Both Sides Now and The Circle Game -- Joni Mitchell

[grandpavanderhof]

I was a DJ in college, I've listened to and played thousands upon thousands of songs in my lifetime, but only The Circle Game brings a tear to my eyes each time I listen to it. Never has a songwriter ever captured the true essence of life in a song as Joni does on this.

[RockitRonn]

She was amazing, totally beautiful and an amazing writer/poet/musician... woman.

[MattHuntersMusic]

Although both are awesome vids, I wish the Circle Game one was its own... I sat here for about 20 mins trying to think of an appropriate comment for it, and this is the best I can come up with, along with the biggest sigh I've ever sighed. I just want to show it to everyone....

[darnrabbits1]

All I can say is awe...ooh...she was at her peak here and not even really well known yet. .her absolute real best

[Tphilpott1]

Almost every song she wrote and performed is an anthem to life in all of its complexities. From the simplicity of "Circle Game" to the elegant bitterness found in the "Court and Spark" album. And much, much more.

[OziandRingo]

This is beautiful! Thanks for posting!

[surfstrat59]

Happy Birthday, woman...........;-)

[MrRolliepolie]

beautifuul song<3

[eysofastrnjr]

We take thier spirits with us. OCCUPY!

[thecornogs]

Thanks for posting. I've periodically searched for this and been unsuccessful. Joni Mitchell is pure genius, soul and heart.......timeless song that brings tears to my eyes every time i hear it.

[TheMountainGirl22]

Wow she is a great songwriter! and singer.. oh man.. I am so glad I am finally diving into her music now.. loving plenty of her songs I'm hearing.

[dostfez]

What pipes in da day!

[ljmarAtHome]

This recording is so old. Is she like a cross between Sissy Spacek and Joni Mitchel or what?

[ilimaree]

The Circle Game... one of my favourites from Joni :-) thank you!

[rory8585]

The Circle Game - nice lyrics but the music: give it a miss.

[fgonzalez43]

As someone on the downslope of his life, I can say I enjoyed Joni, and Joan, and Judy, and Gordon, and P P & M and so many others. What passes now for music is so much merde.

[1forlooker]

Thank you Joni. I have always loved you and your music. A crazy American

[erredird]

F... the copyright. Songs like this must be protected by UNESCO !

[wmw2525]

Great pins !!! ... nice hair and face ... er, oh yeah, and not bad songs either !... Wayne

[UNEVERCANTELL]

To All Flower Child.

The 60's & 70's produced some of the best lyrics, songs & singers ever. Period.

Meaningful lyrics, simple & basic instruments and soulful voices.

We can never return to that time again but can only looked behind where we came. How Prophetic!

They have never been that simple after all.

[MrRonnieG]

Amazing to note that Joni Mithcell will turn 68 years of age in November of this year (2011). Where, or where, has time gone? I feel a victim of The Circle Game.

[ronrizzi]

Another Father's Day, and you only have one Father, as we get farther and farther away from each other. Happy Father's Day to all as we see Life From Both Sides Now and it is clear that it is a circle. My Dad called it a cycle; we are born, we live, we work, we love and we die. It is a circle and perhaps a game. Make today matter while you have the time. Father, Sons, Daughters, Husbands, Wives....

[piomir]

Thanks Joni for giving this to us simple people! Love You!

[hangemhigh2000]

What a angel.

[crifoter69]

wow....

[bartonim]

Joni is still incredibly beautiful. She certainly is no wilted rose, is she? A great talent of course. I have been really digging her lately. Blue is splendid, but all she has done is amazing!

[nmk1226]

GREAT CLIP!!!!

[markmartel]

A genius

[AtomikHypnosis]

Joni you were not part of my youth. your music came into me, never left and continues having me soar in the peace and solitude i have become so use to and enjoy in the pit of my soul. thanks for that part of me. i would not be me without your precious influence.

[GUIDOBRAT]

She never ever lost her great genius.

[ruthlesspopper]

so amazing and beautiful.....

[hylozoik]

hm, this "spirit" is time-less - thx ! =')

[m06een00]

There are few words necessary to describe this wonderful performance. It describes itself. What a class act Joni was/is.

[blakedawg76]

Great post. Thanks so much for sharing this.

[SgtRohan]

.. now I understand why Jimmy Page was so awestruck when he met her .. he acoustic skill is stunning ..

