From: les@jmdl.com (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2000 #19 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: les@jmdl.com Errors-To: les@jmdl.com Precedence: bulk JMDL Digest Wednesday, January 12 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 019 The Official Joni Mitchell Homepage is maintained by Wally Breese at http://www.jonimitchell.com and contains the latest news, a detailed bio, original interviews and essays, lyrics, and much more. ------- The JMDL website can be found at http://www.jmdl.com and contains interviews, articles, the member gallery, archives, and much more. ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: NJC the year 2000 - hype and BSN ["Helen M. Adcock" ] Re: Crosby Sperm (my final word!) and some Joni! (NJC) ["Helen M. Adcock] Re: CSN - Crosby Sperm Needed ? (NJC) [Vince Lavieri ] RE: Old but vintage (VLJC) ["Wally Kairuz" ] Carry On (NJC) [Michael Paz ] Re: BSN pre-release order [CaTGirl627@aol.com] BSN pre-release order NJC [Vince Lavieri ] Re: Both Sides, Now doesn't come cheap! NJC [CaTGirl627@aol.com] (JGC) Joni Guitar Content. [Richard Rice ] Re: Both Sides, Now doesn't come cheap! NJC ["Kakki" ] Re: Both Sides, Now doesn't come cheap! NJC ["Mark T. Domyancich" Subject: Re: NJC the year 2000 - hype and BSN Vince wrote: >I suggest that we set aside 8-10 February with some ICQ or Instant >Messenger chat room and we all open and play our BSNs together, kind of >like my buddies and I did in 1968 when in real not cyber life we all >ceremoniously opened and played our White Albums Cool idea! I'd love a "real-time" chat with everyone! Although given my recent postings, maybe the opportunity to think before I speak with normal email might better suit me! Just love those knee-jerk reactions! Of course you realise that the time-zones are going to make for some interesting chat! Helen _______________________________ "I don't believe in livin' in the middle with available extremes" - Carole King hell@ihug.co.nz ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 16:17:23 +1300 From: "Helen M. Adcock" Subject: Re: Crosby Sperm (my final word!) and some Joni! (NJC) I know I said I was only going to comment once on this, but here is the site for the full article from Rolling Stone - it explains things a bit more fully, and I think it better explains Crosby's involvement. http://rollingstone.tunes.com/sections/magazine/text/excerpt833.asp?afl=rsn That's all I'm saying! Let's get back to Joni! I finally got my act together to get a Joni t-shirt made (copyright be damned in this god-forsaken backwater of a country!). Drew the sillouette (sp?) from the sheet music to Help Me (from Wally's site) for the front, and I'm going to put this (one of my favourite lyrics) on the back: "We all come and go unknown - each so deep and superficial, between the forceps and the stone" Joni Mitchell Should look pretty good, and I'll finally have a Joni t-shirt, since I wore out the one I had made of the Mingus album cover! Helen _______________________________ "I don't believe in livin' in the middle with available extremes" - Carole King hell@ihug.co.nz ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:21:57 -0500 From: Vince Lavieri Subject: Re: CSN - Crosby Sperm Needed ? (NJC) Mark or Travis wrote: > > > As public figures, just how do you propose that they could have kept > it quiet? Stay off the cover of the Rolling Stone, maybe? > Julie turns up pregnant & delivers a baby. Without some > kind of explanation can you imagine the field day of speculation the > press would have had with that?! Don't issue press releases? > I'm sure there would have been > rumors that Julie was sleeping around on Melissa and wasn't really a > lesbian and god only knows what else the tabloids would have come up > with. 'Space Aliens Kidnap & Impregnate Melissa Etheridge's Lesbian > Lover'. Wouldn't that be nice? What choice did they have but to come > out & say at least how it was done if not who the father was? With style they could have done it. Melissa Etheridge's next album, in the mode of "Yes, I Am" is entitled "Turkey Baster" and has a large picture of same on album cover. > > > I also suspect the whole David Crosby thing may be a red herring. I would hope so! Passing those hair loss/balding genes into the next generation is criminal - :-) > I > really kind of hope it is because, like some others have said, it > really would be an awful thing for those children to grow up thinking > their father doesn't want to be involved in their lives. One more straight breeder father out there who is having nothing to do with the kid, a wonderful example for all heteros. > Maybe this > is a major glitch in this whole procedure of having children. Sooner > or later they