From: les@jmdl.com (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V2005 #4 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: les@jmdl.com Errors-To: les@jmdl.com Precedence: bulk Archives: http://www.smoe.org/lists/onlyjoni Websites: http://www.jmdl.com http://www.jonimitchell.com Unsubscribe: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe onlyJMDL Digest Wednesday, January 5 2005 Volume 2005 : Number 004 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- River - Allison Crowe's version ["Allison Crowe Music Mgmt" ] Shawn Colvin ["Gerald A. Notaro" ] Re: Shawn Colvin ["Steven Polifka" ] Re: A Case of You ["Ruth Davis" ] Newest (not yet released) Joni DVD at Amazon.com ?? [Brian Gross ] Re: Blue ["Sherelle Smith" ] Calling all DC area JMDLers [Lori Fye ] Oops [Lori Fye ] Re: Dr.Joni Mitchell on CBC television ["Michael O'Malley" ] Re: River - Allison Crowe's version [SCJoniGuy@aol.com] Re: Update [Catherine McKay ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 00:37:31 -0800 From: "Allison Crowe Music Mgmt" Subject: River - Allison Crowe's version http://www.allisoncrowe.com/River.mp3 With time to relax and read this holiday season, I'm happy to learn that folks are enjoying Allison Crowe's cover of River this winter. Naturally, as a young singer-songwriter, Blue is a musical touchstone well-loved by Allison (with whom I have the joy and honour to work). We're both delighted that Joni fans are taking this new version of River to heart. There was some question about a cover version heard by Steve (Polifka) recently, one with strings and vocal line very similar to Joni's. I don't know which cover that would be - but it's not the recording by Allison. (My guess would be that it's the Rachael Yamagata cover released by RCA.) I've included the above link to an mp3 of Alley's interpretation for those who've not heard it yet. It's recorded live-off-the-floor, and is simply voice and piano. peace and cheers, Adrian ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 23:13:10 +1300 From: "hell" Subject: RE: Blue Justin wrote: > Thanks to Hell for enlightening me about > David Crosby and James Taylor and all that. > > It's so frustrating listening to that album, because > her voice is so intimate and she's singing about > such personal things, i get upset that i don't know > her better -- it feels like she's inviting the listener > to become part of her family. One of the things I find so fascinating about Joni is the numerous interpretations available for any of her lyrics - but don't make the mistake of thinking any of us REALLY know the answers! As Joni herself says (and often quoted here), "Who cares what I meant, what does it mean to YOU?" We can speculate and discuss until we're blue in the face (no pun intended) but it IS all just speculation.... But you're right, she does make you feel like she's singing to you, and you alone, which I guess is why we feel so personally involved with her lyrics. She really is SIQUOMB. Hell _________________________________________ "To have great poets, there must be great audiences too" - Walt Whitman Hell's Pages - a whole new experience! http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~hell ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 07:43:07 -0500 (EST) From: "Gerald A. Notaro" Subject: Shawn Colvin I received Polaroids, Shawn Colvin's DVD as a Christmas gift and it is wonderful. All her music videos and about and hour of live performances, with commentary if chosen. Of course all through, there is Larry Klein playing, even in pajamas for her Christmas song on the Tonight show. Happy New Year all. Went camping for NY's Eve. Next stop, Shady Pines! Jerry ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 09:51:37 -0600 From: "Steven Polifka" Subject: Re: Shawn Colvin >>> "Gerald A. Notaro" 1/4/2005 6:43:07 AM >wrote:>> Went camping for NY's Eve. Jerry I'm sure you did!!!!!! Steve ;-) Don we now our gay apparel Fa la la la la la la la la..... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 17:16:50 GMT From: "Ruth Davis" Subject: Re: A Case of You Blue has always seemed to be a work about loss, more so than Joni's other works. Just going on intuition here, she seems to be writing about losing Graham Nash, losing James Taylor and losing Kilauren (although Little Green was written a number of years before the other Blue songs, it seems to have a home on this album) and still living to tell another tale. "This Flight Tonight" and "A Case of You" go together in my mind. In TFT, Joni sings, "I saw a falling star burn up Above the Las Vegas sands It wasn't the one that you gave to me That night down south between the trailers Not the early one That you can wish upon Not the northern one That guides in the sailors" Then in ACOY, she alludes to that northern star again, "You said, 'I am as constant as the northern star.' Constantly in the darkness! Where's that at? If you want me I'll be in the bar." The light of that star was her hope, but the star has gone dark. My Old Man and River seem to me (just a hunch, and Joni would probably say mind your own business) to be maybe about Graham Nash, rather than JT. There is more of a softness, more of a sentimental, comfortable aspect in her relation to the person in these songs. "He comes home and he takes me in his loving arms. He tells me all his troubles, and he tells me all my charms" "He tried hard to help me, he put me at ease, and he loved me so naughty, made me weak in the knees." This doesn't seem to be the same relationship as in ACOY and TFT. It seems that whenever she sings (theoretically) of JT, she mentions his cruelty - "Oh you're a mean old daddy but I like you, fine." "You've got the touch so gentle and sweet, BUT you've got that look so critical" "you taste so bitter, and so sweet" "Stay with him if you can, but be prepared to bleed." "I can't talk to you baby, I get so weak" All those statements seem to go together. But anyway, that is just my hunch. Ruth ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 10:44:23 -0800 (PST) From: Brian Gross Subject: Newest (not yet released) Joni DVD at Amazon.com ?? 