![]() ![]() ![]() While Kristofferson may have written “Me and Bobby McGee,” the song was originally recorded by Roger Miller. The four icons’ delivery of the song was nothing shy of perfection – as could be expected with such a massive amount of talent all sharing the same stage. The Highwaymen took the stage for a legendary performance of the classic tune “Me and Bobby McGee” originally penned by Kristofferson with the help of Fred Foster. Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings made up the iconic supergroup who forever changed the game of classic country music. In fact, they became VERY friendly if you catch my drift.Comprised of four of the most iconic names in country music history, The Highwaymen were a force to be reckoned with. Kris met Joplin and they became friendly. The first time he heard her recording of it was the day after she died. That’s why, according to Kristofferson, “there were a couple of lines that were different from the real lyrics.” Kristofferson did not know she had recorded it until after her death. It turns out that Bob Neuwirth, at that time Dylan’s road manager, had taught her the song. (If it surprises you that a noted blues singer would do a country tune, recall that Janis was from Texas where you can’t move two feet without hearing it.) It has been certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA.Īs to how Joplin knew this not-yet-famous tune, Kristofferson relates that he heard that she sang it at the Nashville Fairgrounds Coliseum in 1969. It peaked at number one on the Billboard 200, holding that spot for nine weeks. 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 was released on January 11, 1971, three months after her death on October 4, 1970. Now if you’ve ever heard any version of this tune at all, it is likely Janis Joplin’s version from Pearl, her second and final solo studio album. These are roads both literal and metaphorical that Kristofferson traveled well. This is from his debut album Kristofferson released in 1970 and it brings out all the poignancy. Now I’m a fan of Miller’s but given that I’ve only limited myself to three shots, I think in this instance I’ll go with Kristofferson’s version. Typically when I do a One Song/Three Versions post, I start with the very first one recorded which in this case was Roger Miller. Hell, I thought it was just about a couple of drifters.) In discussing the song, Kristofferson explained that he was trying to convey the despair of the last scene of Federico Fellini’s La Strada in which a broken, war-torn, inebriated Anthony Quinn stares up from the beach at the night’s stars.” (There’s your Rhodes scholar shit right there. ![]() The titular character was named for a studio secretary, Barbara “Bobbie” McKee, but Kristofferson had misheard her surname. What am I doing here?)Īs to the song “Me and Bobby McGee,” “suggestion for the title was a cordial challenge from producer and Monument Records founder Fred Foster to Kristofferson. In my own head, I’d still be saying, “I’m the fucking janitor. Legend has it that he “cleaned up after Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde sessions but eventually caught Johnny Cash’s ear through his wife June.” (Imagine being the janitor for these guys with them probably completely ignoring you and then years later being in a movie with Barbra Streisand. The specific place he wound up sweeping floors was at Columbia Studios in Nashville. Now how does one go from being a Rhodes scholar to a janitor? Well, in Kris’ case, apparently after a lot of drifting around, soul-searching, a stint in the military, and flying helicopters around oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. How many of us can make that exact claim? Kristofferson is an interesting character in that he is not only a very successful songwriter, but he was also a Rhodes scholar and janitor. I got the idea for this post when I read an interview with Kris Kristofferson. Billboard ranked Joplin’s version as the No. Jerry Lee Lewis also released a version reaching number 1 on the country charts in 1971. 1 single in U.S. chart history after “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding. singles chart in 1971, making the song the second posthumously released No. (Foster heard someone say what sounded like “Me and Bobby McGee” and called Kristofferson with the bare bones of an idea for a song.)Ī posthumously released version by Janis Joplin topped the U.S. Fred Foster shares the writing credit, as Kristofferson intended. Wikipedia: “‘Me and Bobby McGee” is a song written by American singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and originally performed by Roger Miller. ![]()
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