Song Clearance Sheet
5 sources citedPiece of My Heart
Soul1960s164BPM
UnconfirmedKey
Tempo/key via Deezer →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns), no dispute found. Erma Franklin was Aretha Franklin’s older sister and sang backup on the “Respect” in this catalogue — bridged here as a documented family and Bert Berns connection.
Quick Facts
Released1967
GenreSoul, Rhythm And Blues
LabelShout Records
ProducerBert Berns
Recorded atNew York City
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — Jerry Ragovoy & Bert Berns
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — Shout; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
A much-covered soul standard (Big Brother/Joplin, Dusty Springfield, Faith Hill); connects to the Bert Berns thread and, via Erma, to Aretha Franklin/“Respect” in this catalogue.
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed songwriter(s) of record.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
Bert Berns thread (this batch)
Bridge: Erma’s sister Aretha covered this song with Erma on backing vocals (already in this catalogue, as the Otis Redding original)
Offered to Van Morrison, who declined (this batch)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Jerry Ragovoy & Bert Berns
A direct family connectionErma Franklin was Aretha Franklin’s older sister (Aretha is extensively covered in this catalogue), and sang backup on the “Respect” in this catalogue — Aretha’s celebrated version of the Otis Redding song, on which Erma provided backing vocals.
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
Offered to Van Morrison first
Berns and Ragovoy first offered the song to Van Morrison (whose band Them recorded “Gloria,” this batch) — Morrison declined, preferring to record only his own material for his solo debut.
American Songwriter · read it →
Berns died before hearing Joplin’s version
Bert Berns died of a heart attack on Dec 30, 1967, before ever hearing Janis Joplin’s version — brought to Big Brother by Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane during their first East Coast tour. No lyrics reproduced.
Songfacts · read it →
Extensive institutional recognition
The Big Brother/Joplin version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (1999) and ranked #353 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs.”
Stone Age Institute · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
A soul standard, definitively via Janis Joplin
Covers
—
First flip
Big names who used itJanis Joplin
Who to Contact
PH
Jerry Ragovoy & Bert Berns (Shout)
The confirmed songwriters of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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References
Every source cited on this page — 5 in total
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 19/20)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass