JANIS JOPLIN – The Late Great Voice Had Her ‘PEARL’ Album Out 55 Years Ago Today
Significant longplayers from the past
11 January 2026
The late great voice and charismatic performer JANIS JOPLIN
(January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) had her second and final
solo LP, named PEARL, out on 11 January 1971, today 55 years ago,
3 months after she passed away following a drug overdose.
The LP went to No. 1 in the US and #20 in the UK.
Pearl features the number one hit ‘Me and Bobby McGee’, written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster (Joplin played acoustic guitar on this track); ‘Trust Me’ by Bobby Womack, Howard Tate wrote ‘Get It While You Can’. ‘Move Over‘ and ‘Mercedes Benz‘, the latter co-written by Joplin, Bobby Neuwirth, and Michael McClure.
Rolling Stone: “Pearl is a good record and Janis is often magnificent. The voice cut off was clearly in its prime. I suspect that some of the tracks are not in their final shape, but these are not scraps, and there is every indication that Janis was working toward a new maturity and confidence.”
Janis Joplin: “I’m one of those regular weird people.”
TUTV: That voice! A pearl of a record! Janis 4ever!
– SINGLE –
– ALBUM –
