Joni Mitchell Blue 50 (Outtakes & Demos), Archives Vol 2 Announced
Joni Mitchell has marked the 50th anniversary of her masterpiece, Blue, with a new digital EP, Blue 50 (Demos & Outtakes), featuring early demos of Blue tracks A Case Of You and California; a previously unreleased track from the sessions, Hunter; and alternate versions of River (featuring French Horn) and Urge For Going (recorded for Blue, but left off at the last minute and released as a B-side in 1972) with a string section. The striking cover of the Blue 50 EP features the original Blue colour treatment with a previously unseen alternate photo of Joni by Tim Considine from the same show as the original. Blue 50 is available now here.
The celebration for tomorrow’s 50th Anniversary of BLUE is kicking off today with the release of BLUE 50 (Demos & Outtakes), a digital EP that debuts five unreleased recordings from the making of BLUE. Listen here: https://t.co/YAfh4EDbQI. #BLUE50 pic.twitter.com/7JKnPK6Cw7
— Joni Mitchell (@jonimitchell) June 21, 2021
And there’s more good news for Joni fans. All five of these tracks will also be included in Joni Mitchell Archives Vol 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971), which will be released on 29 October as a 5CD set as well as digitally. The music will be available the same day exclusively at www.JoniMitchell.com as a 10LP set on 180-gram vinyl, limited to 4,000 copies. All orders on the official Joni Mitchell store come with an exclusive 7”x7” art print featuring a never-before-seen illustration by Mitchell from the era.
The tracks on Archives Vol 2 have been sequenced chronologically to follow Mitchell in real time through one of the most creative periods of her career. The collection uncovers several unreleased Mitchell originals, including Jesus, recorded in 1969 at her friend Jane Lurie’s New York apartment in Chelsea, which also served as the setting for the song Chelsea Morning.
Other highlights include Mitchell’s performance at Le Hibou Coffee House in Ottawa on 19 March 1968 that was recorded by Jimi Hendrix and a concert at the Paris Theatre in London on 29 October 1970 that was broadcast on the BBC. The latter includes several songs destined to appear on Blue the following year: Carey, River and My Old Man. In addition, singer-songwriter James Taylor joined Mitchell to perform with her during the second half of the show.
Among the other treasures on Archives Vol 2 is Mitchell’s complete Carnegie Hall debut, recorded on 1 February 1969, a few months before the release of her second album, Clouds. In addition to its inclusion on Archives Vol 2, the concert will also be released separately on 29 October as a 3LP set on 180-gram vinyl for, with an exclusive 180-gram, white vinyl version, limited to 3,000 copies, available at www.JoniMitchell.com.
JONI MITCHELL ARCHIVES VOL. 2: THE REPRISE YEARS (1968 TO 1971)
Disc One
Joni’s home (late 1967/early 1968)
“Midnight Cowboy” – Version one
“The Dawntreader” – Demo with vocal overdub
“Song To A Seagull”
“Midnight Cowboy” – Version two
Jane Lurie’s Apartment, Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City, NY (late 1967/early 1968)
“The Way It Is”
“Turn Around” – Incomplete
Home Demo, Joni’s home (late 1967/early 1968)
“I Had A King” – Demo with piano overdub
“Roses Blue” – Demo with peacock harp overdub
“The Fiddle And The Drum” – Piano demo
Song To A Seagull Session, Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA (January 24, 1968)
“Jeremy”
“Conversation”
“Both Sides Now”
“The Gift Of The Magi”
Jane Lurie’s Apartment, Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City, NY (early 1968)
“It’s Easy”
“Another Melody”
Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI (March 10, 1968)
Introduction
“Jeremy”
“Songs To Aging Children Come”