5. Joni Mitchell - Collectors Edition DVD ~ Joni Mitchell (Rate this item) Not Yet Released -- On Order List Price: $24.98 Buy new: $22.48 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=dvd&field-keywords=joni%252520mitchell&search-type=ss&bq=1&store-name=dvd/ref=xs_ap_sai6_xgl74/002-8540062-7002431 Could this be one of the works that simon mentioned? Brian in south jersey where temps are spring-like again today ===== Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got till it's gone --Roberta Joan Anderson, who never lies __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 ===== Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got till it's gone --Roberta Joan Anderson, who never lies __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Get it on your mobile phone. http://mobile.yahoo.com/maildemo ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 11:05:05 -0800 From: Randy Remote Subject: Re: Newest (not yet released) Joni DVD at Amazon.com ?? It's a 2 dvd set, PAINTING WITH WORDS AND MUSIC and WOMAN OF HEART AND MIND. The re-release machine is still in full swing, I guess. $22.48 is a great price for these two excellent Joni vids, if you don't already have them. They say available Jan. 11. RR Brian Gross wrote: > 5. Joni Mitchell - Collectors Edition DVD > ~ Joni Mitchell > (Rate this item) > > Not Yet Released -- On Order > List Price: $24.98 > Buy new: $22.48 > > http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=dvd&field-keywords=joni%252520mitchell&search-type=ss&bq=1&store-name=dvd/ref=xs_ap_sai6_xgl74/002-8540062-7002431 > > Could this be one of the works that simon mentioned? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 20:16:57 +0100 From: Moni Kellermann Subject: Re: Newest (not yet released) Joni DVD at Amazon.com ?? Brian Gross schrieb: > 5. Joni Mitchell - Collectors Edition DVD > ~ Joni Mitchell > (Rate this item) > > Not Yet Released -- On Order > List Price: $24.98 > Buy new: $22.48 > [garbage url removed] http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0006SSNIC/ > Could this be one of the works that simon mentioned? I don't know what he mentioned but this one is simply "Painting With Words" And Music and "Woman Of Heart And Mind" on one DVD each as one package. I bought the PAL version in a German store for 14.99 EUR - which is less than they would cost each as single releases. The PWWAM cover inside is the stupid one with the cigarette-removed photo. moni ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 14:41:50 -0500 From: lloyd.whitesell@staff.mcgill.ca Subject: joni symposium, cbc tv Hi folks, I'm the guy who organized the symposium at McGill; the entire thing (including Greg Tate's 'How Black is JM?') is viewable at http://www.mcgill.ca/music/events/jmitchell_symposium/ We're planning to publish the proceedings in a scholarly pop music journal. The 'Educating Joni' documentary will be aired again on CBC's main channel; but they haven't announced the schedule yet. Cheers, Chip Whitesell ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 15:23:55 -0500 From: Jerry Notaro Subject: Re: joni symposium, cbc TV > Hi folks, > > I'm the guy who organized the symposium at McGill; the entire thing (including > Greg Tate's 'How Black is JM?') is viewable at > http://www.mcgill.ca/music/events/jmitchell_symposium/ > > We're planning to publish the proceedings in a scholarly pop music journal. > > The 'Educating Joni' documentary will be aired again on CBC's main channel; > but > they haven't announced the schedule yet. > > Cheers, > Chip Whitesell > Is there any way for Mac folks to view it? Mac doesn't recognize mms. Jerry ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 21:06:03 +0000 From: "Sherelle Smith" Subject: Re: Blue Hi Mark, Still catching up on digests but I had to stop and say how thought provoking your post is. The first two lines of this song have always torn me up to the point of it being difficult to get pass them. This is one album that I never owned until a few years ago and then only in cassette form. Before that, I heard it in 1975 briefly on my college roomate's turntable in Los Angeles. Those first two lines and the way she sang them would always haunt me...."Blue, Blue...songs are like tattoos...: Wow! I would always be totally awestruck because of the enormity of that phrase. I had an exact interpretation of her and what she must have been feeling the moment she wrote those words and melody because"Songs are like tattoos" was exactly what I was feeling back in 1975. It was how I felt after writing a song because of what I was going through emotiionally at the time. They always evoked a sting and a pain. When I was seventeen, being a singer/songwriter was something that came very naturally because I was too young and naive to listen to naysayers. (Another reason I love Joni..she never outgrrew her musical naivite') So when I heard this line, it literally knocked me off my feet