If you're as big a fan of Joni Mitchell as we are here at The Second Disc, you probably did a double-take at that headline. And with good reason. Joni Mitchell - the artist, songwriter, and singer who has created some of the most influential music of all time - has a reputation for not looking back. Despite her considerable legacy and personal archive full of treasures, it wasn't until recently that she began began really celebrating her past. Films, tribute concerts, and a recent book of art and lyrics have done their part to reaffirm her influence and artistry in the public consciousness, but now Joni Mitchell has approved something long thought unthinkable; something that will surely leave diehard fans' jaws on the floor: a series of box sets and archival albums that shows the arc of her artistry, to be released over the next several years. Rhino promises that Joni "has been intimately involved in producing the archive series, lending her vision and personal touch to every element of the project."

The first set in the series - appropriately titled Joni Mitchell Archives - Volume 1: The Early Years (1963-1967) arrives on October 30. As you can probably guess, it focuses on the period prior to the release of her 1968 debut album, Song To a Seagull. The staggering 119-track, 5CD box set is a treasure trove of unreleased rarities from her archive, including significant upgrades to certain dubiously sourced radio material - all finally made canon some 50 years on. You'll hear her perform Child ballads and Guthrie covers in the folk club setting, work out early versions of classics like "Both Sides Now," "Chelsea Morning," and "He Comes For Conversation" - the latter with interesting lyric variants - years before their official versions. And you'll hear 29 previously unheard songs, among them "Jeremy," "Free Darling," and "Gemini Twin," which had been slated for Seagull, plus other early favorites like "Urge For Going," and "Eastern Rain." And for the guitarists and banter-lovers, you'll hear her tune up to those mystifying alternate tunings and tell stories about her songs as she puts them to tape. It totals nearly 6 hours of incredible material, an in-depth testament to the undeniable talent of an artist finding her way, building an impressive oeuvre of original material, and wooing crowds with her stunning music and lyrics.

The set starts in 1963. Though only five years before her debut, Joni's a world away from her alternate-tuned guitar work and intimate character studies. Here, the 19-year-old Mitchell performs at CFQC-AM in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, her hometown. The next year, she's working through two sets of folk music in a Yorkville, Toronto folk club and preserving a clutch of favorites on tape at her parents' house.

Just months later, Joni begins writing her own original material, and lays down some early compositions from her apartment in Detroit for her mother Myrtle's birthday - "Urge For Going," "Born To Take The Highway," and "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow." By August 1965, she's preparing a demo tape for Jac Holzman of Elektra Records with "Day After Day" - considered her first composition - plus the unheard original compositions "Student Song," "What Will You Give Me," and "Let It Be Me"! That's before we get to the wealth of CBC TV recordings, radio sessions from Philadelphia, intimate home tapes of some of her best early work, and recently unearthed tapes from three sets at Canterbury House, Ann Arbor, in October 1967.

Each disc of Joni Mitchell Archives - Volume 1 comes housed in its own printed wallet sleeve. The enclosed 40-page booklet features unseen photographs from Mitchell's personal archives and new liner notes by Cameron Crowe, who will pen the notes for future volumes. The liner notes are drawn from new conversations with Joni Mitchell where she discusses her beginnings as a folk singer, her transition into songwriting, and her ascent as an artist. It's all packaged in a slipcase that Joni helped design.

Two vinyl collections will be released on the same day. Early Joni - 1963 features the 1963 radio session for CFQC-AM, Saskatoon. It will be pressed on a single 180-gram LP and features a new portrait by Joni Mitchell based on a photograph from the period. CFQC DJ Barry Bowman was working at the station at the time and provides liner notes. As a teaser for the campaign, Joni's performance of "House of the Rising Sun" will be released as the first digital single, with more to follow in the coming weeks.

The Canterbury House concerts will be available as a standalone 3-LP set. Live At Canterbury House - 1967 includes all three of Joni's sets on 180-gram vinyl - one disc per show - packaged in a triple gatefold sleeve. The cover features a photo taken at the show by Al Blixt. Bob Franke, who was assigned to review the show for The Michigan Daily, provides new liner notes alongside his original review.