Disc Two
Le Hibou Coffee House, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Recorded by Jimi Hendrix (March 19, 1968)
First Set
“Night In The City”
“Come To The Sunshine”
Intro to “The Pirate Of Penance”
“The Pirate Of Penance”
“Conversation”
“The Way It Is”
Intro to “The Dawntreader”
“The Dawntreader”
Second Set
“Marcie”
Intro to “Nathan La Franeer”
“Nathan La Franeer”
Intro to “Dr. Junk”
“Dr. Junk”
Intro to “Michael From Mountains”
“Michael From Mountains”
“Go Tell The Drummer Man”
Intro to “I Don’t Know Where I Stand”
“I Don’t Know Where I Stand”
Intro to “Sisotowbell Lane”
“Sisotowbell Lane”
Intro to “Ladies Of The Canyon”
“Ladies Of The Canyon”
Studio Session, Western Recorders, Hollywood, CA (May 31, 1968)
“Come To The Sunshine”
Jane Lurie’s Apartment, Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City, NY (summer 1968)
“My Second Album”
“Lambert, Hendricks & Ross”
“The Pirate Of Penance”
Top Gear BBC Radio Broadcast, London, England (recorded September 23, 1968)
Intro to “Chelsea Morning”
“Chelsea Morning” – with the John Cameron Group
Intro to “The Gallery”
“The Gallery”
Intro to “Night In The City”
“Night In The City” – with the John Cameron Group
Disc Three
Live at Carnegie Hall, New York City, NY (February 1, 1969)
First Set
“Chelsea Morning”
A Valentine for Joni
“Cactus Tree”
“Night In The City”
“I Had A King”
“Blue Boy”
My American Skirt
“The Fiddle And The Drum”
Spoony’s Wonderful Adventure
“That Song About The Midway”
“Both Sides Now”
Second Set
“Marcie”
“Nathan La Franeer”
Intro to “The Gallery”
“The Gallery”
“Hunter”
“Morning Morgantown”
Intro to “Get Together”
“Get Together”
Intro to “The Circle Game/Little Green”
“The Circle Game/Little Green”
Encore
“Michael From Mountains”
Disc Four
Live at Carnegie Hall, New York City, NY (February 1, 1969)
Intro to “Urge For Going”
“Urge For Going”
Clouds Sessions, A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA (spring 1969)
“Conversation”
“Blue Boy”
“The Priest”
Jane Lurie’s Apartment, Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City, NY (mid 1969)
“Jesus”
Playing piano and vocalizing
The Dick Cavett Show ABC TV Broadcast, New York City, NY (Recorded August 18, 1969)
“Chelsea Morning”
“Willy”
“For Free”
Interview
“The Fiddle And The Drum”
Ladies Of The Canyon Demo Session, A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA (late 1969)
“Woodstock”
Live at Centennial Auditorium, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (November 1, 1969)
“As I Lie Thinking In My Backyard On August 2nd”
“Roses Blue”
“Rainy Night House”
Ladies Of The Canyon Sessions, A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA (late 1969)
“Ladies Of The Canyon” – with cellos
“Blue Boy” – with recorder coda
In Concert BBC TV Broadcast, (recorded September 3, 1970)
“All I Want”
Blue Demo Sessions, A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA (September 1970)
“A Case Of You”
“California”
Disc Five
In Concert BBC Radio Broadcast, Paris Theatre, London England (recorded October 29, 1970)
Introduction
“That Song About The Midway”
Intro to “The Gallery”
“The Gallery”
“Hunter”
Intro to “River”
“River”
“My Old Man”
“The Priest”
This is a mountain dulcimer
“Carey”
“A Case Of You” – with James Taylor
Intro to “California” – with James Taylor
“California” – with James Taylor
Intro to “For Free” – with James Taylor
“For Free” – with James Taylor
Intro to “The Circle Game” – with James Taylor
“The Circle Game” – with James Taylor
Intro to “You Can Close Your Eyes” – with James Taylor
“You Can Close Your Eyes” – with James Taylor
“Both Sides Now”
Intro to “Big Yellow Taxi”
“Big Yellow Taxi”
Blue Sessions, A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA (late 1970/early 1971)
“Hunter”
“River” – with French horns
“Urge For Going” – with strings