are most probably going to want to know who their father > is if they don't know already. If the Rolling Stone cover and the cover story is in the baby books, they'll be all set. > And if the father doesn't want to be > involved, what then? One more straight breeder father out there who is having nothing to do with the kid, a wonderful example for all heteros. > On the other hand, if the father does want to > play an active role, then I think it's kind of miraculous & > wonderful.... and that is the child's right, the childrens' right, for they did not ask to be born nor are they complements to a chic life style but they are human beings who need all the love that is their due. If the father plays an active role, it is because biologically producing a child entails responsibility for what comes of that sperm no matter how that responsibility is rationalized away. After the Rolling Stone cover stories and the features being planted in papers around the country by Etheridge's and Cyper's press people, I can only hope and pray that these children have two families, the one with their two loving primary care parents and the one with their father and his wife as the secondary set of parents to love them. Anything else is a crime against these kids. > seems like everybody wins. > > Especially the Rolling Stone and the careers of all involved, as all publicity is good publicity. And if they play it right, the Mellissa Etheridge turkey baster could be a hot selling item next Thanksgiving! Vince ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:36:23 -0600 From: "Mark T. Domyancich" Subject: Re: Both Sides, Now doesn't come cheap! Does anybody think this is unfair? It's like, if you really want the new album you're going to have to shell out 45 bucks and if you don't feel like paying that much you'll have to wait another month. NP-New Bohemians-Hard Rain's Gonna Fall At 10:05 PM -0500 1/11/00, MGVal@aol.com wrote: >Joni's new CD just appeared in our data base. (if you order from CD Now, you >get your music shipped from my company's warehouse). I, too, noticed the >hefty price tag, MSLP is about $44. The database has little available notes >beyond the street date of 2/8/00 and the notation: "limited edition, contains >original lithographs." Mark Domyancich Harpua@revealed.net http://home.revealed.net/Harpua ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 19:50:25 -0800 From: "Kakki" Subject: Re: (JGC) Joni Guitar Content - Westwood Music (long) John, What a fantastic conversation with Fred Walecki! It would be incredible he if joined the list. I would love to hear him yak on and on with Joni stories! About a year ago I reported to the list of buying my Baby Taylor at Guitar Center from a gentleman named Keith who used to work at Westwood Music with Fred and who also regaled me for an hour with Joni stories! Joni must like him very much - in the liner notes of TTT she gives him and Brian Blade special thanks for "rekindling my desire to make music." I hope some of us around here can make a bid on the Hejira guitars. If anyone wants me to check in at the store on this, please let me know. I've copied below some excerpts from Westwood Music's website, which of course, includes Joni content! ;-) ***** Westwood Music is known throughout the country as the leader in understanding and anticipating a musician's needs and for developing the technology to meet those needs. We create solutions to problems that even musicians at times are unable to articulate. Since our beginning 50 years ago, we have always been known for treating each customer, from beginner to pro, with legendary warmth and service. Since the '60's, Westwood Music and its owner, Fred Walecki, have been at the center of rock and roll legend-making. The stories abound--like the time the Stones went to see Sonny and Brownie at the Ash Grove, driven by Fred in his mom's station wagon. Or when Bernie Leadon promised to stand good for a Westwood Music charge account for his new band, which had come up with the questionable name of "The Eagles". Those were wild and heady days. Founded first as a rare violin, harp, and orchestral instrument store by Hermann Walecki in 1947, Westwood Music gained international stature as Hermann sold some of the most important rare instruments of this century: the " Lord Nelson Stradivarius", the "Markivich Stradivarius", and the "Mendolson Stradivarius", to mention only a few. When Hermann fell ill in 1966, his son Fred, at the age of nineteen, took over the business. Realizing his sensibilities lay more with guitars and other modern instruments, Fred gradually phased out the rare instrument side of the business and began to cater to clients involved in the new sounds of the '60 's. Within a few short