Joni Mitchell - Me and My Uncle (1965)

Joni Mitchell sings a little wild west song by John Phillips called Me and My Uncle. This is from the Oscar Brandt show, Let's Sing Out.

[@dannygraham7885]

One of the most "Beautiful" and iconic singers in the world!

[@Bluesmaster57]

Wow, she was gorgeous! Yes, her playing, her voice, her interpretation of this song I only knew from the Dead's version, all are spectacular. But the combination of her incredible beauty and performance/stage presence/facial expressions, I am in love with her all over again.

[@seed_drill7135]

John Phillips wrote it for Judy Collins pre Mamas & Papas days.

[@ddubs15]

i've just watched this video 675 times in a row.

[@pomidorchannel2118]

я русский

[@keithhartman9946]

Yep, I'm just getting started So much love for joni

[@kathyhollenbach7413]

WOW!!!

[@unclearvin3718]

Come on, it isn't that difficult to learn.

[@altareggo]

Listen to the fancy guitar work Joni fires off so effortlessly!! She was SUCH a talent in soooooo many ways!!!

[@ditirambo1216]

Interesting. Here Joni is using a capo, but playing first position triads, instead of her now traditional open tunings. I always thought that she had never played traditional guitar chords, but this video tells me that isn't so. KZbin has become an ethnomusicological resource! Great!

[@Mooser42001]

Look at their faces when she delivers the line "it being summer, I took off my shirt" And with the flash of her eyes, she sent a high-voltage charge through the room! So young, so good with the guitar, and the besides the camera, the microphone loves her.

[@drawingtime2589]

the expression from the guy to the left LOL

[@sunnyhobblegate9173]

If you listen again you'll hear she changed the line to "I took off my shoes".

[@erichaight8374]

@@sunnyhobblegate9173 That is also what I heard.

[@BrittOlinder]

Her performance just tickles me! Juxtapose her innocence with the lyrics= perfect irony. Very sweet :)

[@RealDapperDude]

So achingly young and beautiful. 1965 wasn't such a bad year, judging by this video. I was 12, and everything looked ok to me. Mom and Dad were still alive, so was my favorite aunt (died at age 52, Thanksgiving of '79). All the bad shit was so far off, or off of my radar. I don't think I'd care to go back and do it again, but glimpses of that age, such as through vids like this, are priceless.

[@The333Wanderer]

These poor guys had no idea who was singing with them. God's angel of music.

[@georgenotsmith2804]

Even though I just watched it, it's hard to wrap my mind around Joni singing this.

[@tsiminiera]

She is so gifted!!! Amazing

[@slownoman]

because of the genius of her songwriting and the effect of her angelic voice, her guitar skill have been underrated. she's amazing. I've never seen film of her this young; I knew she was beautiful, but this is ridiculous! She looks almost- almost- like Catherine Deneuve in Umbrellas of Cherbourg, and I doubt Catherine has Joni's chops. the point: an angel lives among us. She is THE Renaissance woman of our generation.

[@sailorgregor]

I imagine a lot of the old school performers in ties and sweaters (@:56 e.g.) were watching and thinking ... 'there's the future of folk, and it ain't us'. I think her amazing performance of 'Urge for Going' nailed that home more than anything because of the poetry and delivery. Joni went so far beyond folk, she was the style of herself.

[@John_Fugazzi]

Thank you for posting what must be an incredibly rare appearance of Joni Mitchell. I can't believe I'm seeing her so early in her career.

[@im4out]

Just came back here. Superb

[@letemtalk]

Hooray for Oscar Brandt, a real talent and discoverer of talented folks

[@wildnites558]

What beautiful eyes!

[@MrMatthewSpeed]

Seriously one of my favorite KZbin videos ever, great!

[@Imissthepostoffice]

It is truly so precious to see her at this time. She was a WAY better singer and guitarist then they had ever seen before ! And way ahead of her time. And they were all in love with her, of course. Do you blame them ?

[@funcktheduck]

+geez louise And she s - she was e real beauty than. #holymoly

[@spacetunesgreg4979]

+geez louise was written by Poppa John Phillips one drunk,did not even remember writing until he started getting royalties checks

[@JBCo2012]

Matthew Speed McDonald That's not nice. That's a disgusting thing to say. John was my friend TROLL.

