There’s a special box set from Joni Mitchell dropping later this week. The edition is called Joni Mitchell Archives Vol 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975). It spotlights the time in which she recorded her beloved albums Court and Spark, For the Roses, and The Hissing of Summer Lawns.
Among the tracks featured on the box set are live versions of “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Blue,” “A Case of You,” and more. Elsewhere are session recordings with David Crosby and Graham Nash.
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What might end up being a holy grail-type of demo is a previously unreleased version of Mitchell’s 1972 song “You Turn Me on, I’m a Radio” featuring none other than Neil Young on guitar and harmonica.
[RELATED: Joni Mitchell Announces ‘Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975)’]
As pointed out by Stereogum, the song was recorded in Hollywood in April 1972, seven months before the song originally saw release in its acoustic version on For the Roses. It’s sort of in spiritual harmony with Young’s album Harvest as it also Tim Drummond and Kenny Buttrey, members of Young’s band the Stray Gators, who played on that album.
A demo version of “Help Me” and the unreleased track “Like Veils Said Lorraine” were both released from Mitchell’s set previously. Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) will follow Mitchell’s At Newport release. That album, shared last month, features recordings from Mitchell’s surprise appearance at the Newport Folk Festival last year.
Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) arrives this Friday, October 6. You can purchase/pre-order the 5CD / digital version and a 4LP cut-down version here. The physical edition includes photos and a conversation about the “asylum years” between Mitchell and longtime friend Cameron Crowe.
Mitchell received the prestigious Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at an all-star tribute concert in Washington D.C. back in March. Of the honor she said in a statement with The Library of Congress, “This is a very prestigious award. Thank you for honoring me.”
[RELATED: Joni Mitchell To Receive Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song]
Listen to the demo version of “You Turn Me on, I’m a Radio” featuring Neil Young below.
Photo by Lester Cohen/WireImage
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