From: les@jmdl.com (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V1 #80 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: les@jmdl.com Errors-To: les@jmdl.com Precedence: bulk onlyJMDL Digest Tuesday, June 15 1999 Volume 01 : Number 080 The Laborday JoniFest is happening this fall! For information: send a message to Join the mailing list at: ------- 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: The Boho Dance [dsk ] Re: A boho dancing... [dsk ] Re: Joni/Carey/Simon ["Helen M. Adcock" ] Finding your key for singing/playing Joni songs [Howard Wright ] Sisotowbell Lane [Steve Dulson ] RE: JONI UNDER THE COVERS [colin ] Stay In Touch [simon@icu.com] Re: Sisotowbell Lane [Don Rowe ] challenge to British JMDLers [Gertus@aol.com] Re: stay in touch... [Bob.Muller/GV/FD/FluorCorp@fluordaniel.com] Two entertwining threads (JC and long) [mwyarbro@zzapp.org] Re: joni covers on tape tree #8, etc. (jc) a review [Bob.Muller/GV/FD/Flu] Re: challenge to British JMDLers [catman ] Re: joni covers on tape tree #8, etc. (jc) a review [Mark Domyancich ] Re: Atlanta birthday show... [IVPAUL42@aol.com] Re: challenge to British JMDLers ["Kakki" ] re: atlanta birthday show [waytoblu@mindspring.com] Re: atlanta birthday show [IVPAUL42@aol.com] Fundraiser/Jonifest/Raffle Update [Ashara@aol.com] one reason why nosy jmdlers might imagine that james is 'carey' (jc) [pat] next joni tribute in Sydney ["Takats, Angela" ] TT #8 Covers & Leonard Cohen (Long) [Lindsay Moon ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 04:10:09 -0400 From: dsk Subject: Re: The Boho Dance David Marine wrote: > > It has been suggested that the Boho dance is the relationship between > critic and artist? I can see that as part of it. I would be interested > to hear from those who have read the Wolfe book "The Painted Word."... Joni's Boho Dance is a personal story (it does seem to me she's talking to a particular person as well as thinking about where she fits in) and goes beyond Tom Wolfe's discussion of the art world, but it does start with it. _The Painted Word_ was published in June 1975, the same year as HOSL, so the subject may have been talked about in Larry Poons's NY loft, along with Don't Interrupt the Sorrow (since LP is mentioned in the book, he probably knew about it before it was published). And it's not so much about artists and critics, as about the relationship between artists and the people buying their art (with critics often(?) determining what those people are buying and the buyers purchasing not only art but the feeling that they, because of their relationship with the artist, are also bohemians -- at least briefly). It's Wolfe's premise that the visual arts are the only art form in which relatively few wealthy people decide what everyone else will see. Not that knowing any of this is important to appreciating Joni's work, but I do like placing Joni in context, as opposed to her seeming to create in a vacuum. So now when rereading The Painted Word with Joni's Boho Dance in mind, some quotes jump out at me: "...the [art mating] ritual has two phases: (1) The Boho Dance, in which the artist shows his stuff within the circles, coteries, movements, isms, of the home neighborhood, bohemia itself, as if he doesn't care about anything else; as if, in fact, he has a knife in his teeth against the fashionable world uptown. (2) The Consummation, in which culterati from that very same world, le monde, scout the various new movements and new artists of bohemia, select those who seem the most exciting, original, important, by whatever standards -- and shower them with all the rewards of celebrity." Wolfe then describes Picasso as an artist who excelled at this art mating ritual, compared to Picasso's friend Georges Braque, who is really the one who came up with Cubism: "...here we have the classic demonstration of the artist who knows how to double-track his way from the Boho Dance to the Consummation as opposed to the artist who gets stuck forever in the Boho Dance. This is an ever-present hazard of the art mating ritual. Truly successful double-tracking requires the artist to be a sincere and committed performer in *both roles.* Many artists become so dedicated to bohemian values, internalize their antibourgeois feelings so profoundly, that they are unable to cut loose, let go ... and submit gracefully to good fortune; the sort of artist, and his name is Legion, who always comes to the black-tie openings at the Museum of Modern Art wearing a dinner jacket and paint-spattered Levis's . . . *I'm still a virgin!