[@IwanttoliveinParis]

How many times did I see Bob Weir sing this tune, 30+? Now this...totally mind-blowing....... OK...I'm back from wikipedia; apparently written by John Phillips of the Mamas & The Pappas in a tequila haze in a hotel room party with Neil Young in 1963. A cassette was rolling and Judy Collins left with it. The next morning John has no recollection of it and Judy's gone and she records it and the Dead hear it and Joni Mitchell (obviously) and a few others. Dead played it ~ 616 times.

[@DavidAutruche]

It's not your fault, it's in the Wikipedia entry - but Neil Young hadn't even left Winnipeg in 1963, didn't meet Stephen Stills until 1965, in Thunder Bay Ontario. He certainly wasn't in California. The story becomes plausible if we set it in 1966 or '67, although it wouldn't have been a cassette the song was recorded to - it would have been a reel-to-reel. After some research, here is the most plausible scenario: Joni Mitchell sang "Me and My Uncle" on the Let's Sing Out TV show, which aired on October 4, 1965. So the only place the apocryphal story could have transpired would have been in New York, where Neil went on two occasions in the summer of 1965. Stephen was there, and John Phillips very likely was as well. What's more, "Shakey" mentions that Judy Collins was recording in the same studio where Neil made his demo for Elektra in early September, 1965, although he would have probably met her during his first New York visit, through Stills. Judy Collins was already well-known, so she could have had a reel-to-reel recorder in the hotel room, and she may have been working on that very song at the same time Neil was doing his demo in the tape vault at Elektra! ("Went all the way there and they gave me a tape machine. Told me to press start" - Shakey, p. 133). Tantalizing possibility. However, further investigation shows that Judy Collins first recorded the song in October of 1964 on her Judy Collins Concert album, and that John Phillips himself remembers it as having happened after a concert in Phoenix Arizona. In one interview he says that Roger McGuinn of the Byrds was there, and in another he mentions Stills and Young. Of course, John Phillips' memory is totally unreliable, so my final theory is that Phillips is mixing up a bout of drinking with Stills, Young, Collins et al in New York in 1965 with a "tequila night" in Arizona in 1963 (or more likely 1964). Neil Young was having trouble getting from Winnipeg to Thunderbay in his hearse in 1964, had not met Stills yet, and had never been to the States at that time, save for a trip to Florida with his family. It's a mix-up of two nights of drinking among the hundreds in Phillips' career.

[@Imissthepostoffice]

What a great rendition ! Joni does it great. Not what one would expect, but I adore her great taste in folk music. (Not to say anything about her own musical genius). Great selection. I love the song !

[@stanleycrim]

After release, composer John Phillips started receiving royalties for same. Mystified, he contacted Joni to ask her what this wuz about. She informed him it wuz for this song, which Phillips didn't know he wrote. It had been a multi-substance night after a concert in a hotel room in Colorado. Mitchell wuz there, liked the tune and recorded it. Phillips noted his memory of composing it grew more keen w/ each check. And another thing! Me and My Uncle wuz the Grateful Dead's most performed tune. I hope you all took notes. There will be a spot quiz later.

[@ramcduff]

It was Judy Collins, not Joni. Here is the story: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_and_My_Uncle

[@slownoman]

I did not know that (Johnny Carson voice)! I first saw the Dead in late summer '66 and they spent 45 minutes tuning up and lots of folks thought it was far out. I thought it was boring. they got a whole lot better and made some great music. Crazy days, but good ones, by and large.

[@mikemorgan362]

Canada's gift to the world

[@slownoman]

thanks! As a guitarist and songwriter myself, Joni is among a handful that I wouldn't dare aspire toward. She's unattainable. Joni's a little older than I am (not by a whole lot), but, had I met her when I was single, my heart would have fallen directly at her feet.

[@bartlettohio]

...and God Bless Joni...

[@bigbandsrock1]

Such fun!! Joni often takes you by surprise with her lyrics and this is part of her cleverness in song writing! Enchantingly brilliant! 💖

[@lesterross1]

It is written by John Phillips Mamas and Papas

[@coe8jc]

Sublime talent percolating up from the vastness of the Canadian prairie. Joni is a gift from the Gods. Thank you!

[@MissCrystalStarr]

an angel right before us pouring out her angel heart. sigh..

[@BJane58]

Musical prodigy, art prodigy, throw in some beauty………Joni Mitchell is queen.

[@duster71]

Unbelievablely beautiful

[@slownoman]

@BarkingEggplant the original lyric (the song was written by John Phillips) said "left him lying there by the side of the road". It's in the Judy Collins version and in the Phillips version, both of which pre-date the Dead doing this song.