years Fred had been befriended by such music legends as Buffalo Springfield Band, Bernie Leadon, Ned Doheny, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Poco, Linda Rondstadt, The Birds, Hearts and Flowers. And the rest, as they say, is Rock and Roll history, as evidenced by the abundance of Gold Records lining the walls of the store from groups both past and present. Through the '70's, 80's, and 90's the client list has grown and grown for one simple reason-no other music store in southern California is really involved with what large stage groups need, i.e., custom length, high quality cords; kel lights, batteries, gaffers tape, custom anvil cases measured for the clients at their rehearsal halls, and personal, 24 hour commitment to service. Late night phone calls at home to Fred from a group in a bind are common. Twelve hours to a guy on the road who is unable to get a three-dollar item that will make or break the pedal steel player seems like an eternity. With Westwood Music behind them, that item is there next day by FedEx, delivered to the guy's room by the bell hop with the morning coffee. These days it's hard to imagine what our store is like if you haven't been in, but it's a relief from the supermarket-type stores. The small profit margins of the chain stores seem to dictate impersonal treatment, but it doesn't have to be that way. We meet their prices but not their lack of service. Buying a guitar used to be a great time and it still can be-picking up and playing twenty or so Martins before choosing the perfect one, or having the same people who set up Bruce Cockburn's guitar set up yours. That 's very cool. It helps that we have such a long and rich history with the old companies like Martin and Gibson. Things are a bunch easier when you actually know the humans you are speaking to at these big companies. How do we know them? First, we like the people at the big companies, and they like us. Heck, some of the high lamas at the big companies worked with us in our store years ago, like Ren Fergison back in the 60's, or Chris Martin in the 70's. Ren is one of the high guys at Gibson acoustic in Bozeman, and Chris is the main person at Martin now. Beginning student, talented songwriter/bar player, and the fortunate few who have became musical legends-Westwood Music has been loyal to them all. We aren't big but we are powerful when you need real help from real people who sell the good goods. It is not unusual on any given day to find Joni Mitchell or Lyle Lovett, Gram Nash or David Crosby, Kevin ("Kebmo") or Chris Hillman, visiting Westwood Music, talking with the other regular customers. If you would like to see or hear from some of Westwood's customers, see that section of our site called "store pals". It would be nice to hear from you and feel free to call. Or, better yet, come in some day soon, hang out, and have the "Westwood Music experience". ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:01:58 -0600 From: Michael Paz Subject: Old but vintage (VLJC) wallyK wrote: "wallyk, losing my mind thinking that i might see joni live for the first time in my life and not too decrepit yet at that." Wally to think that you are going to spend some of your vacation i the city of my hatching (Detroit), yes my secret is out, is a little too much for me right now. I have to think that with all of the other synchronicity that is happening right now that you will get your props and be one of the many of us that HAS to get into this event come hell or high water or la plaga del inferno. I hope you have a wonderful journey and please get in touch whilst you are being your salacious self throughout the land of the free and the home of the brave. Michael ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 01:15:22 -0300 From: "Wally Kairuz" Subject: RE: Old but vintage (VLJC) >I hope you have a wonderful journey and please get in > touch whilst you are being your salacious self throughout the land of > the free and the home of the brave. > > Michael i will and keep a seat or whatever warm for me. i'll drag my ass down to vampireland to see joni with all my decadent fellow joniphiles!!! wallyk ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:31:29 -0600 From: Michael Paz Subject: Carry On (NJC) Dear List- I have observed that is quite possible some of you have missed your calling in life. You should have been journalists or at the very least anchor persons. PLEASE! Carry On! Love is coming to us all! (Fade up bongo drum groove) Love Michael (willing to live and let live most of the time, but only till the din gets toooo shrill) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 23:32:59 EST From: CaTGirl627@aol.com Subject: Re: BSN pre-release order In a message dated 1/11/2000 