The Colorful Songwriter on Black And White Film
It’s almost embarrassing to introduce Joni Mitchell. She is a powerhouse, which is evident as soon as she takes the stage- the kind of performer that gives you tunnel vision.Then known as Joan Anderson in 1965, she takes the stage on the Oscar Brand Canadian TV program- immediately grasping every single person’s attention.
Mitchell’s voice has an addictive vibrato quality. When she stops singing you can’t wait for anyone else in the show to cease talking. Whomever she accompanies onstage is unintentionally shadowed by the songstress. Needless to say, she’s an impossible act to follow.
A Guest Performer Turned Star
Joni Mitchell performs 4 songs which she wrote, vocalized, and supported with her own guitar on the Oscar Brand Show. Evident in the YouTube video of the recording, the audience is absolutely paralyzed by her unearthly voice. In this time of her dawning career the singer was a mezzo-soprano. The A3 to A5 range matched her lighter- hearted lyricism of the mid 60s.
Mitchell is hypnotizing when she begins to play. She is the image of a young and fair goddess with the real talent of a virtuoso. Not only does she captivate everyone in the studio but she is also seemingly captivated and honored by the crowd as they applaud her generously.