[@thGory1]

Thank you henhenstoll !!! I love Joni !! There's nothing she can't do - i remember Stephen Stills once saying " it ain't easy keeping up with Joni on guitar " and here she is so young playing like a master picker and still singing like a rockin angel.

[@christopherj3121]

I see why Prince loved her so much.

[@nman48]

Oscar Brand was a collector of all kinds of folk and traditional music. I have a paperback from 1967 called "Folksongs for Fun" which has over 200 folk songs. I still play them. Nice to see him and Joni too.

[@Ant1498]

Lovely, just simply amazing. They don't make em' like this anymore!

[@BearWa11ace]

So haunting and beautiful.. I find my self back here listening to this one from time to time!..

[@martinwall7297]

great looks great voice great playing

[@valdepal]

who else was half expecting that incredibly beautiful cherubic face and voice to sing... " and I left left his dead a** there by the side of the road !! and how I was hoping there would be a shot of the face of that smiling gent to her right, while she sang it henhenstoll, you my hero for the day, thanks for posting this I think Joni was cool and beautiful from day 1

[@henrybarnack3399]

Joni is a phenomenal singer who speaks of innocents and hard times

[@drraechristopher]

WHAT A STORY TELLER! HER EYES! HER SMILE! WHAT A KICK! 💕

[@dspf68]

Goddess of music

[@yyz4761]

So beautiful and so talented.

[@Frank_Cohen]

Beautiful renditiion. Stunning! I love, love, love Joni. An artist who has made it strictly on her own terms. The model of artistic integriy.

[@Breakbeats92.5]

It's not often that you see such an intimate connection between the song, the instrument, music and singer. Bravo Ms. Mitchell, Bravo!

[@theTVwebsiteChannel]

- And that is how ya do it! Amazing, Joni had Polio at age 9. It affected her fingers and she devised dozens of "alternative tunings" of her own. BTW, The young gentlemen in the band, lookin' on in awe are Harry Chapin and his brothers Tom & Steve. Oscar Brandt (recently of WNYC) was the host, he passed in 2016.

[@G0K3001]

theTV.website/ Heys thanks that, would have slipped by me. Harry was awesome!

[@jennervacationrentals993]

john Philips did write it in Texas after a night with Mr. Tequila and fellow musicians: John Phillips from The Mamas & The Papas wrote this song. In the liner notes to his solo album Phillips 66 (where his version of the song appears), it states: "John often used to tell the story behind 'Me And My Uncle.' Years ago he began receiving publishing royalties from a song on a Judy Collins record with which he was unfamiliar. It was titled 'Me And My Uncle.' He called Judy to let her know of the mistake because he hadn't written any such song. She laughed and told him that about a year before, in Arizona after one of her concerts, they had a 'Tequila' night back at the hotel with Stephen Stills, Neil Young and a few others. They were running a blank cassette and John proceeded to write 'Me And My Uncle' on the spot. The next day, John woke up to the tequila sunrise with no recollection of the songwriting incident. Judy kept the cassette from that evening and then, without informing John, recorded the song for her own record. Over the years the song was recorded by several people, and eventually became a standard of the Grateful Dead. John used to joke that, little by little, with each royalty check, the memory of writing the song would come back to him."

[@jeffreyabelson7171]

I always took it for granted that the Dead wrote this... now I know . ""Me and My Uncle", often also written as "Me & My Uncle," is a song composed by John Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas, and popularized in versions by Judy Collins and the Grateful Dead."

[@bigpapykane]

I love this woman!

[@justinmcinerny]

wow, just wow!

[@unclebobunclebob]

outrageous...I've never seen these clips. KZbin as a time machine. H.G. Wells, eat your heart out.

[@davidmayhew4818]

Soooo charming! She just lit up the sky.

[@mfrmorrobay]

Way, way classic. What a find. Thanks for that

[@mrmarcusfarcus]

she's gorgeous. her lyrics are so deep and beautiful

[@Lea99Jones]

Yes. Joni is/was so badass.

[@georgekrats2573]

she was horible.. get a hearing ade

[@neiladlington950]

Thank you.

[@coy0te9]

She was having a blast singing this and Brand was definitely holding back a laugh when she sang the line about taking off her shirt

[@rhmayer1]

David Christian Oscar Brand was quite an interesting character. Also a folk musician, he did children's songs, produced this show and on the side had a band that did children's tunes with substituted filthy X-rated lyrics. I've got the album somewhere buried in my record collection. Oscar Brand and the Fabulous Road Apples or something like that. Quite a kick. About time to break it out again, blow the dust off it and give it a spin. Oh yeah... LOVE Joni!! I'm so used to the Dead version, this was GREAT!

