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.
Turtle Blues
Big Brother & The Holding Company Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't mean no one man, no good, no.
I'm a mean, mean woman,
I don't mean no one man, no good.
I just treats 'em like I wants to,
I never treats 'em, honey like I should.
Oh, Lord, I once had a daddy,
Once had a daddy,
Said he'd give me everything in sight.
Yes, he did.
So I said, "Honey, I want the sunshine,
You take the stars out of the night.
Come on and give 'em to me, babe, 'cause I want 'em right now."
I ain't the kind of woman
Who'd make your life a bed of ease, ha ha ha ha!
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
I'm not the kind of woman, no,
To make your life a bed of ease.
Yeah, but if you, if you just want to go out drinkin', honey,
Won't you invite me along, please.
Oh, I'll be so good to ya babe, yeah!
Whoa, go on!
I guess I'm just like a turtle
That's hidin' underneath its horny shell.
Whoa, whoa, oh yeah, like a turtle
Hidin' underneath its hard-ass shell.
But you know I'm very well protected ¡ª
I know this goddamn life too well.
Oh! Now call me mean, you can call me evil, yeah, yeah,
I've been called much worser things around,
Honey, don't ya know I have!
Whoa, call me mean or call me evil
I've been called much worser things, all things around,
Yeah, but I'm gonna take good care of Janis, yeah,
Honey, ain't no one gonna dog me down.
Alright, yeah.
The song "Turtle Blues" by Big Brother & The Holding Company is a blues track that is primarily about a woman who is considered "mean" and "evil." Janis Joplin, the lead vocalist, begins the song by saying "I'm a mean, mean woman, I don't mean no one man, no good." This statement suggests that she is a difficult and tough woman who does not treat her partners well. She states that she treats them as she likes and not how they deserve to be treated. She goes on to sing about her father who promised her the world but failed to deliver it. Instead, he gave her nothing and left her empty-handed. As a result, she demands that her partner gives her everything she wants, including the sunshine and the stars.
As the song progresses, Janis Joplin describes herself as being like a turtle hiding under its shell. Although she comes across as mean, she claims that she is only protecting herself from a harsh world. The song ends with Janis singing that she is not going to allow anyone to bring her down.
Overall, "Turtle Blues" is a song about a woman who is tough on the outside but is just trying to protect herself from a difficult life. It highlights the struggles that women face in a world that often treats them unfairly.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah, I'm a mean, mean woman,
I am a tough and uncompromising woman
I don't mean no one man, no good, no.
I don't take anyone's shit
I'm a mean, mean woman,
I am tough and unapologetic
I don't mean no one man, no good.
I won't let myself be used or taken advantage of by any man
I just treats 'em like I wants to,
I treat men the way I feel like treating them
I never treats 'em, honey like I should.
I don't treat men the way they expect or want to be treated
Oh, Lord, I once had a daddy,
I used to have a man in my life who took care of me
He said he'd give me everything in sight.
He promised to give me everything I could ever want
Once had a daddy,
I used to have a man in my life who took care of me
Said he'd give me everything in sight.
He promised to give me everything I could ever want
Yes, he did.
He definitely made that promise
So I said, "Honey, I want the sunshine,
I demanded the best from him
You take the stars out of the night.
I expected him to deliver on his promises
Come on and give 'em to me, babe, 'cause I want 'em right now."
I demanded that he fulfill his promises immediately
I ain't the kind of woman
I am not the type of woman
Who'd make your life a bed of ease, ha ha ha ha!
I won't make your life easy or comfortable, I like to push boundaries
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
I won't bend my will for any man
I'm not the kind of woman, no,
I am not the kind of woman who is easy to handle
To make your life a bed of ease.
I won't be a pushover or make things easy for you
Yeah, but if you, if you just want to go out drinkin', honey,
If you are willing to play by my rules and just want to have fun
Won't you invite me along, please.
Please take me with you
Oh, I'll be so good to ya babe, yeah!
I promise to be a fun party companion
Whoa, go on!
Let's go out and have some fun
I guess I'm just like a turtle
I am like a turtle
That's hidin' underneath its horny shell.
Keeping my guard up and protecting myself
Whoa, whoa, oh yeah, like a turtle
I am similar to a turtle
Hidin' underneath its hard-ass shell.
I have built up walls to protect myself
But you know I'm very well protected ¡¡¡
My defenses serve me well
I know this goddamn life too well.
I am experienced and wise to the ways of the world
Oh! Now call me mean, you can call me evil, yeah, yeah,
I don't care what you call me
I've been called much worser things around,
I have been called worse names in my life
Honey, don't ya know I have!
Trust me, I have been called every name in the book
Whoa, call me mean or call me evil
You can call me whatever you want
I've been called much worser things, all things around,
I have been called worse names than that
Yeah, but I'm gonna take good care of Janis, yeah,
I will take care of myself
Honey, ain't no one gonna dog me down.
No one will bring me down
Alright, yeah.
Okay then
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JANIS JOPLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind