Decades-old recording of Joni Mitchell finally go from old box to a boxed set
VICTORIA — Two long-forgotten tapes featuring some of the first recordings of Joni Mitchell have come out of storage and into circulation, thanks to a serendipitous turn of events involving retired Victoria broadcaster Barry Bowman.
Bowman, who spent three decades on air at CFAX 1070, was a disc jockey at CFQC AM in Saskatoon when he first met Mitchell in 1963.
She was an inexperienced 19-year-old playing music under her given name, Joni Anderson, when Bowman brought her into the studio for an hour-long session.
Nine songs were recorded that night, featuring Mitchell and her ukulele, which he said she hoped to use as an audition tape to attract managers and booking agents.