Being a huge fan of Zero 7, I completely agree with your thoughts on Sia's collaborations (I also love Sophie Barker's vocals on Z7's tracks).
Whilst reading, I immediately thought of the amazing video of a relatively unknown Janis Joplin, with her SF band, Big Brother & The Holding Company, ripping through Big Mama Thornton's "Ball & Chain" at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Her power and energy, watching her feet stomp as she belts out with every fiber of her being and soul, are absolutely breathtaking. At the end, she gleefully runs off the stage, knowing she just nailed it. The camera then pans to Mama Cass, who is completely blown away. Janis' career would never be the same after that performance.
I have also seen Mazzy Star twice and Hope Sandoval several times, and she is quietly enigmatic and commands the stage in a way that is difficult to explain, as she is quiet, relatively still, and often bathed in subtle light or total darkness. Her presence combined with her gorgeous voice, makes me melt.
Finally, the tiny amount of live video of Betty Davis that we have is astonishing to watch. I wish there were more because she was an incredible performer!
Thanks Michael. I’ll have to check out that Janis performance in its entirety. I must have seen some of it on the documentary “Janis: Little Girl Blue” but need to revisit it as well as the documentary which I remember enjoying but also left me feeling quite sad.
While I’ve chosen for the most part fairly fierce and animated performances there’s also immense power in those more intimate performances although they don’t always translate on video. Of those more subtly powerful performances, it’s the ones I’ve seen live that carry the most emotional weight.
I’ve heard of Betty Davis but haven’t listened to much of her music as far as I’m aware.
Such a great idea! Female artists don't get enough credit, so it's always refreshing to read this type of work.
Beth Hart is so good. I am mostly familiar with the work she did with Joe but need to dive deeper into her solo stuff.
Also Ledisi -- what a voice, what a talent! I had one of her records, or at least thought I had it somewhere, but no idea where it is or where it ended up after I moved to the UK. This gives me a chance to reconnect with her and also with some of the other artists you mentioned.
As live performances of female artists go, in my opinion, it doesn't get any better than this:
Mariah was just starting out and there was a lot of media speculation that she was a studio product (probably on the back of the Milli Vanilli scandal). There was also mounting pressure for her to explain herself in terms of her ethnicity -- being half-black, half-white, the expectation was that she should "choose" a certain side... none of this was made easier by how she looked (fair skin) coupled with how she sounded (classical technique but as soulful and gospel-like as it can get).
Mind you, she was 21 years old when she performed this song (which she wrote alongside Carol King for Mariah's second album). The range, the level of relaxation, the maturity in her voice and the diaphragmatic support of those belts are all things which still send shockwaves to this day particularly from vocal coaches or professional singers when reacting to this performance.
As a lifelong fan, this is, to me, Mariah at her absolute best. Hope you enjoy!
It’s funny, I’m the opposite with Beth Hart. I’m much more familiar with her earlier work and haven’t listened to new music from her in decades. I’m gonna check out her work with Joe.
Ledisi is an artist I’d heard of but never really listened to until her Nina Simone tribute album.
That performance by Mariah is a stunner. Hard to believe she was only 21 and already so accomplished at the time. She really does make it look so easy doesn’t she?
Her albums with Joe (Seesaw and Black Coffee) are spectacular. Not sure how different or similar they are to her solo work but I highly recommend them!
There’s a Ledisi album I really liked — Wild Card. If you’re not familiar, I recommend it too!
Mariah truly is a force of nature. Her musicality is hard to beat among her contemporaries. Glad you enjoyed!
Great post, Mark.
Being a huge fan of Zero 7, I completely agree with your thoughts on Sia's collaborations (I also love Sophie Barker's vocals on Z7's tracks).
Whilst reading, I immediately thought of the amazing video of a relatively unknown Janis Joplin, with her SF band, Big Brother & The Holding Company, ripping through Big Mama Thornton's "Ball & Chain" at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Her power and energy, watching her feet stomp as she belts out with every fiber of her being and soul, are absolutely breathtaking. At the end, she gleefully runs off the stage, knowing she just nailed it. The camera then pans to Mama Cass, who is completely blown away. Janis' career would never be the same after that performance.
I have also seen Mazzy Star twice and Hope Sandoval several times, and she is quietly enigmatic and commands the stage in a way that is difficult to explain, as she is quiet, relatively still, and often bathed in subtle light or total darkness. Her presence combined with her gorgeous voice, makes me melt.
Finally, the tiny amount of live video of Betty Davis that we have is astonishing to watch. I wish there were more because she was an incredible performer!
These are just a few that came to mind!
Thanks Michael. I’ll have to check out that Janis performance in its entirety. I must have seen some of it on the documentary “Janis: Little Girl Blue” but need to revisit it as well as the documentary which I remember enjoying but also left me feeling quite sad.
While I’ve chosen for the most part fairly fierce and animated performances there’s also immense power in those more intimate performances although they don’t always translate on video. Of those more subtly powerful performances, it’s the ones I’ve seen live that carry the most emotional weight.
I’ve heard of Betty Davis but haven’t listened to much of her music as far as I’m aware.
Janis doing Ball and Chain was a spiritual experience in its own right! 🎸🎤
Amen, brother.
Such a great idea! Female artists don't get enough credit, so it's always refreshing to read this type of work.
Beth Hart is so good. I am mostly familiar with the work she did with Joe but need to dive deeper into her solo stuff.
Also Ledisi -- what a voice, what a talent! I had one of her records, or at least thought I had it somewhere, but no idea where it is or where it ended up after I moved to the UK. This gives me a chance to reconnect with her and also with some of the other artists you mentioned.
As live performances of female artists go, in my opinion, it doesn't get any better than this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY0SMqLLEUc
Mariah was just starting out and there was a lot of media speculation that she was a studio product (probably on the back of the Milli Vanilli scandal). There was also mounting pressure for her to explain herself in terms of her ethnicity -- being half-black, half-white, the expectation was that she should "choose" a certain side... none of this was made easier by how she looked (fair skin) coupled with how she sounded (classical technique but as soulful and gospel-like as it can get).
Mind you, she was 21 years old when she performed this song (which she wrote alongside Carol King for Mariah's second album). The range, the level of relaxation, the maturity in her voice and the diaphragmatic support of those belts are all things which still send shockwaves to this day particularly from vocal coaches or professional singers when reacting to this performance.
As a lifelong fan, this is, to me, Mariah at her absolute best. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks for reading and commenting Andy!
It’s funny, I’m the opposite with Beth Hart. I’m much more familiar with her earlier work and haven’t listened to new music from her in decades. I’m gonna check out her work with Joe.
Ledisi is an artist I’d heard of but never really listened to until her Nina Simone tribute album.
That performance by Mariah is a stunner. Hard to believe she was only 21 and already so accomplished at the time. She really does make it look so easy doesn’t she?
Always a pleasure!
Her albums with Joe (Seesaw and Black Coffee) are spectacular. Not sure how different or similar they are to her solo work but I highly recommend them!
There’s a Ledisi album I really liked — Wild Card. If you’re not familiar, I recommend it too!
Mariah truly is a force of nature. Her musicality is hard to beat among her contemporaries. Glad you enjoyed!
great selection of performances
Glad you enjoyed them Jon, thanks for reading!
Another Beth Hart master class.