Joni Mitchell has been an icon for so long that it’s hard to imagine that she, like most of us, was once a regular, fledgling 20-something, who just happened to possess an insane amount of talent. A massive new box set, Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971), due out October 29th captures the prolific songwriter during that defining era.
Included in the box set is an unearthed recording captured by Jimi Hendrix, who saw Mitchell in action during her two-week residency at Le Hibou Coffee House in Ottawa, Ontario, before his death. As a preview of the collection, Hendrix’s recording of Mitchell performing “The Downtreader” is now available to stream below.
Hendrix’s tape recorder from his night at Mitchell’s concert was stolen just a few days after the show. Those recordings, long thought to be lost forever, were recently discovered in a private collection that was donated to the Library and Archives Canada and later returned to Mitchell. In the box set’s liner notes, which find Mitchell in a conversation with Cameron Crowe, the legendary musician explains,
“They came and told me, ‘Jimi Hendrix is here, and he’s at the front door.’ I went to meet him. He had a large box. He said to me, ‘My name is Jimi Hendrix. I’m on the same label as you. Reprise Records.’ We were both signed about the same time. He said, ‘I’d like to record your show. Do you mind?’ I said, ‘No, not at all.’ There was a large reel-to-reel tape recorder in the box.”
“The stage was only about a foot off the ground. He knelt at edge of the stage, with a microphone, at my feet. All during the show, he kept twisting knobs. He was engineering it, I don’t know what he was controlling, volume? He was watching the needles or something, messing with knobs. He beautifully recorded this tape. Of course I played part of the show to him. He was right below me.”
You can hear the full recording on Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971), along with the folk icon’s 1969 debut at Carnegie Hall, performances at Hollywood’s A&M Studios, radio broadcasts for ABC and BBC, home sessions, and much more. For Mitchell diehards, this is an all-encompassing opportunity to hear beloved tracks from Song to a Seagull, Clouds, Blue, and Ladies of the Canyon in a brand-new context. They’re organized chronologically, making for an in-depth listening experience to some of Mitchell’s most crucial years.
Check out the Hendrix-recorded performance of “The Downtreader” ahead, followed by the box set’s full tracklist.
Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971) serves as a companion to June’s The Reprise Albums (1968-1971), coinciding with the 50th (!!!) anniversary of Mitchell’s masterpiece, Blue. Physical copies of The Reprise Years will be released as a 5xCD set for $64.98 or as a 10xLP set for $249.98 on 180-gram vinyl, limited to 4,000 copies. All orders from Mitchell’s official website come with a 7×7-inch print featuring a never-before-seen illustration by Mitchell from the era.
Jimi Hendrix recording Joni Mitchell at Le Hibou Coffee House, March 19, 1968
Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971) Artwork:
Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971) Tracklist:
Disc One
Joni’s home (late 1967/early 1968)
01. Midnight Cowboy (Version one)
02. The Dawntreader (Demo with vocal overdub)
03. Song to a Seagull
04. Midnight Cowboy (Version two)
Jane Lurie’s Apartment, Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City, NY (late 1967/early 1968)
05. The Way It Is
06. Turn Around (Incomplete)
Home Demo, Joni’s home (late 1967/early 1968)
07. I Had a King (Demo with piano overdub)
08. Roses Blue (Demo with peacock harp overdub)
09. The Fiddle and the Drum (Piano demo)
Song to a Seagull Session, Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA (January 24, 1968)
10. Jeremy
11. Conversation
12. Both Sides Now
13. The Gift of the Magi
Jane Lurie’s Apartment, Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City, NY (early 1968)
14. It’s Easy
15. Another Melody
Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI (March 10, 1968)
