Joni Mitchell’s Jazzy Late ’70s Career to Be Explored Via Outtakes and Live Tracks in ‘Archives, Vol. 4’
Joni Mitchell’s vault will get an even deeper dig this fall with the release of a 6-CD boxed set that will bring together about a hundred previously unreleased recordings from the fruitful late ’70s period in which jazz exerted its greatest influence on her output.
Titled “Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980),” the set will be out Oct. 4, via Rhino. This collection of demos, studio outtakes and live tracks comes on the heels of a June set that boxed up all the original studio albums from this same period. The albums that came out during the time frame are 1976s “Hejira,” 1977’s double-LP “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter,” 1979’s “Mingus” and the 1980 live album “Shadows and Light.”
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Vinyl enthusiasts will be able to purchase a condensed and distilled version of the collection as a four-LP set, described as containing Mitchell’s own personal favorites from the larger digital package.
A preview track, “Intro to Coyote/Coyote,” recorded live in Canada in December 1975 when she was out on tour with Bob Dylan, was released Thursday.
Music fans who wished that Dylan’s “Rolling Thunder Revue” boxed set of a few years back had included material from other artists on that tour will see part of their wishes fulfilled with the Mitchell box: the first 11 tracks in this new set come from her Rolling Thunder sets of 1975-76 (actually predating the first year listed in the collection’s title, by just a bit), courtesy of the Bob Dylan Archives. Other live material covered includes Mitchell’s own headlining 1976 tour, a 1979 tour, and recordings culled from her appearances at the Bread & Roses Festival and Anti-Nuclear Rally.
The studio sessions represented will allow fans to hear more of what she was doing with such masterful jazz talents as Herbie Hancock, Jaco Pastorious, Wayne Shorter and Pat Metheny.
As with previous installments in the “Archives” series, Cameron Crowe contributed to the package’s liner notes, engaging in conversation with Mitchell to bring out memories and anecdotes from the period covered.
Mitchell’s long road of recovery from health setbacks in recent years will reach another culmination this fall when she headlines two appearances at the Hollywood Bowl Oct. 19-20 under the banner of a “Joni Jam.” Brandi Carlile has produced a few previous public Joni Jams at the Bowl and elsewhere, including a Newport Folk Festival appearance that was released as a live album.
The full CD and vinyl track lists:
6CD Tracklisting
Disc One:
Rolling Thunder Revue
Live In Niagara Falls
Convention Center, Niagara Falls, NY, November 15, 1975
Recorded by L.A. Johnson & Petur Hliddal
Jericho
Live at Harvard Square Theater
Cambridge, MA, November 20, 1975
Recording supervised by Don DeVito; Mixed by Sean Brennan
Introduction – Bob Neuwirth
Edith and the Kingpin
Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow
Live at Music Hall
Boston, MA, November 21, 1975
Recording supervised by Don DeVito; Mixed by Patrick Milligan
Introduction – Bob Neuwirth
Harry’s House
Live in Bangor
Bangor, ME, November 27, 1975
Recorded by L.A. Johnson & Petur Hliddal
A Case of You
Gordon Lightfoot’s House
Toronto, ON, Canada, November 30, 1975
Recorded by L.A. Johnson & Petur Hliddal
Woman of Heart and Mind
Live at Montreal Forum
Montreal, QC, Canada, December 4, 1975
Recording supervised by Don DeVito; Mixed by Sean Brennan
Introduction – Bob Neuwirth
Intro to Coyote
Coyote
1976 Tour of the United States
Recorded by Stanley Johnston from PA mixes by Brian Jonathan
(Courtesy of the estate of Stanley Tajima Johnston)
Live in Madison
Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI, February 29, 1976
Help Me
Live at Music Hall
Boston, MA, February 19, 1976
Love or Money
Free Man in Paris
For The Roses
Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire
Big Yellow Taxi
Shades of Scarlett Conquering
Live at Nassau Coliseum
Uniondale, NY, February 20, 1976
For Free
Disc Two:
Live at Music Hall
Boston, MA, February 19, 1976
Intro to Coyote/Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter
Coyote/Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter
Live in Madison
Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI, February 29, 1976
Just Like This Train
Live at Music Hall
Boston, MA, February 19, 1976
Shadows and Light
In France They Kiss on Main Street
Live at Duke University
Cameron Stadium, Durham, NC, February 7, 1976
Traveling (Hejira)
Live at Music Hall
Boston, MA, February 19, 1976
Edith and the Kingpin
Talk To Me
Harry’s House/Centerpiece
Intro to Furry Sings the Blues
Furry Sings The Blues
Trouble Child
Rainy Night House
Live at Duke University
Cameron Stadium, Durham, NC, February 7, 1976
Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow
Live at Music Hall
Boston, MA, February 19, 1976
Raised on Robbery
The Jungle Line
Twisted
Disc Three:
Hejira Demos
A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, March 1976
Recorded by Henry Lewy; Mixed by Patrick Milligan
Furry Sings The Blues
Traveling (Hejira)
Dreamland
Talk To Me
Coyote/Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter
Black Crow
Amelia
Blue Motel Room
A Strange Boy
Rolling Thunder Revue
Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, TX, May 16, 1976
Recording supervised by Don DeVito; Engineered by
Don Meehan; Mixed by Patrick Milligan
Black Cow
Intro to Song For Sharon
Song For Sharon
Hejira Sessions
A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, Summer 1976
Recorded & Mixed by Henry Lewy
Refuge of the Roads (Early Mix with Horns)
Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (Early Rough Mix)
Disc Four:
Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter Sessions
A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA
Recorded & Mixed by Henry Lewy
“Save Magic” (Paprika Plains Embryonic Version)
