However, Erma has a terrific voice for soul music, and the song by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns has a powerful message.Īlthough the singer has lost her love to someone new, she reiterates her dedication to him, and she vows that her love will continue despite the pain she is suffering. 1992.” That is technically correct, but the music wasn’t live - it is simply a music video with lip-synching from Erma, and the audio is the original 1967 recording of the song. The identification is rather carefully worded – it says that it was “filmed at The Soup Kitchen, Detroit, Oct. Here is Erma Franklin singing Piece of My Heart. Erma and her sister Carolyn can be heard providing the sassy backup vocals on Aretha’s 1967 breakout hit, Respect. Franklin, was pastor of a big church in Detroit). Of course, as one of the Franklin sisters, Erma had a wonderful voice that was trained in the family’s gospel choir (her father, Reverend C.L. Here is a photo of Erma from early in her career. Her singing career ended up in the shadow of her sister Aretha, and Janis Joplin’s cover of her biggest song completely overshadowed her original version. So, despite a wealth of talent, Erma Franklin could never catch the big break. The song then became a psychedelic-rock classic, and the cover artist turned out to be a singing sensation whose tragic death turns her into an iconic figure. That film won the 2014 Academy Award for Best Documentary.Īnd the great song recorded by Erma Franklin? It somehow languished in the pop charts, until it was covered by some white chick from Texas. This was beautifully depicted in the 2013 documentary 20 Feet From Stardom, which interviewed a number of backup singers and talked with them about their experiences. In some cases it would appear that the backup singers are more talented than the “stars,” but just never get the big break so essential for success. In fact, a number of incredibly talented pop singers have never managed to crack the big time, instead becoming backups for others. Now, Erma Franklin’s story is not unique. What little success you garner occurs mainly as one of Aretha’s backup singers. Looks like you are headed straight for stardom, right?įirst off, although you may be a really talented singer, your little sister Aretha Franklin turns out to be the greatest R&B vocalist of all time. You are given a terrific tune by two talented songwriters, and the song is given a first-rate arrangement by your producer. Also, you are a singer who can use her training in gospel to great effect in soul music. You have a terrific voice – a natural for rhythm & blues. We will review the original by Erma Franklin, and a cover of that song by Big Brother and the Holding Company.Ĭonsider the following scenario. Hello there! In this week’s blog we consider Piece of My Heart, a great rhythm and blues song from the 60s.
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