NewsJoni Mitchell / Archives Volume 1: The Early Years 1963-1967 box set
Five-CD box set kicks off the long awaited ‘Archives’ series
Joni Mitchell opens her vaults for the first time for the Joni Mitchell Archives, a new series of box set releases that will span the next few years and start NEXT MONTH with a five-disc box set, Archives – Volume 1 and two associated vinyl releases.
Mitchell has been “intimately involved in producing the archive series” and Archives Volume 1: The Early Years (1963-1967) features nearly six hours of unreleased home, live, and radio recordings that flow chronologically to map Joni’s rapid growth as a performer and songwriter during the period leading up to her debut album.
The collection begins in 1963 with her earliest-known recording as a 19-year-old Mitchell performs at CFQC AM, a radio station in her hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The box culminates with a stirring, three-set 1967 nightclub performance recorded at the Canterbury House in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In total, the five-CD box includes 29 original Mitchell compositions that have never been released before with her vocals.
Volume 1: The Early Years (1963-1967) is a five-CD box set (click image to enlarge)
The box set includes a 40-page booklet that features many unseen photos from Mitchell’s personal collection as well as new liner notes featuring conversations between Cameron Crowe and Mitchell, who recently spent a couple of Sunday afternoons together discussing her archives. Crowe will continue to provide liners for future releases in the series.
Looking back, Mitchell reflects on her early label of “folk singer”: “The early stuff, I shouldn’t be such a snob against it. 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 folk-singer.’ 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 realisation…I was a folk singer!”
CDs four and five of the box set feature Mitchell’s previously unreleased, entire three-
set performance at Canterbury House in 1967. Those three sets are also issued as a special 3LP vinyl package: Live at Canterbury House – 1967.
To complete the physical archive releases, a single 180g vinyl, Early Joni – 1963 features the nine-song CFQC AM performance in her hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. This is featured on CD 1 of the box set.
The five-CD box set, the 3LP Canterbury package and Early Joni will all be released on 30 October 2020.
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Joni Mitchell
Archives Vol 1 - the Early Years 1963-1967 - 5CD box set
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Joni Mitchell
Live at Canterbury House 1967 - 3LP vinyl
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Joni Mitchell
Early Joni 1963 - vinyl LP
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CD 1
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)”
Joni’s Parents’ House: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (February 1965)
24. “The Long Black Rifle”
25. “Ten Thousand Miles”
26. “Seven Daffodils”
CD 2
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”
CD 3
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”
CD 4
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”
CD 5
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”
Live at Canterbury House – 1967 3LP vinyl set
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”
Early Joni – 1963 vinyl LP
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”
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