Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer and songwriter. One of the most successful and widely known rock performers of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage presence.
Big Brother and the Holding Company is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the same psychedelic music scene that produced the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Jefferson Airplane. After some initial personnel changes, the band became well known with the lineup of vocalist Janis Joplin, guitarists Sam Andrew and James Gurley, bassist Peter Albin, and drummer Dave Getz. Their second album Cheap Thrills, released in 1968, is considered one of the masterpieces of the psychedelic sound of San Francisco; it reached number one on the Billboard charts, and was ranked number 338 in Rolling Stone's the 500 greatest albums of all time. The album is also listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Pearl is the second and final solo album by Janis Joplin, released on January 11, 1971, three months after her death on October 4, 1970. It was the final album with her direct participation, and the only Joplin album recorded with the Full Tilt Boogie Band, her final touring unit. It peaked at number one on the Billboard 200, holding that spot for nine weeks. It has been certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA.
Phantom Blue was an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, formed in 1987. Phantom Blue were the first and only female artists to be signed to Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records, only three months after forming.
Cheap Thrills is the second studio album by American rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company, issued by Columbia Records in 1968. Cheap Thrills was the band's final album with lead singer Janis Joplin before she left to begin a solo career. For Cheap Thrills, the band and producer John Simon incorporated recordings of crowd noises to give the impression of a live album, for which it was subsequently mistaken by many listeners. Only "Ball and Chain" was actually recorded in concert at the Winterland Ballroom.
Redgum were an Australian folk and political music group formed in Adelaide in 1975 by singer-songwriter John Schumann, Michael Atkinson on guitars/vocals, Verity Truman on flute/vocals; they were later joined by Hugh McDonald on fiddle and Chris Timms on violin. All four had been students at Flinders University and together developed a strong political voice. They are best known for their protest song exploring the impact of war in the 1980s "I Was Only 19", which peaked at No. 1 on the National singles charts. The song is in the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) list of Top 30 of All Time Best Australian Songs created in 2001.
Rough Cutt is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Rough Cutt, released in 1985. It was produced by Tom Allom, who is most famous for producing Judas Priest.
"Mercedes Benz" is an a cappella song written by the American singer Janis Joplin with Bob Neuwirth and the poet Michael McClure. The song was originally recorded by Joplin. A straightforward reading of the song lyrics indicate that the song is about the desire for possessions and pleasure, but at least one writer considers it to be a rejection of consumerism.
John McFee is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist, and long-time member of The Doobie Brothers.
I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! is the debut solo and third studio album overall by American singer-songwriter Janis Joplin, released on September 11, 1969. It was the first album which Joplin recorded after leaving her former band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and the only solo album released during her lifetime.
Live at Winterland '68 is an album by Janis Joplin with her band Big Brother and the Holding Company. It was recorded at the Winterland Ballroom on April 12 and 13, 1968, and includes live renditions of songs from their studio albums.
Linda Ann McDonald is an American musician best known as the drummer of the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens. In addition, she was a member of the Ozzy Osbourne tribute band The Little Dolls and the cover bands Valley Dolls, Crabby Patty and Unholy Pink. Prior to those works, McDonald was the drummer/co-founder of the all-female heavy metal band Phantom Blue from its inception in 1987 to its demise in 2001.
Farewell Song is a 1982 collection of nine previously unreleased recordings of Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company, the Kozmic Blues Band, and Full Tilt Boogie Band. Tracks include Cheap Thrills-era outtakes and live performances; "Misery 'N", "Farewell Song", and "Catch Me Daddy".
The Iron Maidens: World's Only Female Tribute to Iron Maiden is the debut album by American all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens. The album features selected tracks originally performed by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. Michael Kenney, keyboardist for Iron Maiden, appears as a guest musician on the Japanese import version.
Phantom Blue is the self-titled first studio album by all-female heavy metal band Phantom Blue, released in 1989 through Shrapnel Records and Roadrunner Records. Guitarist Marty Friedman, at the time a member of the band Cacophony, and later of Megadeth, is credited as a co-producer. According to drummer Linda McDonald, the music video for "Why Call It Love?" was filmed within a maximum security prison in Carson City, Nevada.
Built to Perform is the second and last full-length album by American heavy metal band Phantom Blue. In contrast to the first album's glam metal sound, Built to Perform displays a more raw, heavy metal sound. It also features songwriting credits by all fourof the band members plus former member Nicole Couch, who left prior to the album's release. The album includes the band's cover of Thin Lizzy's "Bad Reputation."
Prime Cuts & Glazed Donuts is a collection of previously recorded demos released by manager Mark Dawson and Linda McDonald of the American all-female heavy metal band Phantom Blue. Songwriters Michelle Meldrum and Nicole Couch and bassist Kim Nielsen were no longer in the band. The tracks were recorded by the original members during their pre-production days with Geffen Records, with the exception of "Saturday Morning Brain Damage", which was recorded before the band signed with Shrapnel Records. Debra Armstrong was the bassist on this particular track. "Strange Blue Mercy" and "Mutha" were originally released in the "My Misery" single in 1993.
Full Blown is an EP release by US all-female heavy metal band Phantom Blue. Following the release of the live album Caught Live!, lead vocalist Gigi Hangach departed from the band, leaving drummer Linda McDonald as the sole founding member.
Kim Nielsen is an American hard rock bassist known for being a member of the all-female band Phantom Blue.
Live at the Carousel Ballroom 1968 is a live album by Big Brother and the Holding Company featuring Janis Joplin. The album was recorded by Owsley Stanley in 1968, and released on 12 March 2012 through Columbia and Legacy, on the one-year anniversary of his death in an automobile accident. He had been supervising the development and release of this album right up to the time of his death on March 12, 2011. The album is dedicated to him, and set to the specifications Stanley set prior to his death.
