Sunday, August 15, 2010

"Woodstock" by Joni Mitchell



In honour of Woodstock - the three day rock festival which opened at Max Yasgur's farm on this day in 1969 - here's Joni Mitchell, performing a latter-day version of her song Woodstock, which is widely considered the festival's theme; the festival itself, of course, is considered one of the defining moments of the Baby Boom generation.

The song first appeared on her 1970 album Ladies of the Canyon, and was later a big hit for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young after it was included on their 1970 album Déjà Vu*. Mitchell had been dating Graham Nash at the time, and heard about Woodstock from him; she didn't attend it herself - a decision she later regretted - having been told by her manager that an appearance on The Dick Cavett Show would be better for her career.

Joni Mitchell first performed Woodstock at the Big Sur Folk Festival in September 1969, a performance captured in the film Celebration at Big Sur; this performance is taken from the 2003 documentary Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind.

 *In fact, that whole sentence was a kind of deja vu...
*

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