*" One verse especially seems to come from this paragraph, although Joni's words are so much richer. Joni's conclusion is that she's not involved in this art mating ritual at all: "The streets were never really mine. Not mine these glamour gowns." Is that because she was making music, instead of showing her artwork? At first I thought this song went beyond the art world and was about anyone getting stuck in a certain lifestyle, even if it's hurtful. But maybe she WAS just talking about the visual arts. Most of the song is criticizing someone else. It does seem like she's aloof and separate from the Boho Dance, not that she's learned how to do it comfortably herself. Hmmm, is this actually a song about Joni's relationship to the art world? Debra Shea ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 06:07:33 -0400 From: dsk Subject: Re: A boho dancing... CarltonCT@aol.com wrote: > > I'm the first to say that Rothko, Jackson Pollack and the other abstract > expressionists will not be hanging with the Van Gogh's, Rembrandts and > Picasso's in the museums of the future. The value of any of these artist's work is not set in stone, although the work of the older artists you list seems to be (they've been around longer so we're used to them, resulting in a high comfort level). Years ago, I found an old book of art criticism (from around 1940) that tore apart Picasso's work and highly praised other people I hadn't heard of. We know Van Gogh's story and Rembrandt died penniless. Now they're in favor, but that might not always be the case. It has as much to do with the times as it does with the actual work, so it takes centuries of people responding to particular work before it can be considered great. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 22:47:17 +1200 From: "Helen M. Adcock" Subject: Re: Joni/Carey/Simon Lori wrote: >>From Carey: > >"Let's have another round for the bright red devil who keeps me in this >tourist town." > >>From California: > >"I met a red neck on a Grecian Isle > He did the goat dance very well > He gave me back my smile > But he help my camera to sell > Oh the rogue, the red red rogue" > >Coincidence? Or was Joni writing about the same person? It's only recently that I've discovered that Carey is not about James Taylor, so I never made the connection. But now that you mention it, it seems far too obvious NOT to be the same person. By the way, I always thought the line "but he kept my camera to sell" was "but he kept my camera in his cell" - so I always imagined the "red-neck" or "red, red rogue" was a fairly unsavoury character she met, who was arrested for some reason. It's funny how the mind works - or in my case, slightly strange and a more than a little scary! Anyway, I agree with you! Helen NP - The cat crying in the other room, because something's scared him, the big wuss! Probably a beetle ran in front of him. I've never met a more pathetic excuse for a carnivore! He was terrorised (literally) by two blackbirds at my last house! ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 14:12:15 +0100 (BST) From: Howard Wright Subject: Finding your key for singing/playing Joni songs From: MDESTE1@aol.com >If someone has a poor or average melodic ability all the more important >to sing it in the proper key for their voice. It is always possible to >find the exotic tuning in YOUR key that will have different yet >interesting harmonics and tones. Its all in practicing and having >someone show you the tuning. It may take some effort (like finding >someone who knows another tuning) but its possible. The point is dont >try to hit jonis notes. Ask Bob Dylan. marcel. I think it is important to find your own way of playing and singing Joni, whether that means just changing key a little, or altering the melody a little ... But, the difficult part is always the guitar. I guess I'm a guitar purist - - for the most part I like to play the songs the way Joni does. That means I *have* to use her tunings and chords, which pretty much fixes the key. You can maybe tune up or down a fraction, but this can be tough for your guitar, and you often need to play chords right up at the 12th fret or higher, so using a capo doesn't really work. As Marcel says, it is possible to reinvent the guitar part, but this is hard if you want to keep as many of those "Joni notes and chords" as possible. If you make a complete change of the guitar part, then you're more free to choose chords as you like and you can find an arrangement that suits your voice well. Howard ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 00:33:53 +1000 From: Evan + Vanessa Thomson Subject: Re: (SJC) You Am I Hello Angela, I'm not much of an You Am I fan either, though his not-so-ringing endorsement of Joni wouldn't particularly put me off! Their music just isn't interesting enough to grab me... but it is interesting to hear people who dislike Joni though. It makes you take a fresh look sometimes to see if you can spot what they mean... more often than not, I just don't care!! :-) Vanessa N.P. My thoughts! ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 09:18:07 -0700 From: Steve Dulson Subject: Sisotowbell Lane Lisa wrote: >if there really is a Sisotowbell Lane and where is it? I'm probably late on this, too :( My dear friend Rin and his girlfriend spent a day searching Saskatoon for Sisotowbell Lane. That was before we found out that it was a relic from Joni's acronym days: Somehow In Spite Of Trouble Ours Will Be Ever Lasting Love. ############################################################## Steve Dulson Costa Mesa CA steve@psitech.com "The Tinker's Own" *NEW* website at: http://www.tinkersown.com "Southern California Dulcimer Heritage" http://members.aol.com/scdulcimer/ "The Living Tradition Concert Series" (Website soon!) