“Hallelujah” is a popular song we’ve been able to
widely and directly witness become a standard – as this
process has occurred during, and, in part, thanks to, this
age of the internet reaching near-ubiquity.
The global expanse of songs such as The Beatles’ “
Yesterday”,
(with some 3000 interpretations on record), and Joni
Mitchell’s “
Both Sides Now”, (nearing 1000 covers
at latest count -
http://jonimitchell.com/music/covers-most.cfm ), and
most other tunes which have become standards in the canons
of pop and rock – and many more in folk, jazz and other
genres – has, largely, been a phenomenon experienced
offline (and these songs grew into universal favourites not
in our real-time view).
The introduction of “Hallelujah” to a mass
audience – via such channels as 2001’s Hollywood hit
animated film “Shrek” – has been augmented and
amplified by the world wide web.
Music and video sites online enable songs to be shared
around, enjoyed and learned – grassroots traditions of jam
sessions, campfire sing-alongs, church choirs and other
communal ways that music is transported, today can be
propelled by the advance in technology (and digital
devices, in hand, enable more people to make recordings).
Not only can people world-wide experience music more
readily, and in greater richness and variety, than in
pre-internet times, folks are now able to express what it
all means to them and reflect back to the same giant
community “so that all souls can see it”.
For myself, serving as manager to Allison Crowe, a musician
creating in these exciting times, one of the profound
pleasures now possible is regularly hearing how people are
moved by music.
“Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words” – a new book
that’s exactly what its title promises – Joni’s voice heard
through a trio of decades-spanning interviews with her
friend, artist and journalist, Malka Marom - is released
this week (officially, September 9, 2014).
I’ve mentioned this previously in a post to my own
(Adrian’s personal facebook) page and – not
unrelated to L. Cohen, the nature of popular songs, their
interpretation and sharing – this book includes choice
commentary.
"River... Joni Mitchell's whole album Blue
is timeless," Allison remarked when she covered the
uniquely ever-green song on her own album “Tidings”
in 2004.
And “
River”, like “
Hallelujah”, has
witnessed an accelerated cultural expanse and embrace in
these digital media times. Currently, Bob Muller, the Grand
Poobah of Covers at
JoniMitchell.com, tracks 402
different versions of Mitchell’s song @
http://jonimitchell.com/music/covers-most.cfm
The song established itself steadily over the decades –
with some 200 covers being made from the time of its
release on “Blue” in 1971 to 2007. In these last seven
years, the total number of “River” covers has doubled.
In this new book, the brilliant singer, songwriter,
composer, painter+ tells her confidante and interviewer:
“There was a funny article in the L.A. Times. The guy was
ranting, ‘Why are all these people covering Joni Mitchell’s
‘River’? It’s overexposed.’ That’s what he said, and I
thought, ‘This person has no concept of what a standard is.
A standard is a good song enjoyed by many.’ A lot of
singers wanted to sing it, and it kept the song alive.”
Malka asks: “How do you feel when people sing your songs,
any song, or play it completely different, like with
‘normal’ chords, and different arrangements?”
Joni says: “I think it’s great, I feel honoured. I like the
idea of songs being sung. I like the idea that people who
can’t even sing are singing them...”
Labels: Allan Showalter, Allison Crowe, Beatles, Bob Muller, book, Canada, Chordify, covers, Farmgirl Writes, Hallelujah, Hollywood, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Malka Marom, music, River, Shrek, song
