Blue 50 (Demos & Outtakes)

Blue 50 (Demos & Outtakes) is an extended play by singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released on June 21, 2021, by Rhino Records.[1][2][3][4] The extended play, which is the fifth overall and the third auxiliary release of the Joni Mitchell Archives, was released exclusively to digital music and streaming platforms to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the release of Blue (1971). The cover utilizes the original Blue color treatment on an unreleased photo of Mitchell taken by Tim Considine during the album's original cover photoshoot.[1]

Blue 50 (Demos & Outtakes)
EP by
ReleasedJune 21, 2021 (2021-06-21)
Recorded1971
VenueA&M (Hollywood, California)
Length19:47
LabelRhino Records
Joni Mitchell chronology
Joni Mitchell Archives – Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963–1967): Highlights
(2020)
Blue 50 (Demos & Outtakes)
(2021)
The Reprise Albums (1968–1971)
(2021)

Background and recording

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Three of the included songs later made it on the album in finished form: a demo of "California", a demo of an early version "A Case of You" with alternate lyrics, and an outtake of "River" that features additional instrumentation from french horns.[1] A demo of "Urge for Going" features added strings; originally written by Mitchell in the mid-1960s, she revisited the song while recording Blue and later released a different version of the song as the B-side to "You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio" from For the Roses in 1972. The EP also includes the first official release of "Hunter", an unreleased song that had previously been performed live by Mitchell and was "cut from Blue at the last minute".[1]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Joni Mitchell.

No.TitleLength
1."A Case of You" (Blue Sessions Demo)4:00
2."California" (Blue Sessions Demo)3:39
3."Hunter" (Blue Sessions)2:57
4."River" (with French horns; Blue Sessions)4:05
5."Urge for Going" (with strings; Blue Sessions)5:05
Total length:19:47

Charts

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Chart performance for Blue 50 (Demos & Outtakes)
Chart (2021) Peak
position
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[5] 25
US Billboard 200[6] 150
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[7] 6

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Joni Mitchell Blue Celebrates 50 years with new digital EP". jonimitchell.com. June 21, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  2. ^ Lloyd, Celina (June 21, 2021). "Joni Mitchell Celebrates 50 Years Of Blue With Demos & Outtakes EP…". Mojo. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  3. ^ Rettig, James (June 21, 2021). "Hear 5 Demos & Outtakes From Joni Mitchell's Blue 50th Anniversary Release". Stereogum. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  4. ^ Roberts, Randall (June 21, 2021). "Joni Mitchell releases 'Blue 50,' with outtakes and unreleased tracks from 1971 classic". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  5. ^ "BLUE 50 (DEMOS & OUTTAKES)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  6. ^ "Joni Mitchell Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  7. ^ "Joan Baez Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2024.