Yeah, You Know You've Got It . . .

Remembering Jenny Morris' memorable 1990 cover
of the funk/soul classic, "Piece of My Heart"

For "music night" this evening at The Wild Reed I share the music video of New Zealand-born Australian singer-songwriter Jenny Morris' 1990 cover of "Piece of My Heart."

Described as a "romantic funk/soul love song," "Piece of My Heart" was written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns and originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. Notes Wikipedia about subsequent recordings of "Piece of My Heart":

The song came to greater mainstream attention when Big Brother and the Holding Company (featuring Janis Joplin on lead vocals) covered the song in 1968 and had a much bigger hit with it. The song has since been remade by several singers, including Dusty Springfield on her 1968 album Dusty... Definitely, Bryan Ferry on his solo debut album These Foolish Things in 1973, Faith Hill in 1994 and Melissa Etheridge in 2005.

Other artists who have covered the song include Bettye Lavette, Bonnie Tyler, Etta James, Jimmy Barnes, Superfly, and the Glee cast featuring Shirley Maclaine. Erma Franklin re-recorded it in 1992.

Jenny Morris' 1990 version was a Top 40 hit in Australia in the early part of 1991. The song's accompanying video was inspired by a photograph by Cecil Beaton, as Jenny explains at the very beginning of the video below. I remember how for a while our local TV station played the video in its entirety between afternoon shows. I guess there must have been a Jenny Morris fan working at the station!

Anyway, Jenny's cover is one of my favorite versions of "Piece of My Heart" – musically and visually. I hope you enjoy it too.

I must admit to a certain amount of trepidation doing a Janis Joplin cover . . . but I did it, after all it's all in the interpretation and I really love the song, I just had to do it.

– Jenny Morris
Excerpted from the liner notes of the
1992 compilation album, Jenny Morris: The Story So Far

For more of Jenny Morris at The Wild Reed, see:
• In Too Deep
• The Price I Pay
• Saved Me
• Crackerjack Man
• Sometimes I Wonder . . .
• Tears
• Break in the Weather

Related Off-site Links:
"I Didn’t Find It a Joyful Experience Anymore": Singer Jenny Morris Reveals She Was Forced to Quit Music After Battling Rare Neurological Condition That Has No Cure – Monique Friedlander (Daily Mail, October 12, 2015).
Jenny Morris: Singer Reveals Career-ending Spasmodic Dysphonia Diagnosis, Hailed a "Real Hero" for Charity Work – Ben Cheshire (ABC News, October 12, 2015).
Jenny Morris Honoured for Fight for Musicians’ Rights as She Reveals She Was Assaulted on Stage – Kathy McCabe (The Daily Telegraph, March 25, 2017).
Singer Jenny Morris on Sharing a House with Michael Hutchence – Christine Sams (Domain, March 27, 2017).
Singer Jenny Morris Honoured in Sydney Ceremony – Iain Shedden (The Australian, May 20, 2017).

Previously featured artists at The Wild Reed:
Dusty Springfield | David Bowie | Kate Bush | Maxwell | Buffy Sainte-Marie | Prince | Frank Ocean | Maria Callas | Loreena McKennitt | Rosanne Cash | Petula Clark | Wendy Matthews | Darren Hayes | Jenny Morris | Gil Scott-Heron | Shirley Bassey | Rufus Wainwright | Kiki Dee | Suede | Marianne Faithfull | Dionne Warwick | Sam Sparro | Wanda Jackson | Engelbert Humperdinck | Pink Floyd | Carl Anderson | The Church | Enrique Iglesias | Yvonne Elliman | Lenny Kravitz | Helen Reddy | Stephen Gately | Judith Durham | Nat King Cole | Emmylou Harris | Bobbie Gentry | Russell Elliot | BØRNS | Hozier | Enigma | Moby (featuring the Banks Brothers) | Cat Stevens | Chrissy Amphlett | Jon Stevens | Nada Surf | Tom Goss (featuring Matt Alber) | Autoheart | Scissor Sisters | Mavis Staples | Claude Chalhoub | Cass Elliot | Duffy | The Cruel Sea | Wall of Voodoo | Loretta Lynn and Jack White | Foo Fighters | 1927 | Kate Ceberano | Tee Set | Joan Baez | Wet, Wet, Wet | Stephen “Tin Tin” Duffy | Fleetwood Mac | Jane Clifton | Australian Crawl | Pet Shop Boys | Marty Rhone | Josef Salvat | Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri | Aquilo | The Breeders | Tony Enos | Tupac Shakur | Nakhane Touré | Al Green | Donald Glover/Childish Gambino | Josh Garrels