Otis and Marlena (Early Rough Mix)
Mingus Sessions
Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY
Recorded & Mixed by Henry Lewy & Jerry Solomon
Sweet Sucker Dance (Vocals & Drums Version – Take 5)
A Chair in the Sky (Early Alternate Version – Take 6)
Sweet Sucker Dance (Early Alternate Version)
Live at Bread & Roses Festival
Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, September 2 & 3, 1978
Recorded & Mixed by Henry Lewy
Introduction
The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines
Intro to A Chair In The Sky
A Chair In The Sky
Intro to Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
Intro to The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey
The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey
Mingus Early Alternate Version
Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY and A&M Studios,
Hollywood, CA, 1978 & 1979
Recorded & Mixed by Henry Lewy & Jerry Solomon
A Good Suit and A Good Haircut
God Must Be A Boogie Man
Solo for Old Fat Girl’s Soul
The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines
Disc Five:
Sue and the Holy River
Mingus Sessions
A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, 1979
Recorded & Mixed by Henry Lewy
The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey
Live at May 6 Coalition Rally Against Nuclear Power
National Mall, Washington, D.C., May 6, 1979
Introduction – Graham Nash
Big Yellow Taxi
1979 Tour Rehearsals
SIR Rehearsal Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Recorded by Joel Bernstein
Jericho
Help Me
1979 Tour of the United States
Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium
Queens, NY, August 25, 1979
Recorded by Joel Bernstein from PA mix by Ed Wynne
Big Yellow Taxi
Just Like This Train
In France They Kiss On Main Street
Coyote
Edith and The Kingpin
Free Man In Paris
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
Jaco’s Solo/ Third Stone From The Sun
The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines
Disc Six:
Amelia
Pat’s Solo
Hejira
Don’s Solo
Dreamland
Black Crow
Furry Sings The Blues
Intro to God Must Be A Boogie Man
God Must Be A Boogie Man
Raised On Robbery
Shadows and Light
The Last Time I Saw Richard
Why Do Fools Fall In Love
Live in Philadelphia
Robin Hood Dell West, Philadelphia, PA, August 28, 1979
Recorded by Joel Bernstein from PA mix by Ed Wynne
Woodstock
Live at Greek Theatre
Los Angeles, CA, September 13, 1979
Recorded by Andy Johns & Henry Lewy; Mixed by Patrick Milligan
Intro to A Chair In The Sky
A Chair In The Sky
4LP Highlights Tracklisting
Side One:
Rolling Thunder Revue
Live at Harvard Square Theater
Cambridge, MA, November 20, 1975
Recording supervised by Don DeVito; Mixed by Sean Brennan
Introduction – Bob Neuwirth
Edith and the Kingpin
Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow
Live at Music Hall
Boston, MA, November 21, 1975
Recording supervised by Don DeVito; Mixed by Patrick Milligan
Introduction – Bob Neuwirth
Harry’s House
Live in Bangor
Bangor, ME, November 27, 1975
Recorded by L.A. Johnson & Petur Hliddal
A Case of You
Side Two:
Live at Montreal Forum
Montreal, QC, Canada, December 4, 1975
Recording supervised by Don DeVito; Mixed by Sean Brennan
Intro to Coyote
Coyote
1976 Tour of the United States
Recorded by Stanley Johnston from PA mixes by Brian Jonathan
(Courtesy of the estate of Stanley Tajima Johnston)
Live at Music Hall
Boston, MA, February 19, 1976
Free Man In Paris
Shades of Scarlett Conquering
Live at Nassau Coliseum
Uniondale, NY, February 20, 1976
For Free
Side Three:
Live at Music Hall
Boston, MA, February 19, 1976
Shadows and Light
In France They Kiss On Main Street
Intro to Furry Sings The Blues
Furry Sings The Blues
Hejira Demos
A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, March 1976
Recorded by Henry Lewy; Mixed by Patrick Milligan
Traveling (Hejira)
Side Four:
Black Crow
Amelia
Rolling Thunder Revue
Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, TX, May 16, 1976
Recording supervised by Don DeVito; Engineered by
Don Meehan; Mixed by Patrick Milligan
Intro to Song For Sharon
Song For Sharon
Side Five:
Hejira Sessions
A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, Summer 1976
Recorded & Mixed by Henry Lewy
Refuge of the Roads (Early Mix with Horns)
Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (Early Rough Mix)
Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter Sessions
A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA
Recorded & Mixed by Henry Lewy
Otis and Marlena (Early Rough Mix)
Mingus Sessions
Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY
Recorded & Mixed by Henry Lewy & Jerry Solomon
Sweet Sucker Dance (Vocals & Drums Version – Take 5)
Side Six:
Live at Bread & Roses Festival
Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, September 2 & 3, 1978
Recorded & Mixed by Henry Lewy
Introduction
The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines
Intro to Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
Intro to The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey
The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey
Mingus Early Alternate Version
Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY and A&M Studios,
Hollywood, CA, 1978 & 1979
Recorded & Mixed by Henry Lewy & Jerry Solomon
15. God Must Be A Boogie Man
Side Seven:
Sue and The Holy River
1979 Tour Rehearsals
SIR Rehearsal Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Recorded by Joel Bernstein
Jericho
Help Me
1979 Tour of the United States
Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium
Queens, NY, August 25, 1979
Recorded by Joel Bernstein from PA mix by Ed Wynne
Big Yellow Taxi
Just Like This Train
Raised On Robbery
Side Eight:
The Last Time I Saw Richard
Live at Greek Theatre
Los Angeles, CA, September 13, 1979
Recorded by Andy Johns & Henry Lewy; Mixed by Patrick Milligan
Intro to A Chair In The Sky
A Chair In The Sky
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