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I was late and in a real big hurry to get my BOTB posted on May 1, so I didn't give you any information or background on the song or artists. Today, I'm still pretty late getting this 'Results' post up, but I'm gonna take my time and give you some history.
First, the song itself:
"Me and Bobby McGee" is a song written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, originally performed by Roger Miller. Others performed the song later, including the Grateful Dead, Kristofferson himself,[1] and Janis Joplin who topped the U.S. singles chart with the song in 1971 after her death, making the song the second posthumous number-one single in U.S. chart history after "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding. Billboard ranked Joplin's version as the No. 11 song for 1971.[2]
History
In the original version of the song, Bobby is a woman. Joplin, who was allegedly a lover (but also a good friend and mentor) of Kristofferson's from the beginning of her career to her death, changed the sex and a few of the lyrics in her cover. Kristofferson stated he did not write this song for her, but the song is associated with her, especially in the line "Somewhere near Salinas, Lord, I let her slip away."[3]In a conversation with director Monte Hellman called "Somewhere Near Salinas" (available in the supplements to the Criterion Collection DVD release of Two-Lane Blacktop, a film in which Kristofferson's version is used on the soundtrack), Kristofferson stated that the film La Strada was an inspiration for the song and remarked on the irony of how a song inspired by a classic road movie should come to be used in another.
The title came from [producer and Monument Records founder] Fred Foster. He called one night and said, "I've got a song title for you. It's 'Me and Bobby McKee'." I thought he said "McGee". Bobby McKee was the secretary of Boudleaux Bryant, who was in the same building with Fred. Then Fred says, "The hook is that Bobby McKee is a she. How does that grab you?" (Laughs) I said, "Uh, I'll try to write it, but I've never written a song on assignment." So it took me a while to think about.[1] - Kris KristoffersonThe original song is essentially a road story about two drifters, the narrator and his girlfriend Bobby McGee (boyfriend in Joplin's version). He speaks about thumbing a diesel truck and singing with the driver all the way. The couple travels to California, as they grow more intimate and help each other through the hardships of life, but by the final verse, Bobby gets tired of the road life and decides to settle down.
She parts ways with the narrator who still continues his lifestyle, though he may never be happy again without her, as he would trade his life just to be with her again for just one day.
Recordings and notable performances
| "Me and Bobby McGee" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Janis Joplin | |
| from the album Pearl | |
| B-side | "Half Moon" |
| Released | January 11, 1971 |
| Recorded | September 5 - October 1, 1970 |
| Genre | Blues rock, country rock |
| Length | 4:33 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Writer(s) | Kris Kristofferson, Fred Foster |
| Producer(s) | Paul A. Rothchild |
Roger Miller was the first artist to have a hit with the song, peaking with it at No. 12 on the US country chart in 1969.
Gordon Lightfoot's version hit No. 13 on the pop chart and No. 1 country in his native Canada in 1970, and was also a top 10 hit in South Africa in 1971. Lightfoot sang the song after a detailed tribute to Kris Kristofferson in a CBC broadcast from the summer 1969 Charlottetown Festival.
In a 2008 autobiography, Don Reid and Harold Reid of the Statler Brothers say Kristofferson promised it to them, but when they later inquired about recording it, they learned Miller had already cut the song. The Reids say there were no hard feelings, and were happy about Miller's success with the song. The song was later included on a Statler Brothers album, and was not released as a single.
Joplin also covered the song for inclusion on her Pearl album only a few days before her death in October 1970. Kristofferson had sung the song for her, and singer Bob Neuwirth taught it to her. Kristofferson did not know she had covered it until after her death. The first time he heard her recording of it was the day after she died.[4]
Joplin's version topped the charts to become her only number one single and in 2004, her version of this song was ranked No. 148 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. She also had heard Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead's accelerated ending and liked it so much she added her much more energetic "rap" to the end of the song. The Dead regularly covered the song between 1971 and 1974.
Kristofferson performed the song live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 and a CD and DVD of the event were issued 30 years later as Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival 1970.
The Joplin version was used prominently in the epilogue of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's epic film of Berlin Alexanderplatz.
I knew Kristofferson (Sorry Kris, I been misspelling yer name.) is credited with writing the song (I admit, I never head of Fred Foster. Hope he got the royalties.) But I had no idea how it came to be (an assignment, that's exciting, NOT) or that Roger Miller was the first to record it. I knew it was on the concert play list of the Grateful Dead, and even heard them preform it live at Red rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. Janis's version is probably the most 'famous', but I didn't know until this BOTB that it was her only number one hit.