[betokkikke]

@SgtRohan He was not the only one musician who wanted to have a love relation with Joni Mitchell. What about Graham Nash? Although both could also make a nice duet in music, he was rejected because she... Well, it's quite interesting that all of the three kept on having a good friendship as years passes by as long as I know, the funny yhing is that women performers after her big success in the 60s & 70s didn't seem to care about Joni great works in songs. But Green Day did care! :-)

[allanhill1]

I always thought she was one of the best folk writers and singers ever. Funny I always found her quite unattractive but now I see how bveautiful she was Looks and inner beauty

[Seasass]

@allanhill1 So true, especially in this video. Part of it is her youth, but I think it's also the fact that her face was MADE for black and white film (think of the "Hejira" cover).

[saminnyc]

I think she was 25 when this was made. Such an old soul as 25!

[kajetanbimbadeen]

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[NewspaperTaxi11]

Ian & Sylvia Tyson also did a great version of The Circle Game :)

[leftatalbuquerque]

@NewspaperTaxi11

YES!!! But I can't find it anywhere - not here on Youtube, nor on any CD. Do you know the album title the Tyson's version appeared on? I'm looking for it these days...

Thanks so much!

[NewspaperTaxi11]

@leftatalbuquerque it was on their 1967 album "So Much For Dreaming". Such a great version, but definitely hard to come by. I do know that they have on iTunes tho, so you can always download it if you want. Anyways, hope this helps =)

[leftatalbuquerque]

@NewspaperTaxi11

I found it on their 1987 Greatest Hits cd "two-fer" release.

Gotta love the 'net!

[justinosmond]

Holy.

[oppopp2008]

wonderful. thanks

[keithiepoo]

This is too beautiful to stay hidden. Thank you for sharing!

[afterthefox]

she is and was exquisite...the finest woman singer/songwriter of the 20th century...stopping a listener from fully taking in air untils shes done with you...

[frenk1973]

That's some great music, eh

[Earthdogbonzo3]

Does anyone really listen anymore? There is something magik, something just beyond the grasp . . . I dunno, maybe somewhere in Utah, then again . . .I dunno.

[richardferrugio]

Two of the greatest songs by one of our finest singer/songwriters. Spectacular performance. So simple...so clear...so haunting!

[StephenB58]

Judi Collins sounds better singing Both Sides Now; even though I believe Joni Mitchell wrote the song.

[ryanality]

@StephenB58 - Collins sounding better is a matter of opinion. this is Joni's tune and consequently, her masterful interpretation is more visceral. sometimes it's not about a pretty sound... it's about what's behind it. (not that Joni's sound isn't gorgeous - cause it is.)

[BK1WOOD]

Always liked Joni's music. Thanks for posting this! I and many other people enjoy it.

[hmbcker]

Where did the time go? Still love your music Joni, it still touches my soul!

[SONGsanmanwah]

was she wearing a lace glove?

must be very old soul to reach all this understanding so early in life

there's something spiritual in her works - love it

[frenk1973]

@SONGsanmanwah

Lace gloves were and are all the rage in Saskatchewan... gotta go get me one....

[karloscativo]

THANKS JONI....for caught your guitar and sing your poems,.

[JasonEA]

I'm not one to get patriotic, but nothing, including hockey gold medals, makes me prouder to be a Canadian than this jewel from Saskatchewan.

[PoetryMan11]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have been looking for a performance of Joni doing Circle Game without the annoying (to me anyway!) chorus in the background!

Elsewhere on Youtube is a snipet of a documentary where a similar performance of Circle Game (circa 1966) is interspersed with filmed reminiscenses of various agents and managers commenting on her career which while interesting spoil the performance of just Joni and her guitar. Anymore vintage Joni you can post would be appreciated!

[spacecadetonice]

my favorite recording of this song on youtube!!

[dylansong100]

bellisima 

[ClydeParrish]

What a guitarist....

[mfmazurek]

what a great find. thanks, canada, for joni and for neil and for not pulling this video she indeed belongs to us like a wonder of nature

[julieisintheuk]

Such soulfood to me, thanks.

[eirinikos]

the world needs more Joni's

[thiskidglows]

Yaaaaay CBC haha

[youtuuberoxx]

nice legs!

[jurian0101]

3:50 The Circle Game

[slownoman]

One of the best songwriters of the 20th century. Just astounding, a gift.

[RockBrig]

thanks for the post.

Joni Mitchell wrote "The Circle Game" in response to Neil Young's song, about lost innocence, "Sugar Mountain."

[allcanitbe]

Simply stunning...her guitar playing is so musical as well!!

[KittycatWrangler]

Gosh, how bittersweet this video is. -how fleeting is time. It seems as if it was just yesterday that those times were the here and now. Thanks for posting.

[emerald161]

Thank you for this post! Her voice is so moving.. peaceful.

[Fireslayn]

I wow at it all living every day. some how.

