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.
Call On Me
Big Brother & The Holding Company Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now call on me, darling, and I'll come to you.
When you're in trouble and feel so sad,
Well, call on me, darling, I said call on me, and I'll help you.
Yeah!
A man and a woman have each other, baby,
To find their way in this world.
Don't take your sweet, sweet love from me.
Baby, when you're down and feel so blue,
Well, no, you won't drown, darling, I'll be there, too.
You're not alone, I'm there, too,
Whatever your troubles, honey, I don't care.
A man and a woman have each other, baby,
To find their way in this world.
I need you, darling, like the fish needs the sea,
Don't take your sweet, sweet love from me!
Please! So baby, when times are bad,
Call on me, darling, just call on me.
The lyrics of Big Brother & The Holding Company's "Call On Me" are a passionate plea for support and companionship through the hardships of life. The song begins by addressing a lover in need, urging them to turn to the singer when times are tough. The repeated refrain of "call on me" emphasizes the idea of being there for someone, no matter what they're going through. The lyrics move on to express how important it is for two people to have each other to navigate the challenges of the world.
The fish metaphor in "I need you, darling, like the fish needs the sea" illustrates the singer's dependency on their lover for survival and their inability to function without them. The lyrics suggest that the two people are deeply connected and thus, cannot be separated.
The song continues with the assurance that no matter how difficult things may seem, the singer will always be there to offer a helping hand. The final lines of the song reiterate that regardless of the obstacles they may face, the singer and their lover need each other to make it through life.
Overall, "Call On Me" is a touching expression of love, loyalty, and companionship. In times of trouble, having someone to lean on can make all the difference, and the song beautifully captures this sentiment.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, baby, when times are bad,
When things get tough for you, my dear
Now call on me, darling, and I'll come to you.
You can always rely on me to be there for you
When you're in trouble and feel so sad,
In times of trouble and overwhelming emotions
Well, call on me, darling, I said call on me, and I'll help you.
Just call for me, my love, and I'll lend a hand
Yeah!
An expression of agreement, to let the listener know the singer is serious
A man and a woman have each other, baby,
Two people in love have one another to depend on
To find their way in this world.
To navigate through this complex world together
I need you, darling, like the fish needs the sea,
I have a great need for you, my love, like fish require the ocean to survive
Don't take your sweet, sweet love from me.
Please do not withhold your love from me, my dear
Baby, when you're down and feel so blue,
When you're feeling low and depressed
Well, no, you won't drown, darling, I'll be there, too.
You won't be alone in your struggles, I'll be there for you
You're not alone, I'm there, too,
You don't have to face your troubles alone, I'm here for you
Whatever your troubles, honey, I don't care.
Your problems don't matter, what matters is being there for you
Please! So baby, when times are bad,
Please remember, my love, that I'm only a call away when things get tough
Call on me, darling, just call on me.
Remember to reach out to me for help, my love
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ROBERT HEALEY, SAM ANDREW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@never-kiilgaming8230
Hé bien bébé, quand les temps sont durs
Appelle-moi chéri et je viendrai à toi
Quand tu as des problèmes et que tu te sens si mal
Hé bien appelle-moi chéri, je t'ai dit de m'appeler et je t'aiderai
Un homme et une femme sont là l'un pour l'autre, bébé
Pour trouver leur chemin dans ce monde
J'ai besoin de toi chéri,comme un poisson a besoin de la mer
Ne m'enlève pas ton tendre ton tendre amour
Bébé, quand tu déprimes
Hé bien tu ne te noieras pas, je serais là
Tu n'est pas seul, je suis là moi aussi
Quelque soient tes problèmes, chéri, je m'en fiche
Un homme et une femme sont là l'un pour l'autre, bébé
Pour trouver leur chemin dans ce monde
J'ai besoin de toi chéri,comme un poisson a besoin de la mer
Ne m'enlève pas ton tendre ton tendre amour
Je t'en prie bébé, quand les temps sont durs
Appelle-moi, chéri, juste appelle-moi
@xelaluza
#biglittlelies brought me here and i love it
@saimaddy3456
Me too ^ ^
@carolinemckinlay2007
Me too
@justmenpm144
Ohh gee me too but I love janis Joplin....
@WLM1999
Same situation
@1986lora
yesssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@wearybutwilling
I love this song and you can tell the difference in Janis when she had the security of Big Brother with her. When that went south, she just couldn't get it back together musically until Pearl, my favorite Joplin album. If you listen carefully , you can hear Janis hitting and holding the high notes. Nothing like later years. In the mid 90's I went to a Halloween party dressed like Janis. I was in my mid 30's and the ones that were my age or a little older immediately came up and said "Janis..NIIICE!" I had her signature plums and hat along with the round red shades, beads galore and the Janis clothes down to a T. It was how I remembered her , so that's how I honored her in perfect Janis style. There was not one person born in the 50's that didn't catch it. MEMORIES....a great thing to have.
@PixiePal2454
Wow, I had completely forgotten about Big Brother & The Holding Company! When my boyfriend (and later first husband) graduated in 1971, I bought the 8 track of Pearl for a graduation present, because he was such a fan.
@laureljune7561
Jan Hots hahaha jan 8 tracks ??? oh i remember them !!
@PixiePal2454
laurel zebe Really? I saw one for sale several years ago, in a secondhand shop, but don't remember how much it was, lol. Not that I would have bought it~no way, lol.