ERMA FRANKLIN Piece Of Her Heart: Epic & Shout Years (2009 issue UK 26-track CD album - When 'Piece of My Heart' reached the US top 20 in 1968, the pop music world was largely unaware that Janis Joplin's gritty vocal was but an echo of the emotive original by Erma Franklin, on Bert Berns' Shout label, from the R&B top 10 of a year earlier. Erma was the eldest sibling in the Franklin family, senior to Aretha and Carolyn, and like the former was signed to Columbia Records in the early 1960s, producing a number of high quality singles and an album on the Epic label. She then pacted with Shout Records in New York in 1967 to cut four singles of bluesy soul gems, moving to Brunswick in 1969 following the death of Berns. Shout Records UK is delighted to bring together for the first time a comprehensive collection of all tracks released on both Epic and Shout (US) labels, reflecting the full range of Erma's musical talent in this fine showcase of soul and blues repertoire, also blessed with a hint of jazz styling!)