Friday, February 1, 2008

Joni Anderson of Saskatoon


Before she was Joni Mitchell she was Joni Anderson of Saskatoon, the fair young maid of Canadian folk music singing on the Oscar Brand hootenany show, Let's Sing Out. "Born to Take the Highway" is unreleased elsewhere, as far as I know. Glimpses of the late Dave Van Ronk, Tom and Harry Chapin and the now octagenarian Oscar Brand are found here. Oscar still hosts a radio show every week out of New York

Joni Anderson married and turned into Joni Mitchell, then began to create songs which have no equal. This transcendently beautiful hymn to a summer romance that collapsed with the season was only first issued as a
B side in the 90's. It was never on an LP. Tom Rush's cover is usually associated with it. This shortened or early version is a live performance on Oscar Brand's Canadian TV show Let's Sing Out. The recorded performance on the CD Hits runs 5 minutes 6 seconds and is worth seeking out. The fellow to Joni's left is Oscar Brand, to her right, Jimmy Driftwood.

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