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 02:05:15 +-100 From: colin Subject: RE: JONI UNDER THE COVERS - ---------- From: Takats, Angela Sent: Saturday, June 12, 1999 11:47 To: 'mlg@ukonline.co.uk'; 'joni@smoe.org' Subject: re:JONI UNDER THE COVERS HELLO MARTIN, Nice to hear from you......I'm pretty new to the list too! <> I'm glad you enjoyed reading about the Tribute show, it was an amazing night, especially cos we don't get much 'joni-stuff' down here in Australia. How about in the UK? that's where you are from, isn't it? lots of joni happenings? <> Can't say I've heard many joni covers.....there were some nasty ones at the Tribute...one lady had a bit of a Tony Childs voice - do u know what I mean, like kind of 'flemmy' (oooh, that does sound gross, doesn't it) just really blunt and non-joni sounding. Another girl decided to jazz up Carey, she reminded me of the singer on Ally Mcbeal (who REALLY pisses me off), trying a little too hard. <> I love performing this song! It always gets a reall good responce, even from those who don't know joni's work. (Wondering how listers would rate my interpretation?) I'd be interested to hear how other people do it, think I'll give Nazareth's version a miss thou gh. Thoughts from Ange Sydney ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 12:57:29 -0800 From: simon@icu.com Subject: Stay In Touch RickieLee1@aol.com recently posted ... >__________________________________________________________________________ >RE: 'Stay In Touch' > > > >i was always under the impression this song was about donald freed. in >fact, i can swear i read in print somewhere, joni saying that she had not >had time to "process" the reunion with kilauren at the time TTT was being >>composed, and there were, therefore, no songs that dealt with finding her >>daughter and grandson on that disc. so i always listened to this song as >>describing a parting with mr. freed. (does anyone else invent little >scenarios to accompany joni's more personal songs, or am i the only wierdo >who does this? in this particular song, i used to picture either donald >>returning to canada or joni leaving him for california, with promises to, >well, stay in touch. deep, farewell kisses and the sun going down...) >but then i also seem to recall in subsequent interviews joni saying >>(quixotically as ever) that stay in touch was, in fact, about kilauren, >so today, for the first time, i listened to it with that subtext in mind, >and the song moved me in a wholly new, and more powerful way. >__________________________________________________________________________ hey Ric, you've got a good memory, here's the exchange you remembered. From: The Austin Chronicle October 9, 1998 TAMING JONI MITCHELL JONI'S JAZZ, by Jody Denberg AC: Finally, Joni, there's a poignant song on your new album called "Stay in Touch." Last year you reunited with your daughter who you gave up for adoption after she was born. Was that song written about your daughter? JM: When the kids came [to visit], Kilauren's boyfriend heard the song and said, "Kilauren, this is about you." And it is. It's about the beginnings of love, conducting yourself through it wisely. I don't think there's another song like it in existence. How foolish we all are when we're smitten. It applies. It wasn't the catalyst for it. Kilauren came in the middle of the project, and one of the reasons why there was a delay in finishing it was because, well, we just had to spend a lot of time with each other. So we'd spend three weeks and then I'd go back in the studio and then I'd go up there and we'd spend some more time and then I'd go back in the studio. And it definitely applies. But it applies to any new, terrific attraction. It's basically how to steer yourself through that smitten period. ___________________________________________________________________________ http://www.auschron.com/issues/vol18/issue06/music.jmitchell.html ___________________________________________________________________________ Ric, i'm truly sorry to hear about your wife's condition. hopefully you're able to draw strength and solace from the World of Joni Mitchell. Stay In Touch ... take care, - ------- simon - ------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 10:26:55 -0700 (PDT) From: Don Rowe Subject: Re: Sisotowbell Lane - --- Steve Dulson wrote: > > My dear friend Rin and his girlfriend spent a day > searching Saskatoon > for Sisotowbell Lane. That was before we found out > that it was a relic > from Joni's acronym days: Somehow In Spite Of > Trouble Ours Will Be > Ever Lasting Love. > Now isn't that just like Joni to send us off on a snipe hunt. Kind of makes you wonder what other sorts of red herrings we're fishing for here on the jmdl ... ;-) Don Rowe _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 16:20:48 EDT From: Gertus@aol.com Subject: challenge to British JMDLers James read in Canadian press:- < Zekas goes on to say that Joni was about to go to London to work on an album with the London Philharmonic. Well, what are we doing about it, guys?! Someone must know someone in the London Phil with some inside information. Where do they hang out, rehearse etc etc. How about you, Azeem, surely you must have some contacts in the London orchestra world. Colin, maybe? We simply can't let this chance go by. Joni in London! I know it's one of her favourite cities but I understood her health couldn't stand the flight. Perhaps she could just give us one little concert while she's here - I'm fantasizing, I know. Well we can all dweem. I have a friend who is a London based classical musician - I'll see if she knows anything. Anyone else have any information? Jacky ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 16:51:01 -0400 From: Bob.Muller/GV/FD/FluorCorp@fluordaniel.com Subject: Re: stay in touch... - --IMA.Boundary.5155939290 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: cc:Mail note part From: RickieLee1@aol.com AT fdinet on 06/13/99 04:31 PM EDT To: joni@smoe.org AT fdinet@ccMTA-fdlncta10 cc: (bcc: Bob Muller/GV/FD/FluorCorp) Subject: stay in touch... - --IMA.Boundary.5155939290 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: cc:Mail note part ric yaks: <> we like it, we like it!! So good to hear from you my friend - I've been thinking about your family a lot and am glad to hear from you...thanks for "staying in touch". <> Like Simon says, she said that the song was NOT about Kilauren and that it WAS, so what're ya gonna do? Like Joni says, the important thing is what it means to each of us individually - my take on this is that she is almost doing a literal play on words; instead of saying "Stay in Touch" like WEwould on parting company with a friend or loved one, she says "stay in touch" meaning "to stay touching", like you would tell a child to stay in the house or something. Rather than apply the phrase as a cliche, she's using it as an expression of early love/infatuation. I recall early "puppy loves" when you're holding hands and you don't really want to let go, you want to "stay in touch", like Joni says "clinging like fire to fuel, I'm grinning like a fool". If there were aspects of her relationship with Donald Freed in the song, it would have been about the beginning of their relationship as opposed to the parting. It certainly applies to her rekindled relationship with her daughter, I think. Anyway, I'm certain you've got many other things on your mind other than my take on some Joni lyrics, but I just wanted you to know that I was glad you posted and I'll continue to hold you, Judy, and your kids up in my prayers. Bob - --IMA.Boundary.5155939290-- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 14:26:14 -0800 From: mwyarbro@zzapp.org Subject: Two entertwining threads (JC and long) Someone (I'm sorry I don't remember who!) had mentioned their newfound appreciation for "Sisotowbell Lane," and asked if anyone else had seen an experience increase their appreciation of a Joni song. A different thread, begun by our dear friend Rickie Lee, has brought "Stay in Touch" back to my attention. In that thread Simon quoted Joni saying something ("We are all so foolish when we're smitten," I believe) that sparked my interest. I looked up the lyrics and was immediately struck by its relevance to a recent experience of mine. About a month ago I vacationed for five days in Miami Beach. A few weeks into my newly single life, I had gone to bathe my nerves in the moist air and dry them in the sun, letting my frustrations float away into the ozone. I escaped to the dancefloors and the beaches, and maybe a bed or two, sweating out my stress and shedding my sleep schedule like any other cumbersome responsibility. I normally don't go in for the hedonist vacation, but when in Miami... And it was wonderful. Had my trip not gone beyond baked brie in a sidewalk cafe or a jog along the ebbing waves, I would have been happy. The atmosphere of South Beach was so relaxed, so redemptive, that as my last days approached I actually felt ready to retackle the real world. I spent one of my final nights at Liquid, probably the best known club in South Beach. It was a good night, with inventive and energetic tribal music (though Cher did rear her ugly head--am I the only fag who doesn't "Believe?"). A healthy dose of interesting boyz mixed among the bland Chelsea transplants, and one of them caught my eye. I caught his, too. Thus began the ritual mating dance we all know so well. His name was Oscar, a Nicaraguan of 22 years with cafe con leche skin tone and short-shaved sideburns to his earlobes. His eyes smiled as he danced. Affable and sexy, he hooked me instantly. At 5:30 we left the club. Miami, like New York, is still quite open for business at that hour, and I grabbed some beans and rice as we walked. The sky gradually faded through navy blue as we strolled, and it was almost fully light when we sat on a bus bench to talk. In Oscar I quickly discovered many deep similarities to myself, despite our superficial differences. His old soul shone through his youthful face, much like I have been told mine does. He and his family had fled their war-torn home for Miami when Oscar was ten. In the past year he had ended a four-year relationship, as had I, and he was now searching for some accomplishment to brand his life. Like others I had met in Miami Beach, Oscar enjoyed the fun of the local lifestyle but regretted the impermanence. The constant influx of tourists made hedonism easy but connection difficult. He wanted to move soon, probably to Atlanta. With only a G.E.D. on paper but a sharp and critical mind, he dreamed of going on to school and becoming an architect. Our attention turned to a beautiful art deco apartment building, when he began to tell me a story. It was the story of an opera, in which a seamstress lived in the top floor of an apartment building not unlike the one we saw. One night her candle goes out, so she asks her downstairs neighbor to relight it for her. Her neighbor is a poet, with no riches other than those in his head. He has nothing, he tells her, but every once in a long while two thieves come to steal everything he has. What sort of thieves could steal from he who has nothing, she asks? He replies, "Two eyes like yours." The opera, of course, was _La Boheme_, and I, of course, was melting. Oscar has the Joni gift for telling a story, so now when I looked at him I saw not some cute chico from the bar but an apparition I could not entirely fathom and hoped to God didn't disappear. I, like _Boheme's_ Rodolfo, was smitten. "Part of this is permanent Part of this is passing" We ventured to the beach to watch the sunrise as Oscar searched for shells. He gave me two, small and white, to keep. Later that day (after sleeping) we would sit not far from that spot, discussing the movement of time through us, or the movement of us through time. A philosopher in babe's clothing, Oscar arrived in my life at the time I was seemingly least ready for him. Coming out of a deeply meaningful relationship with a man I still love very much, I was committed (and still am) to exploring my independence. In a few short hours Oscar kissed my soul, and I was thrilled and confused by it. Time and circumstance required that what we experienced fall into a category undrawn by tradition. Not just friendly, and not quite romantic, our interaction was something more complex and nebulous than I had yet seen. Something that I should have known Joni would have described in song. "This is really something People will be envious But our roles aren't clear So we musn't rush Still, we're burning brightly Clinging like fire to fuel I'm grinning like a fool" And yes, Oscar has stayed in touch. In fact, there's a message from him on my machine right now. I am forging a friendship (even the large vocabulary of English can be so inadequate at times) that is exciting and revealing. I'm still doing what I need to do for me-- still single, still searching for myself. But now I have an additional fellow searcher to keep me company. And I'm grinning like a fool. "So, we should just surrender Let fate and duty shape us Let light hearts remake us Let the worries hush In the middle of this continent In the middle of our time on Earth We perceive one another Stay in touch" Thanks for listening... - --Michael - ----- Sent using MailStart.com ( http://MailStart.Com/welcome.html ) The FREE way to access your mailbox via any web browser, anywhere! ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 17:20:14 -0400 From: Bob.Muller/GV/FD/FluorCorp@fluordaniel.com Subject: Re: joni covers on tape tree #8, etc. (jc) a review Patrick chimes: <> I'll chime in! This was indeed a hefty weekend of new Joni music for me! When I got home from Jersey I had received my tt#8 - I had already heard some of it courtesy of hangin' out with Brian (a branch) up in Jersey. But I hadn't heard the "Back to the Garden" show - HOLY COW! First off, just the quality of the recording blew me away! Truly a professional recording job! And Joni IS in top form, and the addition of Mark Isham is also noteworthy - his trumpet accents throughout are really affecting; nothing against Chris Botti, but I can definitely tell the difference between the two. The inclusion of "No Apologies" is also nice, as is the steamy "Summertime"...frankly, I've heard SO many versions of some of the others now, (BSN, Crazy Cries, Magdalene Laundries) that the different tunes really stand out. Joni's voice is awesome for this show, she takes a lot of notes up instead of laying low (like on Woodstock, "he was walking along the ROAD", on some of the shows her voice didn't have the strength to hit it but here she does, and that confidence is very telling. As far as the tribute tape, I like that too. Like I've said, I'm a sucker for covers, especially covers that give a song a diffferent treatment, which this release CERTAINLY does! The arrangements are so radically different from what you're used to, the first time 'round with this tape is a little tricky. But it's loaded with charms. I like the hard rocking feel of "Free Man in Paris", and the sweet soul version of BSN. The only one that makes me run is the Oingo-Boingo-like "You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio". I think it's dreadful, but who knows, maybe it'll grow on me in time. All the bonuses are great and appreciated as well. I also gave up on getting my JTOJM from the internet and found it in a local store that specializes in folk & jazz- they had (2) copies, in fact. (They only have 1 now :~D) I've played it a couple of times, haven't had the chance to really give it a serious listen-to. We had friends over Saturday night and cooked out on the deck, and the strains of David Lahm & orchestra were coming through the oak and the bamboo trees...I do enjoy the variety of instrumentation that takes the lead on various songs, harmonica, trumpet, vibes. I was also impressed by the selections - one wouldn't typically thing of a jazz arrangement of an acapella song (The Fiddle & The Drum), so the choices too are very inspired. Great band, great CD. I'll spit out a more detailed review later, and if I ever do get the one that was backordered, someone will get a free copy at Ashara's! In the meantime, Mr. Lahm, you get busy on Volume II...;~) So all in all, a great weekend of lots of new Joni music! Very nice! Amen to what Patrick said about thanks to Simon!!! You have done much to spread a lot of Joni-joy across the marbled bowling ball... Bob ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 23:43:56 +0100 From: catman Subject: Re: challenge to British JMDLers John has those sort of connections. he just phoned me so i asked him to find out what he can and perhaps he can fix it for us to get in on it. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 17:43:35 -0500 From: Mark Domyancich Subject: Re: joni covers on tape tree #8, etc. (jc) a review The whole tribute tape made me sick except for Songs To Aging... which I thought was pretty good. I loved Claire Martin's version of Be Cool... very smokin'! I think I may have to look into her stuff. Kanata was also fantastic-even though I'm tired of hearing stuff from this tour. It's the only version of DJRD that she plays completely on the tour which makes this one special. Thanks Simon and Jerry for these tapes! Mark Domyancich Harpua@revealed.net http://home.revealed.net/Harpua http://jmdl.com/guitar/mark "This conformity factory is now closed!" -Homer Simpson ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 18:51:09 -0400 From: waytoblu@mindspring.com Subject: Atlanta birthday show... I know it has been awhile but I meant to post this last year and somehow never got around to it. Anyway, I attended Joni's birthday show last November in Atlanta. I had found out about it by chance on Z93. Up until then I had thought I would never get a chance to see her perform. I would often tell people that she was probably the only person I would pay $100 to see. Fortunately the tickets weren't quite that much. By some twist of fate, I ended up with front and center tickets...I think they were on the fifth row. I hadn't known it was her birthday...I either found out the day before the concert or the day of. I tried to think of something to get for her.... Later that evening I had some dinner with some friends who were going with me to the show. We actually ended up getting there late...I think we walked in during Night Ride Home. I was immediately spellbound...her performance seemed very magical to me...after all these years of listening to her on records and cd's, I was finally getting a chance to see her live, in person. Several people began laying bouqets of roses on the stage. But I had gotten her something a little different. If you look at the concert review of the Atlanta show on the Joni Mitchell website, you will see she is holding some flowers, a stuffed tiger, and a card. That was the present I had gotten her-- a tiger, some flowers, and a birthday card. There are so many times when you wish you could tell someone you admire how much you appreciate them and everything they have done. That I was able do so made me feel wonderful and grateful for such an opportunity. The whole experience of going to that show was incredibly inspirational and has definately stuck in my mind. Victor Atlanta musician ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 09:45:44 +1000 From: "Takats, Angela" Subject: re: Sisostowbell Lane Hmmm, I'm still off with the pixies, flying over green hills, after reading Lisa's post: <> <<"We have a rocking chair,somedays we rock and stare at the woodlands and the grasslands and the badlands cross the river,sometimes we do ,we like the view" I thought I do that!all the time.I sit on my screened in front porch sometimes in the wee morning hours when the sun is just coming up,or the sun is going down and just stare at the trees and bushes ,shrubs,flowers,and the acre of wild growth in front of my house.>> How lucky you are to live in such a beautiful place....I could almost hear the birds chirping and smell the native flowers. Sounds like the best relief after a hard day at work. Joni really loved and described vividly so many landscapes and environments. I'm glad you can now connect with such a beautiful song - it's so "floaty" and "dreamy" isn't it...lets us all imagine we are sitting on your front porch! Thanks for letting us join you there Lisa! <> I can't think of a specific song that I didn't like and then liked due to 'life changes'.....but I spose there are little moments when a song will gain more meaning than it did before, because of an experience.... "the sun poured in like butterscotch".....my boyfriend had a room in a dorm at uni that got full sunlight in the morning. It had bright yellow curtains and "Chelsea Morning" really reminds me of waking up next to him, with the room full of a warm yellow-ness. Happy days... And "there's a crow flying dark and ragged tree to tree, as black as the highway that's leading me"....reminds me of the many trips my boyfriend and I made to uni, past dry yellow fields with lonely dying trees standing frozen in the wind...we'd often see black crows circling above the plains, against deep blue stormy skies...that song has so much mood, it's very dark and will always bring back images from uni road trips thru the dry country side....SIGH Thoughts Ange Sydney ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 21:35:45 EDT From: IVPAUL42@aol.com Subject: Re: Atlanta birthday show... In a message dated 6/14/99 6:48:22 PM Eastern Daylight Time, waytoblu@mindspring.com writes: << Later that evening I had some dinner with some friends who were going with me to the show. We actually ended up getting there late...I think we walked in during Night Ride Home. >> Victor, You got there late? I stopped reading your post at this point and refused to read any further. You got there late? Unbelievable. Tell the truth, you were really going to see Dylan, weren't you? ;>) Paul I ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 18:29:08 -0700 From: "Kakki" Subject: Re: challenge to British JMDLers > John has those sort of connections. he just phoned me so i asked him to find out > what he can and perhaps he can fix it for us to get in on it. You go, colin!! I just learned that someone on another list posted about seeing Joni at the Seal concert in Toronto. This person said Joni looked very beautiful and young and was most sweet, chatted and gave an autograph. Kakki ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 22:01:44 -0400 From: waytoblu@mindspring.com Subject: re: atlanta birthday show Paul...if you would read the rest of the message you would find the answer to your question. Quite honestly, after Joni's performance, I remember thinking I really didn't care particularly whether I saw Dylan or not, that anything he did could not equal to what I had just experienced, and that apparently, Joni liked the tiger I had gotten for her enough to take it with her from the stage, and that she was probably reading the card that I had gotten her which she also took with her. Victor ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 22:03:31 EDT From: IVPAUL42@aol.com Subject: Re: atlanta birthday show In a message dated 6/14/99 9:59:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time, waytoblu@mindspring.com writes: << Paul...if you would read the rest of the message you would find the answer to your question. >> No thanks, not interested. I'm still having a hard time believing anyone could stroll in late to Joni's set after all you said before about wanting to see her. That also means you missed our JMDL group unfurling the 16-foot Happy Birthday banner from the right side of the floor, about six to 10 rows deep. If you'd seen us, you might have joined us in going back to the Ritz-Carlton after her set and getting to meet and talk with Joni for about an hour. But you were late.... ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 22:14:24 EDT From: Ashara@aol.com Subject: Fundraiser/Jonifest/Raffle Update FUNDRAISER UPDATE: To date, $1489 has been raised for Wally, which represents 42 JMDL contributers. To go by Les' figures, that there are 585 people on the JMDL, and means that 7.5% of the list has contributed so far. I am SO excited that we have raised so much already!! You are all AMAZING, and should be incredibly pleased as a community. Remember, the MOST important thing to remember about this fundraiser is PARTICIPATION!! Even if you can only afford to give $1, if 50 people put $1 in an envelope, and sent it to me, that would be 50 more dollars towards Wally! JONIFEST UPDATE: There is no more room at Chez Ashara's as far as sleeping accomodations for the Jonifest. Please know that you are still VERY welcome to join the party, but will have to use one of the hotels/motels that are on the information list. If you need more info, send a blank message to: < info-laborday@jmdl.com > REMINDER: **PLEASE** get all your information (check for Wally, picture, and questionnaire) to me as soon as possible. The end of June and beginning of July is the time the kid's are in camp, and I will have some time to get this shindig really organized. Once the end of July rolls around, it will be strictly family time for the next 4 weeks. So.....please don't wait til the last minute. It will help me out a lot!! Thanks! :-) RAFFLE UPDATE: LOTS of really wonderful goodies have come in for the raffles, and are continuing to arrive every day!!! Some of the new items: LOTS of JMDL t-shirts, and denim shirts, 2 "Jazz Takes on Joni Mitchell," not to mention 4 other CD's/tapes from our own wonderful David Lahm, a CD of lister Paul Castle's "Hold out for Summer," (It is great!!!!) 