Influence peddling

by Nick Lewis
Calgary Herald
February 7, 2007

Joni Mitchell has left an indelible mark on pop culture

Alberta Ballet's production of Dancing Joni is tapping the icon's artistic and musical talents for a mixed media show that features both her art and music.

It's a coup for the company, which can take advantage of the chanteuse's breadth of talents; talents which have influenced some of the greatest musicians who followed her.

According to Mitchell's official website (Jonimitchell.com), there have been a total of 2,238 covers to date by 1,758 different artists. The most covered song is Both Sides Now (510 times) followed by Big Yellow Taxi (183).

Here's a look at some of those Joni Mitchell has influenced over the course of her five-decade career, and where in popular culture some of her music and art has appeared.

Counting Crows -- Long after the thunder of Mr. Jones had died down, San Fransisco's Counting Crows scored a hit in 2002 with a cover of Big Yellow Taxi. In an interview with London's The Guardian, lead singer Adam Duritz claimed to own nine copies of Mitchell's Blue.

Led Zeppelin -- The British blues-rockers were all in love with Joni, especially Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, who penned the acoustic song Going To California as a homage to her song California. In live performances, Plant often says "Joni" after the line "To find a queen without a king, they say she plays guitar and cries and sings."

Diana Krall -- Krall's Grammy winning Live In Paris album (2001) included a cover of Mitchell's A Case Of You. Mitchell has said she quite enjoys Krall's version.

Film -- Mitchell's work has always been moving, which could be why her music appears in so many mainstream films. They include Life As A House, Love Actually and You've Got Mail.

Wilson Phillips -- Yes, even Wilson Phillips covered Joni's California on their comeback album in 2004. It wasn't met very well. Jim Farber of the New York Daily News wrote "Wilson Phillips' version of Joni Mitchell's California should have them brought up on charges."

Neil Young -- On his 1973 live album, Young sings the song Sweet Joni, as a tribute to her. The chorus goes, "Sweet Joni from Saskatoon/ Don't go, don't go too soon." The adoration was mutual; Joni wrote The Circle Game for Neil Young.

Prince -- The artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince was also infatuated with Joni, and wrote the song The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker, off Sign O' The Times, as a tribute. He also references her song, Help Me, on that track. In addition, Prince is covering A Case Of You on an upcoming Joni tribute album.

Mandy Moore -- Yes, even popster Mandy Moore is a fan, singing Joni's Help Me on her 2003 album of covers called Coverage. Moore wrote on her website, "I was a little worried at first about covering this, because. . . well, because. . . she is Joni Mitchell! I think personally this is one of the songs I wanted to do most, because it was what I was feeling very much in my life and it was personally what I related to most lyrically."

Tori Amos -- While Amos has talked about Mitchell being an influence, it became clear after she covered A Case Of You on her 1994 album Under The Pink. She also covers The Circle Game during live shows.

Our House -- While Crosby, Stills and Nash were all infatuated with Joni, it was Graham Nash who penned the sweetest song about her, About Our House. He told Rolling Stone: "It was intense being with Joni. The song was written about that house and her."

Nazareth -- The Scottish rock band famously covered This Flight Tonight on their 1973 album, Loud N' Proud. "We used to listen to Joni as we were travelling round in the van," Nazareth's bass-player, Pete Agnew told The Independent in 2002. "This Flight Tonight was a big favourite." Soon after their heavier version became a worldwide hit, Mitchell played a concert in London and told the audience, "I'd like to open with a Nazareth song. . ."

Elvis Costello -- Perhaps it's their mutual love of Mitchell that brought lovebirds Diana Krall and Elvis Costello together in the first place. Costello was thrilled to interview Joni in the November 2004 issue of Vanity Fair.

General Hospital -- The long-running soap opera featured Mitchell's At Last running in the background as characters Luke and Laura celebrated their 25th anniversary with another wedding.

Q-Tip -- Rapper Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest is credited alongside Joni as a collaborator on Janet Jackson's 1997 single Gone 'Til It's Gone. The song uses a sample of Big Yellow Taxi for its main loop.

I, Lucifer -- In this novel by Glen Duncan (and soon to be a 2007 film starring Daniel Craig), Lucifer is offered a human body for one month, provided he does nothing to permanently harm the host. His host, a depressed writer, is "about to take his own tediously predictable life. Razor blades, bath, Joni Mitchell on the tape deck."

Judy Collins -- The Grammy Award winning singer recorded Mitchell's Both Sides Now on her 1967 album Wildflowers, two years before Mitchell would release a version of it on her 1969 sophomore album Clouds.

High Fidelity -- In Nick Hornby's novel about music and relationships, the central character Rob speaks about his new chronological filing system for records: "If I want to play, say, Blue by Joni Mitchell, I have to remember that I bought it for someone in the autumn of 1983, and thought better of giving it to her, for reasons I don't really want to get into."

K.d. lang -- The Consort, Alberta country singer is set to release a cover of Mitchell's Help Me on the upcoming Mitchell tribute album, A Tribute To Joni Mitchell., due out this spring. She has also covered Jericho on her 2004 album, Hymns of the 49th Parallel.

Vanilla Sky -- In Cameron Crowe's often misunderstood masterpiece, the playboy David Aames (Tom Cruise) hangs a painting by Mitchell alongside a Monet in his private sanctuary. The Mitchell painting impresses the woman he's attempting to woo, played by Penelope Cruz.