The two songs that Joni Mitchell “could not get enough of”
After spending decades dedicating her life to the music industry, Joni Mitchell‘s love for the business had eroded significantly towards the end of the 1990s. The feeling of disenfranchisement within her only enhanced as the years continued to roll on, and in 2002, she walked away with no intention of ever returning.
Mitchell’s retirement didn’t last forever, though. The singer-songwriter returned in 2007 with her studio album Shine, and she continued to perform until 2009, before she retired once more. After suffering a brain aneurysm six years later, it seemed Mitchell would never be able to play again, even if she wished, but somehow, she defied science to return to the stage at the Newport Folk Festival in 2022.
Her passion for music has again been reignited, and Mitchell’s whirlwind love affair with the art form is still ongoing. When she previously went through feelings of passiveness to songwriting, one unlikely album proved to show her the almighty power of music when she was running out of faith.
For further context on Mitchell’s mindset in the ’90s, she wrote in the liner notes for the 2005 compilation record Artist’s Choice, which was sold exclusively in branches of Starbucks: “By the end of the 20th century, it seemed to me that the muse had gone out of music and all that was left was the ‘ic’. Nothing sounded genuine or original. Truth and beauty were passé. Shock was the reigning value and schlock was rating raves in Rolling Stone.”
Mitchell added: “I heard one record (company) boss on the radio announcing matter-of-factly, ‘We are no longer looking for talent. We’re looking for a “look” and a willingness to cooperate!’ Another executive told me, as a prelude to rejecting my (then) last album, ‘We’re selling cars now. We’ve got fast cars and cute cars…’ I got the picture. I quit the business”.
On the same compilation, Mitchell expressed her admiration towards the French musical duo Deep Forest’s 1992 eponymous debut album. Despite their European heritage, the album is shaped by the sounds of the African landscape and was awarded ‘Best Global Album’ at the Grammys in 1994.
As the record had such a profound effect upon the iconic singer-songwriter, Mitchell unprecedently named both ‘Night Bird’ and ‘The First Twilight’ from Deep Forest on Artist’s Choice.
She remarked on the two songs: “A friend played me this album. I could not get enough of these two tracks – the sophistication of the setting and the genuineness of the Pygmy musicians – truth and beauty.”
While Mitchell’s music leanings typically lie elsewhere from an artistic perspective, the work of Deep Forest struck a chord with her and represents the eclectic nature of her tastes. Listening to folk records is the equivalent of a busman’s holiday for Mitchell, and she much prefers to get her kicks by exploring sonic territories further afield.
