Court and Spark

[RoboSlater]

Joni Mitchell once played Dylan a just finished tape of "Court and Spark" and he fell asleep. She thought he was being cute. Anyway, Joni was frustrated rock musicians couldn't grasp the subtlety and jazz in her songs so Russ Kunkel suggested she find a jazz drummer. She went to The Baked Potato, met Tom Scott.  C&S contains mostly songs written in Canada. The song “Court and Spark” itself was written there. "It's a story based on Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast", she said in an interview.

[RoboSlater]

Did anyone see the Alberta Ballet perform Joni Mitchell's "Ethiopia" for the ballet "The Fiddle and the Drum" within the last couple of years?

[doughtymqan]

SUBLIME

[flowers321]

Gold!!:D

[Jmi3579]

Joni soothes me..........



[taffywindsor1]

Love this song forever; hits me in the soul, nicely.

[TheGoddessDJ]

saved me in 95 and 99

[mtaulbee89]

Dylan > Mitchell.......ALWAYS

[mygirlruth]

@mtaulbee89

Dylan <....MEGA < Mitchell .....INFINITY. 

[mlc2005]

I agree. Joni eclipses Dylan by a mile, in my book, and should be considered the greatest song writer ever! It is very clear that she is a genius.

[misschrismiss]

boy you bet!! I sure can identify with her. I fell into this albume and blue during the years I moved to Oregon of course with the wrong guy.....I dont even believe my sister know her....amasing songwritter and singer!!

[TheLedward]

if there is one word to describe jonis songs i think it would be, evocative

[bitddon]

Jewel who.??

[HeidiSaid]

she stops me still, every time~

[NoICantstopthemusic]

Best songwriter ever, male or female ♥.

[CroxleyEducator]

'Court And Spark' is a stunning collection of songs about the overwhelming nature of Love, how it can enthrall, confuse, deceive and disappoint, leaving us in shreds and washed up, "breaking like the waves at Malibu". In terms of Emo, the most powerful and stunning album in my collection - and I don't say that lightly.

[takeastresspilldave]

If women have a language Joni speaks it...

[TSuzukiCompany]

神曲！

[BEACHGUY10]

It all brings goose bumps and tears of all the many fine years ago listening to genius artists like Joni

[bonnieblu313]

i have always loved this song,,i don't know why tho'..maybe the lyrics eh?...what happened to men who court and spark?..

[youknowwhotube]

@bonnieblu313 We got married?

[jeffsdolphin]

i love you joni mitchell...!!!!

[Huija]

she's the absolute best at expressing feelings in the most beautiful songs

[estyle40]

I dare to meet the unholy amoeba who dared to dislike this. You gotta be subhuman!! LOL

[DawsonPaynter662639]

You can rip the audio-mp3 of this tune at fromvideotomp3 doht cohm.

[ryoushii]

I think this is actually my favorite song on this album - and I originally got it for Free Man in Paris. I like the tune and the lyrics - dreamy and subtle in mood and construction.

[buschnic61]

perfection



[reggieut]

One of my favorites of her's ..... up there w/For Free (Ladies of the Canyon).

Her chord progression is more difficult than most.........

Always wanted to see her, James Taylor,and Neil Young harmonizing on stage together !

Lovin it in Texas !!

[missytootsweet]

I find her music mesmerizing. The range in her vocals is incredible. I love how she drops down at the end singing "city of the fallen angels". Grabs me every time.

[crushedz]

Intelligence!-I'm drunk

[PinkPrism008]

Most people like this song of Joni's more than the others. I love them all.

[sng4lrd]

I know your music so well..

[geekflab]

awesome !

[cliftongal51]

How wonderful to hear Joni's songs on You Tube. I was one of those 60s & 70s people who loved her music. My best friend Jack was the one who really turned me on to this song. RIP Jack and long live Joni Mitchell.

[dgtgmom]

If you grew up when I did, you would have experienced the best music ever. The 60's were the best, except for the Viet Nam war.

[buchananstreet]

not that being POOR necessarily makes you a fucking genius either, hahaha! but in your case you are right : everywhere I go, people talk empty, brainwashed crap and I feel like an ALIEN in the society. theres a youtube vi of charles bukowski saying precisely that ( "bukowski on people" ) watch it ! its important. the idiocy has so much expanded that as a man you cant even live with women anymore as they only are repeating whats been told to them.we miss JOHN MACK

[steelyman08]

@buchananstreet

We're so boring!!! Lol. He's on a roll in that interview. . . and most of us are truly incredibly BORING!

[buchananstreet]

this sounds so self indulgent an boringly talkative nowadays ....god, this woman talks so much without having anything really to say ...poor rich girl !!

[MKUltra3]

@buchananstreet - not it's self- aware, I think, and the problem now is today people have nothing to say in music or anywhere else - she was poor once, insightful eternally

[skiley68]

the only bad thing about this song is that it is so short...like an incredible novel that you don't want to end. this has been my fav since college & I attribute it to the love of my life. It tells our story...ok TMI.

[skiley68]

seemed like he read my mind.... I replay that part over & over on my iPod....it is so mesmerizing...

[bebenic]

every song from this album tells a long story. joni is a true poet.

[TheNigelr]

Truly gorgeous, thank you!

[daylightghost2009]

Herbie Hancock's album about Joni's songs has some great tunes, he covered this one and it's astonishingly good.

[carrietide]

Joni is simply BRILLIANT

[gfuge1]

great artists were fans of her talent .....me too!

