Joni Mitchell released her album ‘Court and Spark’ on this day 50 years ago. Like many of the classic albums from the ‘70s it sounds as fresh today as it did the day it was released.
And that in a nutshell is the essence of Joni Mitchell.
Timeless and elegant. Perfectly crafted and eternally captivating. This is why, to this day artists aim to pay homage to Joni Mitchell through their song writing and performance.
Following the success of her ‘For the Roses’ album, Mitchell took a year off to travel and write. Inspired by the slower pace and the ability to take in everything she saw, Joni Mitchell wrote some of the most personal songs of her career. Much of this creativity was complimented by a new sound that she had wanted to explore. This presented in the form of a jazz style. Her state of mind was evidenced in the arrangements she offered and the free-flowing narrative presented in the compositions.
In ‘Help Me’, Joni tells a story about a guy she has fallen for, and within the context of the revelation she determines the relationship is doomed.
She is living between the space of hoping for the future and living in the past. Ultimately, she concludes, that although she loves her lovin’, that joy cannot be out matched by her love of freedom.
Help me, I think I’m falling in love again
Joni Mitchell
When I get that crazy feeling, I know I’m in trouble again
I’m in trouble ’cause you’re a rambler and a gambler
And a sweet taIking ladies man and you love your lovin’
But not like you love your freedom
Help me, I think I’m falling in love too fast
It’s got me hoping for the future and worrying about the past
‘Cause I’ve seen some hot hot blazes come down to smoke and ash
We love our lovin’ but not like we love our freedom
Didn’t it feel good, we were sitting there talking
Or lying there not talking, didn’t it feel good
You dance with the lady with the hole in her stocking
Didn’t it feel good, didn’t it feel good
Help me, I think I’m falling in love with you
Are you going to let me go there by myself
That’s such a lonely thing to do
Both of us flirting around flirting and flirting, hurting too
We love our lovin’ but not like we love our freedom”
There is some speculation that the free spirit that Joni Mitchell is singing about here is Glenn Frey who was on the verge of Eagles fame, or Jackson Browne whose good looks and reputation as a ladies’ man was legendary.
To add to the fascination, back in the early ‘70s Joni Mitchell was surrounded by a strong support cast who admired her abilities. Included among the names that participated in ‘Court and Spark’ were Robbie Robertson. The guitar work of the Robertson drives the rollicking sound of ‘Raised on Robbery’ which preceded the ‘Court and Spark’ release. Fifty years later this song is still a treat to listen to.
David Crosby and Graham Nash added their vocal talents to ‘Free Man in Paris’ while Crosby stuck around to contribute to ‘Down to You’. Both Crosby and Nash were romantically linked to Joni Mitchell in the late ‘60s and the early part of the new decade.
Here is ‘Free Man in Paris’.
The way I see it he said, you just can’t win it
Joni Mitchell
Everybody’s in it for their own gain, you can’t please ’em all
There’s always somebody calling you down
I do my best and I do good business
There’s a lot of people asking for my time
They’re tryin’ to get ahead
They’re tryin’ to be a good friend of mine”
This comes through like a shared experience for this trio of songwriters. Each were struggling with fame in very different ways.
And, now enjoy ‘Down to You’.
This is very honest.
Everything comes and goes
Marked by lovers and styles of clothes
Things that you held high
And told yourself were true
Lost or changing as the days come down to you
Down to you”
Joni Mitchell
As you listen to ‘Court and Spark’ you get a sense of Joni Mitchell’s mindset at the time. For her legion of fans, the album likely still exists as a personal reflection into that period. No doubt, her lyrics helped a lot of people get through some challenging times.
For a completely different direction, Mitchell brought in Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. Here is ‘Twisted’ which is a rare example of Joni Mitchell covering someone else’s work.
‘Twisted’ was written by Wardell Gray and Annie Ross in 1952. It was a satirical take on psychoanalysis which was a burgeoning industry in 1950s California and showed no sign of letting up by the early ‘70s. Joni Mitchell was a huge fan Lambert Hendricks and Annie Ross and as stated here, she had been hoping to record this song for a while.
Joni Mitchell has indicated that this recording was a favourite during her high school days back in Saskatchewan.
Because I love that song, I always have loved it. I went through analysis for a while this year and the song is about analysis. I figured that I earned the right to sing it. I tried to put it on the last record ‘For the Roses’ but it was totally inappropriate. It had nothing to do with that time period and some of my friends feel it has nothing to do with this album either. It’s added like an encore.”
Joni Mitchell
Toward the end of ‘Twisted’ you will hear Cheech and Chong’s contribution to the song.
What? No driver on the top? This chick is twisted…Flip city!”
Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong
Here is Tommy Chong’s recollection of their connection to Joni Mitchell, from ‘Cheech and Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography’.
Cheech rented a house in the Hollywood Hills and became the party guy in town. Without [former girlfriend] Barbie he was a free man. While he dated a bevy of eligible Hollywood ladies, one in particular fed my admiration for the Cheech charm. Joni Mitchell, the genius Canadian songwriter, was entangled with Cheech for a while. Gaye Delorme, the guitarist, was staying with Cheech when Joni was over with David Geffen, who was Joni’s personal manager at the time. Gaye was trying to convince Joni to buy a Canadian-built acoustic guitar, but David Geffen shot the deal down when he said he didn’t especially like the guitar. David knew the music business and Joni respected his opinion, so she passed on the guitar. This did not stop the Canadian from trying. Gaye wrote the music and the riff for a tune soon to be known as “Earache My Eye”… or “Mama Talking to Me.” Gaye came up with the music and the first line, “Mama talking to me,” and I added, “trying to tell me how to live, but I don’t listen to her cause my head is like a sieve… My daddy he disowned me cause I wear my sister’s clothes. He caught me in the basement with a pair of panty hose.”