10:12:47 PM Eastern Standard Time, kakkib@att.net writes: << As Joni describes it in the KCSN interview, the CD and separate, miniature lithos of her four new paintings are packaged in an "aubergine (deep purple) taffeta-covered round candy box." It is really wonderful and I think the suggested retail price of $49.99 is not bad considering the beauty and detail in it. I'm so stoked over it I'm going to get two! Also, Robbie Cavolina made some mention of more surprises in it that he would not disclose to us. I think you will be happy when you see it. The "regular" jewel box CD is not being released until sometime in March. Kakki >> Well if kakki is going to buy TWO then I am too! whoo-hoo! And then (yes of course) I will just have to buy the jewel case one as well. One will stay hermeticaly sealed for posterity!! OH YEAH BABY!!!! Catgirl WHOO-HOOO! ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 23:43:50 -0500 From: Vince Lavieri Subject: BSN pre-release order NJC Kakki wrote: > Rev. Vince wrote: > > >So I fixed that, ordered BSN from cdnow (and as always, >used the link > through the Joni page). I was not expecting >the price of $43 something > bucks. I ordered it, but why the >pricey price? > > You may have been offlist when some of us reported about the Special Edition > BSN being released Feb. 8th. Some of us saw the prototype the night of the > LACE exhibit. As Joni describes it in the KCSN interview, the CD and > separate, miniature lithos of her four new paintings are packaged in an > "aubergine (deep purple) taffeta-covered round candy box." Ooo... I hope they have chocolate covered cherries, or strawberries! And it will be my first taffeta! I can now go to Halstead Avenue in Chicago like all the other boys! > It is really > wonderful and I think the suggested retail price of $49.99 is not bad > considering the beauty and detail in it. I'm so stoked over it I'm going to > get two! Also, Robbie Cavolina made some mention of more surprises in it > that he would not disclose to us. I think you will be happy when you see it. > The "regular" jewel box CD is not being released until sometime in March. > > Thanks for the info! (Really, thanks Kakki, I knew there had to be a decent explanation, and this one works, and now I remember it from the prior discussions....) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 23:43:48 EST From: CaTGirl627@aol.com Subject: Re: Both Sides, Now doesn't come cheap! NJC In a message dated 1/11/2000 10:39:47 PM Eastern Standard Time, Harpua@revealed.net writes: << Does anybody think this is unfair? It's like, if you really want the new album you're going to have to shell out 45 bucks and if you don't feel like paying that much you'll have to wait another month. >> Now Mark, This Cd is a peice of artwork from our Joan. Surely each and everyone of us is going to want to own at least one of these cute little candy box jewels. I am so happy about it I am buying TWO! Catgirl ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:45:21 -0500 From: Richard Rice Subject: (JGC) Joni Guitar Content. Hello again, Mr. Walecki. I have to fess up, I wrote to the Joni Mitchell Discussion List today and told as much of our chat as I could recall. I was so excited I could not resist sharing. Anyway, since I was liberally quoting you from memory, I thought it best to let you know what I wrote. If I did anything in error, please feel free to slap me on the wrist. I can take it. Again, many thanks to you for a neato cool experience. --I am beside myself with excitement!!! Hello everyone! I just had the most amazing, long, chat with Fred Walecki, the fellow who built Joni's guitar!!!! O my gosh, o my gosh!! Silly me did not have my Monica Lewinsky Tape Player going so I am trying like crazy to remember all that was said; it was soooooooo cool. Anyway, I've been thinking of buying a Parker (thanks to Mike Paz for all his amazing and wonderful help), and had a few questions , so in a moment of brilliance thought, heck, why not go to the original source. After trading a few emails, Fred Walecki asked me to ring him about what gear to buy, yadda yadda. Well today I gave him a call and he talked my ear off for at least a half hour regailing me with story upon story about Joan's introduction to the parker. Like Joan, Fred joking mentioned being kind of long winded, and when the two are together, they go on and on for hours trading tales. She is good at it, he can't sleep nights afterwards, all buzzed from her imaginative conversations. Lucky stiff. Well said lucky stiff is a long standing friend of Joni's. She has purchased a good many of her guitars from him, so he was long aware of her frustrations with open tunings. As luck would have it, he received one of the first two