The first musician that influenced Joni Mitchell
Before Joni Mitchell moved to the United States in 1965, she’d never attempted to write her own compositions. Despite being the archetypal singer-songwriter, Mitchell was relatively new to the craft when she began blending poetry with music on her debut album, Song to a Seagull, in 1968.
Mitchell may have never tapped into her unique gift without her brave decision to change her surroundings and leave her life in Canada behind. Before embarking upon her writing career, Joni had already graced the stage many times and had been regularly earning an income from this avenue since her days in college.
From early on in life, Mitchell knew her destiny lay in the music industry, but it never occurred to her that she could sing original songs until later. Once she had this epiphany, nothing could stop Mitchell from laying an indelible mark on the folk scene and rising to the top.
In 1989, Mitchell spoke to David Hoffman and reflected on her earliest influences. Firstly, the singer-songwriter touched upon the music which illuminated her childhood, stating: “I was influenced by the Maguire Sisters, from the generation before really. I was influenced by (Sergei) Rachmaninoff, I was influenced by Edith Piaf, by Billie Holiday, by Miles Davis, but that didn’t come out in my music initially.”
Although she loved those artists mentioned above, the influence took a long time to simmer before eventually surfacing within her artistry. Mitchell explained: “Initially, I learned the songs of Judy Collins to make $15 extra a weekend while in art college.”
While Collins and Mitchell now have a frosty relationship, the duo share a significant portion of artistry. For a start, if it weren’t for Collins, perhaps Mitchell would never have taken that first plunge into performing in front of the general public. However, the favour was later re-paid when Collins covered ‘Both Sides Now’, turning it into a huge hit and bringing mainstream attention to Mitchell.
Rather than being gracious to Collins for enhancing her name, the success of her ‘Both Sides Now’ cover created a rift between the two singer-songwriters. Collins once told Vulture: “I think she’s a little jealous, but with her history of being this brilliant songwriter, she has no right to actually feel that way.”
The musician continued: “She should just be saying, ‘Thank you, thank you, God. Thank you for my talent for writing all these other songs. I so appreciate everybody who records my songs because look how rich they’ve made me! And actually, Judy didn’t make a cent off this song,’ which is true.”
‘Both Sides Now’ proved to be Collins’ biggest hit in the United States and helped both artists immeasurably. Considering she was a vital part of Mitchell’s anthology story to superstardom, this recording should represent a wholesome full-circle moment stressing when the student became the teacher. However, their problems prevented this outcome.
