Janis Joplin - Pearl

Janis Joplin's second masterpiece (after Cheap Thrills), Pearl was designed as a showcase for her powerhouse vocals, stripping down the arrangements that had often previously cluttered her music or threatened to drown her out. Thanks also to a more consistent set of songs, the results are magnificent -- given room to breathe, Joplin's trademark rasp conveys an aching, desperate passion on funked-up, bluesy rockers, ballads both dramatic and tender, and her signature song, the posthumous number one hit "Me and Bobby McGee." The unfinished "Buried Alive in the Blues" features no Joplin vocals -- she was scheduled to record them on the day after she was found dead. Its incompleteness mirrors Joplin's career; Pearl's power leaves the listener to wonder what else Joplin could have accomplished, but few artists could ask for a better final statement. [The 1999 CD reissue adds four previously unreleased live July 1970 recordings: "Tell Mama," "Little Girl Blue," "Try," and "Cry Baby."] ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Name Credits Baron Wolman Photography Barry Feinstein Photography, Design Bob Irwin Reissue Producer Bobby Womack Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar Bobbye Hall Bongos, Percussion, Conga Brad Campbell Choir, Chorus, Bass, Vocals (Background) Clark Pierson Choir, Chorus, Drums, Vocals (Background) David Gahr Photography Glen Kolotkin Engineer Janis Joplin Choir, Chorus, Vocals, Guitar Jen Wyler Mixing Joe Lizzi Mixing John Cook Vocals John Cooke Vocals (Background), Choir, Chorus John Dooke Vocals (Background) John Till Choir, Chorus, Guitar, Vocals (Background) Ken Pearson Vocals (Background), Choir, Chorus, Organ Ken Pierson Organ Mark Feldman Project Director Nicholas Bennett Packaging Manager Paul Rothchild Producer Pearl Guitar (Acoustic), Choir, Chorus, Vocals (Background) Phil Badella Vocals, Vocals (Background), Choir, Chorus Phil Macy Engineer Richard Bell Vocals (Background), Piano, Choir, Chorus Sandra Crouch Tambourine Tom Wilkes Design, Photography Vic Anesini Mastering Vince Mitchell Choir, Chorus, Vocals, Vocals (Background)