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Joni Mitchell 'Ashamed' to Be in Music Business
Mon Oct 14, 7:52 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hell hath no fury like Joni Mitchell (news) on the subject of the music industry.

The veteran singer/songwriter, on the promotional trail for a new album, says she is "ashamed" to be part of the music business and may stop recording.

"I just think it's a cesspool," the 58-year-old folk-rock icon said in the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine.

"I hope it all goes down the crapper. I would never take another deal in the record business, which means I may not record again, or I have to figure out a way to sell over the Net or do something else. But I'll be damned if I'll line their pockets."

Oddly, Mitchell just signed a new deal with Nonesuch Records, which will release her new album, "Travelogue" in November. Mitchell was previously based at Reprise Records where her last few albums sold poorly but won several Grammy Awards. Both labels are units of AOL Time Warner Inc .

Mitchell also lambasted MTV, complaining that her three-year-old granddaughter is already grabbing her crotch and dancing, imitating the video clips played on the music cable network.

"It's tragic what MTV has done to the world," opined Mitchell, who was voted the fifth greatest woman in rock 'n' roll by MTV's sister channel VH1. Both networks are owned by Viacom Inc .

Once described by her friend David Crosby (news) as being "about as humble as Mussolini," Mitchell has previously described contemporary music as "appallingly sick ... boring chord movement and bad acting."

In holding up Bob Dylan (news) and herself as the standard for songwriting, she has written off devotees like Sting, Alanis Morissette (news) and Sheryl Crow (news).

Mitchell has also previously savaged her former label boss David Geffen for not paying her any royalties, although he has countered that her albums never sold enough copies to cover the advance payments that she received from him.

Born Roberta Joan Anderson in Canada, Mitchell has established herself as one of the most respected artists of her generation. Her eclectic career spans 35 years and includes such seminal albums as 1971's autobiographical "Blue" and the 1974 jazz-pop excursion "Court and Spark." She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

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I'm sure Prince will let her record at NPG sans contract... no?

Sounds to me like she could be following Prince's route soon.

She Said this though 15 Years Back&so I'll take it with a Grain of Salt until it's Offical.I Dig Some of Her Work&Respect Her alot but I've Heard this from her Way Before.

She has some legitimate gripes,but yet she has already signed a new deal and has a new CD due in November?? I can't help but wonder if this is just a ploy to force her new label to properly promote the new CD (or risk having her go to war with them,as other artists have done).

I dont care if her music sells. Labels need to put her music out and support her muisic even if she isnt a seller anymore. Joni Mitchell is the truth! She told mutherfuckas to sit down and be quiet and give her some respect at the Isle Of Wight Festival in 1970 way back when. She's gangtsa! Branch, Mclachlan, etc WISH they could be Joni. What it boils down to is that she is an artist with...integrity. and we must support and never forget artists of that type.
[This message was edited Tue Oct 15 5:25:05 PDT 2002 by rdhull]

can u say joni and p jamming with the npg. how about joining his label and let it rip the 2 of u.

rdhull said:

I quite agree with you, she has integrity and she is the truth! Beautiful, creative, arggghhh, she is awesome. I can see why she wants out of the business though. To be honest, she doesn't belong there. As no true creative artist deserves to be there IMO. All of our definitions of a 'true creative artist' will be different though, I'm sure.

joelmarable said:

Supernova said:

co-sign

Joni's 'Turbulent Indigo' album is one of those CDs that I want everyone to hear. The closing track is just...

I can't wait for Joni's new CD and I wish her all the best in the future. I certainly hope that she doesn't allow her experience with the record industry to get to her. She's an artist in the true sense of the word (and her paintings are superb).

rdhull said:

AMEN!!!

Joni is one of the most uncompromising artists ever.
Her painting with words and music is pretty untouchable.
She's been through a lot in the business and has every right to voice her opinions about the sad state of music today and the shady business practices that go along with it.

She has few equals.

check out the current issue of Rolling Stone. The article on her paints a bitter and fed-up-with-the-biz person.

U Go Joni girl! I'll buy U online!
terry dobbin.com music