'Me & Bobby McGee' has been covered by numerous artists. I had an old boyfriend who was partial to Jerry Jeff Walker and I've listened to his recording of it many, Many, MANY times. I'm not sure where or when I first heard the cover by Waylon, but I do know that when I heard it, I was reminded of Kristoffersons recording; only a whole lot better. (I always kinda liked ole Kris, but he really didn't do the songs he wrote justice. I think it was STMc who said he was 'boring' and that rang a bell for me. I couldn't quite call Kris monotone, but close. There just was no pizazz ). Anyway, it was at this point that I decided I like the 'country influence' brought to the number by Waylon, better 'an the gut wrenching, bluesy' Janis Joplin version.
Now, before I get onto the final tally and my vote, I want to talk a little bit about each of these artists.
Waylon Arnold Jennings (pronounced /ˈweɪlən ˈdʒɛnɪŋz/; June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Jennings began playing guitar at 8 and began performing at 12 on KVOW radio. His first band was The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J. on KVOW, KDAV, KYTI, and KLLL. In 1958, Buddy Holly arranged Jennings's first recording session, of "Jole Blon" and "When Sin Stops (Love Begins)". Holly hired him to play bass. In Clear Lake, Iowa, Jennings gave up his seat on the ill-fated flight that crashed and killed Holly, J. P. Richardson, and others. The day of the flight was later known as The Day the Music Died. Jennings then worked as a D.J. in Coolidge, Arizona, and Phoenix. He formed a rockabilly club band, The Waylors. He recorded for independent label Trend Records and A&M Records, before succeeding with RCA Victor after achieving creative control.
During the 1970s, Jennings joined the Outlaw movement. He released critically acclaimed albums Lonesome, On'ry and Mean and Honky Tonk Heroes, followed by hit albums Dreaming My Dreams and Are You Ready for the Country. In 1976 he released the album Wanted! The Outlaws with Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser, and Jessi Colter, the first platinum country music album. That success was followed by Ol' Waylon, and the hit song "Luckenbach, Texas". By the early 1980s, Jennings was struggling with a cocaine addiction, which he quit in 1984. Later he joined the country supergroup The Highwaymen with Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash. During that period, Jennings released the successful album Will the Wolf Survive. He toured less after 1997, to spend more time with his family. Between 1999 and 2001, his appearances were limited by health problems. On February 13, 2002, Jennings died from complications of diabetes.
Jennings also appeared in movies and television series. He was the balladeer for The Dukes of Hazzard; composing and singing the show's theme song. In 2001 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, which he chose not to attend. In 2007 he was posthumously awarded the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award by the Academy of Country Music.
Y'all know that came straight outta 'Wacky Watchee' and there is a whole lot more there. So if you have a few minutes goon over and check it out. BUT, just in cast you skimmed that article take note of two things. Ole Waylon was on that ill fated tour with Buddy Holly. It's said he felt guilty for not being on that plane and dying with his buddies and yet he was being the 'good guy' giving up his seat on the plane. ALSO, note that in 1976 he released along with a few other notables, the FIRST PLATINUM COUNTRY MUSIC ALBUM. No small feat, I'll guess.
Janis Lyn Joplin (/ˈdʒɑːplɪn/; January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter who first rose to fame in the late 1960s as the lead singer of the psychedelic acid-rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company, and later as a solo artist with her own backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band. Her first ever large scale public performance was at the Monterey Pop Festival; this led her to becoming very popular and one of the major attractions at the Woodstock festival and the Festival Express train tour. Joplin charted five singles; other popular songs include: "Down on Me"; "Summertime"; "Piece of My Heart"; "Ball 'n' Chain"; "Maybe"; "To Love Somebody"; "Kozmic Blues"; "Work Me, Lord"; "Cry Baby"; "Mercedes Benz"; and her only number one hit, "Me and Bobby McGee".
