Joni Mitchell (1943- )

• singer songwriter, painter
• born Roberta Joan Anderson on 7 November 1943, in Fort McLeod, Alberta, moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan at age 10
• studied art, then became a folk singer
• moved to Toronto in 1965 where she met musician Chuck Mitchell, who took her to Detroit
• adopted her stage name after marrying Chuck Mitchell, whom she soon divorced
• in 1967 she moved to New York City, where she signed with David Geffen, and released her first album, Song to a Seagull, produced by David Crosby
• In 1968 Judy Collins recorded Mitchell's song "Both Sides Now," which became a hit, prompting Mitchell's own records to start to selling well
• moved to Laurel Canyon (Los Angeles), California
• some of Mitchell's best-known compositions were recorded by others, e.g. "The Circle Game" (recorded by Tom Rush) and "Woodstock" (recorded by American folk-rock group Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young).
• later work, such as Hejira and Mingus expanded her style from folk and rock into jazz
• biographies:
  • Joni Mitchell (1976) by Leonore Fleischer
  • Turbulent Indigo (1995) by Carol Cueller
• discography:
  • Joni Mitchell, Song to a Seagull (1968, Reprise)
    • I Had a King (2:26)
    • Michael from Mountains (3:38)
    • Night in the City (3:35)
    • Marcie (4:35)
    • Nathan La Franeer (3:13)
    • Sistowbell Lane (4:00)
    • The Dawntreader (4:50)
    • The Pirate of Penance (2:40)
    • Song to a Seagull (3:50)
    • Cactus Tree (4:35)
  • Clouds (1969, Reprise), with her self-portrait on its cover
    • Tin Angel (4:06)
    • Chelsea Morning (2:30)
    • I Don't Know Where I Stand (3:10)
    • That Song About the Midway (4:33)
    • Roses Blue (3:47)
    • The Gallery (4:06)
    • I Think I Understand (4:22)
    • Songs to Aging Children Come (3:03)
    • The Fiddle and the Drum (2:45)
    • Both Sides Now (4:30)
  • Ladies of the Canyon (1970, Reprise)
    • Morning Morgantown (3:12)
    • For Free (4:31)
    • Conversation (4:21)
    • Ladies of the Canyon (3:32)
    • Willy (3:00)
    • The Arrangement (3:32)
    • Rainy Night House (3:22)
    • The Priest (3:39)
    • Blue Boy (2:53)
    • Big Yellow Taxi
    • Woodstock (5:25)
    • The Circle Game (4:50)
  • Blue (1971, Reprise), often ranked as one of the major records of the decade
    • All I Want (3:32)
    • My Old Man (3:33) (snd file, 182 K)
    • Little Green (3:25)
    • Carey (3:00)
    • Blue (3:00)
    • California (3:48)
    • This Flight Tonight (2:50) (snd file, 174 K)
    • River (4:00) (snd file, 150 K)
    • A Case of You (4:20) (snd file, 238 K)
    • The Last Time I Saw Richard (4:13)
  • For the Roses (1972, Asylum)
    • Banquet (3:00)
    • Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire (4:17)
    • Barangrill (2:53)
    • Lesson in Survival (3:10)
    • Let the Wind Carry Me (3:55)
    • For the Roses (3:46)
    • See You Sometime (2:58)
    • Electricity (3:00)
    • You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio (2:40)
    • Blonde in the Bleachers (2:40)
    • Woman of Heart and Mind (2:36)
    • Judgement of the Moon and Stars (Ludwig's Tune) (5:25)
  • Court and Spark (1974, Asylum)
    • Court and Spark (2:46)
    • Help Me (3:22) (snd file, 213 K)
    • Free Man in Paris (3:02) (snd file, 213 K)
    • People's Parties (2:20)
    • Same Situation (3:05)
    • Car on a Hill (2:58)
    • Down to You (5:36)
    • Just Like this Train (4:23)
    • Raised on Robbery (3:05) (snd file, 221 K)
    • Trouble Child (3:57)
    • Twisted (2:18)
  • Miles of Aisles (1974, Asylum), concert album
    • You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio (3:55)
    • Big Yellow Taxi (3:05)
    • Rainy Night House (4:00)
    • Woodstock (4:25)
    • Cactus Tree (4:50)
    • Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire (5:10)
    • Woman of Heart and Mind (3:30)
    • A Case of You (4:18)
    • Blue (2:40)
    • Circle Game (5:20)
    • People's Parties (2:30)
    • All I Want (3:20)
    • Real Good For Free (4:15)
    • Both Sides Now (4:10)
    • Carey (3:20)
    • The Last Time I Saw Richard (3:45)
    • Jericho (3:30)
    • Love or Money (4:48)
  • The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975, Asylum)
    • In France They Kiss on Main Street (3:17)
    • The Jungle Line (4:20)
    • Edith and the Kingpen (3:35)
    • Don't Interrupt the Sorrow (4:04)
    • Shades of Scarlet Conquering (4:57)
    • The Hissing of Summer Lawns (3:00)
    • The Boho Dance (3:56)
    • Harry's House/Centerpiece (6:52)
    • Sweet Bird (4:10)
    • Shadows and Light (4:15)
  • Hejira (1976, Asylum)
    • Coyote (5:00)
    • Amelia (6:00)
    • Furry Sings the Blues (5:03)