As an added bonus for collectors, the new Official Joni Mitchell Online Store will offer two additional vinyl variants: a clear vinyl edition of Early Joni - 1963 and a white vinyl configuration of Live At Canterbury House - 1967. Each exclusive color vinyl configuration will be limited to 1,500 units. No matter your choice of format, if you order from the official store you'll also get an exclusive 7"x7" lithograph featuring two images of Joni Mitchell.

Whether you choose to enjoy the 5-CD set or the standalone LPs, listeners will be in for a treat as they explore this "audio portrait" of Joni Mitchell's mind-boggling growth as an artist and performer who would quickly go on to touch the hearts and minds of listeners for decades to come.

As for Joni? Well, these early recordings have taken on new meaning, revealing their beauty to their creator: "The early stuff, I shouldn't be such a snob against it," Joni says in conversation with Crowe. "A lot of these songs, I just lost them. They fell away. They only exist in these recordings. For so long I rebelled against the term, [saying] 'I was never a folk-singer.' I would get pissed off if they put that label on me. I didn't think it was a good description of what I was. And then I listened and...it was beautiful. It made me forgive my beginnings. And I had this realization... I was a folk singer!"

So if you're a Joni Mitchell fan, get ready for an exciting few years ahead, as Joni Mitchell finally lifts the lock off the vault. It all begins October 30, as Joni Mitchell Archives - Volume 1: The Early Years (1963-1967), Early Joni - 1963, and Live At Canterbury House - 1967 arrive in stores. You can pre-order your copy with the links below, peruse the impressive track listing, and preview "House of the Rising Sun," recorded live in 1963! We'll update this post with any further previews to come.

 

Joni Mitchell, Joni Mitchell Archives - Volume 1: The Early Years (1963-1967) (Rhino, 2020)

5-CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop
5-CD + Lithograph bundle: Joni Mitchell Online Store

all tracks previously unreleased officially

CD 1

Radio Station CFQC AM, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (ca. 1963)

1. House Of The Rising Sun
2. John Hardy
3. Dark As a Dungeon
4. Tell Old Bill
5. Nancy Whiskey
6. Anathea
7. Copper Kettle
8. Fare Thee Well (Dink's Song)
9. Molly Malone

Live at the Half Beat: Yorkville, Toronto, Canada (October 21, 1964) - First Set

10. Introduction
11. Nancy Whiskey
12. Intro to The Crow On The Cradle
13. The Crow On The Cradle
14. Pastures Of Plenty
15. Every Night When The Sun Goes In
16. Intro to Sail Away
17. Sail Away

Second Set

18. John Hardy
19. Dark As a Dungeon
20. Intro to Maids When You're Young Never Wed An Old Man
21. Maids When You're Young Never Wed An Old Man
22. The Dowie Dens Of Yarrow
23. Deportee (Plane Crash At Los Gatos)

Joni's Parents' House: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (February 1965)

24. The Long Black Rifle
25. Ten Thousand Miles
26. Seven Daffodils

CD 2

Myrtle Anderson Birthday Tape: Detroit, MI (1965)

1. Urge For Going
2. Born To Take The Highway
3. Here Today and Gone Tomorrow

Jac Holzman Demo: Detroit, MI (August 24, 1965)

4. What Will You Give Me
5. Let It Be Me
6. The Student Song
7. Day After Day
8. Unknown Title

Let's Sing Out, CBC TV: University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada (October 4, 1965)

9. Favourite Colour
10. Me and My Uncle

Home Demo: Detroit, MI (ca. 1966)

11. Sad Winds Blowin'

Let's Sing Out, CBC TV: Laurentian University, London, ON, Canada (October 24, 1966)

12. Just Like Me
13. Night In The City

Live at the 2nd Fret: Philadelphia, PA (November 1966)

14. Brandy Eyes
15. Intro to Urge For Going
16. Urge For Going
17. Intro to What's The Story Mr. Blue
18. What's The Story Mr. Blue
19. Eastern Rain
20. Intro to The Circle Game
21. The Circle Game
22. Intro to Night In The City
23. Night In The City

CD 3

Folklore, WHAT FM: Philadelphia, PA, (March 12, 1967)