Joplin was well known for her performing ability and was a multi instrumentalist. Her fans referred to her stage presence as "electric"; at the height of her career, she was known as "The Queen of Psychedelic Soul". Known as "Pearl" among her friends, she was also a painter, dancer and music arranger. Rolling Stone ranked Joplin number 46 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004,[1] and number 28 on its 2008 list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas, on January 19, 1943,[2] to Dorothy Bonita East (February 15, 1913 – December 13, 1998), a registrar at a business college, and her husband, Seth Ward Joplin (April 19, 1910 – May 10, 1987), an engineer at Texaco. She had two younger siblings, Michael and Laura. The family attended the Church of Christ.[3] The Joplins felt that Janis always needed more attention than their other children, with her mother stating, "She was unhappy and unsatisfied without [receiving a lot of attention]. The normal rapport wasn't adequate."[4] As a teenager, she befriended a group of outcasts, one of whom had albums by blues artists Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey and Lead Belly, whom Joplin later credited with influencing her decision to become a singer.[5] She began singing in the local choir and expanded her listening to blues singers such as Odetta, Billie Holiday and Big Mama Thornton.
Primarily a painter while still in school, she first began singing blues and folk music with friends. While at Thomas Jefferson High School, she stated that she was mostly shunned.[5] Joplin was quoted as saying, "I was a misfit. I read, I painted, I didn't hate niggers."[4] As a teen, she became overweight and her skin broke out so badly she was left with deep scars which required dermabrasion.[4][6][7] Other kids at high school would routinely taunt her and call her names like "pig", "freak", "nigger lover" or "creep".[4] Among her classmates were G. W. Bailey and Jimmy Johnson. Joplin graduated from high school in 1960 and attended Lamar State College of Technology in Beaumont, Texas, during the summer[6] and later the University of Texas at Austin, though she did not complete her studies.[8] The campus newspaper The Daily Texan ran a profile of her in the issue dated July 27, 1962, headlined "She Dares to Be Different".[8] The article began, "She goes barefooted when she feels like it, wears Levis to class because they're more comfortable, and carries her Autoharp with her everywhere she goes so that in case she gets the urge to break into song, it will be handy. Her name is Janis Joplin."[8]
Among her last public appearances were two broadcasts of The Dick Cavett Show. In a June 25, 1970 appearance, she announced that she would attend her ten-year high-school class reunion. When asked if she had been popular in school, she admitted that when in high school, her schoolmates "laughed me out of class, out of town and out of the state."[37] (Joplin had been voted "Ugliest Man on Campus" by frat boys during her university years.[38]) In a subsequent Cavett broadcast on August 3, 1970, Joplin discussed her upcoming performance at the Festival for Peace to be held at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York, three days later.
On August 7, 1970, a tombstone - paid for by both Joplin and Juanita Green, who as a child had done housework for Bessie Smith—was erected at Smith's previously-unmarked grave.[39]
Joplin's last public performance, with the Full Tilt Boogie Band, took place on August 12, 1970, at the Harvard Stadium in Boston. The Harvard Crimson gave the performance a positive, front-page review, despite the fact that Full Tilt Boogie had performed with makeshift sound amplifiers after their regular equipment was stolen in Boston.[7]
Joplin attended her high-school reunion on August 14, accompanied by fellow musician and friend Bob Neuwirth, road manager John Cooke, and her sister Laura, but it was reportedly an unhappy experience for her.[40] Joplin held a press conference in Port Arthur during her reunion visit. Rolling Stone journalist Chet Flippo reported that she wore enough jewelry for a "Babylonian whore".[5] When asked by a reporter if she ever entertained at Thomas Jefferson High School when she was a student there, Joplin replied, "Only when I walked down the aisles."[2][2][4] Joplin denigrated Port Arthur and the classmates who had humiliated her a decade earlier.[2]
There are pages and pages about Janis at 'Wacky Watchee', I chose to excerpt only the part about her early life. In Today's world we hear a lot about bullying and the affect it is having on the young people of the world. When I read these things I thought, perhaps Janis' outlandish behavior was a direct result of how she had been treated. You know the old self-deprecating trick of making yourself into the caricature everyone else is trying to before they have the opportunity. I dunno, just a thought. At any rate, after delving into her past somewhat, I came away with a different picture of a tortured woman who found a way to 'get back' at the world. Again, I encourage you to take the time to read it ALL for yourself and make your own decision about Janis Joplin.
