Bob 'n' Joni

Joni Mitchell “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter” Target Center, Minneapolis, MN—October 23, 1998.

“The highlight of the summer, when I was growing up in Saskatoon, Canada, was the week the fair came to town. At the end of the mile long midway, there were two adult, Vegas-style shows - Club Lido and Harlem In Havana. Parents seemed to be scared by Harlem In Havana. Don’t let me catch you there! Every kid I knew got that instruction. Every hour or so (if you wanted to), you could hear the barker shouting through the roar of the crowds and rides, ‘Step right up folks - it’s Harlem In Havana time!’ When I heard this, I’d go running - to see the band file out - horns in hand - and seat themselves behind the blue and silver music stands. They’d begin to play this brassy, stripper groove - so slow and humid. Then, out came the girls - black girls - some chewing gum - and they’d begin to move - slowly - flipping their capes open and closed to the beat - like they had done a million times - a tired, bored tease.”

Cher, K.D. Lang, Madonna, and Joni Mitchell, 1998.

Bob Dylan “Mr. Tambourine Man” Royal Festival Hall, May 17, 1964.

Joni Mitchell during a concert at the Royal Festival Hall. London, May 16, 1972. (Photo by Christian Rose/Roger Viollet)

I was thinking of a series of dreams. Where nothing, comes up to the top. Everything stays down where it’s wounded and comes to a permanent stop. Wasn’t thinking of anything specific. Like in a dream where someone wakes up and screams!

Joni Mitchell and David Hockney at the L.A. Louver gallery in Los Angeles, Photo Credit Jacob Sousa, via L.A. Louver, Venice, CA, February 13, 2019.

Joni Mitchell with David Hockney, at the L.A. Louver Gallery, February 13, 2019.

—Bob Dylan, Theme Time Radio Hour: Colors, February 28, 2007.

Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” spotted in the background of Agnès Varda’s film, “One Sings, The Other Doesn’t” (1977).

Joni Mitchell & Kris Kristofferson, Newport Folk Festival, July 19, 1969.

Joni Mitchell & Kris Kristofferson, Newport Folk Festival, July 19, 1969 © Dan Beach.

Joni Mitchell “California” September 1970—Blue 50: Demos & Outtakes, June 21, 2021.

Considine publicly considers this version “the album cover for Blue- the way it should’ve been” as of his website.

I love the song "Dreamland" that you sing on, in her 1977 jazz-heavy album Don Juan's Reckless Daughter. Chaka: "Oh please! You know what? She called me at 4 o'clock in the morning and said [in a deep, Canadian accent imitating Mitchell], "Chaka...come down to the studio right now! You have to come down here!" So I said, finally! Joni and I are going to get to work together I was so happy! Until I got down to the studio and it changed. It was me singing no words at all (referring to the tones and textures she warbles on the world music influenced track). Not a word! Just "Aye aye aye.." and all that shit." —An interview with Chaka Khan: Life, career, and her ongoing love affair with music