Audiogrammes

Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose
Nothing, that’s all that Bobby left me
But feeling good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues,
Hey, feeling good was good enough for me
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee.





Full of great one-liners:
I’d trade all of my tomorrows for just one yesterday
To be holding Bobby’s body next to mine.


I discovered Janis’ version of this track on her posthumous album Pearl (1971). And then I found the above version which is even better on a compilation. And then I slowly went up the food chain to Kris Kristofferson’s original song and the album of the same name. It was actually re-released under that name in order to cash in on Joplin’s success. It had been been released a year earlier as Kristofferson and I have to thank my “penpal” for refreshing my memory.
Remember when we were children, parents encouraged us to communicate with children our own age but in far away countries to develop language and communication skills? Well let’s just say that I’ve had a little help from my friends on this post, as I do on most of them actually. So here’s a downloadable video snippet by the man himself as well as a couple of Youtube videos.








Anyway we’re gonna continue with freedom fighters covered by outstanding vocalists





At last I am free
I can hardly see in front of me
I can hardly see in front of me

And now love, please hold me
Come closer, my dear
It feels so good, just having you near
But who am I fooling
When I know it’s not real?
I can’t hide
All this hurt and pain inside I feel


I discovered this track through Robert Wyatt’s version. Turns out it’s a Chic song (As in Le Freak c’est Chic / Freak out! Nile Rodgers keeps blowing me away…)





And of course there’s the Liz Fraser / Cocteau Twins version I found on a Rough Trade compilation





“Are we there yet?”
What’s the point?
One last song for the road in 4 different versions





Set me free, why don’t cha babe
Get out my life, why don’t cha babe
‘Cause you don’t really love me
You just keep me hangin’ on
You don’t really need me
But you keep me hangin’ on

Why do you keep a coming around
Playing with my heart?
Why don’t you get out of my life
And let me make a new start?
Let me get over you
The way you’ve gotten over me


As a boy raised in the 80s, Kim Wilde still triggers something in me. That was the first version I heard of this amazingly empowering song. “I will survive” can go jump off a cliff as far as I’m concerned. But then in the 90s I got into this whole 60s-70s phase and discovered Vanilla Fudge’s psychedelic version.





Of course, in the noughties a friend then introduced me to Tim (aka Jeff’s Dad) Buckley and his medley





But it wasn’t until last September that I got slapped in the face by the original version. And boy did I (and do I still) deserve it





That’s all folks!
and to end on a “lighter” note here’s Blue Mel!