and I couldn't get past it. How could someone articulate in one phrase the depth of my soul at the time? I was beyond awestruck. Well..that is my emotional link to Blue. Thanks for releasing that memory, Mark. Love, Sherelle Mark wrote: I've really been enjoying this discussion of the song 'Blue' and itching to add to it. I hestitated, though, because it always seems that the thread is done with by the time I write a post about Joni's lyrics or I end up saying way more than I should and I worry that I come off sounding arrogant like my interpretation is *the* correct interpretation. If there's one thing I've learned on the JMDL it's that there are about as many interpretations of Joni's songs as there are people who listen to her music. And that's a wondrous, beautiful thing. Joni's vocal on this song, both on the 'Blue' album and the live performance on 'Miles of Aisles' has always just torn me up. She reached to the depths of her soul and showed it all on this one. And as Emmylou wrote, we behold the pain become the pearl. A foggy lullabye emerges from a shell. But it's a lullabye with a cry of pain embedded in it that nevertheless, shines like a pearl. I love the way the metaphors work on several levels and they certainly do in this song. Someone in an earlier discussion pointed out that a crown and anchor used to be a common image for a sailor's tatoo. So maybe she's saying put your mark on me which is another metaphor for taking possession or tying someone down or anchoring them, if you will. As an aside, the line 'but a sailor will just take a girl down to the dark end of the fair and turn her into a tatoo' from Rickie Lee's 'We Belong Together' has been popping up in my head while reading this thread. Not sure if that's relevant or not. Anybody else see a connection? 'I've been to sea before' can mean so many different things as others have already pointed out. I've been in love before, I've been around the block before, I've struggled and scrambled, I've had my own adventures - sexual, romantic, artistic, - so many different things. For me what it boils down to is that Joni was and is an explorer who had navigated many waters at this, still fairly early, point of her life. And she wants the lover to either commit or let her go. It may hurt her but she can take it either way. She's been through it before. Even though she's on the verge of a melt down, she's strong enough to survive. She didn't know it then of course, but she would go up to the BC coast and heal and come back a stronger person. 'Ink on a pin, underneath the skin', 'Acid booze and ass, needles guns and grass'. I think there is a theme of addiction that runs through this song and certainly through 'A Case of You', maybe because I've always thought of those two songs as somehow being related. Have you ever had a relationship with someone that you are so attracted to that you want crawl up inside their skin when making love but at the same time you *know* the relationship won't last? I think she knows this love affair is doomed but she can't break away. She's in it for the whole ride and will hang on as long as she can. But even though the relationship will surely fail, the mark of it or tatoo with be there for the rest of her life. It just occured to me that this song is placed on 'Miles of Aisles' with four other songs that could be interpreted as being about addiction. 'Cactus Tree' is addiction to love in general although not to a specific object of love. 'Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire' is heroin addiction which is referred to again in 'Blue's' line about 'needles, guns and grass.' 'Woman of Heart and Mind', 'A Case of You' and 'Blue' are all about being hooked on one person even though she knows the relationship isn't necessarily good for her. But she will nevertheless ride it out 'still you know I'll try to be there for you when your spirits start to sink', 'I could drink a case of you and I would still be on my feet', 'you've gotta keep thinking you can make it through these waves.' This has always been my favorite sequence of songs on 'Miles of Aisles'. I wonder what that says about me? Mark E. in Seattle ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 16:47:14 -0500 From: Lori Fye Subject: Calling all DC area JMDLers What a way to start the new year! This Sunday, January 9th, 'round about 7 pm, "our own" Claudia Sans Soucie will be at the Austin Grill in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she'll be performing a 3 song showcase. Oh, and "Uncle" John van Tiel will be there too! : ) A few other JMDLers are already planning to come along -- anyone else want to join us and share in the fun? Perhaps we can all enjoy some dinner together too? Link to the Austin Grill in Silver Spring: http://www.austingrill.com/locations/silver_spring.htm Please email me privately for more info. Lori P.S. - No N*JC tag for this one, as I didn't want to leave anyone out ... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 16:48:44 -0500 From: Lori Fye Subject: Oops Sorry Claudia, I misspelled your last name! It's "Claudia SanSoucie." :::blush::: Lori ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 23:51:12 +0000 From: "Michael O'Malley" Subject: Re: Dr.Joni Mitchell on CBC television Hey Mags, I watched the segment last night too. Thanks for the write up. It brought back highlights of the day. The media had been hanging out during the symposium. What we saw in that Icons segment were bits that day that never made it to the nightly news. The scene in the classroom with the students was shot the next afternoon, after the symposium and honourary degree. I'm glad to see what that was all about, since not being a MCGill student, I had felt at the time that it wasn't open to me. I've got a few jpgs from that day. Copies are available for the asking. I had to be discrete with the camera. It felt so predatory trying to `get`a shot of Joni while she was speaking with someone else. There was very little direct contact with her fans that day, unfortunately. Michael in Quebec - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Take the effort out of being organized with MSN. Calendar. MSN Premium: Join now and get the first two months FREE* ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 19:14:43 -0600 From: Michael Paz Subject: Update Hi Everybody- It was a rough day today trying to balance my job and keep up with IHC. I got another call today from Sen. Mary Landrieu's assistant telling me she was about to board a plane for Sri Lanka with another US Senator. I asked that she try to identify charitable foundations in country and try to gauge the work they are doing to try and find other partners for relief in country so that we can set up long term support. He told me that she would be calling me to consult me regarding our plans very shortly. He also told me I could be invited to Washington very soon to attend some meetings regarding this effort. I am very excited about all this and pray that God finds a way for me un plug from my current job and to do work full time healing children and working for charity. I know that I could do a great job at it if I could dedicate my whole life to it. Pray for me to get my wish. Thanks to everyone who has written to me again and continue and special thanks to Bob Muller, Jody and Scott Johnson, and Alice Sebrell for you very kind and generous donations to IHC. I will do my best to see that the money is used in the best way possible to help tsunami survivors, esp. children. More later. Love Paz NP-Chinese Cafi-Favio and Elizabetta from Volume 58 WOW! Love the guitar and bass ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 22:14:00 EST From: SCJoniGuy@aol.com Subject: Re: River - Allison Crowe's version **(My guess would be that it's the Rachael Yamagata cover released by RCA.) Hi Adrian, and thanks for the tip on this one! I had a little trouble finding it as it was on a compilation and not on one of Rachel's releases - and her website didn't say anything about it!! Her webmaster gets docked a day's pay for nappin' on the job...and since she's from the Chicago area, it makes sense that Polifka heard her on his radio station as he's in the midwest as well, plus according to Google, Rachel's version was heard on many playlists. As for Allison's version, I've had her CD for awhile now...Allison even autographed it for me and included a nice card. I do love the extra touch. All in all it was a decent season for new Rivers, about 5 or 6 and all of them very nice. Allison's CD can be heard (and bought) at: _http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/crowe4_ (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/crowe4) Bob NP: Sheryl Crow, "If It Makes You Happy" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 22:15:04 -0500 (EST) From: Catherine McKay Subject: Re: Update Paz, you've got my prayers and very best wishes for this. I think it would be FANTASTIC to do that kind of job - one that has concrete results helping real people and isn't just about the almight dollar and buying a bigger, better SUV. Something that's good for the soul. A co-worker of mine is originally from Sri Lanka. Her family that's left there is mainly around Colombo and so were largely untouched by the tsunami; however, her husband had a cousin who was washed out to sea. He had got his family out of the house, but he and some other people foolishly went BACK to the house to try to get some of their things out, when I guess a second wave hit. She also forwarded to me an e-mail that she had received from a friend in Sri Lanka, who talked about some miraculous things that had happened, about people who were saved in the strangest ways. Her husband was scheduled to go to Sri Lanka in a week or two, but is now going to send the money for the flight to them instead, since that will do more good than having him fly there... to do what? Anyhow, you GO! This is wonderful stuff! --- Michael Paz wrote: > Hi Everybody- > It was a rough day today trying to balance my job > and keep up with IHC. I > got another call today from Sen. Mary Landrieu's > assistant telling me she > was about to board a plane for Sri Lanka with > another US Senator. > I am very excited about all this and > pray that God finds a way > for me un plug from my current job and to do work > full time healing children > and working for charity. I know that I could do a > great job at it if I could > dedicate my whole life to it. Pray for me to get my > wish. > Thanks to everyone who has written to me again and > continue and special > thanks to Bob Muller, Jody and Scott Johnson, and > Alice Sebrell for you very > kind and generous donations to IHC. I will do my > best to see that the money > is used in the best way possible to help tsunami > survivors, esp. children. > More later. > > ===== Catherine Toronto - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V2005 #4 ******************************* ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe ------- Siquomb, isn't she? (http://www.siquomb.com/siquomb.cfm)