Joni Mitchell - Interview - BBC2 'The Late Show', 1994

[thecottingleyfairy]

she looks alot like sissy spacek

[ALGERNONSENCE]

In response to the question at 5.24 -

'Is it a challenge that you feel excited by?'

Joni - 'No, I don't care'.

Fuck yes, artistic integrity through and through.

Far as I'm concerned she's never 'sold out'. She's always defined her art on her terms and steered her own ship, not allowing the crass marketplace to dictate to her.

Joni is a beacon, and when all the vain, egotistical noize has died away her artistry and integrity of purpose will long remain

[ALGERNONSENCE]

@artinmey and baward : ) thanks peeps.

[folkmusicgirl]

It's late and I am very tired. I meant to say, "Yes, Joni is very intelligent (not intelligence)l

[nosnayack]

if i were joni the last thing I would do is answer any fan letters. Joni like John lennon spoke for so many and too many crazys thinking she wrote this song for them. It is a different kind of celebrity who feels that kind of gratitude for their fans.

Joni is too real and never courted fandom. it just doesn't jibe with her need for privacy.but she tells the greatest stories!

[Krazede]

such a wonderfully brilliant woman.

[doceigen]

An authentic person Joni, ...without people like her I would have no faith at all.

[handyman1017]

There was a lot of meanness in the sixties, but angelinos were much better drivers, that's for sure. The level of driving has plummeted all across the country. Most people these days don't even know HOW to drive properly. Always like to see Joni, but all this slobbering all over her is sickening. She's pretty, talented, accomplished, and intelligent. She's not a goddess, however. And she basically ignores her fans. Try writing her a note and see if she responds.

[MrBartolozzi1]

What I would do for her intelligence. I can read as many books, read as much poetry, try and be as culturally nourished...but it doesn't happen.

[folkmusicgirl]

@MrBartolozzi1

Yes, Joni is very intelligence, a great musician, songwriter and speaker. But don't short change yourself or compare your self (your intelligence.) If you read books, poetry and are culturally nourished - you do have intelligence - perhaps in a different way. You have insight to many things by reading books, poetry, etc.

You are probably more intelligent then you think.

[1mo4dro]

JONI iz the most talented human ever!

save for CAPTIAN BEEFHART...

[rory8585]

Joni, I thought the woman with the gun was Blanche Dubois from Tennessee Williams' play Streetcar Named Desire....

[steelydrwu]

Thank You for posting. I love you Joni.

[cawiseguy]

Joni is even cooler than she usually is! Play On! Turbulent Indigo is a damn good album, and ranks with her best. Maybe better. I was amazed how accessible it was then and still is now. Which means the subjects she focuses on in the songs has not changed.

[GalaxyHorse]

The lady interviewing Joni seems to be rather wooden, following a scripted sequence of questions, no doubt posed to Ms Mitchell on many occasions,

and it serves mostly to demonstrate the patience and forbearance of Joni Mitchell

in dealing with the tedious vapid nature of the music press.

[Childofthemoon1969]

Thirty year career woman in the "pop" music industry a rarity ????

How about the blessed Kate Bush ??

[dreamzeppelinarcher]

Joni Mitchell is really down to earth.

And @grai;

If you don't like Joni's new stuff then don't comment about how "horrible" her new stuff is on this video.

Everyone has their own opinion: some like it, some don't. And about the records not selling well: It's because Joni was experimenting with jazz sounds, something she had wanted to do for a very long time and people were not receptive because it wasn't like the Joni they were used to.

[jonmarklong]

4.51 - worst disguised fake laugh in the history of interviews. Joni goes over the head of this women.

[halohelios]

Nice interview

[swooningtree]

she was looking rather well back in the 90s. did she paint herself older than she was on the covers of turbulent indigo and taming the tiger?

[ALGERNONSENCE]

Intelligence that cuts lke a razor, far reaching insight, emotional integrity, verbally and musically dexterous. Joni is a marvel, I adore the woman!

[baward]

@ALGERNONSENCE I'd agree with all that! :-)

[artinmey]

@ALGERNONSENCE

I was going to comment but you said it all

Oh, she also has the voice of an angel

[wendileona]

Amazing. I first heard Sex Kills about 3-4 years ago while driving IN LA and felt the song, without ever seeing this or any other interview describing it, was about Los Angeles. Its still relevant. Sex Kills should be Los Angeles' official city song.

Some may say, oh why are you complaining about traffic and drivers you liberal! Granted, its almost everywhere, but Los Angeles does have this annihilistic culture it produces that does spread out.