5 beautiful CD's from lister Linda Worster, "Different From the Rest," a Complete Poems and Lyrics book, several "surprises," lots more Joni 45's, 5 incredibly beautiful Martini glasses handpainted by none other than Kakki from LA, and several CD's for our "Someone's Dregs are Someone Else's Treasure" raffle, (or "Someone's Dregs are Someone Else's Dregs" raffle!) That's it for now! E-mail me with any questions. Hugs, Ashara ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 22:28:52 -0400 From: patrick leader Subject: one reason why nosy jmdlers might imagine that james is 'carey' (jc) i'm really surprised no one else has brought this up. in the october '70 bbc concert with joni and james taylor (one of the best gifts the tape tree system ever gave me), joni introduces 'carey': 'this is a song about a friend of mine from matalla... a friend of mine from london, and los angeles, and north carolina...' and hearing the on-stage warmth between her and james both before and after this song, it's obvious who she's talking about. i don't know if she wrote the song about james, but it's clear that she associated the song with him at this point. and she had JUST gotten back from crete. i love the moment, later in the concert, where one says, 'it's comfortable having you up here on stage with me' and the other agrees. i don't know or care where their relationship was at this point, i just love they shared this snapshot with their audience. patrick np - james - going to carolina ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 12:29:35 +1000 From: "Takats, Angela" Subject: next joni tribute in Sydney HELLO Listers, Some of you may already know, but just incase...the next joni tribute night in Sydney, will be held on Thursday the 12th of August at "The Basement". YAY - - Ange Sydney ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 22:32:44 -0700 From: Lindsay Moon Subject: TT #8 Covers & Leonard Cohen (Long) Let me preface this diatribe by saying that I am most grateful to Jody & Scott, my tape tree branches who made me Tape Tree 8. Hope you read this, Jody, because our computer did some weird thing and now I don't know where my old e-mails are to send you a personal thank you! Joni is just great (my only wish is that she'd tell a few more stories because I love to listen to her). I'm so glad to finally hear her rendition of "Stormy Weather" too. Beautiful. But, I do have a gripe, On June 9's digest, Deb Messling wrote: Whew! And I thought I was the only one who's been listening to this and cringing! I was going to ask everyone what they thought. Then I thought I don't want to insult anyone who thinks these covers are really great. Then I thought, ha! Get an opinion! "Back to the Garden" IMO should be buried in the garden (a la "Rear Window") I've listened to quite a lot of it and am thinking, have these people ever listened to Joni before? Do they understand the material? Did they understand there was music written to go with the vocals? I don't know who the artists are (I keep meaning to look it up on Wally's site). Whoever sings "Beat of Black Wings" does most of it in a sort of nursery rhyme style and at the very end starts to get that this is an angst-ridden little number. "You Turn Me On I'm A Radio" in country?? I know it's a fun sort of song but this is just yuk! I'm still looking forward to Annie Lenox (now I've forgotten what she covers). She may give hope. I've been complaining about this tape for two days to my husband and brother-in-law who aren't all that familiar with Joni (except what I've subjected them to -- PWWAM twice) and I keep meaning to play the original then the cover to demonstrate (they're both heavy metal fans, so I'm not sure how long they'd stick around for that...) Then the other day we heard Sheryl Crow doing a Guns N Roses cover ("Sweet Child of Mine"). Now, I'm not a G&R fan by any means, but I tell you, she did a good cover of it and seemed to really understand the spirit of the song, something these Joni covers miss by a mile. Hope I haven't offended too many (I'm sure I'll hear about it if I have. Excuse me while I duck under the desk with my bottled water and freeze-dried food). Next on my long-winded agenda, a mention of Joni's old pal, Leonard Cohen. In the San Diego Union-Tribune Sunday paper, there was this in the Arts "Action!" section of what's upcoming: Headline: Jared and Jake, Leonard and Kurt. Jared Leto is set and Jake Gyllenhaal [sorry, not familiar with either of them] is in final negotiations to star in New Line Cinema's "A Leonard Cohen Afterworld" ... Leto and Gyllenhaal will play best friends who travel to Seattle during the weekend of grunge rocker Kurt Cobain's death in 1994. The pair use the Nirvana frontman's memorial vigil as an excuse to escape their dreary lives in Las Vegas. They embark on a journey of self-discovery riddled with drug dealers, prostitutes and a group of thugs hot on their trail." Sounds, uh, interesting. My question is: Where is the Leonard Cohen tie-in? Maybe he could be like the poetic/prophetic savior who gets them out of the mess ... I mean he is living in a monastery now. Finally, I was so glad to hear of Joni's upcoming art show in Saskatoon and kind of laughed at the gallery manager's description of what type of artist they wanted to feature. Sounded to me sort of like they snagged Joni first and wrote the description later. Whatever gets her among us again! I will now return to lurking ... Best to all, Lindsay Moon ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V1 #80 ***************************** The Song and Album Voting Booths are open! Cast your votes by clicking the links at http://www.jmdl.com/gallery username: jimdle password: siquomb ------- 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 Trivia Project: Send your Joni trivia questions and/or answers 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 onlyjoni-digest" to ------- Siquomb, isn't she?