For quite a few votes things were 'neck 'n neck' in this BATTLE and that really surprised me. I know a lot of you don't like country. Janis had the edge of familiarity on her side. And with the A to Z in full swing, my voting numbers were a bit down. At the very end things took a decided turn and the final tally, including my vote (I don't have to spell it out for you who I voted for, do I?) is:
Waylon Jennings 11 votes (including my vote)
Janis Joplin 8 votes
An interesting BATTLE from my perspective. I learned some things, particularly about Janis. I don't think I shall ever look at her extreme behavior in the same way again.
This has been a grueling week for me. Two blog posts back to back (YIKES! I do not know how some of you blog every day, or more than once a week, for that matter.) I'll be back on the 15th with another BATTLE 'The Good Lord willin' and the creek don't rise.' Until that time...Happy Trails to you!
I was reading about Bessie Smith's life, and the purchase of the tombstone. How ironic that Janis passed away almost two months to the date of that tombstone placement.
ReplyDeleteThere's some serious drama within these bios. It does cause one to pause and see them in a humanistic light. Thanks, Fae. (smile)
Hey Dixie, thanks for coming back to check out the results of my last BOTB.
DeleteI find it interesting to know...'the rest of the story'. I think we often have an unrealistic picture of celebrities. Often, knowing something about the background of their lives, especially their early years, give a better understand to some of their later behavior.
I'm a firm believer that 'there is no excuse for bad behavior', and this life is our test to overcome...whatever. I love the line near the end of the movie 'Hope Floats' - 'Mamma says, you childhood is something you spend the rest of your life getting over.' Or something like that. In a way it's true, but I also believe it's true that we need to work hard to accept responsibility for our own actions, whatever they may be precipitated by, and 'get over it. Blaming others only has the potential too turn you into a bitter harpy, and nobody wants that.
All that said, I do know it's easier said than done and some people never make that climb up the mountain to see the other side.
lmao 2 back to back? Whatever will you do. Hopefully the week calms down though. A close one this time indeed
ReplyDeleteOK, I should have known you, of all people, would get a good laugh out of that little ole complaint. Sheesh! You post every sing day. I know you prepare the posts in advance and all that jazz, but you still have to prepare them sometime. Maybe you never sleep!
DeleteSeveral of the other BATTLES conducted on 5-1 were closer than this. I guess that means we're all working harder and getting better at presenting BATTLES that are so good, it's hard for you guys to choose.
Thanks for stopping by Pat, always appreciate your input.
Wow. I would have thought Joplin was going to run away with this one. I have never stopped to think about the lyrics, and now that I am, it's pretty cool. Life was different back then. These days, drifters are either serial killers or a serial killers' next victim.
ReplyDeleteHey Jay, nice to see you here. I too was a little worried that Janis would run off with this vote. Her version is probably the one people are most familiar with. Apparently, most of my commenters were not fans of her style. Even some of the folks who NEVER vote country (and I do tend to use a fair amount of country here) voted for Waylon.
DeleteI didn't think about the lyrics and what they would mean today. The world sure has changed and you are absolutely right. Drifters are people to be wary of and worried about, all at the same time.
Hi, dear FAE! Thank you for this follow-up post letting us know who won your Battle and giving us a diesel truck load of interesting facts and trivia about both competing artists. Although I voted for Janis, I must admit that she was never one of my favorite artists, too rough around the edges, and "Me and Bobby McGee" was not one of my favorite songs or recordings. Yet, I admired Janis for putting herself out there, warts and all, and doing the music her way without compromise. I am reminded of Mama Cass watching Janis perform "Ball and Chain" at Monterey Pop. Watch the video of it on YouTube and you will see Cass at 3:28 and 5:25. She was astonished by what she saw and heard!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5If816MhoU
Surely Janis was a tortured soul and with good reason. It makes me bristle to read about bullying. One of my best friends in high school was labeled "nigger lover" and one day after school he was jumped and beaten bloody by a bully in the parking lot.
It was said of Elvis Presley and it was true of Otis Redding and Janis Joplin: "Dying was a great career move." I have my doubts that her "Bobby McGee" single would have topped the chart if Americans weren't still reeling from the back-to-back deaths of rock icons Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin within two weeks of each other.
I wasn't aware that Roger Miller was the first to record "Bobby McGee." I like Roger Miller and owned his King of the Road album. My parents bought it for me in a desperate attempt to get me interested in country music (aka "good" music) and steer me away from those dreaded Liverpool moptops and other purveyors of rock music. Their plan failed. I never lost my love for rock but, thanks to artists like Roger Miller, Johnny Cash, Waylon and Willie and the boys, I also embraced my fair share of country tunes.
