Joni Mitchell: honoured once again
p2pnet.net News:- Joni Mitchell is a true genius. She’s Canadian, but her art is universal.
“Singers, songwriters, producers and composers from every musical genre shared cocktails and memories at a downtown Toronto hotel while paying tribute to the Canuck songstress and her unique career,” says The Canadian Press, going on:
“Measha Brueggergosman, a classical soprano singer who grew up listening to Mitchell’s music, says she is a ‘multifaceted artist’ who deserves to be honoured for her unique talents. ‘She taught me to value poetry in music’.”
And a, “star-studded gala featuring James Taylor and Chaka Khan will usher folk singer Joni Mitchell into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in Toronto on Sunday night,” says the CBC.
Mitchell is, of course, far more than a folk singer. She’s also a brilliant jazz musician, painter, poet and philosopher.
“Taylor will sing Woodstock and Khan will do Help Me, while Canadian opera star Measha Brueggergosman will be delivering a version of Both Sides Now,” says the CBC. “They are three of five Mitchell songs to be inducted into the hall, the others being Big Yellow Taxi and You Turn Me On, I’m A Radio.”
And there’s a whole raft of other stories in not only the Canadian media, but also in print and electronic press reports from around the world, each singing her thoroughly well-deserved praises.
However, there’s also an interesting omission: none of the stories we saw include powerful declarations she made about the corporate music industry in 2002.
As p2pnet posted when Mitchell was made a companion of the Order of Canada, she was also one of the first internationally known artists to roundly condemn the practices of the music industry.
“Has the music business changed very much in your lifetime?” – she was asked in David Wild’s Rolling Stone interview. And, “Well, no,” she replied.
“I’ve been screwed from the beginning … the deal that I got was just atrocious. I mean, it was like slave labor, really – no points, no budget. And I’ve never really had a good deal in the business. So I would never take another deal in the record business, which means I may not record again, or I have to figure out a way to sell over the Net or do something else. But I’d be damned if I’ll line their pockets.”
She also said, “I hope it all goes down the crapper. It’s top-heavy, it’s wasteful. It’s an insane business. Now, this is all calculated music. It’s calculated for sales, it’s sonically calculated, it’s rudely calculated. I’m ashamed to be a part of the music business.
“You know, I just think it’s a cesspool.”
Also See:
The Canadian Press – Mitchell honoured by music industry greats at Toronto reception, January 28, 2007
CBC – String of stars to fete Joni Mitchell at songwriters gala, January 28, 2007
p2pnet posted – Joni Mitchell honoured, October 31, 2004
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January 29th, 2007 at 12:22 am
“You know, I just think it’s a cesspool.”
Very well put, Joni. Both the music publishing and recording businesses are just that.
Rafael Venegas
http://www.gvenegas.com