We
continue with another great album of the early seventies: "Blue", the
fourth studio lp by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Released
by Reprise Records on June 22 1971. It was number 3 on the UK Albums
Chart, 9 in Canada and 15 on the Blllboard 200. Regarded by music
critics as one of the greatest albums of all time made by a woman
Here´s the less known version, from March 1971, shortly before being restructured as we know it today.
January
1970, Joni Mitchell make a decision to break from performing. A few
months later,she set off on a vacation around Europe. While staying on
the island of Crete and Malta she wrote some of the songs that appear on
Blue, as:“Carey”;“California”;“My Old Man” or “River”. Songs inspired
in old sentimental relationships that she had with David Crosby and in
those moments with Graham Nash and shortly after with James Taylor.
When
she returned to the United States from Spain ended the relationship
with Graham Nash but because she had begun another with James Taylor. Joni
Mitchell was accused, on more than one occasion, of using personal
relationships to promote her musical career, as had happened with David
Crosby in the past; thanks to him she got Reprise Records interested in
his music. behind the sweetness and innocence appearance, there was
always an interested woman., true or not?, what do you think?.
Good..,
we continue with this quick story. This new work start it to record on
january 1971 at A&M Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles C.A and
finalize in March, the same month when James Taylor broke off the
relationship with her. This personal disappointment caused that Joni to
change the line-up of the álbum. Bit.ly/71JMbl Next the original “Blue”
Side One: (16:38)
1.Carey.(3:03)
2.Little Green.(3:27)
3.A Case Of You.(4:23)
4.Hunter.(2:38)
5.Blue.(3:04)
Side B. 19:26)
1.California.(3:49)
2.My Old Man.(3:34)
3.Urge For Going.(5:05)
4.This Flight Tonight.(2:52)
5.River.(4:04)
There
were three old songs that had not found their way onto any of her
previous albums. At the last minute, Mitchell decided to remove two of
the three so that she could add the new songs:"Urge for Going" was
rejected by "All I Want" and “Hunter” (The Good Samaritan) by "The Last
Time I Saw Richard". Leaving the album as follows:
1.All I Want.(3:32)
2.My Old Man.(3:33)
3.Little Green.(3:25)
4.Carey.(3:00)
5.Blue.(3:00)
Side:B. (18:31)
1.California.(3:48)
2.This Flight Tonight.(2:50)
3.River..(4:00)
4.A Case Of You.(4:20)
5.The Last Time I Saw Richard.(4:13)
All
songs written by Joni Mitchell, but on the disc there was also the
shadow of the plagiarism, when it was said that the singer had included
part of "Jingle Bells" in "River". "Blue" was about to be retired and
the song "River" replaced in futures editions by one of the other two
themes that Joni had eliminated in March. Everything was solved between
lawyers with an economic agreement and recognizing that it had been done
in an innocent way, because since the original song was released in
1857, it was believed that the copyright had expired.
This
work is short, maybe Joni Mitchell should have been more generous and
have kept all the selected songs better because there was space on the
album.or maybe not, possibly that's why it's so good in itself. The
content of it is so explicit that even Kris Kristofferson when he heard
an advance copy of it said to she: "Joni! Keep something of yourself!".
The
title was "Blues", but the art director: Gary Burden changed it by the
name of the color,.when he was commissioned to design the cover. Two
singles were extracted from the álbum: “Carey” / “This Flight tonight
& “California” / “A Case Of You”.
It was discontinued in U.S in 1977 and did not return to the catalog
until 1990 in which it was released on CD, although it was Canada who
took the honors by releasing it in digital format three years before.
That´s all friends. Enjoy it.
