A Woman Left Lonely
While recording her album, Janis had made the Landmark Motor Hotel in Hollywood her temporary abode. Meanwhile, her beloved Seth was nestled comfortably in her Larkspur home. The lovers had sworn to keep their distance, but Janis found herself pleading with Peggy Caserta for a fix of heroin. When Peggy refused, Janis retorted defiantly, “Don’t think if you can get it, I can’t get it.” Before long, Janis was a frequent patron of Caserta’s heroin dealer.
On the first day of October in 1970, Janis etched her voice into history with her final recording, “Mercedes Benz”. On this fateful day, she also revised her will. Two days later, disappointment shadowed her when Peggy and Seth failed to appear at the Landmark. Undeterred, she sauntered into Sunset Sound Recorders, her ears met with the pulsating rhythm of “Buried Alive in the Blues”. The tune, a creation of Nick Gravenites, was pure magic. Janis was electrified, and producer Paul Rothchild agreed she’d lend her voice to it the next day.