The band was formed by Peter Albin, Sam Andrew, James Gurley (1939 – 2009) and Chuck Jones in San Francisco, in a Victorian mansion/boarding house owned by Peter's uncle at 1090 Page Street in the Haight-Ashbury. That house became the site of Wednesday night jam sessions which were organized by Chet Helms who was the real "Big Brother," naming the band, bringing James Gurley into the fold and later seeing that his old friend Janis Joplin came to sing with them. The first official Big Brother gig was at the Open Theater in Berkeley, January 1966. Within a short time they became the house band for Chet at the Avalon Ballroom and began to develop a loyal following, largely due to the charismatic, pioneering guitarwork of James Gurley. The band had what Sam Andrew called a "progressive-regressive hurricane blues style," playing such tunes as Hall of the Mountain King, Coo Coo, That's How Strong My Love Is, and Down On Me. Janis Joplin made her debut with Big Brother at the Avalon Ballroom in June 1966, and a year later, in June 1967, Big Brother and Janis performed at The Monterey Pop Festival. From that point on, Janis became the main focus of attention, with her high voltage and raw emotional performances, while Big Brother faded into the backgroud and became known for being her back-up band.
At the end of the summer of 1968, just after appearing at the Palace of Fine Arts Festival in San Francisco, Joplin announced that she was leaving Big Brother in the fall of that year. The official reason given was her desire to go solo and form a soul music band. Sam Andrew also left the band to join Janis in her new project. Janis played with Big Brother until December 1, 1968, at a Family Dog Benefit concert in San Francisco. Twenty days later she and Sam played in Memphis for the first time with her new band, later called Kozmic Blues Band.
After Janis left Big Brother, Dave Getz and Peter Albin joined Country Joe and the Fish and toured the U.S. and Europe and played on the Country Joe album Here We Go Again (Vanguard Records 1969). Getz and Albin left Country Joe in May 1969 with the intention of re-forming Big Brother with guitarist David Nelson. They auditioned several singers including Eddie Money, Kathi McDonald and John Herald but the band finally came back together in the fall of 1969 with nearly the same line-up (except Joplin): Albin, Andrew, Getz and Gurley were joined by Nick Gravenites (vocals), Dave Schallock (guitar) and Kathi McDonald (vocals). Be a Brother was released in 1970. Gurley moved to bass guitar while Albin played rhythm, Sam Andrew sang more lead vocals with Kathi McDonald, David Schallock on lead guitar, Dave Getz on drums and occasional keyboards. Nick Gravenites would also produce the album, write and sing on a number of the tracks. They releasad their last studio album, How Hard It Is, in 1971. The same lineup: Kathi and Sam and Nick on vocals joined by organist Mike Finnegan. The band remained with this lineup until 1972 but drugs, loss of management, lack of gigs and internal squabbles caused them to gradually fall apart and disband during that year. During the next 15 years they re-united once to play "The Tribal Stomp" in 1978 at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley.
The latest incarnation began in 1987, and has been touring part-time ever since with most of its original members, including Sam Andrew, Peter Albin, Dave Getz, and James Gurley. James left in 1996 because he did not support his colleagues' idea to hire a female singer to replace Joplin. He was replaced in 1997 by Tom Finch. Big Brother no longer has a fixed lead singer; Michel Bastian, Lisa Battle, Halley DeVestern, Lisa Mills, Andra Mitrovich, Kacee Clanton, Sophia Ramos, Mary Bridget Davies, Chloe Lowery, Jane Myrenget, Lynn Asher, Maria Stanford, Cathy Richardson, and Superfly's Shiho Ochi are among the singers that have played in concerts with them. Ben Nieves is the present guitar player along with Sam Andrew. In 1999 the band released the album Do What You Love, with Lisa Battle as the lead singer. The album contains some new versions of classic tunes like "Women is Loser" and a few new songs. The "Hold Me" album, with Sophia Ramos as lead singer and Chad Quist as guitar player, was recorded live in Germany in 2005, and released in 2006. In 2008 they released the two-CD set The Lost Tapes, with songs recorded at concerts between 1966 and 1967 in San Francisco, and featuring Janis Joplin as lead singer. Some songs had already been unofficial releases, but there are 12 never-before-released songs.
