‘I am blue.’ That’s the concept.” You also said that there was an image you’d dreamed of at the time: human organs in a cellophane bag. I asked you what the concept was for Blue. You once told me that all your albums were concept albums. You have to bring more to it than that.ĬC You later included Little Green on Blue. You know, if you sing it pretty – a lot of people that cover my songs will sing it pretty – it’s going to fall flat. You have to bring the correct emotion to every word. It’s, you know, the words to the song are your script. JM No, the song kind of rose above the difficulty.ĬC I remember you once saying every vocal performance is acting: “You must be the character who wrote the song when you sing it.” When you listen to this early music, are you playing a character? And “No, it’s me” is a valid answer. To deliver the song properly, did you have to go to a difficult place to sing it? It’s a very personal song, a song to your daughter who you’d painfully given up for adoption. You’re playing three sets at night, and for the second show you open with Little Green. Victories … Mitchell in LA, 1967, recording her first album, Song To A Seagull Photograph: Sulfiati Magnuson/Getty ImagesĬC Back to Live at Canterbury House. However, I lost Thumper’s guidance as I grew older. “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” That was my philosophy for a long time as a young person. I kind of go with Thumper, you know, from Bambi. JM No, definitely not! This is a period of relaxation for me, but there are still some weeds that need pulling. Pulling the weeds in your soul early makes you a better adult.ĬC Are you still doing that during this time period? JM That had nothing to do with creativity. It’s just part of the story.ĬC Here’s another strong quote of yours: “As a young person, you’ve got to pull the weeds in your soul when you’re young. Not to divide you into two people! But do you look back on this young artist, and her struggles and her victories, with bemusement, with love? (Two days later, he became a permanent resident.)Ĭameron Crowe How do you look back on this person we’re talking about?ĬC Yes, the whole phase we’re talking about. We discussed this happy reunion with her earlier self as Bootsy listened quietly, falling in love with what we all hoped would be his new home. Often armed only with her songs and her tunings, Mitchell begins her transcendent creative journey here. From her first recordings made during off-hours at a Saskatoon radio station, to a birthday tape made for her mother, to club dates in Philadelphia, Toronto, and New York, it’s a most personal document. Mitchell, who has usually taken a more thematic approach to collections of her music, agreed.įinally these rare compositions are all gathered in one place, presented with all the warmth of Mitchell’s twentysomething self. Neil Young even gave some counsel, suggesting the songs be presented in chronological order. When Mitchell recently cranked up her living room stereo and listened to all the material for the first time, the project came to glorious fruition. Some of the tapes are new discoveries, others had been meticulously collected and catalogued years earlier by “court archivist” Joel Bernstein. But the gathering of these recordings continued. When Roberts passed away last year, the project was temporarily derailed. Mitchell’s manager, Elliot Roberts, had long been championing the idea of an archival collection. Most of these early demos, work tapes, and performances have remained unheard. For years, pieces of this rich trove of unreleased material have circulated in sketchy bootleg form. Mitchell’s fans have long taken a different position. They’re like some ancient world.”įast friends … Joni Mitchell with Bootsy. “God, they’re so vulnerable in these tough times. “Some of the melodies are beautiful,” she told me in an interview in 2004, “but they’re very ingenue-y.” She seemed almost wistful. For years she doubted their place in the revered canon of her carefully curated albums. So with our midnight visitor, tentatively named Puss ’n Boots, tucked in the lap of this treasured artist, Mitchell is here to discuss the new set of early recordings she never intended to release: Joni Mitchell Archives Vol 1: The Early Years (1963-1967). Nearby Marcy Gensic, Mitchell’s longtime friend and associate, mentions they’ve papered the neighbourhood with lost notices. “I hope nobody comes to claim him,” she confides softly. “And this guy shows up at the gate around midnight, meowing.”Ī light-brown kitten with long white paws, only a few months old, leans contentedly against her shoulder. Behind her a bird feeder is busy with hungry visitors. It’s an early summer Sunday, and she’s sitting in her backyard patio, nicknamed Tuscany. “I was lying in bed last night thinking about getting a cat,” says Joni Mitchell.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |