Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell, CC (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and painter. Mitchell's work is highly respected by critics, and she has deeply influenced fellow musicians in a diverse range of genres. Rolling Stone has called her "one of the greatest songwriters ever", and AllMusic has stated, "When the dust settles, Joni Mitchell may stand as the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century". Her lyrics are noted for their developed poetics, addressing social and environmental ideals alongside personal feelings of romantic longing, confusion, disillusion, and joy.
Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto. In 1965, she moved to the United States and began touring. Some of her original songs ("Urge for Going", "Chelsea Morning", "Both Sides, Now", "The Circle Game") were covered by folk singers, allowing her to sign with Reprise Records and record her debut album in 1968. Settling in Southern California, Mitchell, with popular songs like "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Woodstock", helped define an era and a generation. Her 1971 recording Blue was rated the 30th best album ever made in Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Mitchell switched labels and began moving toward jazz rhythms by way of lush pop textures on 1974's Court and Spark, her best-selling LP, featuring the radio hits "Help Me" and "Free Man in Paris".
Song to a Seagull (also known as Joni Mitchell) is Joni Mitchell's debut album. Produced by David Crosby, the album was recorded in 1967 at Sunset Sound, and released in 1968 by Reprise Records.
Production
The album was recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California during the later part of 1967.David Crosby was assigned as producer as part of the deal with Reprise Records. Crosby wanted Mitchell to sound pure and natural, so he asked her to sing into the studio grand piano, and set up extra microphones to capture her voice repeating off the strings; unfortunately the set up captured too much ambient noise, resulting in excessive tape hiss, which could only be removed post-production at the cost of the high sounds in the audio range, which gives the album a flat feel.
Mitchell had written songs that were hits for other artists (e.g., "Both Sides Now" and "Chelsea Morning" by Judy Collins and Dave Van Ronk, "Eastern Rain" by Fairport Convention, "Urge for Going" and "The Circle Game" by Tom Rush), but none of those songs were recorded for her debut.
Blue (1971) is the fourth album of Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Exploring the various facets of relationships from infatuation on "A Case of You" to insecurity on "This Flight Tonight", the songs feature simple accompaniments on piano, guitar and Appalachian dulcimer. Blue was a critical and commercial success, reaching #15 on the Billboard 200 and #3 in the UK Albums Chart. The single "Carey" reached #93 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Today, Blue is generally regarded by music critics as one of the greatest albums of all time; Mitchell's songwriting and compositions are frequent areas of praise. In January 2000, the New York Times chose Blue as one of the 25 albums that represented "turning points and pinnacles in 20th-century popular music".
History
Despite the success of her first three albums and songs like "Woodstock", the 1970s saw Mitchell make a decision to break from performing. After a tough breakup with her longtime boyfriend Graham Nash she set off on a vacation around Europe, during which she wrote some of the songs that appear on Blue.
