Album review
Joni Mitchell is launching a massive series of archival releases. The first installment, Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963 – 1967), arrives on October 30. The five-disc Early Years box set covers the years before the singer-songwriter released her 1968 debut album Song to a Seagull.
Containing six hours of unreleased home, live and radio recordings, the collection will feature 29 unreleased songs as well as various covers, a 40-page booklet with photographs, liner notes that include conversations between Joni Mitchell and Cameron Crowe, and more. The two live performances included in the box set — live at CFQX AM radio station in 1963 and at Canterbury House in 1967 — will also be available to purchase separately.
“The early stuff, I shouldn’t be such a snob against it,” she said in a press release. “A lot of these songs, I just lost them. They fell away. They only exist in these recordings. For so long I rebelled against the term, ‘I was never a folksinger.’ I would get pissed off if they put that label on me. I didn’t think it was a good description of what I was. And then I listened and… it was beautiful. It made me forgive my beginnings. And I had this realization… I was a folksinger!”
Mitchell has also unveiled what is billed as her first known recording, a cover of ‘House of the Rising Sun’ that was recorded in 1963, when she was 19 years old. Listen to it below, and scroll down for the box set’s tracklist.
Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967) Tracklist:
Disco One
Radio Station CFQC AM, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (ca. 1963)
1. House Of The Rising Sun
2. John Hardy
3. Dark As A Dungeon
4. Tell Old Bill
5. Nancy Whiskey
6. Anathea
7. Copper Kettle
8. Fare Thee Well (Dink’s Song)
9. Molly Malone
Live at the Half Beat: Yorkville, Toronto, Canada (October 21, 1964)
First Set
10. Introduction
11. Nancy Whiskey
12. Intro to The Crow On The Cradle
13. The Crow On The Cradle
14. Pastures Of Plenty
15. Every Night When The Sun Goes In
16. Intro to Sail Away
17. Sail Away
Second Set
18. John Hardy
19. Dark As A Dungeon
20. Intro to Maids When You’re Young Never Wed An Old Man
21. Maids When You’re Young Never Wed An Old Man
22. The Dowie Dens Of Yarrow
23. Deportee (Plane Crash At Los Gatos)
24. Joni’s Parents’ House: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (February 1965)
25. The Long Black Rifle
26. Ten Thousand Miles
27. Seven Daffodils
Disc Two
Myrtle Anderson Birthday Tape: Detroit, MI (1965)
1. Urge For Going
2. Born To Take The Highway
3. Here Today And Gone Tomorrow
Jac Holzman Demo: Detroit, MI (August 24, 1965)
4. What Will You Give Me
5. Let It Be Me
6. The Student Song
7. Day After Day
8. Like The Lonely Swallow
Let’s Sing Out, CBC TV: University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada (October 4, 1965)
9. Favorite Colour
10. Me And My Uncle
Home Demo: Detroit, MI (ca. 1966)
11. Sad Winds Blowin’
Let’s Sing Out, CBC TV: Laurentian University, London, ON, Canada (October 24, 1966)
12. Just Like Me
13. Night In The City
Live at the 2nd Fret: Philadelphia, PA (November 1966)
14. Brandy Eyes
15. Intro to Urge For Going
16. Urge For Going
17. Intro to What’s The Story Mr. Blue
18. What’s The Story Mr. Blue
19. Eastern Rain
20. Intro to The Circle Game
21. The Circle Game
22. Intro to Night In The City
23. Night In The City