    • A Strange Boy (4:15)
    • Hejira (6:35)
    • Song for Sharon (8:30)
    • Black Crow (4:20)
    • Blue Motel Room (5:03)
    • Refuge of the Roads (6:37)
  • Don Juan's Reckless Daughter (1977, Asylum)
    • Overture/Cotton Avenue (6:35)
    • Talk to Me (3:40)
    • Jericho (3:25)
    • Paprika Plains (16:19)
    • Otis and Marlena (4:05)
    • The Tenth World (6:45)
    • Dreamland (4:37)
    • Don Juan's Reckless Daughter (6:40)
    • Off Night Backstreet (3:22)
    • Silky Veils of Ardor (4:02)
  • Mingus (1979, Asylum)
    Note: (RAP) indicates a short speech recording of Charles Mingus
    • Happy Birthday 1975 (RAP) (0:57)
    • God Must be a Boogie Man (4:33)
    • Funeral (RAP) (1:07)
    • A Chair in the Sky (6:40)
    • The Wolf that Lives in Lindsey (6:33)
    • I's a Muggin' (RAP) (0:07)
    • Sweet Sucker Dance (8:06)
    • Coin in the Pocket (RAP) (0:11)
    • The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines (3:22)
    • Lucky (RAP) (0:03)
    • Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (5:41)
  • Shadows and Light (1980, Asylum), concert album
    • Introduction (1:51)
    • In France They Kiss on Main Street (4:14)
    • Edith and the Kingpen (4:10)
    • Coyote (4:58)
    • Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (6:02)
    • The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines (4:37)
    • Amelia (6:40)
    • Pat's Solo (3:09)
    • Hejira (7:42)
    • Dreamland (4:40)
    • Band Introduction (0:52)
    • Furry Sings the Blues (5:14)
    • Why Do Fools Fall in Love (2:53)
    • Shadow and Light (5:23)
    • God Must be a Boogie Man (5:02)
    • Woodstock (5:08)
    • The following songs appear on the vinyl LP, but not on CD:
    • Black Crow
    • Don's Solo
    • Free Man in Paris
  • Wild Things Run Fast (1982, Geffen)
    • Chinese Cafe/Unchained Melody (5:17)
    • Wild Things Run Fast (2:12)
    • Ladies' Man (2:37)
    • Moon at the Window (3:42)
    • Solid Love (2:57)
    • Be Cool (4:12)
    • (You're So Square) Baby, I Don't Care (2:36)
    • You Dream Flat Tires (2:50)
    • Man to Man (3:42)
    • Underneath the Streetlight (2:14)
    • Love (3:46)
  • Dog Eat Dog (1985, Geffen), produced by Thomas Dolby
    • Good friends (4:26)
    • Fiction (4:14)
    • The three great stimulants (6:11)
    • Tax free (4:19)
    • Smokin' (empty, try another) (1:43)
    • Dog eat dog (4:41)
    • Shiny toys (3:22)
    • Ethiopia (5:53)
    • Impossible dreamer (4:30)
    • Lucky girl (4:02)
  • Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm (1988, Geffen)
    • My Secret Place
    • Number One
    • Lakota
    • The Tea Leaf Prophecy (Study War No More)
    • Dancin' Clown
    • Cool Water
    • The Beat of Black Wings
    • Snakes and Ladders
    • The Reoccuring Dream
    • A Bird That Whistles (Traditional "Corina, Corina")
  • Night Ride Home (1991, Geffen)
    • Night Ride Home (3:21)
    • Passion Play (5:25)
    • Cherokee Louise (4:32)
    • The Windfall (Everything for Nothing) (5:15)
    • Slouching Towards Bethlehem (Based on a poem by W.B. Yeats) (6:54)
    • Come In From The Cold (7:31)
    • Nothing Can Be Done (4:53)
    • The Only Joy In Town (5:11)
    • Ray's Dad's Cadillac (4:33)
    • Two Grey Rooms (3:57)
  • Turbulent Indigo (1994)
    • Sunny Sunday (snd file, 244 K)
    • Sex Kills
    • How Do You Stop
    • Turbulent Indigo
    • Last Chance Lost
    • The Magdalene Laundries
    • Not To Blame
    • Borderline
    • Yvette In English
    • The Sire Of Sorrow (Job's Sad Song)
• videos:
  • Shadows and Light (1979) Same songs as the Shadows and Light album
  • Refuge of the Roads (984, Emperor Entertainment)
    • Wild Things Run Fast (4:55)
    • Raised on Robbery (3:00)
    • Refuge of the Roads (6:15)
    • Sweet Bird of Youth (4:50)
    • Banquet (3:30)
    • You're So Square, Baby I Don't Care (3:40)
    • God Must Be a Boogie Man (5:17)
    • For Free (4:08)
    • You Dream Flat Tires (3:40)
    • Chinese Cafe (5:50)
    • Unchained Melody (1:21)
    • Underneath the Streetlight (2:10)
    • Woodstock (6:10)
  • Joni Mitchell, Come in from the Cold (1991, Geffen) 45 Minutes Total Video includes "personal comments interspersed with her fine art photography"
    • Come in from the Cold
    • Dancin' Clown
    • The Beat of Black Wings
    • Nothing Can be Done
    • Two Grey Rooms
    • Night Ride Home
    • Lakota
    • Passion Play (When All the Slaves are Free)
  • performs "Coyote", and background vocals on The Band's The Last Waltz

• more information at the Ultimate Band List
• The Official Joni Mitchell Homepage
• more information from the Encyclopedia of Canadian Music

back to the Well Known Canadians Page