Grace: "I can't sing the blues"

[QueenSlick]

Bear Melt was pretty close, Gracie.

Stunning performance on It's Pointed Little Head. Relaxing to this right now and totally blown away by Grace's voice. She always said she wasn't as good as Janis Joplin. I disagree.

[CookOfTheHouse]

I'm not sure, maybe she's right, maybe she isn't... Better Lying Down is great and I enjoy listen to it LIVE but in the studio version there are a few times where she tries to reach ridiculously high notes and she doesn't reach 'em and that kinda ruins the song. Janis was great with the blues, specially on the early 1964 tracks recorded with Jorma and Loretta Kaoukonen.

[redrabid]

Loretta? Margaretha Kaukonen, you mean, who was just typing a letter while Janis and Jorma were rehearsing.
Margaretha Kaukonen was a visual artist, responsible for the artwork for some of the early Hot Tuna album covers.
And, boys, Grace Slick hated to be called "Gracie". Quite rightly so. Don't belittle her, you sexist pigs.

[CookOfTheHouse]

Sexist pigs? wtf? Where the hell did that come from??
yeah, I called her loretta 'cause i was watching family guy while writting the comment, I must have had those names mixed up... And Grace loved to be called Gracie, just listen to Eskimo Blue Day live at woodstock, just after the song finishes, right before her whole "we got a whole lot of orange" rap, that conversation with the fan is great!

[redrabid]

Touche!
I thought it was obvious that I wrote "sexist pigs" tongue in cheek, though I can't deny that it was meant to hurt just a tiny little bit. We all don't know Grace Slick personally and we shouldn't pretend to do so. A fierce, independent woman shouldn't be referred to by a cute girly name.
She did not like it. I think it is in Tamarkin somewhere.

[CookOfTheHouse]

Oh, it was tounge in cheek... yeah, it's kinda hard to write with irony!I've been through that before. I'm not sure how it works in the US but at least here in Perú it's pretty common to call people with diminutives, not only family and friends but even politicians!!

[redrabid]

Cook, this is a fine example of cultural misunderstanding (one of the reasons why I like this forum).
To me "sexist pigs" is an expression that is "so seventies". Nowadays, feminism is totally passe, even among women. Our loss, I think. But without the context the expression is not to be taken seriously anymore.
And diminutives are considered (outside the personal sphere) patronizing in the cold north. Not done, of course.

[MilkTrain]

I read somewhere that it was after an article in "Life" or "Look" or some such magazine where they titled the article "Gracie, a turned on girl" that everyone started to refer to her as Gracie and that it annoyed her. Who knows? maybe it did, i know it would annoy me. If i happened to have aname that was as original and cool as Grace Slick then i would be mighty mad if people started calling me Gracie.

I have always thought that it is amazing to have such a great rock n roll name and it was not made up, like say, Johnny Rotten or Courtney Love, Grace is the original rock n roll lady with the best name

[psychy]

JJ was more bluesy and Grace more psychedelic :):)!!! LOVE THEM BOTH :)

[TakeMeOnYourFlight]

Grace often underestimated her vocal abilities. She's her own worst critic.

[QueenSlick]

Her vocals on White Rabbit, Somebody To Love and Bear Melt are sheer power!

[Susan Butcher]

I have this theory that people named "Grace" kick against it, Grace Kelly being the exception that proves the rule.