"The sound of this thing was like, 'We're breaking some new ground here.'" Earlier this year, musician-arranger-bandleader Tom Scott of the L.A. Express reminisced to the U.K.'s MOJO magazine about working with Joni Mitchell on her 1972 album For the Roses. Indeed, Scott realized early on that the merging of folk and jazz sensibilities was about to take the singer-songwriter's music to the next level. Mitchell's creatively groundbreaking 1972-1975 albums - For the Roses, Court and Spark (1974), the live Miles of Aisles (1974), and The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975) - were remastered late last year on The Asylum Albums (1972-1975). Now, the long-awaited third volume of Joni Mitchell's Archives is set to arrive on October 6 in 5CD, digital, and 4LP formats. With 96 tracks on CD and digitally and 40 on vinyl, Archives Vol. 3 explores this rich era through previously unreleased demos, jams, outtakes, and live performances including two full concerts.

Co-produced by the Grammy Award-winning team of Joni Mitchell (who recently enjoyed a triumphant return to the stage in June at Washington's Gorge Amphitheatre) and Patrick Milligan, Archives Vol. 3 chronicles Mitchell as an artist both working within a famous "scene" - there are appearances from Graham Nash, David Crosby, Neil Young, and James Taylor on this collection - and outside of it, as she steadfastly created a sound and style all her own. Particularly on Court and Spark, Mitchell merged her trademark lyrical complexity with a rhythmic, jazz-rock sound that was vibrantly accessible as well as sophisticated and uncompromising.

The 5CD box kicks off with two early recordings ("For the Roses" and "Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire") recorded during a Crosby-Nash session at Wally Heider's in Hollywood. It continues to showcase how Mitchell shaped For the Roses via a quartet of demos recorded at A&M; a live Carnegie Hall show from February 1972, months before Roses' November LP release; one tune from a May show in London; and almost a dozen studio outtakes including an oldies medley and a performance of "Electricity," both with James Taylor, and "You Turn Me On I'm a Radio" with Neil Young and the Stray Gators. The Carnegie Hall show has circulated before on public domain releases and bootlegs, but one can reasonably expect a sonic upgrade here.

The road to the artistic and commercial triumph Court and Spark is illustrated with half a dozen demos (including an embryonic "Help Me," now streaming) and half a dozen outtakes including alternate takes and the unreleased song "Bonderia." Two versions of "Raised on Robbery" were recorded at a Graham Nash session for his Wild Tales LP; one of these, with Neil Young and The Santa Monica Flyers, was issued on Young's second Archives volume in 2020 and is the only previously released track here.

The November 1974 double live album Miles of Aisles - Mitchell's first concert LP and a Gold-certified No. 2 album in its own right - featured tracks from Joni and the L.A. Express' March 2 and 4 performances in Los Angeles. Now, her whole concert of March 3 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is being released here, including live takes of the two big hits off Court and Spark which weren't featured on Miles of Aisles, "Help Me" and "Free Man in Paris." A couple of 1974 U.K. tour performances ("Jericho" and "A Woman of Heart and Mind") are also included. The set concludes with a generous selection of both demos and studio outtakes for Court and Spark's more challenging (but no less rewarding) follow-up The Hissing of Summer Lawns, all of which were recorded at A&M Studios in 1975.

The CD box set Includes a 40-page booklet with an interview between Cameron Crowe and Joni, plus a number of rare photos. This staggering collection from this prolific period in the remarkable career of Joni Mitchell arrives from Rhino on October 6. You'll find the track listing and pre-order links for both CD and LP formats below.

