From: les@jmdl.com (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2000 #380 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: les@jmdl.com Errors-To: les@jmdl.com Precedence: bulk Archives: http://www.smoe.org/lists/joni Websites: http://www.jmdl.com http://www.jonimitchell.com Unsubscribe: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe JMDL Digest Monday, July 10 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 380 The 'Official' Joni Mitchell Homepage, created by Wally Breese, can be found at http://www.jonimitchell.com. It contains the latest news, a detailed bio, Original Interviews, essays, lyrics and much much more. --- The JMDL website can be found at http://www.jmdl.com and contains interviews, articles, the member gallery, archives, and much more. --- Ashara has set up a "Wally Breese Memorial Fund" with all donations going directly towards the upkeep of the website. Wally kept the website going with his own funds. it is now up to US to help Jim continue. If you would like to donate to this fund, please make all checks payable to: Jim Johanson and send them to: Ashara Stansfield P.O. Box 215 Topsfield, MA. 01983 USA ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Joni: video clip of the day on vhi.com [Janet Hess ] Re: Songs For & About JONI (The List) SJC [Murphycopy@aol.com] Saskatoon Magic ["c Karma" ] Laura Nyro NJC [RoseMJoy@aol.com] RE: rhode island is famous for you njc ["Wally Kairuz" ] RE: Laura Nyro NJC ["Wally Kairuz" ] Re: Ashara meets Joni etc... (njc) [Heather ] RE: Ashara meets Joni etc... (njc) ["Wally Kairuz" ] Re: Songs For & About JONI (The List) NJC (Nashville spoiler) ["Mark or T] Re Pat H.'s Post on Joni at Saskatoon! [john low ] Re: Songs For & About JONI (The List) [SCJoniGuy@aol.com] Re: Songs For & About JONI (The List) NJC (Nashville spoiler) [Murphycopy] Re: Songs For & About JONI (The List) NJC (Nashville spoiler) ["Mark or T] Re: question: TTT artwork [Richard Rice ] Re: TTT artwork - Joni's answers ["Kakki" ] Re: Saskatoon Magic ["Kakki" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 21:29:41 -0400 From: Janet Hess Subject: Joni: video clip of the day on vhi.com Hey! If this is a repeat, I haven't run across it before, so... on the vh1 website, their "must see video" of the day is a clip of an interview with Joni! There are four of 'em, in streaming video (you can choose to watch either Quicktime or the Windows Media Player format). She talks about, so help us all, Both Sides Now (;D) and singing with an orchestra. If you're bonkers enough to want to see Joni listed for the video of the day, go to http://www.vh1.com ...otherwise, you get to the Joni vids menu quicker if you use this URL: http://www.vh1.com/sounds.visions/vh1.0/ Cheerz, Janet and Deanna Ivy the Wonderkitty, one of whom got a haircut today - -------------- You've got to shake your fists at lightning now You've got to roar like forest fire You've got to spread your light like blazes All across the sky Joni Mitchell ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 21:44:22 EDT From: Murphycopy@aol.com Subject: Re: Songs For & About JONI (The List) SJC Dear Simon, Thank you for posting this. I didn't join the list until May of this year, so this is all news to me. (Even the basic stuff, like "Fountain of Sorrow" and "Our House.") One of the artists who really jumped out of the list for me was Ronee Blakely. I haven't thought of her in years, but I remember now that she was part of the Rolling Thunder Review with Joni, Dylan, Baez, etc., when it arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the mid-seventies. Ronee had just appeared in the Robert Altman film "Nashville" and was poised for stardom at the time. She sang "You Might Say That I Ain't Free, But It Don't Bother Me" at the end of the movie, after the populist presidential candidate was shot. (Sorry to ruin the movie for anyone, but it is 25 years old.) Poor Ronee... I don't think I've heard of her in since. I wonder if she wrote "She Lays It On The Line" after being on the road with Joni. You guys are great. --Bob ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 18:49:03 PDT From: "c Karma" Subject: Saskatoon Magic Hi folks, I thought it was time I introduced myself to y'all. I've made a couple of pithy posts but haven't had the time to formally join the proceedings. I'm CC, and yes, I attended the opening of "voices" at the Mendel in Saskatoon. My trip was a 36 hour blockbuster that ranks near the top of my list (my wedding and the birth of my children not withstanding). Meeting many of the JMDListers at lunch on Saturday, visiting the gallery and reception and sharing a fraternity style ride out for dinner with them following the festivities were fantastic experiences I'll never forget. Since the kids are out doing a firefly dance now I thought I'd steal a moment to tell you about my own special magic moment from the opening. And no, Joni was not there. I'm, um, a little compact. The gallery was extremely crowded for the "private" reception and it was impossible for my 5'6" frame to see beyond the crowd to the people making their speeches and the persons to whom they referred. Later after the first round of speeches were completed and the crowd repaired to the tent for refreshments before the public