Former guitarist James Gurley died on December 20, 2009 of a heart attack, just two days before his 70th birthday.
Bye Bye Baby
Big Brother & The Holding Company Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I may be seeing you around
When I change my living standard and I move uptown,
Bye-bye, baby, bye-bye.
So long, my honey, so long.
I guess I'm gonna make it somehow.
But you may not be with me, darling, when I do
Well, I know that
Bye-bye, baby, bye-bye.
I guess I'm gonna make it OK.
An' I'll see you in a funny place some old day,
So long, my honey, so long.
Well, I get the feeling I could chase you clean on in the ball
And wind up staying pull off, put down strung out and stalled.
Honey, I ain't got time to wait on you or to fetch your super-ball,
I've got lots of things I've got to do.
So long, my honey, so long.
I guess I'm gonna make it somehow
But you may not be with me darling when I do
'cause you're not with me now!
So long, my honey, so long.
Too bad you had to drift away
'cause I could use some company
Right on this road, right on this road I'm on today, yeah!
Well, I know that you got things to do and places to be
And I guess I'll have to find the thing you placed on me.
I may wind up in the street or sleep beneath a tree,
Still I guess you know, honey I've gotta go.
Bye, bye-bye, baby, bye-bye.
Lord, I might've been your wife,
But you settled for a place right in my heart,
You didn't want a place in my life.
So long, my honey, so long.
I guess you know you're on your own,
It seems you just got lost somewhere out in the world
And you left me here to face it all alone,
Why, you left me here to face it all alone,
You left me here to face it all alone, yeah!
I said bye, bye b-bye baby, baby bye-bye!!
In Big Brother & The Holding Company's song "Bye Bye Baby," the singer declares their intention to move to a higher socioeconomic status and leave their current relationship behind. The opening lines set the tone for the entire song, as the singer bids farewell to their lover, promising to move on and find a new way of living. The song is about finding the strength to walk away from a relationship that no longer serves you, even if it feels difficult or painful. By acknowledging the sense of loneliness and loss that is a natural part of a breakup, the singer is able to come to terms with the end of the relationship and look forward to a new chapter in their life.
The lyrics themselves express a sense of determination and resilience, as the singer resolves to move on and let go of their past. Yet there is also a sense of sadness and regret, as the singer mourns what could have been and wonders about the future without their lover. The repeated refrain of "so long, my honey, so long" creates a bittersweet quality that underscores the complexity of the singer's feelings. Ultimately, the song is a powerful reminder that sometimes the hardest thing to do is to walk away from something you love, but that doing so can be a necessary step towards growth and personal fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
Bye, bye-bye, baby, bye-bye.
I am saying goodbye to you, my love.
I may be seeing you around When I change my living standard and I move uptown, Bye-bye, baby, bye-bye.
I may run into you someday, but I am moving on and leaving you behind.
So long, my honey, so long. I guess I'm gonna make it somehow. But you may not be with me, darling, when I do 'cause you're not with me now.
I am saying goodbye to you, and while I may succeed in life, you will not be with me to share it because we are not together anymore.
Well, I know that Bye-bye, baby, bye-bye. I guess I'm gonna make it OK. An' I'll see you in a funny place some old day, So long, my honey, so long.
I am acknowledging that we are parting ways, but I am confident that I will make it, and I may meet you in a weird place in the future.
Well, I get the feeling I could chase you clean on in the ball And wind up staying pull off, put down strung out and stalled. Honey, I ain't got time to wait on you or to fetch your super-ball, I've got lots of things I've got to do.
I have a sense that I could chase you forever, but I am not going to waste my time waiting for you or playing games. I am moving on to focus on my own life.
