Michael McClure | 1:46 |
4. | "Trust Me" | Bobby Womack | 3:15 |
5. | "Get It While You Can" | Jerry Ragovoy, Mort Shuman (Howard Tate 1966 rendition) | 3:23 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | " Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" (Festival Express Tour, July 4, 1970) | Jerry Ragovoy, Chip Taylor | 6:52 |
14. | "Cry Baby" (Festival Express Tour, July 4, 1970) | Jerry Ragovoy, Bert Berns | 6:29 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "Happy Birthday, John (Happy Trails)" | Dale Evans | 1:12 |
12. | "Me and Bobby McGee" (demo version) | Kristofferson, Foster | 4:46 |
13. | "Move Over" (alternate version) | Joplin | 4:27 |
14. | "Cry Baby" (alternate version) | Ragovoy, Berns | 4:59 |
15. | "My Baby" (alternate version) | Ragovoy, Shuman | 3:59 |
16. | "Pearl" (instrumental) | Full Tilt Boogie Band | 4:29 |
Willie Mae Thornton | 8:15 |
Personnel
Full Tilt Boogie Band
- Janis Joplin – vocals, acoustic guitar on "Me and Bobby McGee"
- Richard Bell – piano
- Ken Pearson – Hammond organ
- John Till – electric guitar
- Brad Campbell – bass guitar
- Clark Pierson – drums
Additional personnel
- Bobby Womack – acoustic guitar on "Trust Me"
- Bobbye Hall – bongos, congas,
- Phil Badella, John Cooke, Vince Mitchell – backing vocals
- Sandra Crouch – tambourine
Technical
- Paul A. Rothchild – producer
- Phil Macy – engineer
- Vic Anesini – mastering for 1999 reissue, 2005 Legacy edition and The Pearl Sessions 2012 edition
- Barry Feinstein, Tom Wilkes – photography & design for Camouflage Productions
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[30] | 4× Platinum | 400,000^ |
Japan (RIAJ)[31] 1990 release |
Gold | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[32] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[1] | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ a b "American album certifications – Janis Joplin – Pearl". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ The Story Behind Janis Joplin’s ‘Mercedes Benz’, WS Journal, 7/10/2015
- ^ McClellan, Dennis (October 21, 2011). "Barry Feinstein dies at 80; rock music photographer". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Los Angeles Times obituary for Barry Feinstein says he photographed Pearl album cover
- ^ Gartner, Paul (7 July 2005). "Janis Joplin: "Pearl"". New Sounds. thegazz.com. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008.
- AllMusic. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
- ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
- ^ "Janis Joplin: Album Guide". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1970). "Consumer Guide (16)". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. p. 122 | Pearl - Janis Joplin. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
- ^ https://www.grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award#p
- ^ Pearl (Booklet). Janis Joplin. Columbia (CK 53441). 1993.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Pearl (Booklet). Janis Joplin. Columbia (CK 65786). 1999.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Pearl (Media notes). Janis Joplin. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL 2-454). 2016.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Pearl (Booklet). Janis Joplin. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (UDSACD 2173). 2016.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5201". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ "Lista prodaje 12. tjedan 2024" (in Croatian). HDU. 11 March 2024. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Janis Joplin – Pearl" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Janis Joplin – Pearl". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Janis Joplin – Pearl". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Janis Joplin – Pearl". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ "Janis Joplin Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1971" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- GfK Entertainment Charts. 1971. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
- ^ "Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Janis Joplin – Pearl". Music Canada.
- ^ "Japanese album certifications – Janis Joplin – Pearl" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved June 7, 2020. Select 1995年10月 on the drop-down menu
- ^ "British album certifications – Janis Joplin – Pearl". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 February 2019.