From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2013 #1707 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk Unsubscribe:mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe Website:http://jonimitchell.com JMDL Digest Thursday, November 28 2013 Volume 2013 : Number 1707 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: Geffen, Lead Balloon [Betsy Blue ] Re: Geffen, Lead Balloon [Bob.Muller@Fluor.com] Fwd: Dancing Clown (was Re: Geffen, Lead Balloon) [Anita ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 11:57:40 -0800 From: Betsy Blue Subject: Re: Geffen, Lead Balloon Yeah, I love that one. Keep in mind that I was three when it came out. I still like it for the beat, and because Tom Petty and Billy Idol are on it. Definitely not to be taken seriously. On Nov 27, 2013 11:43 AM, wrote: > Lest you think I just have terrible taste, FMIP, > Coyote, Black Crow, Raised on Robbery, and Night in the City also made the > cut.> > > And what of the "Dancing Clown"...hmmm? > > Bob > > NP: Aretha Franklin, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > The information transmitted is intended only for the person > or entity to which it is addressed and may contain > proprietary, business-confidential and/or privileged material. > If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are > hereby notified that any use, review, retransmission, dissemination, > distribution, reproduction or any action taken in reliance upon > this message is prohibited. If you received this in error, please > contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. > > Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual > sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of the company. > ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 14:43:44 -0500 From: Bob.Muller@Fluor.com Subject: Re: Geffen, Lead Balloon Lest you think I just have terrible taste, FMIP, Coyote, Black Crow, Raised on Robbery, and Night in the City also made the cut.> And what of the "Dancing Clown"...hmmm? Bob NP: Aretha Franklin, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" - ------------------------------------------------------------ The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain proprietary, business-confidential and/or privileged material. If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are hereby notified that any use, review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, reproduction or any action taken in reliance upon this message is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of the company. - ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 20:57:06 +0000 From: Anita Subject: Fwd: Dancing Clown (was Re: Geffen, Lead Balloon) > What's so terrible about Dancing Clown? The melody and the words. Anita ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 18:06:13 -0800 From: "Mark" Subject: Re: Geffen, Lead Balloon I thought that Joni met David Geffen sometime around the time Elliot Roberts became her manager which was in 1967. Geffen and Roberts had met when they both worked in the mailroom of the William Morris Agency. In 1967 Buffy St. Marie talked Elliot into going to hear Joni at Cafe Au Go Go in New York. He was so taken with her that he agreed to go on a three week road tour with her to convince her to hire him as a manager. Geffen, I believe, met Joni sometime shortly after that. My impression is that all three of them were maybe a few rungs up the ladder of success in the work of 'stoking the star-maker machinery behind the popular song' when they got together. I think Geffen was acting as her agent and was the one who made the decision that Joni should not try to get in and out of the Woodstock festival in 1969. It seems to me that the relationship was a close friendship that happened to be a professional relationship as well. Joni went on tour to try out the songs she had begun to compose at her BC sanctuary for 'For the Roses' in 1972. When she got back to LA, the house in Laurel Canyon on Lookout Mountain Road was being sublet. So David Geffen offered Joni a temporary place to live. David started the Asylum label at about this time and Joni's contract with Reprise was coming to an end. So 'For the Roses' became her first release on the Asylum label. After the success of 'Court and Spark' and given the fact that Joni was given complete artistic freedom in her first record contract when she signed with Reprise, it doesn't seem surprising that she was given carte blanche by her friend David Geffen to make 'The Hissing of Summer Lawns', 'Hejira' and 'Don Juan's Reckless Daughter'. None of those records sold as well as 'Court and Spark' but they didn't do badly either. Popular music was still undergoing a lot of experimentation and the amount of production on records was ramping up. Eventually it became what many considered to be top-heavy and overblown, causing the reactionary movements of punk and new wave. But I think David Geffen and Joni Mitchell were close friends who happened to be in business together. It was a great combination for awhile. Then Geffen got to be one of the major players in the game and he let that aspect override the friendship. Joni was never much into the game to begin with and business decisions that seemed to step on her or rip her off went over like a, well, lead balloon. Even if it wasn't Geffen she threw the drink at. If anyone knows that any of this is dead wrong, I would very much appreciate knowing about it. Mark in Seattle - -----Original Message----- From: Betsy Blue Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2013 11:32 AM To: joni@smoe.org Subject: Geffen, Lead Balloon In the Geffen documentary, it seemed like Joni became a substitute for Laura Nyro. Then Cher came along. Geffen had a huge need to control and care for people, especially women. Joni was very independent, so I can imagine how they butted heads. Clive Davis seemed to think Geffen was crazy for letting a "homeless" artist live with him. They were friends, though, and she was not struggling, but searching for a third property. He knew he could kick her out at any time. I totally agree that they benefited greatly from their professional relationship early on. Then he outgrew her. And she may have been hurt by that, or just felt like she was beyond needing him, or maybe she just had enough money not to care as much. Lead Balloon: I don't care who it is about. For me, it is about all the people who discouraged me. It is on my running playlist along with other unappreciated songs like Number One, Shiny Toys, Lucky Girl, Underneath the Streetlights, and Hana. Lest you think I just have terrible taste, FMIP, Coyote, Black Crow, Raised on Robbery, and Night in the City also made the cut. Betsy ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2013 #1707 ****************************** ------- To post messages to the list, sendtojoni@smoe.org. Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------