“It made people nervous”: Joni Mitchell believes her music upset male artists in the 1970s

Joni Mitchell dropped some major revelations in a rare interview with Sir Elton John for the Apple Music radio show, Rocket Hour, on Saturday, November 12, 2022.

The singer-songwriter announced that she and her team are "trying to" release a new live album of her surprise appearance at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island this past July.

The concert was Joni Mitchell's first full live appearance in more than 20 years and was a collaborative performance with singer Brandi Carlile. It featured guests including Blake Mills, Marcus Mumford, Wynonna Judd, and more.

In a lengthy interview, the Canadian-American singer discussed the initial reaction to her work, which she claims "made people nervous." Joni Mitchell admitted that she "took a lot of flak" at the start of her career in the 1970s because people thought her music was "too intimate." She added:

"It was almost like Dylan going electric. I think it upset the male singer-songwriters. They’d go, ‘Oh no. Do we have to bare our souls like this now?"

She noted that her music "took to this generation" and that the younger generation "seems to be able to face those emotions more easily" than hers.

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Joni Mitchell has gone from a soprano to an alto

Joni Mitchell's conversation with Sir Elton John was one of the artist's first full-length interviews in seven years, following a brain aneurysm in March 2015 that left her unable to walk or talk for a time.

Mitchell discussed her performance at the Newport Folk Festival, where she performed songs such as Circle Game, Both Sides Now, and Big Yellow Taxi on a set designed to look like her California living room, surrounded by friends.

Compounding her status as an icon, she laughingly admitted that the entire concert was performed without rehearsal and that they "just winged it."

Mitchell also discussed how smoking and poor health had affected her voice over the years, noting that during her Newport performance, she chose to play guitar rather than attempt the song's difficult vocals. She said:

"I couldn't sing the key. I've become an alto. I'm not a soprano anymore, so I couldn't sing the song."

The singer expressed her relief that her performance was well received, saying:

"I thought people might feel lighted if I just played the guitar part, but I like the guitar part to that song. So anyway, it was very well received, much to my delight."

The 79-year-old singer, who recently celebrated her birthday on November 7, is currently going through a career resurgence. In June 2023, the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington will host Joni Mitchell's first headline concert in 23 years as part of a two-night celebration called Echoes Through the Canyon.

Elton John called her one of the "most talented songwriters of all time" in an Instagram post announcing her appearance on Rocket Hour. He'd previously stated that Mitchell was "one of the most magical people I'd ever met."

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Joni Mitchell and Elton John grew close while the 'Big Yellow Taxi' singer was receiving treatment and hosting 'Joni Jams' in her California living room with other musicians such as Brandi Carlile.

Joni Mitchell was honored in December 2021 at the Kennedy Center Honors and at the 2022 GRAMMY awards as MusiCare's Person of the Year. She performed briefly during the latter and accepted a GRAMMY for Best Historical Album during the ceremony.