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.
Easy Rider
Big Brother & The Holding Company Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's a-standing on the levee trying to do that twist,
But easy rider don't you deny my name,
Oh no, oh no.
Well, I got a girl with a diamond ring,
I'll tell you, boys, she knows how to shake that thing.
Oh! Easy rider don't you deny my name,
Play it!
Well, I got a horse and he lives in a tree,
He watches Huckleberry Hound on his TV.
But easy rider don't you deny my name,
Oh no, oh no.
I would buy you a plastic suit
And I would even buy you some cardboard fruit.
Oh! But easy rider don't you deny my name,
Oh no, oh no.
Yeah, easy rider, don't you deny my name, pretty baby doll
I said, easy rider, don't you deny my name, pretty baby doll
I said, easy rider, don't you deny my name, pretty baby doll
I said, easy rider, don't you deny my name, pretty baby
In the song "Easy Rider," the singer sings about a girl named Sister who is dancing to the twist on the levee. He declares that he is an "easy rider," a free-spirited individual who cannot be controlled or denied. He then describes his girlfriend, who is skilled at dancing, and the horse that he keeps in a tree and watches TV with. Finally, he tells Sister that he would buy her anything she could want, but he still asserts his identity as an easy rider who cannot be denied.
The song is a classic example of the counterculture movement of the 1960s, which rejected traditional values and sought to create a new, freer society. The singer celebrates his freedom and individuality, refusing to conform to societal norms. The reference to Huckleberry Hound, a popular cartoon character, reinforces the idea of rejecting established culture in favor of a more independent, personal experience.
Interestingly, "Easy Rider" was initially written as a jingle for Coca-Cola. However, it was later reworked into a full song and became a hit for Big Brother and the Holding Company. The song's memorable guitar and harmonica solos have made it a favorite among fans of classic rock, and it continues to be remembered as a symbol of the counterculture era.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey mama, mama, come a look at sister,
Come and see what sister is doing on the levee.
She's a-standing on the levee trying to do that twist,
Sister is attempting to dance the twist on the levee.
But easy rider don't you deny my name,
Easy rider, don't pretend you don't know me.
Oh no, oh no.
I won't let you ignore me.
Well, I got a girl with a diamond ring,
I have a girlfriend who has an expensive ring.
I'll tell you, boys, she knows how to shake that thing.
She knows how to dance seductively.
Oh! Easy rider don't you deny my name,
Again, don't act as if you don't know me, easy rider.
Oh no, oh no.
I won't let you forget me.
Well, I got a horse and he lives in a tree,
I own a horse who lives in a tree.
He watches Huckleberry Hound on his TV.
The horse watches TV.
But easy rider don't you deny my name,
Don't act like we haven't met before.
Oh no, oh no.
I won't let you pretend like we're strangers.
I would buy you a plastic suit
I can buy you anything, even a plastic suit.
And I would even buy you some cardboard fruit.
I'll even buy you things that aren't valuable.
Oh! But easy rider don't you deny my name,
Despite all this, don't act like you don't know me.
Oh no, oh no.
I won't let you forget who I am.
Yeah, easy rider, don't you deny my name, pretty baby doll
Again, don't pretend not to know me, beautiful woman.
I said, easy rider, don't you deny my name, pretty baby doll
Repeating the point one more time.
I said, easy rider, don't you deny my name, pretty baby doll
Continuing to emphasize that easy rider should acknowledge the singer.
I said, easy rider, don't you deny my name, pretty baby
The same message as the previous lines, just without the word 'doll.'
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JAMES GURLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind