I’m always fascinated when an artist sings a song that takes them out of their comfort zone or is not their usual genre, showcasing their talent and proving that they are not just a “one-trick pony”. I also appreciate when an artist takes a well-known song and makes it their own. “Surprising Songs Sung” will feature some of these songs that have caught my interest.
Kris Kristofferson wrote “Me and Bobby McGee” after the title was suggested to him by record producer, Fred Foster. Kristofferson tells the story in this “Performing Songwriter” article. The country song was first recorded by and was a hit for Roger Miller in 1969.
Janis Joplin’s version is, of course, the most well-known, and it added that famously soulful blues voice into the mix. It was recorded just shortly before she died and was released posthumously, becoming her only number one hit. Her version follows:
If you’ve only heard P!nk on the radio, you may think that she can only sing those beat-driven pop-rock songs that have been on the charts. Although in more recent years, her big ballads have been a showcase for her talent, in the early 2000’s she had hits like “Get the Party Started”, below:
This versatile singer had no trouble, though, doing an amazing version of “Me and Bobby McGee” at her AOL Sessions appearance in late 2003. Enjoy!
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I’ve always loved ‘Me & Bobby McGee’. it’s a song my mom sang a lot when I was younger. her version was a mix of both the KK version & the JJ one, with all the bluesy riffs at the end that was so fun to sing! she eventually got sick of singing it though and moved onto other things, but it’s the song that I always requested when she would sit down with her guitar and let me sing with her. so when I heard Pink’s version, I instantly loved it. thanks for this post, it’s really started my day off right ❤
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That’s a nice memory! I used to like to sing it a lot too. The “la la la”‘s at the end do feel really good when you throw yourself into them.
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Yeah, I really like Pink’s voice – we listen to her here as well on occasion. 🙂
Speaking of surprises – I remember being surprised at Lady Gaga’s “The Sound of Music” medley at the Oscars two years ago. I was blown away by how well she can really sing!
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Such a more traditional style than her usual singing… and she did it so well! She seemed just overwhelmed hugging Julie Andrews at the end.
Did you ever see P!nk’s performance at the Oscars of Somewhere over the Rainbow? So moving.
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