You staged an excellent Battle, FAE, and the vote was close. I also want to thank you for supporting my first BOTB effort and helping to make it a success. Take care, dear friend!
Mr. Shady Dell Knight, thank you once again for gracing my door with your presence and you thoughtful comment.
DeleteI was never a big fan of Janis, and yet there are certain things to be admired about her style and willingness to be 'real'. I think that many since her time have tried to replicate a rebellious attitude in they performance style, dress, language and such, but for Janis unfortunately, I believe it was more real. I do feel sad that celebrity like Janis Joplin led a lot of young women to believe that being a 'touch check' was attractive and cool. Even today it is an unfortunate detractor to womanhood.
I had seen the clip you provided before, as well as reading about it in the Wacky Watchee article, of which I excerpted quite a bit, but I took the time to take another look. It is obvious that Cass Elliot, a great talent herself, was mightily impressed by Janis' performance at Monterey.
It's a well known fact that 'blogger' hates me,and today is another proof. That comment posted long before I was through with it.
DeleteAnyway...I was impressed by something else from that clip of Janis at Monterey...here is this tough talking, screeching screaming singer dressed up in a matching cream colored pant suit with her tiny heels. Ha, ha, ha! My how the times have changed. What a strange juxtaposition, eh?
Bullying is a serious form of emotional abuse that, I'm afraid has been with us forever and isn't about to go away anytime soon. I've seen my share, both personally, and atrocities committed against good friends, and aquaintances. I'm not exactly sure what the answer or solution might be, for myself and my personal experience I have adopted the attitude of 'that which doesn't kill us, only serves to make us stronger'.
'Dying as a career move'; that makes me chuckle. I'm sure there are many a celebrity who would not have risen to the heights they did without THAT type of help in their career.
I'm also chuckling at your comment about your parents and roger Miller. My father liked RM and played his stuff often. I never thought it was an attempt to sway my musical tastes. Of course Daddy, also played old 78's of Enrique Caruso. Until this post and my subsequent research, I was unaware of Roger's recording of 'Me and Bobby McGee', or the story about the Satler Brothers. This is one of the things I really love about BOTB, the little trivial pieces of history I learn, both from my own research and the stories the other participants publish.
Once again, I welcome you to BOTB and want you to know how much I enjoy conversing with you in the comment section. You are an absolutely delightful addition.
Thank you dear sweet friend! I have always maintained that the most important part of a post or of a blog itself is the comments section. It is here that we all have an opportunity to teach and learn, to share and care. I love blogs like yours that have active comment sections brimming with information, stories and trivia, and people expanding threads in all directions. This is what makes blogging great! Have a wonderful weekend, dear FAE! :)
DeleteFAE ~
ReplyDeleteG.W. Bailey was a class mate of Janis Joplin's?
Do you know who G.W. Bailey is?...
He's Rizzo. He's also the town drunk / town root junkie.
Now THIS was sad...
>>..."During the 1970s, Jennings joined the Outlaw movement."
He "joined" the Country Outlaw movement?! Waylon founded the movement by acquiring creative control over his own recordings. That's why they were "outlaws", because they were no longer bound by the "Nashville System". And Waylon was the FIRST to break free!
Good ol' Wackypedia strikes again!
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
I don't know if this will make it better or worse, but if you click on Outlaw movement, it takes you to another WikiLink. Under history, it says this:The roots of the outlaw movement can be traced to the 1950s. A major influence on the outlaw movement was Elvis Presley's bluesy covers of country standards. However, an even greater transition occurred after Waylon Jennings was able to secure his own recording rights, and began the trend of bucking the "Nashville Sound."
DeleteDoes that make it any better?
GIRL WONDER ~
DeleteNope, not really. Because the term "Outlaw Country" was born with Waylon and it was really first and foremost about him getting control over his own music. The "Nashville System" was the "law" (so to speak) and when Waylon broke out of it, he had become an "outlaw".
To mention Elvis - even as just an "influence" and not the "founder" of the movement - is to place the prime factor on the sound rather than the creative control. Aside from that, much of the subsequent Outlaw Country sound (a result of Waylon getting to do it HIS way) was a merging of Country with a Rock & Roll beat, and had nuttin' to do with the Blues (beyond the fact that Rock & Roll was also an offshoot of Blues when that "Rhythm" was merged with it).