[PheesKMPAccount]

Thanks for posting this! The hell with copyights, this is the worlds birthright. As if anyone is going to lose any money by publishing these. You are just enriching the human experience. More please!

[SleestaksRule]

yeah. Nothing like it.

[flowerlunch]

unbelievable!

[celticlofts]

I know I'm going to get the thumbs down for this but I prefer Glen Campbell's version of both sides now but nobody can sing circle games better than Mitchell..

[davidls11]

@celticlofts Judy Collins did a pretty good version of Both Sides Now too. But I agree that Joni's Circle Game is the best. Those were the days.

[kdb89]

Not sure if I've ever had a connect with an environmentalist/lyricist who dabbles in realism and surrealism.

Wow, Joni.

[folkmusicgirl]

Joni at her finest, very finest. Such a perfect voice, crystal clear & such a distinctive voice. So many people try to cover Joni's songs & although some are pretty good, just no match for this voice! Of course, Joni herself does not sound like this anymore. I do know age does change your voice from how you sounded like when you are in your 20's & 30's but sadly in Joni's case, I believe a lot of the vocal change is not just from age but from heavy, heavy cigarette smoking.

[celticlofts]

Yes I agree.. Growing up I had a beautiful voice and lost it due to smoking.. sad really and what a waste..

[folkmusicgirl]

Did you sing folk music? Did you record anything when you were younger?

I took a voice class when I was about 19 at a junior college (now they call it community college) :-) I really never had a good voice to begin with but I do remember so many years ago the teacher telling the students that nothing will ruin your voice more then heavy cigarette smoking. He went on to say that even singers with really great voices & famous singers will one day be effected by their heavy continual smoking.

[celticlofts]

Yes I used to love folk and pretty much all kinds of music.. I still sing but the voice is not what it was.. I also played acustic guitar and still pick it up from time to time.. People still say i have a beautiful voice and I think to myself ..boy if they only heard it 20 years ago what would they think.. The smoking will surely destroy it and I'm sad Joni's voice is not what it one was but I still love her stuff..

[folkmusicgirl]

Do you have anything on Youttube or did you record anything when you were younger? Any LPs or tapes, etc of your voice when you described it the way it used to be?

Did you sing in folk clubs, etc? Long ago?

[trossachs2003]

True but look at it this way...in her first album she was all high and pure and Judy Collins and with each passing album her voice got deeper, richer and wider. For me, her peak was Hissing of Summer Lawns where she could go from chest voice to head voice seamlessly. Like eg Sweetbird. So when you say it's not what it was....it was lots of things over a long period, and a lot to choose from.

[dancewomyn1]

@trossachs2003 So very true...As with most brilliant artists like her, they are constantly shifting their artistry to new boundaries. I've loved everything Joni has done.

[PoundForABrown]

jewel of a woman

[cassandraxe]

Thanks so much for posting this--it doesn't seem like 44 years, does it?

[hubbellgardner]

asrtonishing footage - thank you !

[Dateline420]

first heard "circle game" as a camp song. beautiful, almost haunting lyrics which I think will now be with me always.

[castingtherunes]

Magnificent and moving!

[inmylife15]

My mom always used to sing The Circle Game to me when I was little. It always brings back so many memories . . . . .

[jbird281988]

so did mine.

[drumrnva]

Fantastic.

[xwer2110]

i can't cet over the beauty,all round!

[crytercastreal]

so nice!!!!!

[thomimm]

Two of my favourite Joni tracks in one video, thanks for this!

[xwer2110]

there are no words,she wrote them.

[ioancapy]

How beautiful, this song and Joni singing this song are! This song will be sung (and must be sung) for generations!

[smlee64]

Heard this song in 1972. Still love this song. Thank you for posting this video.

[xwer2110]

im afraid istill love joni

[jarabaa]

Electrifying. Historic. You most certainly were right to retrieve this from the CBC archives and put it here on Youtube. The original definitive performance of Circle Game, unmatched. Imagine having been there in that studio in 1968. Meanwhile, dragging my feet now to slow the circles down... Thanks!

[xwer2110]

bravissimo!

[jenniferTex15]

This go's into favorites, I love The Circle Game song and this one without the commentary is by far the best.

Thank you my friend for this wonderful Joni Mitchell video.

[Sparco41e]

What a phenomenal talent--a singer, songwriter, poet, and painter who also just happens to be gorgeous.

[miloandotisfan]

dont forget guitarist

[madcheme]

And she play's the autoharp, too!

[dgburke1]

Thanks for posting this early version of circle game. Nice to hear it without the interuptions of commentary.

[emersonwells]

I agree! The commentary kills it! Thanks for the post!