It's tough to assume a teenage singer-songwriter today climbing the Billboard charts with a folk-rock song approximately a young,interracial love affair. But that's precisely what happened in 1966 when Janis Ian, a 16-year-old from East Orange, and current Jersey,released "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)."This live studio recording aired on WNYC only months before Ian became a household name and "Society's Child" became a flash point in the 1960s culture wars. The song was banned at radio stations across the country, but despite - or maybe because of - the controversy, or it reached #1 in several major radio markets,and peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This performance includes five songs, fourof which appear on the 1966 full-length album also called "Society's Child". The fifth song we've been unable to identify on any of Ian's released fabric. Ian calls it a "bleep bleep" song, or presumably for its racy lyrics,which detail the exploitation and fears of a teenager girl on the streets of current York City.1. Younger Generation Blues
2. Society's Child
3. I'll Give You A Stone If You'll Throw It (Changing Thymes)
4. (Too Old To) Go 'Way limited Girl
5. Bleep Bleep SongAudio courtesy of the Dave Sear Folk Music Collection.
Source: wnyc.org