opening, I remained behind as did Jim Johanson and many of the JMDListers. We toured the gallery together and discovered and shared many details about the paintings and stories and even met Joni and her friends. If that wasn't magic enough, I made a solo visit to the section of the gallery where the portrait of Charles Valentino and the painting "In the Park of the Golden Buddha" (I formerly called it , "Portrait of the Artist and a Young Buck") hang adjacent to one another. I was musing to myself how "In The Garden of the Golden Buddha" seemed sadder and more tense in three dimensions than I'd expected, noting again the lone figure next to the tree at right. An older man sidled up to me and asked,"Some show, eh?" "And HOW!" I replied. "How about this one?" he gestured toward "Buddha." I began to gush about how awed I was by seeing the paintings live and how completely impressed I am with Joni's visual art, at her success at such a great breadth of style and subject. "Just look," I said, "portraits, still lifes, figuratives, landscapes, photos AND abstract expressionism! Just amazing." "Well," he qualified, "she's been at it a long time. She's been drawing ever since she was 5. I'm her father." You could have knocked me over with a feather. "WELL, CONGRATULATIONS!" I reached for his hand which he extended unhesitatingly. Bill Anderson was the absolute highlight of my evening. It was no small feat to upstage a gallery full of Joni Mitchell's art with the artist present, but he did so. We spoke only for a few minutes, mostly about how Joni was always drawing as a child. I asked him how he enjoyed watching her talent unfold over the years, and what it felt like to foster so great a talent, to get phone calls telling him about a newly finished painting. We talked about how Joni feels about the prospect of selling her work and the fact that she'd been offered a substantial sum (I didn't ask) for one painting in particular. His friendliness and hospitality made me feel so at ease even to the point of sharing some pictures of my family with him. Even on this important night for his family he was taking the time to say nice things about MY children, Amelia (yeah, yeah) and Nic. If I have one wish for Joni, it's for her to know just how proud Bill Anderson was of his daughter that night. After meeting him, it's suddenly so clear why Joni is so special. Bill's spirit is THAT BIG! I'm happy to say that after meeting him, I didn't want to stay in Saskatoon. I wanted to get home to my family since somehow, I felt I'd just learned how to be a better father. Thanks, Bill. I've been having a blast reading all the recollections of the show's opening weekend. I think I'm going to enjoy corresponding with the PWLJ (People Who Love Joni) that use the JMDL. It's my pleasure to meet you. I've sent some material to JoniMitchell.com on a couple of occasions. Thanks to Jim Johanson, my most recent is the "official" report of the 5/23 MSG New York show. If you'd like to check it out, go to the site and scroll down to the date, 6/4/00 and follow the link. Let me know what you think. CC "I love hats, they keep the head warm."-- CC (apologies if not original) ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 21:57:26 EDT From: RoseMJoy@aol.com Subject: Laura Nyro NJC Hey Guys: I'm sure this must have been hit upon some time in the past, but I was doing some research on the late Laura Nyro and I came across this very comprehensive site. I had been listening to Stoned Soul Picnic in my car and was thinking about her. I knew she had passed on, but embarrassingly, I didn't know when or from what. I always thought she had died very young, perhaps from a car accident or something. Come to learn she died in April of '97. I was shocked and after more reading I came upon a rather touching reflection by our late brother Wally Breese. It really broke me up. For anyone inclined to read what Wally had to say about Laura: http://lauranyro.net/tribesp3.html#breese Looking at the photos, I also came to learn she played at the State Theater '89 in New Brunswick, NJ and a club '90 in New Hope, PA. I Was just there today. Damn, what I missed out on and right in my own backyard! I remember as a teenager being fortunate to have an older brother who had a great LP collection and stereo system. He had a few of Laura's albums. Gonna Take a Miracle had always been a favorite of mine. Rose from NJ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 23:07:35 -0300 From: "Wally Kairuz" Subject: RE: rhode island is famous for you njc DAVID LAHM!!!! now THAT was some compliment! wallyK, blushing big time! > OWED to WALLY K > But > brains migrate to Brainos > Aires, so classic Brainos > Aires is where we find > You > > LAHM, Latin-American- > geography-impaired and writing on > > short notice. > ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 02:10:49 GMT From: "Joni Fan" Subject: top five Night Ride Home Court and Spark Shadow and Light Hejira Miles of Aisles . . . . if I were forced to do the list today. This island better have a great stereo system!!! Oh, and a turntable!!!!! Loree ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 23:27:35 -0300 From: "Wally Kairuz" Subject: RE: Laura Nyro NJC dear rose, there are quite a few of us on the list that love laura. i was devastated when i heard of her death. she never leaves my cd player for more than a few days. thank you for the tip. it was so moving to read wally's words. i miss both wally and laura so much. god bless them! maybe they've met by now. there's always a chance. wallyK > Hey Guys: > I'm sure this must have been hit upon some time in the past, but I was > doing some research on the late Laura Nyro and I came across this very > comprehensive site. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 22:30:06 -0400 From: Heather Subject: Re: Ashara meets Joni etc... (njc) Hang in there Anne! One more to go! And the CA - 125 countdown continues .... 10, 9, 8 ... :-) victory in the wings of prayer, Heather At 05:32 PM 7/8/00 -0400, Anne Sandstrom wrote: >Wow! sounds like the Mendel exhibit is THE place to try to meet Joni. Gee, >Ashara, when you come back can I touch you? > >Pretty funny for us DED fans that the cover is so prominent and so striking. >Yay! > >Just had my fifth chemo yesterday - and am catching up on TONS of email (my >company moved, so I've got over a week's worth just sitting there...) My >CA-125 number continues to drop, to 10 this time. It really can't get much >lower - and I've only got one chemo left, on July 28. Then I'M DONE!!!!!! > >Don't know if any of you caught the Boston fireworks on TV, but the >'original' version of At Last was one of the songs synchronized to the >display. Pretty cool, even if it wasn't Joni's rendition. > >Well, time to catch up on more digests, etc. > >lots of love >Anne ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 23:42:14 -0300 From: "Wally Kairuz" Subject: RE: Ashara meets Joni etc... (njc) go anne go!!!!! let's count down together! love you, wallyK > My CA-125 number continues to drop, to 10 this time. It really can't get much > >lower - and I've only got one chemo left, on July 28. Then I'M DONE!!!!!! > > ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 19:46:25 -0700 (PDT) From: zapuppy2@webtv.net (Penny) Subject: Re: The First Two Hours in S'toon <> Pat, I hate to say, I forgot one stack of things I meant to take to S'toon at home. Another tribute T-shirt (I gave to Rob, my husband's shirt since Rick had another one waiting at home), a half dozen tribute postcards I was going to give away, and your information. <> She remembered you by name alone. I didn't have to describe what you did or the club. <> Pat, I didn't mention them. I haven't seen them post. Here's part of the thing, I was going through the digest archives awhile back looking for something, and ran across posts where people were giving you shit, calling you a liar and such. It angered me to see how nasty people can be out of what looked to me like envy. I decided to take on your plight since I was going to the opening -- your reputation became one of my top priorities in S'toon. I was thrilled to have it accomplished in just the first couple of hours!!! <> Pat, to be completely honest here, maybe it's paranoia, maybe it's sensitivity, but even though Joni didn't convey it in words or even expression, I sensed an immediate "oh brother, another one who's going to try to get close to me through name dropping." I've made lots of observations over the last few years at how desperate some Joni fans can be to get near her. I'm becoming very sensitive to how people scheme or hound her....or any celebrity, for that matter. Truly, in this situation, she was going into the gallery for her reasons and I didn't want to detain her long, I just wanted to take care of one of my S'toon priorities since I didn't have to be pushy or intrusive to do it, extend well wishes and be outta there. Like I said before, my mind started racing and Joni things tend to stick in my head -- knowing that she never sought her *celebrity* and recalling her telling a Sandra Dee story from when she was a kid, recently hearing another little tidbit on KINK about how she perfers Christmas to birthdays so she's not the center of attention, and a mention in the press of her being nervous about the exhibit opening -- I just wanted to fulfill a promise and not bug her. I hope, if she even thought about it, that since I didn't ask for anything, an autograph, a picture, a handshake, a hug or whatever, and that I was the one to end the encounter, she realized I was sincere in simply passing on your "hi". <> I'm sorry Pat, I didn't have them with me. I feel bad about that, but on the other hand, if I had you would be more likely to be disappointed if she didn't contact you. In the same vein, that was one of the reasons why I didn't give her more info on myself (hotel, room number), when I signed the note I attached to her shirt. Didn't want to make it look like contact was expected, ya know? That woman must get a ton of requests for her time, etc!! If she wants to track any of us down, she could do so easily through Les. Haha, do we all give Les permission to give Joni our email addys? ;-) Penny :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Grace dies when it becomes us versus them......Philip Yancey ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2000 21:30:25 -0600 From: John Downes Subject: Lead Balloon Hi everyone, I am curious to know about the situation which is portrayed in the song Lead Balloon from Taming