So long, my honey, so long. I guess I'm gonna make it somehow But you may not be with me darling when I do 'cause you're not with me now!
I am repeating that I am leaving you, and while I may achieve success, you will not be with me because we have already separated.
So long, my honey, so long. Too bad you had to drift away 'cause I could use some company Right on this road, right on this road I'm on today, yeah!
It is too bad that you left me because I feel lonely now, but I have to continue my journey alone.
Well, I know that you got things to do and places to be And I guess I'll have to find the thing you placed on me. I may wind up in the street or sleep beneath a tree, Still, I guess you know, honey, I've gotta go.
I understand that you have your own priorities, and I have to find my own way without you. It may be tough, but I have to leave and figure it out on my own.
Bye, bye-bye, baby, bye-bye. Lord, I might've been your wife, But you settled for a place right in my heart, You didn't want a place in my life.
I am affirming that we are finished, even though we might have been married. You were just a passing love for me, and you never wanted to be a part of my life.
So long, my honey, so long. I guess you know you're on your own, It seems you just got lost somewhere out in the world And you left me here to face it all alone, Why, you left me here to face it all alone, You left me here to face it all alone, yeah!
I am saying goodbye to you, and you are on your own now. You left me alone to deal with the consequences of your actions, and it hurts.
I said bye, bye b-bye baby, baby bye-bye!!
I repeat my farewell to you, my love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARY WELLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@henriquelopes4669
Bye, bye-bye, baby, bye-bye.
I may be seeing you around
When I change my living standard and I move uptown,
Bye-bye, baby, bye-bye.
So long, my honey, so long.
I guess I'm gonna make it somehow.
But you may not be with me, darling, when I do
'cause you're not with me now.
Well, I know that
Bye-bye, baby, bye-bye.
I guess I'm gonna make it OK.
An' I'll see you in a funny place some old day,
So long, my honey, so long.
Well, I get the feeling I could chase you clean on in the ball
And wind up staying pull off, put down strung out and stalled.
Honey, I ain't got time to wait on you or to fetch your super-ball,
I've got lots of things I've got to do.
So long, my honey, so long.
I guess I'm gonna make it somehow
But you may not be with me darling when I do
'cause you're not with me now!
So long, my honey, so long.
Too bad you had to drift away
'cause I could use some company
Right on this road, right on this road I'm on today, yeah!
Well, I know that you got things to do and places to be
And I guess I'll have to find the thing you placed on me.
I may wind up in the street or sleep beneath a tree,
Still I guess you know, honey I've gotta go.
Bye, bye-bye, baby, bye-bye.
Lord, I might've been your wife,
But you settled for a place right in my heart,
You didn't want a place in my life.
So long, my honey, so long.
I guess you know you're on your own,
It seems you just got lost somewhere out in the world
And you left me here to face it all alone,
Why, you left me here to face it all alone,
You left me here to face it all alone, yeah!
I said bye, bye b-bye baby, baby bye-bye!!
@elginphelps5291
My brother brought this album home when I was 11. Now I'm 65.
@ShanaiCollins
52 years later we still love and miss you, R.I.P Pearl
@tiagoferreirapimenta557
The best janis
@donwargowsky4724
What "genius" decided Janis' voice needed double-tracked on this album ?? The 2008 remaster of this album has a bonus track of this exact song that's NOT double-tracked & the difference is amazing. It's like double-tracking Ray Charles or Jessye Norman. This first album could have been a masterpiece.
@soundawake
someone please post remaster version
@vicentemartinez2276
I really enjoy that double traking tbh
@WastrelWay
Yes, I hear these remastered versions and I wonder, What is wrong it doesn't sound like that. No her voice was not double-tracked on the original. Her voice did not need to be double-tracked, and everyone knew it. This is a 21st century schizoid version.
@PRISMN54
One of my favorites. I have all the vinyls.
@clarkewi
A masterpiece of the era.
@jenniferterry4196
The mash-up of calypso and R&B is divine.