The bottom line is: To say that Waylon "joined" some movement is to say that the movement was already underway without him, and that's simply not so (and illustrates why everyone should be cautious when quoting ANYTHING from Wackypedia!)
~ D-FensDogG
If I may interrupt for a minute here...
DeleteTHIS is exactly why I refer to this informational source at 'Wacky Watchee'. I'm sure everyone who stops by here knows who I'm talking about, but I don't use their 'official' name, so as not to give them any credence in the 'search engine' routines. They are a fun source of much information, but we all need to remember that ANYBODY can post information to their pages. Therefore, using them as a bona fide informational source is little more than engaging in gossip. IMO!
I was heartened to see that WW DID credit Waylon and friends with having the first Plantinum Country Album! No small feat, considering some of the country greats at the time. I personally believe it was his outlaw status (willingness to break away from the formula that Nashville dictated) that made this happen. AND, just so you know, I checked that out on other sites and verified that THIS was in fact the first country album certified Plantinum.
I appreciate your comments and you're ability to express and clear up some of the misconceptions that may be caused by Wacky Watchee. It is never my intention to mislead folks by quoting them, but do like to include some of the interesting bits they publish. Aws I said above I always refer to them by my 'nickname', so as to let everyone know I take them with a whole salt shaker of the stuff.
Rizzo...I had no idea. Of course, I remember who he is/was in the M.A.S.H. series, and I believe I've seen him in various other 'character' roles. Did you know him? Well?
An informative post, FAE, and I knew a bit about Janis' past. I read Bessie Smith's biography and if Janis was influenced by her, that explains why she sounded so good when she sang the blues. I listen to Bessie and Billie when I had the blues. . .Janis I associated with concerts.
ReplyDeleteI may have to look for that biography of Bessie Smith, it sounds like something I would be interested in. I like having at least a little background on these artists. Knowing some of these things about Janis, really helped me to look at her outrageous behavior in a different light. As I said above to others, I don't feel that absolves of her responsibility for that outrageous behavior, and let's face it she paid the ultimate price for some of it, but it does give me a little different understanding of the 'why'.
DeleteIsn't it funny how we associate certain artists with a particular genre or emotion and others with something like public performance (concerts). I find it fascinating how some of these people can reach right into my heart and or soul with their interpretations, and others, not so much.
That was a lot of info and a lot that I didn't know. Never heard either Roger Miller's or Lightfoot's versions of "Bobby McGee" but I can imagine they'd both be pretty good and preferable to me over Joplin's.
ReplyDeleteI was glad to see mention of the great film La Strada by one of my favorite directors Federico Fellini. I watched that a couple weeks ago and I reminded not only of what a fine film it is, but also what a great actor Anthony Quinn was. The ending of that movie always moves me and brings tears to my eyes.
One technical note about your blog settings that maybe only affects me so maybe it's inconsequential is the color of your links within the text. On my screen they show up as a very light blue against the white background and my eyes strain to read them. I know I've got weak eyes and I'm becoming old so maybe it's just me, but if any of your other readers have noticed this maybe you could adjust the settings to darken the links to create more contrast on the page. Sorry, don't want to sound nitpicky or offend you in anyway, but in this post with so many links it really started becoming noticeable to me. Then again I suppose it could be something in my own computer settings.
Anyway I just thought I'd let you know. In a little while I've got an appointment with the eye doctor--nothing to do with having read this post--it was already scheduled because I've been feeling a lot of eyestrain lately. Probably I'm on the computer too much. Maybe that's why I was overly sensitive to the light blue links.
Anyway, a good contest. I was glad to see my preference of Waylon come out ahead in the votes.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Lee, thanks for your comment and the information on the blog links.
DeleteFirst, I had to go back and carefully read all of that information again, because I was wondering for a minute if you either lost your mind or copied a paragraph into my comment, meant for someone else. I did not remember the reference to 'La Strada'. I found it and am now forced to admit that I probably skimmed through all of that information that I copied and pasted from Wacky Watchee. Good catch, and glad that was meaningful to you. Goes to show that you never know what you'll find in those little tidbits of information. Although, it's also important to be careful as to how much we take as fact.(Reference the conversation above with STMc.)
