Mitchell was born in Fort MacLeod , Alberta , Canada , in 1943. She began her
career as folk singer in her native Canada
before moving south to Los Angeles to begin her
recording career in California .
She recorded her debut album, the pleasant folk effort, “Joni Mitchell (AKA
Song to a Seagull)” in 1968. Another solid album,” Clouds” would appear the
following year.
It was her third release, “Ladies of the
Canyon” (1970) that established her as something special. The album was full of
well-written story songs which were all presented with stripped-down production
featuring just Mitchell on acoustic guitar. The album contained the first of
the songs that would make Mitchell famous, “Woodstock ,” a song which would become a hit
for Crosby Stills Nash and Young, and “Big Yellow Taxi,” which would become a
minor hit for Mitchell herself.
Mitchell’s next effort, “Blue” (1971),
would be declared her first masterpiece. Blue is an often dark and emotional
exorcism on heartbreak, although it is punctuated by lighter moments. “One song
here, “This Flight Tonight,” would later become a hit for the Scottish hard
rock band, Nazareth .
In 1974, Mitchell recorded another
masterpiece, albeit a more upbeat one, “Court and Spark.” The album was
critically-acclaimed as were her previous efforts, but this album had
commercial legs that would see Mitchell establish herself as something of a pop
star. Thanks to a pair of hits, “Help Me” and “Free Man in Paris ,” Mitchell’s fame spread into the
mainstream of the music-listening public. Another strong track, “Raised on
Robbery,” featured the Band’s Robbie Robertson on guitar and received significant
airplay.
Mitchell continued to record fine albums
throughout the remainder of the Seventies including, “The Hissing of Summer
Lawns” (1975), “Hejira” (1976), and collaboration with the legendary jazz
bassist and composer, Charles Mingus, “Mingus” (1979).
The Mingus album would see Mitchell delve
into jazz for a good part of the Eighties during which she acquired new fans,
but lost more of her older fans. She returned to her folkier roots in the Nineties
with the release of a couple of decent albums, “Night Ride Home” (1991) and
“Taming the Tiger” (1998).
Mitchell continues to record sparingly.
After she had announced that she was retiring completely from music, she
returned in 2007 with the album, “Shine.”
Joni Mitchell in concert |
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