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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsThe Story Behind Janis Joplin’s ‘Mercedes Benz’
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-story-behind-janis-joplins-mercedes-benz-1436282817Janis Joplins Mercedes Benz was an accident. The songs lyrics were written at a Port Chester, N.Y., bar in August 1970 during an impromptu poetry jam between Joplin and songwriter-friend Bob Neuwirth. The lyricsa sardonic prayer for a sports car, a color TV and a night on the townwere inspired by the first line of a song written by San Francisco beat poet Michael McClure.
About an hour after the song was completed in Port Chester, Joplin performed it a cappella on a whim when she took the stage at the towns Capitol Theatre. Then on Oct. 1, when she was in Los Angeles recording her album Pearl, she sang Mercedes Benz in the studio for fun. After she died of a drug overdose three days later on Oct. 4, the song was added to the album.
One of my songs started, Come on, God, and buy me a Mercedes Benz. The song would get longer and shorter each time I sang it. One day I got a call from (actor-singer) Emmett Grogan. He had heard me sing the song at my house and began singing it with his friends at a local pool hall. On the phone, he said he was shooting pool with Janis and that she was singing it, too. I told him I had nothing against that....
Mr. McClure: At some point in August 1970, Janis called. She said she was performing the Mercedes Benz song but that hers was different than mine. She sang it over the phone. When she was done, I said it was OK. Then I went for my autoharp and sat on the stairs and sang her mine over the phone. Janiss version was sweet and wry and had the grace of a riddle. Mine was much more outspoken, funny and ironic. Janis laughed and said she liked hers better. I said, Thats OK, you can sing yours. And thats the last I heard of it until Pearl came out and I saw my name with Janiss on the song credit. (Mr. Neuwirths name was added later).
About an hour after the song was completed in Port Chester, Joplin performed it a cappella on a whim when she took the stage at the towns Capitol Theatre. Then on Oct. 1, when she was in Los Angeles recording her album Pearl, she sang Mercedes Benz in the studio for fun. After she died of a drug overdose three days later on Oct. 4, the song was added to the album.
One of my songs started, Come on, God, and buy me a Mercedes Benz. The song would get longer and shorter each time I sang it. One day I got a call from (actor-singer) Emmett Grogan. He had heard me sing the song at my house and began singing it with his friends at a local pool hall. On the phone, he said he was shooting pool with Janis and that she was singing it, too. I told him I had nothing against that....
Mr. McClure: At some point in August 1970, Janis called. She said she was performing the Mercedes Benz song but that hers was different than mine. She sang it over the phone. When she was done, I said it was OK. Then I went for my autoharp and sat on the stairs and sang her mine over the phone. Janiss version was sweet and wry and had the grace of a riddle. Mine was much more outspoken, funny and ironic. Janis laughed and said she liked hers better. I said, Thats OK, you can sing yours. And thats the last I heard of it until Pearl came out and I saw my name with Janiss on the song credit. (Mr. Neuwirths name was added later).
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The Story Behind Janis Joplin’s ‘Mercedes Benz’ (Original Post)
KamaAina
Jul 2015
OP
I remember when Big Brother was a garage band that practiced a few blocks
OffWithTheirHeads
Jul 2015
#3
cwydro
(51,308 posts)1. I'm a huge Janis fan.
Thanks for the post!
OffWithTheirHeads
(10,337 posts)3. I remember when Big Brother was a garage band that practiced a few blocks
from me in S.F. BTW, Janis drove a Porsche 356 series convertible.
aikoaiko
(34,183 posts)4. There isn't enough film of Janis Joplin performing live -- watching her is mesmerizing.
She made it seem effortless even as she was destroying herself.
Ruby the Liberal
(26,219 posts)5. The studio audio
Love me some Janis