I too, was surprised to read that Roger Miller and Gordon Lightfoot both recorded this number, but then since just about everyone and their dog did a cover of M&BM, I shouldn't be. I was also surprised to learn that this was JJ one and only number one hit. As stated by Mr. Knight (also above) her untimely death probably was a contributing factor.
Now, with respect to those pesky links and how they appear in my blog. Is it whenever I make a link or only in the ones copied and pasted from WW? I too notice that in the copy and paste versions, they are pretty difficult to read. Of course, I think they are kind of difficult to read in the original WW posts also. I'm not sure if there is anything I can do about making them darker, but if you have suggestions, please let me know. It would never be my intention to make it hard for anyone to read my posts, whether my original words or those copied and pasted from somewhere else. Some days it's hard enough to get through all the close work we have to do, who wants it to be hard with the work we want to do.
I hope things go well with your eye exam. About two weeks ago, I stepped on y glasses and broke them beyond repair. It has been a monumental pain. I usually wear contacts, but for that early morning stumble around, or late night reading in bed, I bought a pair of 'cheaters' (you know the $10 high power glasses from Walgreens or the like). I need some eye surgery, that I'm trying to hold off on until next February, so I'm limping by for now, but I can definitely sympathize with 'eye strain'.
Thanks for stopping by to view the outcome. It's always more fun when "OUR' contestant won, eh?
According to the eye doctor my glasses prescription hasn't changed since my last visit 3 years ago--good news since I wasn't keen on spending $300 or so on new glasses. She said everything looked great and maybe my problem was just looking at the computer too much and recommended I start using eye drops on a regular basis. Well that was good news.
DeleteConsidering Kristofferson's age and intellectual background his reference to Fellini's film doesn't surprise me at all. I was like 3 years old when La Strada came out in the theaters and I can remember my parents going to see it and my mother talking about it. Fellini's work had made an impact on me just hearing my mother talk about it and I wouldn't actually see a Fellini film until years later when I was in college. It appears that Wikipedia got it right as I feel they often do. Since that site is closely monitored I think they are usually called out on blatant errors and at times what might seem to be errors might be a matter of different interpretations. In any case here's another article about Kristofferson that confirms the La Strada story:
http://performingsongwriter.com/kris-kristofferson-bobby-mcgee/
Also here's a video where the reference to the movie is made prior to Kris's singing it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJr3Fkv81bU
If you enjoy foreign films and don't mind black & white or subtitles you might want to check out La Strada. It's quite a film and not quite as surrealistic as Fellini's later films.
Yes, all of the links show up in that same light blue. This can be fixed by going into the templates I believe. It's been ages since I've done this, but I think there's a setting in "Fonts" related to the color of your in post links. An additional thing that I do in my posts to make the links stand out more is to change them to bold and usually I will change the font of the link to Trebuchet so that will stand out from the default font that I use. Also I make it so the links open in another window--I've heard some people say they don't like links to do that but it makes more sense to me since I don't want the reader to leave my page totally.
Another thing that I've noticed when copying and pasting from a source like Wiki is that the font that comes after that text will change. In your post above it appears that your text after the cut and paste section has reverted to a smaller size. What I've been doing is to highlight the cut and pasted section and click on "Remove Formatting" and if I remember correctly it keeps any following text uniform to what I have been doing. If that doesn't help I'll highlight all the additional text and change font size to "Normal". My guess that your final paragraphs reverted to "Small" due the text in the Wiki article being in a larger size font that was in the small font size.
Hope that explanation makes sense. I know I've battled with these cut and paste issue on my blog and experimented with getting everything to look uniform and this seems to be what I've done to have that happen. It may sound complex and like a lot of work, but overall I think you end up with a better appearing page and after awhile it starts getting easier.
Hope I'm being helpful and not persnickety or anything like that. Just my own nitpicky self looking and thinking.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
That was a lot of information. Now I just feel sad for Janis. It can take a lot of time and therapy to get over the wounds inflicted in childhood.
ReplyDeleteI HAVE been reading some of your 'SOML' posts, even though I rarely comment, so, I thought if anybody would relate to Janis' past, you probably would. If you have the time and inclination read my replies to some of the other commenters, rather than me restating everything here, to get my prospective on some of this.
DeleteRegardless of how we feel about early experiences in our lives, it is a fact that they do govern some of our actions later on in life. Reading all of this about Janis, made me feel sad for her also. Unfortunately, she seemed unable to 'get over it', or get the help she needed, and her willingness to 'self-medicate' with booze and drugs was most definitely a factor in her early demise.