Disc Three
Folklore, WHAT FM: Philadelphia, PA, (March 12, 1967)
1. Intro to Both Sides Now
2. Both Sides Now
3. Intro to The Circle Game
4. The Circle Game
Live at the 2nd Fret: Philadelphia, PA (March 17, 1967)
Second Set
5. Morning Morgantown
6. Born To Take The Highway
7. Intro to Song To A Seagull
8. Song To A Seagull
Third Set
9. Winter Lady
10. Intro to Both Sides Now
11. Both Sides Now
Folklore, WHAT FM: Philadelphia, PA (March 19, 1967)
12. Intro to Eastern Rain
13. Eastern Rain
14. Intro to Blue On Blue
15. Blue On Blue
A Record Of My Changes – Michael’s Birthday Tape: North Carolina (May 1967)
16. Gemini Twin
17. Strawflower Me
18. A Melody In Your Name
19. Tin Angel
20. I Don’t Know Where I Stand
21. Joni improvising
Folklore, WHAT FM: Philadelphia, PA (May 28, 1967)
22. Intro to Sugar Mountain
23. Sugar Mountain
Disc Four
Home Demo: New York City, NY (ca. June 1967)
1. I Had A King
2. Free Darling
3. Conversation
4. Morning Morgantown
5. Dr. Junk
6. Gift Of The Magi
7. Chelsea Morning
8. Michael From Mountains
9. Cara’s Castle
10 . Jeremy (Incomplete)
Live at Canterbury House: Ann Arbor, MI (October 27, 1967)
First Set
11. Conversation
12. Intro to Come To The Sunshine
13. Come To The Sunshine
14. Intro to Chelsea Morning
15. Chelsea Morning
16. Intro to Gift Of The Magi
17. Gift Of The Magi
18. Play Little David
19. Intro to The Dowie Dens Of Yarrow
20. The Dowie Dens Of Yarrow
21. I Had A King
22. Intro to Free Darling
23. Free Darling
24. Intro to Cactus Tree
25. Cactus Tree
Disc Five
Live at Canterbury House: Ann Arbor, MI (October 27, 1967)
Second Set
1. Little Green
2. Intro to Marcie
3. Marcie
4. Intro to Ballerina Valerie
5. Ballerina Valerie
6. The Circle Game
7. Intro to Michael From Mountains
8. Michael From Mountains
9. Go Tell The Drummer Man
10. Intro to I Don’t Know Where I Stand
11. I Don’t Know Where I Stand
Third Set
12. A Melody In Your Name
13. Intro to Carnival In Kenora
14. Carnival In Kenora
15. Songs To Aging Children Come
16. Intro to Dr. Junk
17. Dr. Junk
18. Morning Morgantown
19. Intro to Night In The City
20. Night In The City
21. Both Sides Now
22. Urge For Going
EARLY JONI – 1963 LP TRACKLIST:
Side One
1. House Of The Rising Sun
2. John Hardy
3. Dark As A Dungeon
4. Tell Old Bill
5. Nancy Whiskey
Side Two
1. Anathea
2. Copper Kettle
3. Fare Thee Well (Dink’s Song)
4. Molly Malone
LIVE AT CANTERBURY HOUSE – 1967 3LP TRACKLIST:
Side One: First Set
1. Conversation
2. Intro to Come To The Sunshine
3. Come To The Sunshine
4. Intro to Chelsea Morning
5. Chelsea Morning
6. Intro to Gift Of The Magi
7. Gift Of The Magi
Side Two
1. Play Little David
2. Intro to The Dowy Dens Of Yarrow
3. The Dowy Dens Of Yarrow
4. I Had A King
5. Intro to Free Darling
6. Free Darling
7. Intro to Cactus Tree
8. Cactus Tree
Side Three: Second Set
1.Little Green
2. Intro to Marcie
3.Marcie
4. Intro to Ballerina Valerie
5. Ballerina Valerie
6. The Circle Game
Side Four
1. Intro to Michael From Mountains
2. Michael From Mountains
3. Go Tell The Drummer Man
4. Intro to I Don’t Know Where I Stand
5. I Don’t Know Where I Stand
Side Five: Third Set
1. A Melody In Your Name
2. Intro to Carnival In Kenora
3. Carnival In Kenora
4. Songs To Aging Children Come
5. Intro to Dr. Junk
6. Dr. Junk
Side Six
1.Morning Morgantown
2. Intro to Night In The City
3. Night In The City
4. Both Sides Now
5. Urge For Going