Joni Mitchell, Joni Mitchell Archives - Volume 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) (Rhino, 2023)

5 CD (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1

Graham Nash David Crosby Session - Wally Heider Studios, Hollywood, CA, Dec. 13, 1971

1. Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire
2. For the Roses

For The Roses Demos - A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, late 1971 / early 1972

3. Banquet
4. Lesson in Survival
5. Like Veils Said Lorraine
6. See You Sometime

Live at Carnegie Hall, New York City, NY - Feb. 23, 1972

7. This Flight Tonight
8. Electricity
9. Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire
10. Big Yellow Taxi
11. Blue
12. For Free
13. Banquet
14. All I Want
15. Intro to A Case of You
16. A Case of You
17. Intro to Carey
18. Carey
19. Lesson in Survival
20. Woodstock
21. Intro to You Turn Me On I'm a Radio
22. You Turn Me On I'm a Radio
23. Intro to For the Roses
24. For the Roses

CD 2

Live at Carnegie Hall, New York City, NY, Feb. 23, 1972 (cont'd.)

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

For The Roses Early Sessions - Wally Heider Studios, Hollywood, CA, Apr. 16-21, 1972

5. Medley: Bony Moronie/Summertime Blues/You Never Can Tell - with James Taylor
6. Electricity - with James Taylor
7. You Turn Me On I'm a Radio - with Neil Young & The Stray Gators
8. See You Sometime (early version with bass & drums)
9. You Turn Me On I'm a Radio (early version with bass & drums)

Live at Royal Festival Hall, London, England, May 5, 1972

10. Intro to Judgement of the Moon and Stars (Ludwig's Tune)
11. Judgement of the Moon and Stars (Ludwig's Tune)

For The Roses Sessions - A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, Jul-Aug, 1972

12. Blonde in the Bleachers (alternate guitar mix)
13. Let the Wind Carry Me (piano/vocal mix)
14. Barangrill (guitar/vocal mix)
15. Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire (sax guide vocal)
16. Sunrise Raga
17. Twisted (early alternate version)

James Bay Benefit Concert, Paul Sauvé Arena, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Apr. 15, 1973

18. Intro to Big Yellow Taxi
19. Big Yellow Taxi

CD 3

Court and Spark Demos - A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, Summer 1973

1. Piano Suite: Down to You/Court and Spark/Car on a Hill/Down to You
2. People's Parties
3. Help Me
4. Just LIke This Train
5. Raised on Robbery
6. Trouble Child

Wild Tales [Graham Nash] Session - Rudy Records Studios, San Francisco, CA, Aug. 25, 1973

7. Raised on Robbery (early working version)
8. Raised on Robbery - with Neil Young & The Santa Monica Flyers

Court and Spark Sessions - A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, Sep.-Oct., 1973

9. People's Parties (early alternate take)
10. Trouble Child (early alternate take)
11. Car on a Hill (early alternate take)
12. Down to You (alternate version)
13. The Same Situation (alt vocal/piano mix)
14. Bonderia

Live at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA, Mar. 3, 1974

15. Introduction
16. This Flight Tonight - with Tom Scott & The L.A. Express
17. You Turn Me On I'm a Radio - with Tom Scott & The L.A. Express
18. Free Man in Paris - with Tom Scott & The L.A. Express
19. The Same Situation - with Tom Scott & The L.A. Express
20. Just Like This Train - with Tom Scott & The L.A. Express

CD 4

Live at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA, Mar. 3, 1974 (cont'd.)

1. Rainy Night House - with Tom Scott & The L.A. Express
2. Woodstock - with Tom Scott & The L.A. Express
3. Cactus Tree
4. Big Yellow Taxi
5. Intro to People's Parties
6. People's Parties
7.  All I Want
8. A Case of You
9. Intro to For the Roses
10. For the Roses
11. Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire - with Tom Scott
12. Blue
13. For Free - with Tom Scott
14. Trouble Child - with Tom Scott & The L.A. Express
15. Help Me - with Tom Scott & The L.A. Express
16. Car on a Hill - with Tom Scott & The L.A. Express

CD 5

Live at New Victoria Theatre, London, England, Apr. 22, 1974

1. Intro to Jericho
2. Jericho

Live at Wembley Stadium, London, England, Sep. 14, 1974

3. Woman of Heart and Mind

The Hissing of Summer Lawns Demos - A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, 1975