She does blame this, she's a poetic observer.

[guntardnet]

@grai You make a very good point. Clearly the fact that Joni Mitchell doesn't sell as many records as Lady Gaga indicates the true musical genius of the latter.

[SkeeterNYC]

Great interview. Thanks, man.

[grai]

Joni never dealt with the fact that her later stuff just WASN'T THAT GOOD  she always blamed the industry, men, L A , the fans, ageism, etc.

Justice......Just ICE ....oh please

[northernmuse9]

@grai You're entitled to your opinion, no matter how cliched and vacant. What do you mean by "wasn't that good"? That you couldn't hum along to it? That you no longer relate to the lyrics? Or do you think the music and musicianship is lacking in some way? Are you a musician/writer? Let's hear your stuff. Why can't you just say you don't like her later work as much and leave it at that? She's not blaming anything or anyone--just stating obvious facts.

[grai]

@northernmuse9 you obviously have the isight of a fence post - underneath her "statement of fact" is a huge irrational inability to face the REAL facts that she didnt sell records because the records weren't very good

do you really think that genius level music would not be bought or listened to because it came from a woman over 30?? Ridiculous

[poeticjournalism]

@grai so you base facts upon OPINION? jackass.

[grai]

@poeticjournalism is it a fact that after Don Juan's reckless Daughter she sold practically no records?

Yes it is!!!

why? because after that her music was lame even to avid fans like me

the statistics are facts

she got far too up herself and became inaccessible and totally self indulgent and STLL blames her lack of sales on the sexist record industry

[poeticjournalism]

@grai oh your opinion on her dip in musical quality is not what bothers me, I actually agree with you for the most part, but saying that it's a total fact and saying it with such bitterness and petulance as if artists were supposed to appeal to you forever and ever and didn't just do this music thing for themselves is what bothers me. I'm just saying.

[grai]

@poeticjournalism

considering my comments are meant with "bitterness and petulance" is your opinion too not fact - so youre guilty of what you are accusing me of!!

An opinion doesnt have to be a fact in order for someone to be entitled to express it - I may be uncomfortable that you think that but I can't accuse you of stating it as a fact

You are UNCOMFORTABLE with my opinion that Joni Mitchell needs to get over herself and that her work after 1979 has all been awful but thats different

[coolsweetgroovy]

Joni reminds me so much of the still fabulous Diane Rovell

[bweb6]

She's so right about the attitude to driving "Nobody is going to get ahead of me attitude"

[jellyjukebox]

Wonderful, thank you, I love Joni Mitchell, especially her music.

[chetumallil]

I am the old hippie here that is looking into my friends of the past

[dancewomyn1]

Oh this is wonderful, thank you for posting!

[bronsted123]

We love joni

[haney72003]

Does she have an accent? or not? I'm confused

[mprat001]

Technically, everyone has some kind of accent. I would imagine hers is probably typical of the prarie provinces of Canada, where she grew up (Alberta and Saskatchewan), although I'm certainly no expert and welcome confirmation (or refutation) from a real Canadian.

[pinkvela]

@mprat001 I am from Quebec, Canada, which is mostly French speaking, however I am Anglo. From my own observations and because of what I've read from her background; I would like to venture to say that there is a bit of a Native quality to her speech pattern. Natives tend to speak a bit like their back teeth are touching, and sometimes I see this when Joni speaks. Of course this is all my own speculation, but I'd be curious to hear what she would think about that.

[CDCANDIES]

@pinkvela yes, she has actually stated that she is of some Indian/Native American extraction-sorry don't have direct qoute/book/or article though......

[pinkvela]

@CDCANDIES interesting, because I thought that her background was simply Nordic. Her real name is Anderson (not sure on the spelling) and that is of Swedish/Danish/or Norwegian descent, just look at those cheekbones and the blond hair (when she was young). Although could be on her mother's side that there's some native somewhere. Would be cool if you could find the quote. I definitely know she identifies with Native because she grew up around those kids, and kids absorb everything.

[SapphireAdams1]

Thank you so much for these videos. Joni is so interesting and fascinating, her music is top notch as well. She's so intelligent.

[baward]

Again, you're welcome - for all the positive comments from others as well.

[JulesJive]

Joni makes me proud to be a woman! Thanks for sharing these videos!

[hejira7]

Thank you for posting! .. never saw this. Great to see, hear the wonderful talented Joni Mitchell!

[tombigbee29]

God bless u for posting this!!!

[baward]

You're welcome! :-)