The Lost Story of 1970
Everyone knows 1968 as the year when Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. were shot. Likewise, 1969 is known for Altamont, the Manson family, and the year the '60s dream died. But what about 1970? Music journalist and author David Browne decided to examine this transitional year through the prism of music. "Three of the iconic groups of the '60s broke up in 1970 and LET IT BE, BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER, SWEET BABY JAMES and DEJA VU all came out that year," he says. Here, Browne, whose new book, Fire and Rain: The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and the Lost Story of 1970, talks about some of his favorite photographs from that topsy-turvy year.
James and His Guitar
About this photo, Browne says, "A single pensive man with a guitar and a hint of a mustache, preparing to express his earnest feelings to his fans -- this picture says it all about the moment in Taylor's career when he was beginning to connect with a larger audience. I like the way this photo reveals his combination of rugged manliness and cuddly softness, a mix that, in 1970, made young female music fans fall in love with him in increasing numbers. Another detail I love: the sweater vest was knit for him that summer by his girlfriend, Joni Mitchell—beginning to make a huge name for herself that year with her LADIES OF THE CANYON album."
Graham Nash's Tough Year
"Graham Nash had a rough 1970," says Browne. "In this photo he certainly looks more frazzled and sadder -- not to mention hairier -- than we're accustomed to seeing. No wonder: By year's end, Joni Mitchell had left him just as his song to her, Our House was coming out, CSNY were in disarray, and Nash was preparing to move to a home in San Francisco he'd bought for himself and Mitchell." This photo was taken in London during a quick trip Nash made there in the fall -- during which he spent time with Mitchell and her new boyfriend, James Taylor. Says Browne, "I asked Nash if the situation was awkward. No, he said: 'We were grownups.'"
Printed from the official Joni Mitchell website. Permanent link: https://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=2447
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