From: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V2006 #1 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org 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 Monday, January 2 2006 Volume 2006 : Number 001 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: What Is It About The Circle Game [Nuriel Tobias ] Re: What Is It About The Circle Game [Bob Muller ] Re: What Is It About The Circle Game ["Michael Flaherty" ] Circle Game (not a JMDL view) [vince ] Joni Covers, Volume 72 - The 70's in 2006 [Bob Muller Subject: Re: What Is It About The Circle Game Bob Muller wrote: Then there's the Patty Greer TCG cover that I just got...it incorporates some harp, some hip hop and some original words (not about the boy turning 60) and totally holds my interest. Bob, Does Joni permit original lyrics combined into her own? Isn't it like TOO MUCH?:) Love, Nuri - --------------------------------- Yahoo! Photos Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events, holidays, whatever. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2006 06:26:15 -0800 (PST) From: Bob Muller Subject: Re: What Is It About The Circle Game Well, she probably doesn't know about most of them - she didn't seem to mind when Pete Seeger added an extra verse to BSN way back when. Bob NP: Little Feat, "Rad Gumbo" - --------------------------------- Yahoo! DSL Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 01 Jan 2006 08:44:50 -0600 From: "Michael Flaherty" Subject: Re: What Is It About The Circle Game On Sun, 1 Jan 2006 06:26:15 -0800 (PST) Bob Muller wrote: > Well, she probably doesn't know about most of them - she >didn't seem to mind when Pete Seeger added an extra verse >to BSN way back when. ... or when Bob Dylan added a verse to BYT, which she then began to do live in her Dylan voice. That said, there's a difference between Seeger and Dylan changing your song and just anyone else doing it. Michael Flaherty ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2006 12:18:41 EST From: LCStanley7@aol.com Subject: Re: What Is It About The Circle Game Julius wrote: I haven't heard that Joni will do "Circle Game" for sure, but it seems a logical guess and an odds on favorite. Printing the lyrics on the website is a pretty strong clue. Plus, the song is in keeping with the "youth" theme of the event. The song lends itself to a Carnegie Hall singalong, too! Hi Julius! I was just thinking as I was singing today in church, suprano in the upstairs choir, how incredible it would be if Joni invites us to sing WITH her. That would complete a circle for me in my life. Speaking of completed circles, this is the 7th anniversary of my mother's passing on. It never seems to get any easier for me. The feast in the Catholic church today is Mary Mother of God, so most of the songs we sang were about "mother." I'm glad tears are clear. We also sang one song about St. Joseph, his hands being the first hands to hold Jesus... the hands of a carpenter, hands that used wood and nails for positive things in contrast to those who at the end of Jesus' life used wood an nails for his demise. Another circle. Happy New year to you on the carousel of life! Love, Laura ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2006 11:18:56 -0800 From: "Kate Bennett" Subject: Re: What Is It About The Circle Game Julius >The song lends itself to a Carnegie Hall singalong, too! Imagine all the adoring out of tune voices harmonizing in the venerable old hall, with its unsurpassed acoustics. (Although I'm hoping Joni will do one or more songs completely by herself, as well.)< That should be a spectacular experience & I hope it happens!... worth the price of admission alone!... one of my most treasured experiences is a music conference I was at two years ago & an in the round performance by the presenters one evening- jack tempchin (sp?) writer of 'peaceful easy feeling' performed that song solo (great voice & guitar by the way) & everyone of the two hundred or so people in the room sang along... truly blissful >Further, I'm guessing that she wants to end it the way she started it. Here's a brief excerpt from a well-written bio in the "Brilliant Careers" Section of Salon.com: "She worked days at Simpsons-Sears department store to pay the rent. Playing the Toronto coffeehouse scene at night, she met folk singers Tom Rush and Chuck Mitchell.< Speaking of tom & full circle games & tributes for youth in music-- I didn't do my annual tribute to joni this year because I needed a year off plus last year's was impossible to match (tom rush called to ask if he could be a part of it... I still have his vm message on my phone & don't think I'll ever erase!) Happy 2006 to everyone! ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 01 Jan 2006 20:14:19 -0500 From: "Marianne Rizzo" Subject: circle game I just love love love The Circle Game I will never grow tired of it . . .. . "we caN't return we can only look behind from where we came. . ." I treasure it so much. . . and love to sing it with my sister's daughters. . who are now 5 (on November 2nd) . . . Bella and Connie. . . . I love them so much. . . and this is our special song together. . _________________________________________________________________ Dont just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 01 Jan 2006 20:49:01 -0500 From: vince Subject: Circle Game (not a JMDL view) When I was 18 and the Circle Game was written by someone not much older than 20, I thought the song captured all of the wonder of life. Now I am well past 20 to say the least and the composer also well past 20, three times past, the song seems very incomplete to me. Big deal, a boy does cartwheels and gets a car. The great chorus is wasted, I believe, on a song whose perspective is so limited. If any lyrics cried out for more, it is Circle Game, maybe 3 or 4 more verses. Lets get to age 40, 50, 60 --- for all its over wroughtness It Was a Very Good Year speaks far more eloquently because it is not looking at life accomplished at 20. If Joni ever sings this song outside of her shower, I hope for her sake that she adds those extra verses as only she can. If this remains mired in its 1960s perspective, it remains a child's song about merry go rounds and children, which is fine, but Joni ought revisit the work if she sings it again, if it is to be about life. Vince ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2006 20:26:43 -0800 (PST) From: Bob Muller Subject: Joni Covers, Volume 72 - The 70's in 2006 Hello once again from Joni Covers Central - and Happy New Year to all my JMDL pals around the globe. And hey, it's 2006 - in the words of Todd Rundgren, where's my flying car? Where's my house on Mars? Heck, I'd settle for Judy Jetson...but I digress... As always, with the flipping of the calendar page, we're one month closer to our deaths and to celebrate it I introduce another entry in the series that started on a double-dog dare way back when - and since I've been going in order, January 2006 gives us Volume 72. Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something from Blue. And while I'm to blame for almost all of this, I send out a sincere thanks to Paul Maggio for his contribution to this collection; another jam-packed, 78+ minutes of Joni-related hits, as follows: 1. Chambre Symponiette - Both Sides Now: Joni covers come in the strangest places; take this one for instance from a 70's Japanese stereo demonstration record. Mostly instrumental, it features lots of different sounds, some high-pitched backing vocals and a variety of instruments to show off your new record player. 2. Lauren Ireland-Gantous - A Case Of You: Rapidly becoming one of Joni's top 5 covered songs, this 2004 recording by Canadian folk/jazz singer is a very pretty one, her clear, warm vocal is complemented beautifully by a solo guitar that incorporates an original arrangement instead of just duplicating Joni's dulcimer stylings. 3. Linda Myers - Both Sides Now: Can't say as I know anything about Linda - she sounds as if she has a bit of a British accent. The music behind her is heavy on the synths and keys with an acoustic guitar making a contribution here & there. 4. Gaby Jordan - California: More great Joni covers from the world of NYC cabaret, and delivered in that style with piano trio backing. One of Joni's toughest songs to sing (do ANY of her songs hit higher notes than this one?) and also challenging as it has some of those "lots and lots of syllables into a short musical phrase" lines that Joni can do easily but are much tougher for others. Gaby struggles a bit with a note or two and some of the phrasing but she gets points for difficulty and an original arrangement. And it's always sad to hear these lyrics and realize that they're still so relevant. 5. Rev. Emile Guilmette, S.M. - Both Sides Now: Forgive me father, for I have sinned - I made a record whan I should have stuck with giving sermons. 6. Three Mo' Tenors - Twisted: The Tenors here are Thomas Young, Roderick Dixon, and Victor Trent Cook. Young solos on this track, and wraps his great jazz chops around this classic in a Sammy Davis Jr. style and does a great scat too. 7. Kate McGarry - Chelsea Morning: Sounding a little like a jazzier version of Suzanne Vega, Kate turns in a stellar take on the sunny classic, lots of interesting vocal and instrumental surprises, twists and turns here. One of the great Joni covers in '05. 8. Lars Danielsson - Both Sides Now: Acoustic jazz bass from Denmark, and another outstanding cover featuring another unique arrangement. Very free-flowing, and dare I say it - almost Jaco-like. 9. Lenny Kuhr - Urge For Going: This one was on my radar screen for a long time before I finally located a copy. 1972 vintage from Dutch pop-jazz vocalist Lenny Kuhr, perhaps some JMDLer in Holland can fill in some of the details about Lenny, but it appears that she has had a very lengthy successful career. This recording, the B-side of one of her singles, features an uptempo arrangement with drums, horns, and backing vocals. 