Issue No. 28 of Johnny Be Good features one of 45 songs from the book, Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop, by Marc Myers. Read John Pearson's review here. Order from Amazon here. Listen to the book on Libro (9 hours, 34 minutes). Each blog will spotlight a song from the book and a guest blogger’s color commentary. Click here to subscribe. Each issue of Your Weekly Staff Meeting will highlight the latest blog.
The Hippie Hangout on Crete’s Matala
Today’s blogger: John Pearson (with a little help from a friend)
Song: #28 of 45
Title: “Carey"
Musician: Joni Mitchell
Released: August 1971
I APPRECIATED THIS:
Once again, I asked my rock-and-roll singer/guitarist friend, David K., to join me for a meal to get his take on Joni Mitchell’s song, “Carey.” (Read David K.’s commentary on Song #25, “Mercedes Benz.”)
I did not recall hearing this song in the 1970s, but while David K. appreciates Joni Mitchell’s work, he describes himself as “not a big, big fan.” I do enjoy “Carey”—it’s simple, easy-to-listen to, and memorable. The story behind the song adds flavor.
David K. reminded me that Joni Mitchell is now 80 and he mentioned several other Mitchell songs including “Help Me,” “Yellow Taxi,” “Coyote,” and her album “Blue.” (“Carey” is on that album.)
This chapter by Marc Myers is unique because it sheds a little more light on the author, not just the artist. He describes his interview with Joni Mitchell:
“What I remember most about my two hours with Mitchell are her eyes. She had a way of making a point and then fixing on you with a locked gaze as she took a drag from her cigarette.” He adds, “To this day, her gaze reminds me of an overly cautious mother watching her kids board a school bus and following them with her eyes until they are seated.”
Read more in Marc Myers’ WSJ article, “Joni Mitchell on the Muse Behind ‘Carey.’ The singer wrote her hit ‘Carey’ while camping out in a seaside cave on Crete in early 1970.” (Nov. 11, 2014)
Listen to “Carey,” sung by Joni Mitchell. The song is included on Mitchell’s 1971 album, “Blue,” which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The album is rated No. 30 in Rolling Stone’s 2003 list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” (Not too shabby!)
MY FAVORITE NOTES & QUOTES:
Joni Mitchell tells Marc Myers about her 1970 adventure in Matala on the Greek island of Crete (a hippie hangout). Myers, amazingly, also tracked down the real “Carey,” the subject of the song.
• Mitchell: “I also had my dulcimer with me from the States. It was lighter and less bulky than a guitar, and I took it with me everywhere. I used it to write ‘Carey’ over a period of weeks in different locations in and around Matala as a birthday present for Cary. When hippies didn’t follow me on hikes, I’d find solitary places to write.”
• “My lyric, ‘Oh Carey get out your cane’ referred to a cane Cary carried with him all the time. He was a bit of a scene-stealer, and the cane was a theatrical prop for him. Sometimes he’d twirl it or balance it on his nose. When I played the song for Cary on his birthday, I don’t recall his reaction. He was always detached and sometimes even disrespectful—either trying to belittle me or make me feel afraid. I think at the time he felt greatly superior to women, which is why I refer to him in the lyrics as a ‘mean old Daddy.’”
• “As for the extra ‘e’ in his name in the song’s title and lyric, that was a misspelling on my part.”
JOHNNY BE...GOOD, BETTER, OR BEST?
• GOOD: According to my friend, David K., Joni Mitchell is one of “the select few who can strap on a guitar, walk on a stage, and perform in an instant.” Some singers need a band or full orchestra—but not her. “She is one of the crème de la crème entertainers. She’s the real deal.”
• BETTER: David K. also added, “She had an ability to phrase lyrics that were unique unto herself. You can hear a jazz influence in her work.”
• BEST: Joni Mitchell tells Marc Myers: “For me, recording songs like ‘Carey’ about deeply personal experiences presented an artistic challenge. Songs I wrote were already a day, a week, a month or 10 years old when I went into the studio. To rekindle my emotions, I used sense memory—which is like method acting. It happens naturally with me and helps me recall my feelings—the joy, anxiety and vulnerability I felt when composing the song. I was emotionally wide open when recording ‘Blue’ and incapable of guile.”
John Pearson, today's blogger, is pictured here in the 1970s with his son, Jason (see his guest blog here). This was the closest that John ever came to joining the Hippie community--longer hair, sideburns, and a mustache. (Where'd that bowtie end up?)
THIS ISSUE'S COMMENTARY BY John Pearson
JOHN PEARSON blames his wife, Joanne, for inspiring him to create this weekly blog on 45 songs. (Actually, he’s thanked her often.) His favorite part: reading the guest blogs from old and new friends who have been equally enthusiastic about this blog project. John has already decided to hand out “Best of…” awards to guest bloggers at the end of this 45-song series. Stay tuned!
NEXT UP!
Song #29 of 45, “Respect Yourself,” by The Staple Singers
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It all started in 2023, when John Pearson read and reviewed a "fun" book, Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop, by Marc Myers. Read John's review here. Order from Amazon here. Listen to the book on Libro (9 hours, 34 minutes).
If you'd enjoy being one of 45 guest bloggers, along with John Ashmen, Dick Nelson, Suzy West, Dave Barton, Patsy Barton, Paul Palmer, Bill Butterworth, Jim West, Melinda Schmidt, Jason Pearson, Gary Rea, Callista Dawson, John Walling, Ed Barrett, Larry Beatty, Skye Matlock, and others, read more here and contact John Pearson. Click here to subscribe to this blog and enjoy the toe-tapping musicians in each weekly blog post—reminding you of these iconic songs of yesteryear.