or so Roland VG8's and spent quite a few long hours on the phone to Japan dealing with the bugs in it. The first guitar he built using it was for a friend's wife who wanted one. She eventually returned the guitar and Fred set about improvements for Joan, changing pic ups and all. It was a stratocaster stripped down and made to run to the VG8. Of course Joan loved it instantly. Fred later traded stories with Ken Parker about the new guitar he made Joni. Ken, being a big Joni fan, asked Fred if it were ok, to have a go at making one for her himself. Very quickly, Ken had designs in the mail to Fred that absolutely wowed him. Still, he didn't show Joan the designs for fear they might change in production.When Fred passed along the information that Ken Parker wanted to build her a guitar, he said she was totally disinterested. She liked his guitar and was perfectly happy with it. Fred begged on, trying to convince her that Parker was leagues above him and that she would be majorly impressed by his work. Nothing registered with her until he mentioned that it would be even lighter than the one he built. 'Lighter?', she says. Well that got her interest. Finally the product came into his shop and he invited her over for a look. Knowing how cool it was, and certain she would like it, he left it in the box so seeing it would be a total surprise. He said she stood there arms crossed like, this is a waste of my time until he finally undid the wrapping... her eyes lit up and she said something like, "This is the most beautiful design I have ever seen." And it is too. Tease that Fred is, he ho-humly calls Ken to talk business like on the phone about the guitar, until Joni pops on the line and puts Ken through the roof with something like, 'This is Joni. Your guitar is a work of art. It is the most beautiful design ever'. The two of them chat for a long while. Some time later Ken comes out to L.A. to meet with Fred Walecki and go over business dealings with him. So Fred calls up Joan and says, let's go out to dinner tonight. There is someone I'd like you to meet. And Fred says to Ken, let's go to dinner, and by the way, I need to pick someone up on the way. So they are driving through Joan's neighborhood, Ken totally none the wiser, so he starts asking a few questions...Where are we going? So who is this person? And Fred is like, no prob. She's a song writer. I think you heard of her stuff. Just as they pull up to the house Ken finally gets it. Surprise!!! Out comes Joan and the two of them join her in her 'tin' pick up truck, which Fred knew would be her preferred means of transportation, for a drive into the city for dinner. Well, they are on the freeway, and for no reason Ken whips off his seat belt with such vigor it makes a ringing sound against the door. Concerned, Fred is asking, 'What's wrong? What's wrong?' And Ken says something like, ' I am riding here in this old truck with you and Joni Mitchell. If we get in an accident and die, this is the way I want to go!' Now if I have this straight, the guitar Fred Walecki remodeled Strat that Joni has named 'Greenpeace.' It is the instrument that most of TTT was recorded with. Today she plays Ken's Parker mostly, which suits Fred Walecki just fine. The Greenpeace goes along on tour as a back-up. It has a different tone to it, a lot more 'drive' Joni says, and she prefers to use it on certain songs. As for Ken, the Parker he made for her, called the Concert Parker Fly, is 'basic' in its pick ups and made for the VG8. May we say it is going gangbusters for him? And why not, it is a stunning piece of art! Very beautiful. Fred Walecki is just a wonderful man. And if you let him, he will talk your ear off. You can tell how much he loves Joan from his coversation. He mentioned that he was considering joining the discussion list. I told he should, but not as forceful as I should have!!! Sucks, not a forceful guy, me. But he was so excited to hear about my interest in all things Joni. I thought, heck, I am just the tip of the iceberg, sitting bottom row left. Anyway, one other major note of interest to the list. Joni is going to sell her guitars from the Hejira tour and Fred was curious if I thought the list would be interested in knowing that. --I plan on robbing several banks myself, after I finish typing this. It seems she is tired of them taking up space in her recording studio. By the way, said studio is about to be deconstructed and turned into a painting studio. (Yipes. Sometimes we learn so much regarding her life I feel a little squimish about it.) Anyway, among the guitars are six George Benson's that were set for different tunings for the shows. Fred made a point of mentioning they have very low serial numbers, like 0745, which I assume means they