1964–1969: Folk breakthrough Joni Mitchell

1 1964–1969: folk breakthrough

1.1 ontario
1.2 michigan
1.3 new york
1.4 california

1964–1969: folk breakthrough
ontario

lacking $200 needed musicians union fees, mitchell managed few gigs @ half beat , village corner in toronto s yorkville neighbourhood, played non-union gigs in church basements , ymca meeting halls . rejected major folk clubs, resorted busking, while worked in women s wear section of downtown department store pay rent. during era, lived in rooming house, directly across hall poet duke redbird. without lot of name recognition, mitchell began realize each city s folk scene tended accord veteran performers exclusive right play signature songs—despite not having written songs—which mitchell found insular, contrary egalitarian ideal of folk music. found best traditional material other singers property , no longer pass muster. said, d come town , d told, can t sing that, can t sing that. resolved write own songs.

in late 1964, mitchell discovered pregnant calgary ex-boyfriend brad macmath. later wrote, [he] left me 3 months pregnant in attic room no money , winter coming on , fireplace heat. spindles of banister gap-toothed fuel last winter s occupants. @ time, pill legally unavailable in canada, abortion, yet there strong social stigma against women giving birth out of wedlock. in toronto, @ least quietly, without alarming relatives home. in february 1965 gave birth baby girl. unable provide baby, placed daughter, kelly dale anderson, adoption. experience remained private of career, made allusions in several songs, example little green , performed in 1960s , recorded 1971 album blue.

in chinese cafe , 1982 album wild things run fast, mitchell sang, kids coming straight / child s stranger / bore / not raise her. these lyrics did not receive wide attention @ time. existence of mitchell s daughter not publicly known until 1993, when roommate mitchell s art-school days in 1960s sold story of adoption tabloid magazine. time, mitchell s daughter, renamed kilauren gibb, had begun search biological parents. mitchell , daughter met in 1997. after reunion, mitchell said lost interest in songwriting, , later identified daughter s birth , inability take care of moment when songwriting inspiration had begun. when not express herself person wanted talk to, became attuned whole world , began write personally.

a few weeks after birth of daughter in 1965, joni anderson gigging again around yorkville, beginning sing more of original material first time, written unique open tunings. in march , april found work @ penny farthing, folk club in toronto. there met chuck mitchell, american folk-singer michigan. chuck attracted , impressed performance, , told steady work in coffeehouses knew in united states. in 1 interview, mitchell claimed married chuck 36 hours after met, unclear if ever married in toronto. sometime in late april, mitchell left canada first time, going chuck us, 2 began playing music together. joni, 21 years old, married chuck in official ceremony in hometown in june 1965 , took surname. said, made dress , bridesmaids dresses. had no money... walked down aisle brandishing daisies.

michigan

while living @ verona apartments in detroit s cass corridor, chuck , joni regular performers @ area coffee houses, including alcove bar, near wayne state university; rathskeller, restaurant on campus of university of detroit; , raven gallery in southfield. began playing , composing songs in alternative guitar tunings taught fellow musician, eric andersen, in detroit. oscar brand featured several times on cbc television program let s sing out in 1965 , 1966, broadening exposure. marriage , partnership of joni , chuck mitchell dissolved in 1967, , joni moved new york city pursue musical dreams solo artist. played venues , down east coast, including philadelphia, boston, , fort bragg, north carolina. performed in coffeehouses , folk clubs and, time creating own material, became known unique songwriting , innovative guitar style.

new york

folk singer tom rush had met mitchell in toronto , impressed songwriting ability. took urge going popular folk artist judy collins, not interested in song @ time, rush recorded himself. country singer george hamilton iv heard rush performing , recorded hit country version. other artists recorded mitchell s songs in years buffy sainte-marie ( circle game ), dave van ronk ( both sides ), , judy collins ( both sides , top ten hit, , michael mountains , both included on 1967 album wildflowers). collins covered chelsea morning , recording again eclipsed mitchell s own commercial success on.

california

while playing 1 night in gaslight south, club in coconut grove, florida, david crosby walked in , struck ability , appeal artist. took los angeles, set introducing , music friends. being managed elliot roberts, had close business association david geffen. roberts , geffen have important influences on career. crosby convinced record company let mitchell record solo acoustic album without folk-rock overdubs in vogue @ time, , clout earned him producer s credit in march 1968, when reprise records released debut album, alternatively known joni mitchell or song seagull.

mitchell continued touring steadily promote lp. tour helped create eager anticipation mitchell s second lp, clouds, released in april 1969. album contained mitchell s own versions of of songs recorded , performed other artists: chelsea morning , both sides, , , tin angel . covers of both lps, including self-portrait on clouds, designed , painted mitchell, marriage of painting , music continued throughout career.