the Tiger. Does anyone know the background of this song? - -John in Edmonton ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 20:47:28 -0700 From: "Mark or Travis" Subject: Re: Songs For & About JONI (The List) NJC (Nashville spoiler) > Dear Simon, > > Thank you for posting this. I didn't join the list until May of this year, so > this is all news to me. (Even the basic stuff, like "Fountain of Sorrow" and > "Our House.") > > One of the artists who really jumped out of the list for me was Ronee > Blakely. I haven't thought of her in years, but I remember now that she was > part of the Rolling Thunder Review with Joni, Dylan, Baez, etc., when it > arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the mid-seventies. Ronee had just > appeared in the Robert Altman film "Nashville" and was poised for stardom at > the time. She sang "You Might Say That I Ain't Free, But It Don't Bother Me" > at the end of the movie, after the populist presidential candidate was shot. > (Sorry to ruin the movie for anyone, but it is 25 years old.) You'd better rent that movie & watch it again. Barbara Harris sings 'It Don't Worry Me' at the end & it's Ronee's character, Barbara Jean, that gets shot - not the presidential candidate. I remember that Ronee Blakely was great in Nashville - both her singing & her acting. I believe that was also Lily Tomlin's very first film (Jerry, am I right?) Shelley Duvall was hilarious as the groupie, L A Jo, walking around in tube tops & outrageously high platform shoes that only made her look that much skinnier. The actors wrote their own songs & some of them are doozies. Henry Gibson plays an old-time C&W star in the recording studio at the beginning of the movie & he's great. Julie Christie makes a cameo appearance as herself, walking through a night club & being introduced to C&W queen, Connie White, played by Karen Black. When someone tells Connie that Julie is a big movie star, Connie replies 'Are you kiddin' me? She can't even comb her hair!' (Julie still had the McCabe & Mrs. Miller perm at the time - Connie had the classic 'teased up kinda hair' that was standard for those Country gals back in the 60s & 70s.) One of Altman's best. Thanks for reminding me of it, Bob. Mark in Seattle ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 13:48:4 +1000 From: john low Subject: Re Pat H.'s Post on Joni at Saskatoon! pat henry wrote: >penny, PLEASE tell me you gave her my address! Good on you, pat! I really hope Joni writes to you! The memories you've shared with us have given all of us, I'm sure, a much greater feel for those early years. They certainly have in my case. Cheers, John (in Sydney). __________________________________________________________________ Get your free Australian email account at http://www.start.com.au ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 00:40:50 EDT From: SCJoniGuy@aol.com Subject: Re: Songs For & About JONI (The List) << >I'm 80% certain they also sampled "Sweet Bird" on some record or other. if anyone can confirm this and identify the Album, i'll have a friend send it to me.>> They did NOT sample Sweet Bird on any of their releases...I spent an hour poring over their discs which are LOADED with credits! I about went buggy-eyed! :~) <> Title would be "Circle Of Amour". And my Crystal Ball only has 4 CD's, I musta got ripped off! There's also an Eric Kloss song called "Joni" which has to be inspired by her, even though it's an instrumental. He plays the piano in a C&S style... And "Luke" Bloom on your list is actually "Luka", although it's not his real name. He's the brother of Christy Moore, a very famous singer and writer in his own right, but didn't want to be in his shadow, so he took his name from Suzanne Vega's song and the character in Ulysses by James Joyce. You probably knew all that but maybe it will interest somebody else. Thanks for posting all that info, btw! A wonderful reference. Bob NP: Hedge & Donna, "Josea" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 00:55:07 EDT From: Murphycopy@aol.com Subject: Re: Songs For & About JONI (The List) NJC (Nashville spoiler) In an earlier post, I wrote that in Altman's movie "Nashville," Ronee Blakely: "sang 'You Might Say That I Ain't Free, But It Don't Bother Me' at the end of the movie, after the populist presidential candidate was shot." Mark in Seattle wrote: "You'd better rent that movie & watch it again. Barbara Harris sings 'It Don't Worry Me' at the end & it's Ronee's character, Barbara Jean, that gets shot - not the presidential candidate." My response: Doh! So much for having a memory! Boy, I miss it... But although I loved "Nashville" on the big screen, I've never rented the video so my memories of the movie are 25 years old. Now I'm beginning to remember... Oh, yes... Lilly Tomlin contemplating infidelity as she listens to Keith Carradine sing "I'm Easy..." Geraldine Chaplin narrating an automobile pileup on an American expressway for a British news outlet... Mark wrote: "One of Altman's best. Thanks for reminding me of it, Bob." I'm writing: I agree. I'm going to rent it tomorrow. By the way, this "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" movie you mentioned... Is that the one about the lady who sings pop tunes in an operatic voice to Ernest Borgnine? --Bob ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 22:04:09 -0700 From: "Mark or Travis" Subject: Re: Songs For & About JONI (The List) NJC (Nashville spoiler) > By the way, this "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" movie you mentioned... Is that the > one about the lady who sings pop tunes in an operatic voice to Ernest > Borgnine? > > --Bob I'd forgotten about Geraldine Chapman! Opal from the BBC, wandering through a lot full of school buses, talking into a microphone about bussing...'the buses, the buses look bright & cheerful...' McCabe & Mrs. Miller was another Altman film that starred Warren Beatty & Julie Christie. It took place in the old west, in a gold rush town. Julie played a madame. That's another great movie with Leonard Cohen's classic song 'The Stranger' prominently featured on the soundtrack. And sweeping up the jokers that he left behind You find he did not leave you very much, not even laughter Like any dealer he was looking for the card that is so high & wild He'll never have to deal another He was some Joseph looking for a manger He was some Joseph looking for a manger And it comes to you he never was a stranger - -Leonard Cohen, 'The Stranger' Mark in Seattle ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 00:41:07 -0500 From: Richard Rice Subject: Re: question: TTT artwork Hi Nickel Chief, The painting you were inquiring about is indeed Joni and Don Freed. The skyline is that of Edmonton Canada. They were in Edmonton for the Edmonton Folk festival. (Duh.) What year? I'm sure someone on the list can tell ya. The skyline went up in a whoosh, the effect of new found oil money, so most of the buildings are modern glass and steel structures. Joni was taken by the play of light on them. In a certain light the reflection of the sun on them seemed Cathedral like and she wanted to capture that effect. The other cool story is, during Joni's stay at the fest, it rained and after doing her set, she doned a yellow rain parka and wore a big floppy straw hat. It was enough of a camaflouge that Joni was able to wander the crowds without anyone taking notice of her! ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 22:47:00 -0700 From: "Kakki" Subject: Re: TTT artwork - Joni's answers (With apologies to those who have heard this before) The painting location is Edmonton, Alberta and it is Donald's profile in the painting. After Joni's L.A. art exhibit last December at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE) a tiny college radio station, KCSN, interviewed Joni at LACE along with Mendel director Gilles Hebert. I obtained a tape of the interview from a recording service. Unfortunately, the tape had a lot of static due to the weak signal of the station and was difficult to understand in parts. Listmember Lindsay Moon and I worked on deciphering it and Lindsay transcribed it for the list. The entire interview is in the articles section of the JMDL web site. Joni provides many insights and explanations for the TTT and BSN paintings in the interview. Here is what she says about the Edmonton skyline painting: Rene Ingle, interviewer: "And I have two more paintings that I want to spend some time with. They're two that I had my strongest reaction to. Is this you crouched here --" Joni: "Mm-hmm." "-- in this painting, and will you tell us a little about it?" Joni: "This is Edmonton, Alberta. Most of my relatives live there. In the distance you see a skyline. The Edmonton skyline came up late and fast because of oil money and is mostly glass buildings, so from a distance the pink glass or blue glass, it's quite an Oz-looking place. And in the bend in the river there is a foot bridge or a bicycle bridge, and there's a bicycle path that comes along this side, again, right at that point that stands out at the left-hand side. The following day I gave a concert. So this is the day before the concert and very close to the concert site but this is the North Saskatchewan River. The figure in the foreground is my boyfriend who's from my hometown. Donald and I grew up playing on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River, and one of the reasons that a lot of these images of he and I -- well, they're not all here -- they take place -- we have a Saskatoon, Saskatchewan thing about walking in parks. I don't know, it's just something locals do, you know. So we always end up in every city that we are renting bicycles whether it's in Rome and riding our bikes through parks and a lot of the images that I track home with me to paint come from those public spaces." Kakki NP: Joni live 1972 "Case of You" (thank you Stephen!) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 23:15:34 -0700 From: "Kakki" Subject: Re: Saskatoon Magic Hi CC and welcome to the list! What an absolutely fantastic experience for you to chat with Joni's father! Thank you for sharing this. A few of us who have seen the photo scans of her parents at the opening have also been commenting that his spirit indeed shines right through - how wonderful to hear first-hand (ear? ;-) confirmation of this! Kakki ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2000 #380 ***************************** ------- Post messages to the list at Unsubscribe by sending "unsubscribe joni-digest" to ------- Siquomb, isn't she?