16. Introduction
17. Jeremy
18. Songs to Aging Children Come
Disc Two
Le Hibou Coffee House, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Recorded by Jimi Hendrix (March 19, 1968)
First Set
01. Night in the City
02. Come to the Sunshine
03. Intro to The Pirate Of Penance
04. The Pirate of Penance
05. Conversation
06. The Way It Is
07. Intro to The Dawntreader
08. The Dawntreader
Second Set
09. Marcie
10. Intro to Nathan La Franeer
11. Nathan La Franeer
12. Intro to Dr. Junk
13. Dr. Junk
14. Intro to Michael From Mountains
15. Michael From Mountains
16. Go Tell The Drummer Man
17. Intro to I Don’t Know Where I Stand
18. I Don’t Know Where I Stand
19. Intro to Sisotowbell Lane
20. Sisotowbell Lane
21. Intro to Ladies of the Canyon
22. Ladies of the Canyon
Studio Session, Western Recorders, Hollywood, CA (May 31, 1968)
23. Come to the Sunshine
Jane Lurie’s Apartment, Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City, NY (summer 1968)
24. My Second Album
25. Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
26. The Pirate of Penance
Top Gear BBC Radio Broadcast, London, England (recorded September 23, 1968)
27. Intro to Chelsea Morning
28. Chelsea Morning (with the John Cameron Group)
29. Intro to the Gallery
30. The Gallery
31. Intro to Night in the City
32. Night in the City (with the John Cameron Group)
Disc Three
Live at Carnegie Hall, New York City, NY (February 1, 1969)
First Set
01. Chelsea Morning
02. A Valentine for Joni
03. Cactus Tree
04. Night in the City
05. I Had a King
06. Blue Boy
07. My American Skirt
08. The Fiddle and the Drum
09. Spoony’s Wonderful Adventure
10. That Song About the Midway
11. Both Sides Now
Second Set
12. Marcie
13. Nathan La Franeer
14. Intro to The Gallery
15. The Gallery
16. Hunter
17. Morning Morgantown
18. Intro to Get Together
19. Get Together
20. Intro to The Circle Game/Little Green
21. The Circle Game/Little Green
Encore
22. Michael From Mountains
Disc Four
Live at Carnegie Hall, New York City, NY (February 1, 1969)
01. Intro to Urge For Going
02. Urge For Going
Clouds Sessions, A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA (spring 1969)
03. Conversation
04. Blue Boy
05. The Priest
Jane Lurie’s Apartment, Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City, NY (mid 1969)
06. Jesus
07. Playing piano and vocalizing
The Dick Cavett Show ABC TV Broadcast, New York City, NY (Recorded August 18, 1969)
08. Chelsea Morning
09. Willy
10. For Free
11. Interview
12. The Fiddle and the Drum
Ladies of the Canyon Demo Session, A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA (late 1969)
13. Woodstock
Live at Centennial Auditorium, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (November 1, 1969)
14. As I Lie Thinking In My Backyard on August 2nd
15. Roses Blue
16. Rainy Night House
Ladies of the Canyon Sessions, A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA (late 1969)
17. Ladies of the Canyon (with cellos)
18. Blue Boy (with recorder coda)
In Concert BBC TV Broadcast, (recorded September 3, 1970)
19. All I Want
Blue Demo Sessions, A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA (September 1970)
20. A Case of You
21. California
Disc Five
In Concert BBC Radio Broadcast, Paris Theatre, London England (recorded October 29, 1970)
01. Introduction
02. That Song About the Midway
03. Intro to The Gallery
04. The Gallery
05. Hunter
06. Intro to River
07. River
08. My Old Man
09. The Priest
10. This is a mountain dulcimer
11. Carey
12. A Case Of You (with James Taylor)
13. Intro to California (with James Taylor)
14. California (with James Taylor)
15. Intro to For Free (with James Taylor)
16. For Free (with James Taylor)
17. Intro to The Circle Game (with James Taylor)
18. The Circle Game (with James Taylor)
19. Intro to You Can Close Your Eyes (with James Taylor)
20. You Can Close Your Eyes (with James Taylor)
21. Both Sides Now
22. Intro to Big Yellow Taxi
23. Big Yellow Taxi
Blue Sessions, A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA (late 1970/early 1971)
24. Hunter
25. River (with French horns)
26. Urge For Going (with strings)