1. Intro to Both Sides Now
2. Both Sides Now
3. Intro to The Circle Game
4. The Circle Game

Live at the 2nd Fret: Philadelphia, PA (March 17, 1967) - Second Set

5. Morning Morgantown
6. Born To Take The Highway
7. Intro to Song To a Seagull
8. Song To a Seagull

Third Set

9. Winter Lady
10. Intro to Both Sides Now
11. Both Sides Now

Folklore, WHAT FM: Philadelphia, PA (March 19, 1967)

12. Intro to Eastern Rain
13. Eastern Rain
14. Intro to Blue On Blue
15. Blue On Blue

"A Record Of My Changes" - Michael's Birthday Tape: North Carolina (May 1967)

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

Folklore, WHAT FM: Philadelphia, PA (May 28, 1967)

22. Intro to Sugar Mountain
23. Sugar Mountain

CD 4:

Home Demo: New York City, NY (ca. June 1967)

1. I Had a King
2. Free Darling
3. Conversation
4. Morning Morgantown
5. Dr. Junk
6. Gift Of The Magi
7. Chelsea Morning
8. Michael From Mountains
9. Cara's Castle
10. Jeremy (Incomplete)

Live at Canterbury House: Ann Arbor, MI (October 27, 1967) - First Set

11. Conversation
12. Intro to Come To The Sunshine
13. Come To The Sunshine
14. Intro to Chelsea Morning
15. Chelsea Morning
16. Intro to Gift Of The Magi
17. Gift Of The Magi
18. Play Little David
19. Intro to The Dowy Dens Of Yarrow
20. The Dowy Dens Of Yarrow
21. I Had a King
22. Intro to Free Darling
23. Free Darling
24. Intro to Cactus Tree
25. Cactus Tree

CD 5:

Live at Canterbury House: Ann Arbor, MI (October 27, 1967) - Second Set

1. Little Green
2. Intro to Marcie
3. Marcie
4. Intro to Ballerina Valerie
5. Ballerina Valerie
6. The Circle Game
7. Intro to Michael From Mountains
8. Michael From Mountains
9. Go Tell The Drummer Man
10. Intro to I Don't Know Where I Stand
11. I Don't Know Where I Stand

Third Set

12. A Melody In Your Name
13. Intro to Carnival In Kenora
14. Carnival In Kenora
15. Songs To Aging Children Come
16. Intro to Dr. Junk
17. Dr. Junk
18. Morning Morgantown
19. Intro to Night In The City
20. Night In The City
21. Both Sides Now
22. Urge For Going

Joni Mitchell, Early Joni - 1963 (Rhino, 2020)

LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop
Clear vinyl LP + Lithograph bundle: Joni Mitchell Online Store

Side 1:

1. House Of The Rising Sun
2. John Hardy
3. Dark As a Dungeon
4. Tell Old Bill
5. Nancy Whiskey

Side 2:

1. Anathea
2. Copper Kettle
3. Fare Thee Well (Dink's Song)
4. Molly Malone

Joni Mitchell, Live At Canterbury House - 1967 (Rhino, 2020)

3-LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop
White Vinyl 3-LP + Lithograph bundle: Joni Mitchell Online Store

LP 1: First Set

1. Conversation
2. Intro to Come To The Sunshine
3. Come To The Sunshine
4. Intro to Chelsea Morning
5. Chelsea Morning
6. Intro to Gift Of The Magi
7. Gift Of The Magi
8. Play Little David
9. Intro to The Dowy Dens Of Yarrow
10. The Dowy Dens Of Yarrow
11. I Had A King
12. Intro to Free Darling
13. Free Darling
14. Intro to Cactus Tree
15. Cactus Tree

LP 2: Second Set

1. Little Green
2. Intro to Marcie
3. Marcie
4. Intro to Ballerina Valerie
5. Ballerina Valerie
6. The Circle Game
7. Intro to Michael From Mountains
8. Michael From Mountains
9. Go Tell The Drummer Man
10. Intro to I Don't Know Where I Stand
11. I Don't Know Where I Stand

LP 3: Third Set

1. A Melody In Your Name
2. Intro to Carnival In Kenora
3. Carnival In Kenora
4. Songs To Aging Children Come
5. Intro to Dr. Junk
6. Dr. Junk
7. Morning Morgantown
8. Intro to Night In The City
9. Night In The City
10. Both Sides Now
11. Urge For Going