Our extremely irregular series returns for the first time this year. Unlike your Rols and Charity Chics I am constitutionally incapable of keeping several series running in parallel. With Ernie's El Dorado - returning next post - and now Pun Fun on the go Single Song Sunday has rather fallen by the wayside.
But we are belatedly back with a song that became an instant standard when the first version to be released came out in late 1967. Second Hand Songs lists over 40 cover versions during 1968 and 1969 alone and there are now nearly 2000 known recordings. We're talking about Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now".
Joni wrote "Both Sides Now" in 1966 but was not the first person to record the song. That was Judy Collins, who included it on her 1967 "Wildflowers". It was released as a single the following year and was a top ten hit in the US and Canada.
It was the Judy Collins version that prompted the early rush of cover versions. Joni herself did not get around to releasing it until her second album "Clouds" in mid 1969 by which time the bandwagon was well and truly rolling. I'm sure you are all familiar with that version so instead you're getting a 1972 live recording that can be found on "Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 3".
Many of the cover versions are dreadful - take a bow Carly Rae Jepsen, Mel C, John Barrowman, Paul Young and Clannad (together), Leonard Nimoy and an endless stream of TV talent show wannabes - and many others are nice enough but are straight takes that don't add anything to the song. But there are some decent and/or interesting versions hidden in the haystack.
This post was prompted by hearing a very early unreleased demo by Fairport Convention on an album of Joni covers that comes with the current edition of Mojo, so they make the cut. After them we have: their fellow 1960s folk moderniser Davy Graham, Dion in his "Abraham, Martin & John" period...
(deep breath)
...The Tokens in 1971 keen to remind listeners of their big hit of 1961, some smooth South African jazz, a rather good French version, a grungy pop take from the 1990s and finally an MRV from the early 1970s.
"Both Sides Now" - Judy Collins
"Both Sides Now (Live 1972)" - Joni Mitchell
"Both Sides Now" - Fairport Convention
"Both Sides Now" - Davy Graham
"From Both Sides Now" - Dion
"Both Sides Now" - The Tokens
"Both Sides Now" - Hugh Masekela
"Je N'ai Rien Appris" - Marie Laforêt
"Both Sides Now" - Parasites
"From Both Sides" - Pat Kelly
As for the videos I particularly enjoy the one by Dexys as it was shot in my manor and all the locations are very familiar to me. I lived a few hundred yards from Blackman's shoes on Cheshire St for about 15 years and I know at least one reader will recognise the interior of Pellicci's cafe and the ever cheerful Nev behind the counter.
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