I read some, if not all, of your comments about Janis and bullying. It's widespread and YOU ARE RIGHT in that it's not going away any time soon. In fact, I do believe social media has made it worse!
DeleteThe irony is that my mom and I now talk about what happened when I was a kid. I'm not sure why we didn't talk about it when it happened. I probably didn't tell her the details. It's humiliating, and like all abused people, you don't want anyone to know. BUT, it would've been so much better if I'd told her because then she could've told me what she'd come to understand as an adult about bullies: they are insecure people who try to feel bigger by making you feel small. The best way to shut them up is to laugh at them. Not just ignore (because they think they're getting to you) but laugh. If they aren't intimidating you per the intent, they'll move on.
I agree with you completely here, I think.
DeleteBullying is a sad fact of life that isn't going anywhere. Social Media HAS made it worse, because like so many other things SM allows us all to conduct our business with a certain sense of anonymity.
The point you've hit on here that I think is so import is taking the shame and embarrassment out of being bullied. If children, or anybody, for that matter, where not afraid or embarrassed to go home and talk to their parents about being bullied, so many of the problems that come along with it (bullying) could be nipped in the bud. Or, in the case of extreme bullying, things like people being beaten-up or the like, could be dealt with immediately and protection provided.
So often all anyone needs to deal with problems like this are the proper tools. I don't know why most of the 'experts' expect kids to come fully equipped with those tools. Simply building a child's self-esteem isn't always the answer, actually I think in a way that has done a lot of harm to kids (that false self-esteem carp, you know everyone gets a trophy and things like that), but giving them REAL tools, like insight into the character of a bully (they are really insecure, shallow, etc, etc.) and learning to laugh off their threats and insults.THAT, is what will have the most impact. IMO!
This was interesting. I know the Joplin version, of course - I'm that generation - but not the others. I missed the battle but I think I'll go back and see if Waylon can displace Janice in my head.
ReplyDeleteJanis certainly did get into one's head with her version of just about whatever she sang. Whether you were a big fan of hers or not, she was not easy to forget once you had seen/heard her perform. Knowing more abut her background also helps understand some of her crazy antics and the 'real blues' of her life.
DeleteThanks for stopping by. I'll have another BOTB posted this Friday May 15th, hope you'll make that one and cast a vote.
I'm glad to see Waylon take this, even if just barely. I'm kinda surprised by that. I thought he'd get more votes. I also learned quite a lot about Joplin. Neither of us have ever really cared for her music, or followed much about her by extension. But that Waylon guy... I feel like I know so much about him and his life now. But I'm not sure why...
ReplyDeleteWe're all happy when 'our guy' wins, eh? I personally, even though I cast my vote for Waylon, was surprised to see him beat Janis out. Even some of the Waylon fans said they had not heard this version of his before. So often the more popular/familiar version wins just because that's what everyone is used to. I'm glad that didn't happen here. I almost didn't use Janis' version here for that very reason, but I really like t go for diversity of form and style (you don't a whole lot more diverse than Janis and Waylon - even though I guess you would call them both 'outlaws' in their own right).
DeleteNow, I'm wondering how could it be that a young wipper-snapper like your'n learnt so much abut ole Waylon. Ha!
FAE,
ReplyDeleteStephen Tremp posted a Character Log on his blog today. I remember you also saying, "What is that?" when he mentioned it in the comments of my IWSG post. Here is the link to his blog...
http://authorstephentremp.blogspot.com/2015/05/road-trip-to-z-t-shirts-character-logs.html
Thanks for the 'head up'. I went, I read, and I printed out a copy. This should certainly help with those flat, one-dimensional characters, eh? I figure if I know that much about my character, I can't help but convey it to my readers.
DeleteNow that's a thorough post! I knew Jimmy Johnson was a roommate of Janice Joplin. I hope he didn't stoop to calling her names.
ReplyDeleteHa, ha, ha! One can never tell. It's unfortunate the way she was treated, but then we all have our crosses to bear. I'm sure it made her who she was, and whatever we think about her, Janis Joplin was her own person, doing her own thing. I'm sure as others have said above, her early death did a lot to add to her fame.
DeleteWow. I've added a bunch more to my Jeopardy store of knowledge! :) My vote would have gone to Jennings too even though I do enjoy Joplin.
ReplyDelete