Podcasts:
Joni Mitchell
ALBUMS
- Live at the Second Fret 1966 released: 2014
- The Studio Albums: 1968-1979 released: 2013
- Shadows and Light released: 2013
- The Demos of Summer Lawns released: 2009
- Ladies of the Canyon released: 2009
- Shine released: 2007
- Joni Mitchell released: 2006
- Songs of a Prairie Girl released: 2005
- Beginning of Survival released: 2004
- Dreamland released: 2004
- The Complete Geffen Recordings released: 2003
- Travelogue released: 2002
- Both Sides Now released: 2000
- Taming the Tiger released: 1998
- Hejira released: 1997
- Hits released: 1996
- Misses released: 1996
- Turbulent Indigo released: 1994
- Night Ride Home released: 1991
- Song to a Seagull released: 1990
- Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm released: 1988
- Blue released: 1988
- For the Roses released: 1987
- Dog Eat Dog released: 1985
- Live at Red Rocks released: 1983
- Wild Things Run Fast released: 1982
- Mingus released: 1979
- Don Juan's Reckless Daughter released: 1977
- Court and Spark released: 1974
- Miles of Aisles released: 1974
- Live in Hawaii 1973 released: 1973
- Live at the BBC 1972 released: 1972
- (Kept By) Her Own Devices released: 1972
- Clouds released: 1969
- Second Fret Sets 1966-1968 released: 1968
- Live at Club 47 released: 1968
- 1972-02-16: Paramount Northwest Theatre, Seattle, WA, USA released:
- The Seeding of Summer Lawns released:
- Unplugged & Jamming, Volume 2 released:
- Unplugged & Jamming, Volume 1 released:
- Live at Wembley Arena, 4/24/83 released:
- Mississippi River Festival 1969 released:
- 1970-10-28: Royal Albert Hall, London, UK released:
- 1972-02-23: New York, NY, USA released:
- Big Yellow Taxi released:
- Ghosts released:
- Close Your Eyes released:
- The Hissing of Summer Lawns released:
Live at the Second Fret 1966
Released 2014- Little Green
- Marcie
- London Bridge
- Ballerina Valerie
- Michael From the Mountains
- Go Tell the Drummer Man
- I Don't Know Where I Stand
- Brandy Eyes
- Winter Lady
- Mr. Blue
- Urge for Going
- Both Sides Now
- The Circle Game
- Morning Morgantown
- (Born to) Take the Highway
- Eastern Rain
- Song to a Seagull
- Night in the City
Shadows and Light
Released 2013- Introduction
- In France They Kiss on Main Street
- Edith and the Kingpin
- Coyote
- Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
- The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines
- Amelia
- Pat's Solo
- Hejira
- Black Crow
- Don's Solo
- Dreamland
- Free Man in Paris
- Band Introduction
- Furry Sings the Blues
- Why Do Fools Fall in Love
- Shadows and Light
- God Must Be a Boogie Man
- Woodstock
Songs of a Prairie Girl
Released 2005- Urge for Going
- The Tea Leaf Prophecy (Lay Down Your Arms)
- Cherokee Louise (Orchestral Version, 2002)
- Ray's Dad's Cadillac
- Let The Wind Carry Me
- Don Juan's Reckless Daughter
- Raised on Robbery
- Paprika Plains (remix)
- Song for Sharon
- River
- Chinese Cafe / Unchained Melody
- Harlem in Havana
- Come in From the Cold (edit)
Beginning of Survival
Released 2004- The Reocurring Dream
- The Windfall (Everything for Nothing)
- Slouching Towards Bethlehem
- Dog Eat Dog
- Fiction
- The Beat of Black Wings
- No Apologies
- Sex Kills
- The Three Great Stimulants
- Lakota
- Ethiopia
- Cool Water
- Tax Free
- The Magdalene Laundries
- Passion Play (The Story of Jesus and Zachius... The Little Tax Collector)
- Impossible Dreamer
Dreamland
Released 2004- Free Man in Paris
- In France They Kiss on Main Street
- Dreamland
- The Jungle Line
- Furry Sings the Blues
- You Turn Me On I'm a Radio
- Carey
- Big Yellow Taxi
- California
- Help Me
- Nothing Can Be Done
- Dancin' Clown
- Come in From the Cold
- Amelia (Orchestral Version 2002)
- For the Roses (Orchestral Version 2002)
- Both Sides Now (Orchestral Version 2000)
- The Circle Game
Live at Red Rocks
Released 1983- Coyote
- Free Man In Paris
- Cotton Avenue
- Edith And The Kingpin
- You Turn Me On,I'm A Radio
- You Dream Flat Tires
- Sharon
- God Must Be A Boogie Man
- Real Good For Free
- Big Yellow Taxi
- A Case Of You
- Announcement
- Wild Things Run Fast
- Sweet Bird
- Banquet
- Raised On Robbery
- Refuge Of The Road
- Your So Square
- Solid Love
Latest News for: blue (joni mitchell album)
ADAMCZYK: Bullets I have dodged, and other ammunition
- 1