The past few nights, I have been painting my kitchen. I’m not the fastest painter, but it has been peaceful in its own way. To keep me company, I decided to put on Court and Spark by Joni Mitchell. I have always been a big fan of Joni Mitchell’s music. There is something about the way she writes and sings that feels very personal and hits me pretty deep. I have this album on vinyl, and it has been one of my favorites of hers for a long time. There are so many good songs on this album, but it was “Help Me” that stuck with me this time around. I found myself walking around singing “help me” over and over, well after the music stopped.
“Help Me” has a smooth and slightly jazzy feel, with an easy gentle groove. The lyrics are sweet. Joni sings about how falling in love can be both exciting and frightening at the same time. The band playing behind her adds almost a soft playful gust of wind you get to ride on. You never seem to get off until the song’s finished. The group was led by saxophone player Tom Scott, and featured his fusion jazz band, the L.A. Express. Their style helped give the record its cool and polished sound.
The main players on Court and Spark make up a pretty incredible lineup. Joni herself handled vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, and produced the album. Tom Scott brought in the smooth sounds on woodwinds and reeds. Joe Sample played electric piano. Larry Carlton did his thing on electric guitar. Max Bennett held it down on bass, and John Guerin played drums and percussion. Together, they gave the whole album that laid-back but polished sound that makes it so easy to keep flipping the record over and starting again.
There are also some fun surprises hidden in the album credits. José Feliciano, the famous singer and guitarist best known for “Feliz Navidad,” played electric guitar on “Free Man in Paris.” Robbie Robertson, the guitarist from The Band, played on “Raised on Robbery.” You’ll hear Chuck Findley, Wayne Perkins, Susan Webb (sister of Jimmy Webb), David Crosby, Graham Nash, as well as others guests on specific songs off this album. Joni had a real knack for bringing great musicians together, and you can hear it!
The nights of painting my kitchen are just about done, but “Help Me” will stay rolling around in my head for a long time. Hope you enjoy this great tune!
Fun Fact: You hear a small dialogue between comedians Cheech and Chong on the final track “Twisted.”
Fun Fact II: Joni wasn’t much of a love song writer, but Help Me was inspired by her relationship at the time with John Guerin who played drums on this song and album.
Fun Fact III: Tom Scott and the L.A. Express didn’t just back her for the album, they toured with her.
Fun Fact IV: This was her highest charting and most commercially successful album. It was also the first time she had self produced an album by herself fully. This was uncommon at the time to have full control of the sound of your album especially for a female singer songwriter in the 1970s.
Fun Fact V: The original cover art was painted by Joni herself, and she even handwrote the album title on the front.
Song: “Help Me”
Artist: Joni Mitchell
Album: Court and Spark
Year: 1974
Help me, I think I’m fallin’ in love again
When I get that crazy feelin’, I know I’m in trouble again
I’m in trouble ’cause you’re a rambler and a gambler
And a sweet talkin’ ladies man
And you love your lovin’ (lovin’)
Not like you love your freedom
Help me, I think I’m fallin’ in love too fast
It’s got me hopin’ for the future and worryin’ about the past
‘Cause I’ve seen some hot, hot blazes come down to smoke and ash
We love our lovin’ (lovin’)
But not like we love our freedom
Oh, didn’t it feel good? We were sittin’ there talkin’
Or lyin’ there not talkin’, didn’t it feel good?
Go dance with the lady with the hole in her stockin’
Didn’t it feel good?
Didn’t it feel good?
Help me, I think I’m fallin’ in love with you
Are you gonna let me go there by myself?
That’s such a lonely thing to do
Both of us flirtin’ around
Flirtin’ and flirtin’, hurtin’ too
We love our lovin’ (lovin’)
But not like we love our freedom
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My name is Michael Sanchez and I’m an avid record collector and obscure song searcher. My goal is to post (hopefully) one song a day that’s been on my stereo/turntable frequently. If you don’t like the song… too bad 🙂 You can just wait for the next one. I do use A.I. here and there to help with writing and grammar. All the info I find is from wikipedia/youtube/interviews/news articles/personal stories I’ve heard/random googling. If you notice any mistakes, let me know or just keep it inside and be mad. Thanks!
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