Live at Carnegie Hall – 1969
Live at Carnegie Hall – 1969 is a live album by singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released on November 12, 2021, by Rhino Records.[1] The album, which is the eighth overall release and the second live release of the Joni Mitchell Archives, features the storied, two-set recording that was captured at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall in 1969.[2] This separate live album was pressed exclusively on vinyl, and serves as a companion to Joni Mitchell Archives – Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968–1971), the box set from which its material is derived.[3]
Live at Carnegie Hall – 1969 | ||||
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Live album by | ||||
Released | November 12, 2021 | |||
Recorded | February 1, 1969 (Carnegie Hall) February 14, 1969 (Zellerbach Hall) | |||
Venue | Carnegie Hall (New York City, New York) Zellerbach Hall (Berkeley, California) | |||
Label | Rhino Records | |||
Joni Mitchell chronology | ||||
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Background and recording
Like its predecessor, Joni Mitchell Archives – Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968–1971) contains a number of recordings from Mitchell's personal archive, including a two-set recording of Joni's debut performance at the famed Carnegie Hall in New York City, New York on February 1, 1969. Her sold-out performance at the venue was attended by Bob Dylan and Graham Nash, and earned rave reviews in the press; Fred Kirby wrote in Billboard that Mitchell had "charmed a packed Carnegie Hall audience on Saturday ... Miss Mitchell doesn’t merely sing a song, the fine folk artist effectively interprets her material. And what a lineup of material! Beginning with 'Chelsea Morning' and ending with a medley of ‘The Circle Game’ and the new ‘Little Green,’ the outstanding material flowed."[4]
While discussing her career during the 1970s for Archives – Vol. 2, Joni recalled to Cameron Crowe about the night of her performance, specifically her experience with her parents and their thoughts about her garb of choice:
I flew my parents [Bill and Myrtle] in for the show. We walked over to Carnegie Hall from the Plaza Hotel. Graham was wearing a floor-length maxi coat, black velvet, but with a pink-and-white chiffon tie-dye scarf. And I was wearing a green-and-white plaid coat. I've still got it. It looked like something from a Dickens play. My mother was embarrassed to be seen with us![4]
In the liner notes for the vinyl release, Graham Nash also recounted his then-partner's clothing for her performance:
Joni had bought a long vintage skirt that was made for a parade. On the front, in colorful sequins, was a large American eagle, and on the back was ... a large artichoke. At some point earlier in the evening Myrtle said, 'Oh, Joan. Is that what you're going to wear at Carnegie Hall? They look like rags.'[4]
Mitchell's father defended her after her mother made the rags comment, saying she looked like a "queen" in her outfit. She was thankful for his support and love, and said he "gave back [herself]".[4] The design of the bald eagle found on the front of Joni's jacket from that evening is etched into the vinyl on the set's sixth side.[5]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Joni Mitchell, except where noted.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Chelsea Morning" | 2:49 |
2. | "A Valentine for Joni" (Dialogue) | 1:12 |
3. | "Cactus Tree" | 4:55 |
4. | "Night in the City" | 2:50 |
5. | "I Had a King" | 3:55 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Blue Boy[lower-alpha 1]" | 3:23 |
2. | "My American Skirt" (Dialogue) | 0:49 |
3. | "The Fiddle and the Drum" | 2:41 |
4. | "Spoony's Wonderful Adventure" (Dialogue) | 0:59 |
5. | "That Song About the Midway" | 5:19 |
6. | "Both Sides, Now" | 4:35 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Marcie[lower-alpha 1]" | 5:01 |
2. | "Nathan La Franeer" | 3:36 |
3. | "The Gallery" (Intro) | 1:03 |
4. | "The Gallery" | 4:29 |
5. | "Hunter" | 4:24 |
6. | "Morning Morgantown" | 3:24 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Get Together" (Intro) | 0:42 | |
2. | "Get Together" | Chet Powers | 5:26 |
3. | "The Circle Game/Little Green" (Intro) | 0:51 | |
4. | "The Circle Game/Little Green" (Medley) | 9:04 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Michael From Mountains" | 5:38 |
2. | "Urge for Going" (Intro) | 1:19 |
3. | "Urge for Going" | 6:01 |
Total length: | 12:58 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from Discogs.
- Performers
- Joni Mitchell – vocals; guitar
- Production and recording
- Allison Boron – project assistance
- Tristan Calditaran – project assistance
- Sheryl Farber – project assistance
- Marcy Gensic – project assistance
- Bernie Grundman – mastering
- Mike Johnson – project assistance
- Joni Mitchell – reissue producer
- Tal Miller – project assistance
- Patrick Milligan – producer
- Susanne Savage – project assistance
- Mark Spector – project assistance
- Design
- Joel Bernstein – photography
- Graham Nash – liner notes
- Doran Tyson – product manager
- Shannon Ward – packaging manager
Notes
- Recorded live at Zellerbach Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, February 14, 1969
References
- "Now Streaming: Live at Carnegie Hall, 1969 (3LP))". jonimitchell.com. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- Brakes, Rod (August 21, 2021). "Joni Mitchell's 1969 Major Concert Debut at Carnegie Hall Released for First Time". Guitar Player. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- "Joni Mitchell – Live at Carnegie Hall - 1969". Discogs. Discogs. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- "Joni Mitchell's 1969 Carnegie Hall debut to be released for first time". jonimitchell.com. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- Rugoff, Lazlo (August 26, 2021). "Joni Mitchell's 1969 Carnegie Hall performance gets first release". The Vinyl Factory. Retrieved March 10, 2022.