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.
Summertime
Big Brother & The Holding Company Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Child, the living's easy
Fish are jumping out
And the cotton, Lord
Cotton's high, Lord so high
Your daddy's rich
And your ma is so good looking, baby
Hush, baby, baby, baby, baby now
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Don't you cry, don't you cry
One of these mornings
You're gonna rise, rise up singing
You're gonna spread your wings, child
And take, take to the sky
Lord, the sky
But until that morning
Honey, n-n-nothing's going to harm ya
No, no, no no, no no, no
No, no, no no, no no, no
No, no, no no, no no, no
Don't you cry, don't you cry
The lyrics to Big Brother & The Holding Company's classic rock song "Summertime" describe the carefree feeling of summertime and the promise of a bright future. The first verse paints a picture of a lazy summer day, with the fish jumping and the cotton high. The second verse speaks directly to a young child, assuring her that her parents are doing well and that she shouldn't cry. The third verse offers hope for the future, telling the child that she will rise up singing and take to the sky, but until then, nothing will harm her and she shouldn't cry. The song is both nostalgic and optimistic, capturing the essence of the joy and possibility inherent in the summertime season.
Line by Line Meaning
Summertime, time, time,
It's summer and it seems to last forever.
Child, the living's easy
Life is simple and carefree.
Fish are jumping out
The fish are so abundant and easy to catch.
And the cotton, Lord,
Cotton crops are plentiful and profitable.
Cotton's high, Lord so high
The price of cotton is high and it's a great time to make money.
Your daddy's rich
Your father is wealthy.
And your ma is so good-looking, baby
Your mother is beautiful.
She's a-looking good now,
Your mother is currently looking great.
Hush, baby, baby, baby, baby now,
Quiet down, everything is alright.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no,
There's no need to worry, no bad things will happen.
Don't you cry, don't you cry
Everything is going to be okay, don't worry.
One of these mornings
One day in the future.
You're gonna rise, rise up singing,
You will feel happy and optimistic.
You're gonna spread your wings, child,
You will be free and able to achieve great things.
And take, take to the sky,
You will soar and reach for the stars.
Lord, the sky
The sky is vast and endless.
But until that morning,
Before that day comes.
Honey, n-n-nothing's going to harm ya,
You are safe from harm.
No, no, no no, no no, no,
There's no need to worry, nothing bad will happen.
Don't you cry, don't you cry
Everything is going to be okay, don't worry.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Heyward, Du Bose Heyward, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@geralddietz4577
Got to pay your dues if want to
sing the blues and you know it
don't come easy. We'll she paid
in full.
Janice Joplin , on a level of her
own and no one has ever come
close to eclipsing her .
The San Francisco sound courtesy
Big Brother and the holding Co.
with the severely distorted guitars
takes me back to the best of the
60's and 70's.
@alejandroarpt9966
Qué chingona canción!!
Summertime, time, time
Child, the living's easy
Fish are jumping out
And the cotton, Lord
Cotton's high, Lord so high
Your daddy's rich
And your ma is so good-looking, baby
She's a-looking good now
Hush, baby, baby, baby, baby now
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Don't you cry, don't you cry
One of these mornings
You're gonna rise, rise up singing
You're gonna spread your wings, child
And take, take to the sky
Lord, the sky
But until that morning
Honey, n-n-nothing's going to harm ya
No, no, no no, no no, no...
Don't you cry, cry.
@christinet3392
Janis Joplin was my mother’s favorite female vocalist. This song is bittersweet for me: it was my mom’s favorite Janis Joplin song and usually makes me cry. RIP mom and Janis.
♾️🕊️❤🌻
@purplehaze658
❤
@montblancfan
Bendiciones, Christine!
@butgod2480
Sorry for your loss. Yeah, this one brings back some good and some tough memories for me as well. I was 16 when this came out. In those years, many of us faced the draft & Vietnam with Janis in our record collections. Hearing this one is moving.
@pinkpastelhearts
shes my moms favorite too, when i remember their death days, i play janis joplin to cheer them up and to remember them (i also set out whatever liqour they loved (like janis loved her southern comfort, i think my mom loved jim beam) and burn incense for them.
@marieblue
Janis Joplin’s rendition (late 60s) of “Summertime” is probably the best-known and most awesome of all pop versions of George Gershwin’s ever so famous aria (composed in 1934 for the 1935 opera “Porgy and Bess”).
Yes, the one who was aptly nicknamed “PEARL” was THAT FORMIDABLY GIFTED‼️
ONE SHEER MUSICAL GEM… then, now and for aeons❕ 💜💎💚
Always loved, never forgotten, forever missed will you remain, Janis Lyn Joplin (1943 - 1970)… 🌹
@aramintaohio
I love this song so much. Janis was so incredible, I tear up a little whenever I hear this song.
@carloseugeniocarlos4287
52 without Pearl . Rest in peace Janis Joplin. We miss you .
@gryjffrs
So good! No one else should ever even try to do it better.
@allbiz8832
What a voice