10. The Crossmen - Both Sides Now: This recording comes from a 2004 live recording of the drum and bugle corps cadets, known as the Crossmen. It's one of the most annoying BSN covers ever as it contains a click-click-click from a percussionist who is banging blocks throughtout the song, and the poor fella has no sense of rhythm! He comes and goes, he double times, he's like a dripping faucet in the middle of the night. Don't they have audio software that can remove this kind of musical tumor? Click....click-click......click...Ay Dios Mio!! 11. Divisi - Woodstock: Much much better and far more successful is this recent all-female acapella track from The University of Oregon. This arrangement is great and these ladies, especially the lead, can REALLY sing. Woodstock typically always sounds great in the hands of an acapella group, something about the starkness of the vocals accentuates the haunting and hopeful nature of the song. 12. Stephanie Taylor - I Don't Know Where I Stand 13. Stephanie Taylor - Chelsea Morning: Don't know what happened to Canadian vocalist Stephanie Taylor after this 1970 LP, but I'm glad she did it - her voice is soft and easy to listen to, and the musicians behind her throw in lots of nice accents (bells, flutes, brushed drums) that dress the songs up nicely without taking over (like, for instance, an obnoxious set of wood blocks might). 14. Trident - Both Sides Now: Also from the 70's, only this time from across the pond in England. The track features a predictable accompaniment and backing vocals that pop in and out and are a little off-putting. No wonder they disbanded and went into the chewing gum business. Either that or they changed their name to "Nice-try" dent. 15. Linda Barbarino - Big Yellow Taxi: What, you thought I was gonna run down a volume and NOT have a BYT on it? Maybe someday, but not this time. Linda (no relation to Vinnie as far as I can tell) sings and plays guitar and incorporates bits of the Counting Crows version as well. Not too bad, actually - Linda brings a fresh, playful spirit to it. 16. Paul Mesibov - Raised On Robbery: I like this one a lot as well; it sounds like a "front-porch" version with some acoustic slide guitar, a little harmonica, and a swampy, bluesy beat throughout. Even though Paul's name is on it, the vocals are all female, perhaps they are the Paulettes? 17. Gimpsuit - Woodstock: This UK band is present day, but specializes in 60's and 70's pop-rock, hence this recording of Woodstock, done in a low-fi, homemade style with LOTS of solo wah-wah'ing. Ragged but sorta fun. 18. Michael Hussman/Tina Lerch - Night Ride Home: As always, covers of 90's Joni are welcome, welcome welcome! This one features Michael on the guitar and Tina on vox, and the tempo seems like it's notched up a bit. To make it even more interesting, Michael throws in the riff from Sting's "Every Breath You Take" as a solo - pretty cool. 19. Imagine - This Flight Tonight: This one's a real oddball among TFT covers, while it's another Euro (sounds German to me) version, instead of being another metal ripoff of the Nazareth cover it spreads out over 8 minutes with a loping acoustic rhythm, drum solos, and some ZZ Top 'how-how-hows' tossed in as well. Oh and it's a live concert recording as well. 20. John Townsend - Urge For Going: And another Euro-cover, this one from English folk-singer John Townsend. Sounds like a male version of June Tabor if that makes any sense. Anyway, I love UFG so I enjoy this cover a lot by default. 21. Pat Carey - Both Sides Now: Perhaps now that Mariah Carey has her groove back and a bunch of Grammy noms to go with it, she'll decide to do a Joni cover - if she does, she will follow in the footsteps of HER MOM Pat who recorded BSN back in 1977 on her LP, recorded in concert. There's not a lot of vocal similarity though, and Pat doesn't try to hit that upper range that only dogs can hear like her spawn does. And with that we reach the end of another musical roller coaster collection of Joni covers - copies are available, so drop me a line if you're interested, and if you're more of a do-it-yourself sort of person you can go get them all here: http://s53.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3KJH6GOD9WTJX2CV1H3L4S6MNH Thanks again to all of you who support this project, and especially to Joni for giving us such a wealth of material to draw from. See you again in a month as we run through the 70's in 2006. Bob NP: The Joine Chiefs, "All I Want" - --------------------------------- Yahoo! DSL Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V2006 #1 ******************************* ------- 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)