are of particular worth. All with pearl inlays and other special touches for Joni. She even has her second electric guitar, it seems the first was from Neil Young, but he liked the gift so much he took it back. Neatest of all, Joni wrote a short letter for each guitar, giving a brief history of it's place in her artisty and wishing the new owner well. As I said, Fred Walecki is offering more information to the list regarding them and I felt it would be better if someone more official, and more knowledgeable handle this. Anyone care to tackle? Les? Certainly I am sure he would be wonderful for an interview for the list. He has a lot of curiosity about all that is going on here, he even wanted to know if I knew Wally, but alas, I hated having to say no. I told him I would try to contact someone here about having the sites make a more offical contact. Someone please help me in that regard. Well, that was that. A most interesting afternoon. Happy to share it with you all. Wow, I just love how these two great awesome sites are magnifying my love of Joni's beautiful artistry. - --And all the beautiful people too! Thanks for listen. John. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 20:56:35 -0800 From: "Kakki" Subject: Re: Both Sides, Now doesn't come cheap! NJC Catgirl wrote: > Now Mark, > This Cd is a peice of artwork from our Joan. Surely each and everyone of us > is going to want to own at least one of these cute little candy box jewels. > I am so happy about it I am buying TWO! It's so funny - kind of like waiting for a new prized, toy in a way. I feel like when I was a little kid wishing and waiting for a new special edition Barbie case or something ;-) I don't know what the final product will look like but the prototype we saw is not that small - it's kind of deep and larger than the standard width of a jewel case or CD. I'm glad to hear the suggested price is down a few dollars from what we originally heard. Mark - maybe we can get some extra coupons from Laura to help us out! Kakki ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 23:07:41 -0600 From: "Mark T. Domyancich" Subject: Re: Both Sides, Now doesn't come cheap! NJC Oh of course I want to own the special edition, I just don't understand why the financially-challenged have to wait a month. Wouldn't it make more sense to release them on the same day? Just a thought. At 11:43 PM -0500 1/11/00, CaTGirl627@aol.com wrote: >Now Mark, >This Cd is a peice of artwork from our Joan. Surely each and everyone of us >is going to want to own at least one of these cute little candy box jewels. >I am so happy about it I am buying TWO! >Catgirl Mark Domyancich Harpua@revealed.net http://home.revealed.net/Harpua ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:44:27 -0700 From: Riveragelsinger@aol.com (by way of Les Irvin ) Subject: Re: JMDL Digest V2000 #17 I like your analysis of "In France They Kiss..." I would only add that Mitchell's use of obviously real adolescents, including herself in a more innocent time of life, pushes an agenda at the heart of rock'n'roll, how in some other cultures sexuality is overtly healthier than what we have been taught or not taught..."removed from romance...broken and molded.." Is she just stereotyping French people, who can seem very discreet in public, as well as very warm and affectionate with their loved ones in public and private? Or is it just a banner cry to exemplify sexual, sensual exuberance? I believe she was in early middle age when she wrote this...early thirties?? Is she the girl in bloom or the fading woman? Is she either? What I love and hate is the deliberate obscurity and obliqueness with which she writes characters in her poetry, the things left out, the incomplete characters that my own imagination wants to, but cannot quite fill in. It feels like a night of fun and racing around that I've done both here and in France and a couple of other places. Running around and having fun..."thrilling..." to whatever words can turn us on. I suppose it's part of the reason I flipped open to this song, as a first to take a look at. Anybody have any other comments or insights about lyrics or music? What other work relates to sexuality? She has something on her last CD. And then there's "Come In From the Cold." ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2000 #19 **************************** Don't forget about these ongoing projects: Glossary project: Send a blank message to for all the details. FAQ Project: Help compile the JMDL FAQ. Do you have mailing list-related questions? -send them to Today in History Project: Know of a date-specific Joni fact? - -send it to ------- Post messages to the list at Unsubscribe by sending "unsubscribe joni-digest" to ------- Siquomb, isn't she?