Be a Brother  is an album by Big Brother and the Holding Company, released in 1970.  It was their first album after Janis Joplin’s departure.  Included are ten original Holding Company compositions.  In order to fill the hole left by Joplin’s departure, guitarist David Shallock and singer-songwriter Nick Gravenites contribute to lead vocals.  (More from Wikipedia)

 

 

 

Big Brother and the Holding Company is primarily known as the band that had Janis Joplin as their lead singer, but she was not in the band when it originally formed, and she actually only sang on two of their albums.  If only Janis had hung around Big Brother a little longer rather than striking out on her own, she might not have come to such a tragic end.  I have never actually heard any of their other albums, and as far as I know, they never had any other hits.  The album above, Be a Brother came out two years after their smash hit, Cheap Thrills. 

  

(September 2012)