Joni Mitchell in the 1960’s

by Revital Naveh Kaufman

Artwork: Revital Naveh Kaufman

Joined May 2020
Published Books 1

Joni Mitchell was born in in Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada, as Roberta Joan Anderson, in November 7, 1943, and became one of the most socially and environmentally influential musicians of the 1960s and 1970s.

In one of her most beloved known songs, Joni Mitchell says, that she looked at life from both sides now. She wrote this song when she was only in her early 20’s, and it’s meaning has deepened with time. That fullness of vision, is only one of her qualities that has made Joni Mitchell’s music such an important part in the life of many people all over the world for the past 60 yrears.

Joni Mitchell has so many aspects. She is a singer, a poet, a painter, a composer, and a performer.

She has received many awards including nine Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

The Roling Stones called her “One of the most greatest songs writer ever”.

Both Sides Now was the last track on the Mitchell’s second album ‘Clouds’.

The second song from that album is “Chelsea Morning” which was inspired by Mitchell’s room in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. The inspiration for the first verse comes partly from the distinct décor of her apartment. While in Philadelphia, Mitchell and friends had made a mobile from shards of colored glass they had found in the street and wire coat hangers, which filtered the light coming into her room through the window and created the “rainbow on the wall”.

Chelsea Clinton, daughter of President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, was named after the song, “Chelsea Morning”, after the couple heard Judy Collins’ version of the song playing during a stroll in the Chelsea neighborhood of London.

California in the late 60’s was a megical place. It seems that the old satndatrds have been shattered and values and new talents were rising up. Among the most astonishing of those talents was Joni Mitchell. Even within the daily wonders Joni’s songs made an overwhelming impression. The new times had found a brilliant new voice. Mitchell’s songs like “Big Yellow Taxi” and “Woodstock”, helped define an era and a generation.

On one of her Interviews Mitchell said:

“I wrote ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ on my first trip to Hawaii. I took a taxi to the hotel and when I woke up the next morning, I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart… this blight on paradise. That’s when I sat down and wrote the song.”

Woodstock

As the song’s name implies, the lyrics refer to the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival of 1969, telling the story of a concert-goer on a trek to attend the festival. Mitchell, who was unable to perform at the festival herself due to scheduling conflicts, was inspired to write the song based on an account of the festival relayed to her by then-boyfriend Graham Nash, who had performed there, together with his band members David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Neil Young.

“The deprivation of not being able to go, provided me with an intense angle on Woodstock” said Mitchell on an interview.

The lyrics tell a story about a spiritual journey to Max Yasgur’s farm, the place of the festival, and make prominent use of sacred imagery, comparing the festival site with the Garden of Eden (“and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden”).

In the begining of 1970 Mitchell made a decision to break from performing. In early spring 1970, she set off on a vacation around Europe. While on the island of Crete, she wrote some of the songs, that appear on ‘Blue’ in 1971. This album is often cited as one of the best albums of all time. it was rated the 30th best album ever made in Rolling Stone‘s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. It includes one of the best songs ever wrote “A case of you”. Her breakup with Graham Nash is often cited as the inspiration for it.

“Oh, you are in my blood like holy wine
You taste so bitter
And so sweet, oh
I could drink a case of you darling, and I would
Still be on my feet”.

The 1960’s were just the beginning of Mitchell’s career. Later on in the 1970’s and 80’s Mitchell continued to release albums, most of which became inalienable assets. She began working closely with noted jazz musicians, among them Jaco Pastorius, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, as well as Charles Mingus. Court and spark was the album where Mitchell, began the flirtation with Jazz and Jazz fuzion.

Joni Mitchelle may by best known for her lyrics but she has been simply as adventurous as a musician and a composer.

Drawing from folk, pop, rock, and jazz, each and every song she wrote is a fascinating journey. She is a woman who inspiered so many generations, and is a cultural hero of so many people al over he world.

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