4. In France They Kiss on Main Street
5. Edith and the Kingpin
6. Don't Interrupt the Sorrow
7. Shades of Scarlet Conquering
8. The Boho Dance
9. Harry's House
10. Dreamland

The Hissing of Summer Lawns Sessions - A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, 1975

11. In France They Kiss on Main Street (alternate version)
12. The Jungle Line (guitar/alternate vocal)
13. Edith and the Kingpin (alternate version)
14. Don't Interrupt the Sorrow (alternate version)
15. Shades of Scarlet Conquering (alternate version)
16. The Boho Dance (alternate version)
17. Dreamland (early alternate band version)

All tracks previously unreleased except CD 3, Track 8, originally released on Neil Young Archives Volume II: 1972-1976, Reprise CD 093624899051, 2020

Joni Mitchell, Joni Mitchell Archives - Volume 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) (Rhino, 2023)

4 LP (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

LP 1

Side 1

Graham Nash David Crosby Session - Wally Heider Studios, Hollywood, CA, Dec. 13, 1971

1. Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire

For the Roses Demos - A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, late 1971/early 1972

2. Like Veils Said Lorraine

For the Roses Early Sessions - Wally Heider Studios, Hollywood, CA, Apr. 16-21, 1972

3. Medley: Bony Moronie/Summertime Blues/You Never Can Tell - with James Taylor
4. You Turn Me On I'm a Radio - with Neil Young & The Stray Gators
5. See You Sometime (early version with bass & drums)

Side 2

Live at Carnegie Hall, New York City, NY, Feb. 23, 1972

1. This Flight Tonight
2. Electricity
3. Lesson in Survival
4. Blue
5. Banquet
6. Intro to For the Roses
7. For the Roses

LP 2

Side 1

Live at Royal Festival Hall, London, England, May 5, 1972

1. Intro to Judgement of the Moon and Stars (Ludwig's Tune)
2. Judgement of the Moon and Stars (Ludwig's Tune)

For the Roses Sessions, A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, Jul-Aug, 1972

3. Blonde in the Bleachers (alternate guitar mix)
4. Barangrill (guitar/vocal mix)
5. Sunrise Raga
6. Twisted (early alternate version)

Side 2

Court and Spark Demos - A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, Summer 1973

1. Piano Suite: Down to You/Court and Spark/Car on a Hill/Down to You
2. Help Me

 LP 3

 Side 1

Tonight's the Night [Neil Young] Session, S.I.R., Hollywood, CA, Aug. 26, 1973

1.     Raised on Robbery - with Neil Young & The Santa Monica Flyers

 Court and Spark Sessions - A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, Sep.-Oct., 1973

2. People's Parties (early alternate take)
3. Trouble child (early alternate take)
4. Car on a Hill (early alternate take)
5. Bonderia

Side 2:

Live at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA, Mar. 3, 1974

1. Introduction
2. Free Man in Paris - with Tom Scott & The L.A. Express
3. The Same Situation - with Tom Scott & The L.A. Express
4. Just Like This Train - with Tom Scott & The L.A. Express

Live at New Victoria Theatre, London, England, Apr. 22, 1974

5. Intro to Jericho
6. Jericho

Live at Wembley Stadium, London, England, Sep. 14, 1974

7. Woman of Heart and Mind

LP 4

Side 1

The Hissing of Summer Lawns Demos - A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, 1975

1. In France They Kiss on Main Street
2. Edith and the Kingpin
3. Don't Interrupt the Sorrow
4. Harry's House

Side 2

The Hissing of Summer Lawns Sessions - A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, 1975

1. The Jungle Line (guitar/alternate vocal)
2. Shades of Scarlet Conquering (alternate version)
3. The Boho Dance (alternate version)
4. Dreamland (early alternate band version)

All tracks previously unreleased except LP 3, Side 1, Track 1, originally released on Neil Young Archives Volume II: 1972-1976, Reprise CD 093624899051, 2020​