As 1970 rolled in, the winds of change were blowing over all of us, some riding the waves, some not.
I was at work (at Elektra), when Paul Rothchild arrived from the downstairs garage. It was mid-afternoon on a Friday, far as I recall. I went to Sunset Sound, where he was working with Janis on the "Pearl" album, for Columbia. Things weren't lovely.
Kris and Janis had struck up a friendship, which resulted in her recording Me and Bobby McGee. Just a perfect song for Janis.
I stuck to the studio walls, while Paul and Janis were overdubbing vocals. All of a sudden, we noticed that the recording engineer (Columbia/union) was reading a newspaper and nothing was happening recording-wise. He was taking his "break." Janis was livid, and rightfully so. Paul called the session, bemoaning he would have loved to have sidekick/engineer Fritz Richmond on the board, and we went down to the Troubadour for libations.
The sun was setting as Janis and I conscripted a couple of bicycles parked outside, and rode up and down the railroad tracks, laughing and falling about.
Not too much later, maybe a couple of weeks thereafter, she died. We were all devastated. Kris in particular.
Janis was a generous artist and until the end, she gave it all she had. And she had a lot more than she knew. Me and Bobby McGee - looking for that home, and I hope she found it.
Comments