Tommy Chong
Just for kicks, let’s contrast ‘Help Me’ with ‘Earache My Eye’.
In terms of distinguishing qualities related to ‘Court and Spark’ it is likely that the freedom inspired by the jazz infusion contributed to the spirit of the album. For that, listeners can thank L.A. Express, which included guitarist Larry Carlton, bass player, Max Bennett, pianist, Joe Sample and drummer John Guerin. During the sessions, Mitchell became romantically involved with Guerin.
Moving the focus back to ‘Help Me’, despite Joni Mitchell’s best lobbying for a different single, her handlers at Asylum chose this track as the lead offering following the actual ‘Court and Spark’ release. This turned out to be a good decision because it became the biggest hit of her prolific career, going all the way to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the Easy Listening chart.
My record companies always had a tendency to take my fastest songs on the album for singles, thinking they’d stand out because they did on the LPs. Meantime, I’d feel that the radio is crying for one of my ballads.”
Joni Mitchell
‘Court and Spark’ was her best-selling album, going to #2 in the U.S. and #1 in Canada. This iconic album was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame exactly 20 years ago.
For Joni Mitchell the accolades keep on coming. In many ways, she chose her own path. Except for very rare occasions, she wrote her own songs, and she insisted on being her own producer, which was exceedingly rare at the time. While reflecting on the contribution Joni Mitchell made to women in music consider the fact that ‘Help Me’ was the first Top 10 hit in the U.S. that was entirely written and produced by a female artist. Remarkably, this combination of roles didn’t happen again until Debbie Gibson with ‘Only in My Dreams’ in 1987.
A staggering fact, that speaks to why Joni Mitchell remains so revered by female artists through the years.
Take a moment and watch this video which captures the spirit of how highly regarded Joni Mitchell is among her peers as she was honoured as a Kennedy Center honouree for contribution to American culture and music.
Check out the reference to ‘Help Me’ in Prince’s 1987 song ‘The Ballad of Dorothy Parker’ which speaks to the resolve of a free thinking, independent woman.
This is from the Prince album ‘Sign ‘o’ the Times’ which also includes ‘When We’re Dancing Close and Slow’; a clear reference to Joni’s song ‘Coyote. My personal favourite. Watch this version of ‘Coyote’ from The Last Waltz which captures Joni Mitchell’s dynamic presentation along with The Band’s ability to fall in with the best.
We saw a farmhouse burning down
In the middle of nowhere
In the middle of the night
And we rolled right past that tragedy
Till we turned into some road house lights
Where a local band was playing
Locals were up kicking and shaking on the floor
And the next thing I know
That Coyote’s at my door
He pins me in a corner and he won’t take “No!”
He drags me out on the dance floor
And we’re dancing close and slow
Now he’s got a woman at home
He’s got another woman down the hall
He seems to want me anyway
Why’d you have to get so drunk
And lead me on that way
You just picked up a hitcher
A prisoner of the white lines of the freeway”
Joni Mitchell
When Joni Michell was in high school an English teacher pointed out her talent for the written word and encouraged her to explore her love of the arts. She had a clear talent for the visual arts, but this astute educator took a moment to let her know that she could paint a virtual portrait with her writing ability. This was a pivotal moment in Joni Mitchell’s life.
Through the resulting stream of creativity, we have all been able to participate to some degree.
Looking back through the years, there has been a wonderful list of quality cover versions of Joni Mitchell’s work, and ‘Help Me’ is just one of countless Mitchell tracks that have been interpreted by a strong cast of performers.
Here is Mandy Moore from her 2003 album, ‘Coverage’. Ted Tocks Covers has featured Moore in posts about Elton John’s ‘Mona Lisas and Madhatters’ and ‘XTC’s ‘Senses Working Overtime’ from that same album. This is nice. Two thumbs up from Ted Tocks.
Another Ted Tocks Covers favourite is K.D. Lang who is very open about how much she has looked up to Joni Mitchell throughout her career. This is from her album of cover songs which speak to her formative days as a singer. It is called ‘Recollection’. For more on K.D. Lang check out ‘River’, ‘Hallelujah’, ‘Helpless’ and ‘Crying’.
The list of top-notch versions offered by incredibly gifted artists continues with this porch presentation by Molly Tuttle (‘To Lay Me Down’, ‘Standing on the Moon’ and ‘Bella Donna’/’Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around’) and Lindsay Lou. This sent me on yet another quest to hear more from both of these performers. This is from what the pair refer to as the Nashville Nabe Session #5 in 2017.
Remember Chaka Khan from the ‘80s? Here she is more recently offering her take on ‘Help Me’. This was Khan’s gift to Joni Mitchell during what was Joni Mitchell’s 75th birthday celebration. Man! This is so soulful. Just beautiful.
Yet another in a long line of women who have expressed their eternal admiration for Joni Mitchell is the gifted Norah Jones (‘Love Me Tender’, ‘Hit the Road Jack’, ‘Jolene’, ‘Everybody Knows’, . Here is her cover which is part of an edited compilation gathered from the Kennedy Center honours shared above. Again, a classy and demonstrative expression of one artist’s devotion to another.
Perhaps the greatest quality that music shares is the ability to act as a time machine. Going back through the years with Joni Mitchell allows us to sit back and reflect on her significance. When we see this appreciation expressed in the many honours bestowed upon her, there is a sense of satisfaction.
When we sit back and listen, there is a soothing reality that somehow, some way, everything is going to be okay.
Hope through music is a positive path. For today at least, that trail is blazed by Joni Mitchell.
Ted Tocks Covers 