Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967) features nearly six hours of unreleased home, live, and radio recordings that flow chronologically to paint a rich portrait of Mitchell’s rapid growth as a performer and songwriter during the period leading up to her debut album. This treasure trove of unheard audio includes 29 original Mitchell compositions that have never been released before with her vocals.
This 5CD collection includes a 40-page booklet that features many unseen photos from Mitchell’s personal collection as well as new liner notes featuring conversations between writer/filmmaker Cameron Crowe and Mitchell, who recently spent a couple of Sunday afternoons together discussing her archives. Crowe will continue to provide liners for future releases in the series.
More than a just historic document, these recordings crackle with energy thanks to a vibrant and enchanting Mitchell. On many, you can hear her turning tuning her guitar and telling a story about the song before playing it. That includes her rare 1967 cover of Neil Young’s Sugar Mountain, a song she says inspired her to write “The Circle Game.”
The collection begins in 1963 with her earliest-known recording as a 19-year-old Mitchell performs at CFQC AM, a radio station in her hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The box culminates with a stirring, three-set 1967 nightclub performance recorded at the Canterbury House in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
CD1 01. House Of The Rising Sun / 02. John Hardy / 03. Dark As A Dungeon / 04. Tell Old Bill / 05. Nancy Whiskey / 06. Anathea / 07. Copper Kettle / 08. Fare Thee Well (Dink's Song) / 09. Molly Malone / 10. Introduction (Live at The Half Beat, Yorkville, Toronto, Canada, 10/21/1964) / 11. Nancy Whiskey (Live at The Half Beat, Yorkville, Toronto, Canada, 10/21/1964) / 12. Intro To The Crow On The Cradle (Live at The Half Beat, Yorkville, Toronto, Canada, 10/21/1964) / 13. The Crow On The Cradle (Live at The Half Beat, Yorkville, Toronto, Canada, 10/21/1964) / 14. Pastures Of Plenty (Live at The Half Beat, Yorkville, Toronto, Canada, 10/21/1964) / 15. Every Night When The Sun Goes In (Live at The Half Beat, Yorkville, Toronto, Canada, 10/21/1964) / 16. Intro To Sail Away (Live at The Half Beat, Yorkville, Toronto, Canada, 10/21/1964) / 17. Sail Away (Live at The Half Beat, Yorkville, Toronto, Canada, 10/21/1964) / 18. John Hardy (Live at The Half Beat, Yorkville, Toronto, Canada, 10/21/1964) / 19. Dark As A Dungeon (Live at The Half Beat, Yorkville, Toronto, Canada, 10/21/1964) / 20. Intro To Maids When You're Young Never Wed An Old Man (Live at The Half Beat, Yorkville, Toronto, Canada, 10/21/1964) / 21. Maids When You're Young Never Wed An Old Man (Live at The Half Beat, Yorkville, Toronto, Canada, 10/21/1964) / 22. The Dowie Dens Of Yarrow (Live at The Half Beat, Yorkville, Toronto, Canada, 10/21/1964) / 23. Deportee (Plane Crash At Los Gatos) [Live at The Half Beat, Yorkville, Toronto, Canada, 10/21/1964] / 24. The Long Black Rifle / 25. Ten Thousand Miles / 26. Seven Daffodils
CD2 01. Urge For Going / 02. Born To Take The Highway / 03. Here Today And Gone Tomorrow / 04. What Will You Give Me / 05. Let It Be Me / 06. The Student Song / 07. Day After Day / 08. Like The Lonely Swallow / 09. Favorite Colour / 10. Me And My Uncle / 11. Sad Winds Blowin' / 12. Just Like Me / 13. Night In The City / 14. Brandy Eyes (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 11/1966) / 15. Intro To Urge For Going (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 11/1966) / 16. Urge For Going (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 11/1966) / 17. Intro To What's The Story Mr. Blue (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 11/1966) / 18. What's The Story Mr. Blue (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 11/1966) / 19. Eastern Rain (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 11/1966) / 20. Intro To The Circle Game (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 11/1966) / 21. The Circle Game (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 11/1966) / 22. Intro To Night In The City (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 11/1966) / 23. Night In The City (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 11/1966)
CD3 01. Intro To Both Sides Now / 02. Both Sides Now / 03. Intro To The Circle Game / 04. The Circle Game / 05. Morning Morgantown (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 3/17/1967) [2nd Set] / 06. Born To Take The Highway (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 3/17/1967) [2nd Set] / 07. Intro To Song To A Seagull (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 3/17/1967) [2nd Set] / 08. Song To A Seagull (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 3/17/1967) [2nd Set] / 09. Winter Lady (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 3/17/1967) [3rd Set] / 10. Intro To Both Sides Now (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 3/17/1967) [3rd Set] / 11. Both Sides Now (Live at The 2nd Fret, Philadelphia, PA, 3/17/1967) [3rd Set] / 12. Intro To Eastern Rain / 13. Eastern Rain / 14. Intro To Blue On Blue / 15. Blue On Blue / 16. Gemini Twin / 17. Strawflower Me / 18. A Melody In Your Name / 19. Tin Angel / 20. I Don't Know Where I Stand / 21. Joni Improvising / 22. Intro To Sugar Mountain / 23. Sugar Mountain
CD4 01. I Had A King / 02. Free Darling / 03. Conversation / 04. Morning Morgantown / 05. Dr. Junk / 06. Gift Of The Magi / 07. Chelsea Morning / 08. Michael From Mountains / 09. Cara's Castle / 10. Jeremy (Incomplete) / 11. Conversation (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [1st Set] / 12. Intro To Come To The Sunshine (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [1st Set] / 13. Come To The Sunshine (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [1st Set] / 14. Intro To Chelsea Morning (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [1st Set] / 15. Chelsea Morning (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [1st Set] / 16. Intro To Gift Of The Magi (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [1st Set] / 17. Gift Of The Magi (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [1st Set] / 18. Play Little David (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [1st Set] / 19. Intro To The Dowie Dens Of Yarrow (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [1st Set] / 20. The Dowie Dens Of Yarrow (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [1st Set] / 21. I Had A King (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [1st Set] / 22. Intro To Free Darling (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [1st Set] / 23. Free Darling (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [1st Set] / 24. Intro To Cactus Tree (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [1st Set] / 25. Cactus Tree (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [1st Set]
CD5 01. Little Green (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [2nd Set] / 02. Intro To Marcie (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [2nd Set] / 03. Marcie (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [2nd Set] / 04. Intro To Ballerina Valerie (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [2nd Set] / 05. Ballerina Valerie (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [2nd Set] / 06. The Circle Game (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [2nd Set] / 07. Intro To Michael From Mountains (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [2nd Set] / 08. Michael From Mountains (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [2nd Set] / 09. Go Tell The Drummer Man (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [2nd Set] / 10. Intro To I Don't Know Where I Stand (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [2nd Set] / 11. I Don't Know Where I Stand (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [2nd Set] / 12. A Melody In Your Name (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [3rd Set] / 13. Intro To Carnival In Kenora (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [3rd Set] / 14. Carnival In Kenora (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [3rd Set] / 15. Songs To Aging Children Come (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [3rd Set] / 16. Intro To Dr. Junk (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [3rd Set] / 17. Dr. Junk (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [3rd Set] / 18. Morning Morgantown (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [3rd Set] / 19. Intro To Night In The City (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [3rd Set] / 20. Night In The City (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [3rd Set] / 21. Both Sides Now (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [3rd Set] / 22. Urge For Going (Live at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, MI, 10/27/1967) [3rd Set]