[sookiestackhouse2u]

"his eyes were the color of the sand and the sea and the more he talked to me, you know, the more he reached me but i couldn't let go of LA ... city of the fallen angels ..."

love you, joni!!! thanks for posting, fletch.

[jacopman]

@sookiestackhouse2u Those wonderful lyrics I believe are about Steven Stills.....of then Crosby, Stills and Nash..........I understand at different times she has some emotional relationships within that band.....................what man wouldn't in those day with a woman of that depth??

[sheffnyrofan]

top tune from my fav artist other than nyro!!! thanks

[5vong53]

You have great fundamental taste

[carlfinkle]

Thanks for posting I have been looking for this for ages

[mlesln]

Thank you thank you thank you! I LOVE this song!

[vaughnsalem]

so many have tried ,but they cant get close to Joni

[jaybirdzz]

John Mellancamp summed it up best. There are many great female vocalists, but only one true artist-JM.

[unabuenabocha]

" my favourite song "

( jimi page)

[videostrategies]

Breathtaking . . .

[trellzaboppin]

Thank you for the post.Oh! How can an old, cherished, yet, half-forgotten memory be brought back vividly! ..... How i wished I'd kept my vinyl!

[SannaMaria1]

This is my favorite of all Jonis songs. 5 stars!

[tunyfish]

I was 20 when this album came out in' 74, it is still my favorite album.

[smock66]

One of the best songwriters and poets of all time. Her style of guitar playing is unique and interesting. Also one of the sexiest broads ever!

[michaelp3138]

best storyteller ever - the lyrics of this album read like a novel

[videostrategies]

A sub-3-minute masterpiece. I believe this song will always sound fresh and contemporary, never dated, just because of the songwriting and the stripped-down arrangement.

[npferretti]

Best female songwriter ever?

[sterlingsir]

Absolutely

[txeire]

Umm..one of the best for sure.

[salmandolly]

With the greatest respect to all the fantastic female singer/composers out there, I honestly struggle to think of anyone who comes close to Joni.

[Rennpanzer]

Judy Collins wasn't too shabby. But I agree, no one, that I can think of even comes close, these days.

[mobyboy]

yup !

[jacopman]

@npferretti You will get no agruement from me on that observation.........

[richmarkham1]

@npferretti I agree.



[puffykhan]

@npferretti ... YESSSSSSSSSS !!!

[Khultan]

@npferretti Naive.

[thisisradioclash311]

@npferretti Damn skippy.

[jbikemoore]

@npferretti

No doubt about that.

[moonspot318]

@npferretti

Best songwriter ever?

[serpentsally]

Reminds me of someone.

[Florrid]

I've loved Joni forever, and so do my kids...

Joni will flow through the veins of many, many more to come.

[videostrategies]

Why are the simplest lyrics always the most powerful (to me, anyway): "And you could complete me . . . I'd complete you." Well, in this case it HAS to be the way they are delivered. Don't know what inspired her to write and sing this song this way, but it is truly inspired.

[aardvark51]

I was 17 when I was given this album,going on 57 this year. I can't think of a better album that is so evocative of who I was and how I felt then. Still fills me with such emotions. She is a poet and a singer/musician. Powerful memories and continued pleasure. Always thought of her as an intellectual's singer, but she is much more than that. Thanks Joni.

[agnesmoorhead]

Pure exquisite genius.

[videostrategies]

Thanks, Endora!

[LoveJoyHouse]

i love you joni!

this song is soooo beautiful.

maybe thats where that came from ..

"you could complete me, id complete you" :)

[btravlnsoon]

I think I was 17 when I bought this album, it was and is so beautiful, I'm 52 now

[videostrategies]

Brilliant piece of songwriting, and I think this performance of it will never be topped. That stair-step rhythm of the piano is something I haven't heard in anywhere else. There's a powerful feeling of anticipation in the "empty" parts of the song (no singing and little or no instruments), especially between verses.

[MartinGuitarLover1]

One of the best albums ever made!!!!

[Chanel227]

Seven years ago I was in this same position and these lyrics really touched me. I've always been a Joni fan. It amazes me how many people don't even know who she is. Their loss!

[rosieprospects]

@Chanel227 I saw her the year this came out ~ wow ~ fab ~ still is a poet and painter ~ spread the word how great Joni Is!!

[chicoggyfx]

This song is a treasure I want to keep forever.

[petuniadoink]

thanks for posting :)

[goddessluna93]

this is the most beautiful song ever!

my favorite part is:

"his eyes were the color of the sand and the see / and the more he talked to me, the more he reached me / but i couldn't let go of LA, city of fallen angels"

isn't that so beautiful?

[powergirl901]

This music reminds me so much of all the nooks and crannies of California, especially around UCLA. Schools always fill me with hope and are the basis for all good times.

[btravlnsoon]

it was in my collection the month of release, 9th grade maybe, very powerful live show, after a few songs it was just Ms Mitchell with the acoustic and the grand, very very nice, angelic....

[OFrPDaddy]

c tro de la boter. Mélanie Je T'aime.

[giles422]

tremendous

[crushedz]

a song of ecstasy

[godgivemewings]

her voice sends shivers down my spine...in a good way!amazing!

[tatelabianca]

musical perfection. this song melts me

[ambervisions]

I agree.....and me too!

[pennyfritz]

Herbie and Norah's rendition is beautiful as well...

[JoaniePallatto]

Joni's song haunts me- the ultimate original version of Court and Spark- looked for it on youtube- thank you for posting- audio sounds good, too!

[gunneralquist]

Joni Mitchell writes poetic, musical materpieces