Entertainment
Joni Mitchell at 83: How one song came back around
Judy Collins made “Both Sides, Now” a hit in 1968. More than five decades later, Mitchell sang it at the Grammys for the first time.
When Joni Mitchell sang “Both Sides, Now” at the 2024 Grammy Awards, it was her first performance at the ceremony. She was 80. The song was already more than half a century old, but it gave the appearance an unusual shape. At the beginning of her career, a different singer had carried those words to a national audience. Now Mitchell was singing them herself on a stage she had never performed on. Mitchell turns 83 on Nov. 7. Recording Academy · History
A songwriter other singers brought to the charts
David Crosby produced Mitchell’s first album, *Song to a Seagull*, in 1968. That year, Judy Collins reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 with Mitchell’s “Both Sides, Now.” Mitchell released her own version on *Clouds* in 1969. Hearing the two versions is one way to understand the beginning of her career. The same song could establish her as a writer for other singers and become part of the sound of her own records. PBS American Masters · Billboard, via the Mitchell archive
On *Blue* in 1971, that sound became intimate enough that the instrumental details matter. On “A Case of You,” Mitchell plays Appalachian dulcimer and James Taylor plays guitar. The album also credits Taylor on “All I Want” and “California.” Decades later, Herbie Hancock approached her catalog as a jazz pianist. His *River: The Joni Letters* won Album of the Year at the 2008 Grammys. The arrangements changed, but other musicians were still finding their own way into Mitchell’s writing. *Blue* album credits · Recording Academy award record
The return to Newport started at home
After Mitchell had a brain aneurysm in 2015, Brandi Carlile helped bring musicians together for informal sessions at Mitchell’s home. Those gatherings took a public form at the Newport Folk Festival on July 24, 2022. At 78, Mitchell joined Carlile for a surprise set. Marcus Mumford was among the musicians there. Mitchell sang “Both Sides, Now” and played the guitar part of “Just Like This Train.” It was her first time playing Newport since 1969. The concert later became *Joni Mitchell at Newport*, which won Best Folk Album in 2024. Mitchell’s concert archive · NPR · Recording Academy
For a quick way through that story, start with Collins’s hit, then hear Mitchell’s recording on *Clouds*, the Newport concert version and the 2024 Grammy performance. Four performances mark the distance between an early hit as a songwriter and the moment she brought that same song to the Grammys. Find more in NewsCubby Entertainment.
Photo and video credits
The covers and Short use archive photos. Edits include crops, resizing, motion and text overlays. The ShareAlike photo adaptations retain their stated licenses.
- Joni Mitchell, Kennedy Center Honors Medallion Ceremony, 2021. Shawn Miller / Library of Congress. Photo · CC0 1.0. Article and Short covers and video.
- David Crosby and Graham Nash, 2006. Matthew Harris. Photo · CC BY-SA 2.0.
- Judy Collins, 1968. DonJCR21. Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Joni Mitchell, Anaheim, 1974. Matt Gibbons. Photo · CC BY 2.0.
- James Taylor, Winterfest, 1985. Chuck Fadely. Photo and U.S. public-domain rationale.
- Herbie Hancock, 2006. Sjaak from Netherlands. Photo · CC BY-SA 2.0.
- Brandi Carlile, 2023. Elaina Finkelstein / Library of Congress. Photo · CC0 1.0.
- Marcus Mumford at Newport, 2018. Sachyn Mital. Photo · CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Joni Mitchell, 2023. Elaina Finkelstein / Library of Congress. Photo · CC0 1.0.
*NewsCubby articles are produced with AI assistance and reviewed by humans.*