[@primoemonuel]

Oh boy, I like this song so damn much thath i've been listening it for hours without gettin tired!

[@lelandthomasfaegre]

She's a great performer. Her facial expresions tell it all!

[@lairdherron8202]

had noooo clue this is a joni rip!!!!

[@robbieshell]

I am a huge Dead head, and Joni fan.......but ya learn something new every day...had No idea Joni covered this John Phillips' brilliant cowbiy tune!

[@henrybarnack3399]

Joni is a beautiful singer that's gifted and a survivor from not getting lung cancer due to smoking 😊

[@BearWa11ace]

I love this song... I surely love the way Joni Sings it!! thanks for sharing this!!

[@aidanwhitethorne5663]

Damn. I mean damn. I gre up w/ Grateful Dead's version. i also am not a big Joni mitchell fan. But sometimes you gotta say damn...

[@thatrandomguy234]

Hell yes!

[@Ant1498]

You should be she is a GREAT TALENT

[@nickmosey6195]

Me too!!

[@davidb8777]

I was surprised to learn that the song was written by John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas.. I have know it for years but thought the Dead wrote it. I do like the young Joni so this video was a real treat.

[@danh367]

Funny thing I was raised on GD version too, but learned controversial John Phillip's actually wrote and recorded 8t but was so drunk he forgot about it

[@gallieman]

i love this. joni mitchell has one of the most unique voices i have ever heard. thanx much for posting. xx

[@C6H12B26]

Another song sung by Judy Collins too. Both versions are again very different. I like both. Great thanks !

[@ChrisVonTanner]

I can't believe I have never heard this...thanks so much!

[@jarodcarnarvon5198]

So beautiful!!!

[@timfrancis9116]

I know this about Joni but the guys off in the background are the Chapin Brothers. The guy that is tuning his guitar as the video starts is Harry Chapin

[@catherinepowers2068]

Wow, I never saw her that young!

[@greenthumbguy1]

Wow...I thought I'd seen it all...been a Deadhead for years and a Joni fan for even more...never seen this. THANK YOU!

[@catatafish22]

absolutely gorgeous

[@zaprowsdower]

This performance is legend

[@taylorsachs5779]

Who still listens 2020

[@DickeyFatts]

Taylor Sachs ...Joni is a total babe. I’m here cause of the greatest band in the land (~);}

[@bertski60]

once in a while you make amazing discoveries here. this is one of them. what a great song!

[@idic5]

thank you youtube and OP! great clip. great picking and teeth, joni! Fine song writing by j philips.

[@hivolt1953]

She's still beautiful as an older woman. I still love you Joni !

[@fpngan]

Gosh, what a voice!

[@michaeldavidson8971]

This early material is great! too bad it never made it on any of her albums.

[@bpbatlaw]

I like the slightly different lyrics and approach. I don't know if this is strictly speaking a "murder ballad" but it's a fun song!

[@westrokker]

God she was beautiful and amazingly talented

[@KennBurch]

Wow...this might well be the earliest performance footage of Joni Mitchell that exists.

[@thewholeworldiswatching]

She looks and sounds so lovely here.

[@danhaas]

the mostest awesome talent in the bud-stage! precious recording! thanks for posting!

[@michaelnienaber8263]

Amazing

[@Sincopare]

Wow...no denying the absolute talent...

[@im4out]

fantastic.. and hypnotising...

[@Msboboliciios]

slownoman, I can't read the comment that led to your reply. However, I almost pissed myself laughing at your rebuttal. You are too funny and right as well. Peace out sister!

[@handsonline5414]

Joni Never Lies! Great clip. The shows host is Oscar Brand (no "t" on the end) he still has a weekly radio show out of New York. The four guys in the band behind Oscar are The Chapin's, Harry Chapin & his brothers Tom, Jim & Steve. Would love to see some video of the Chapin's playing.

[@Imissthepostoffice]

Moral people love this song. It is one of the finer songs written. Thanks John Phillips for your great folk song here. Shame on the nitwits that reproduced even more nitwits, along with their swear words. Lovely !

[@thomasmuscheck1987]

Now God bless cowboys.. And God bless gold.. God bless my uncle.. God rest his soul.. Taught me 'bout cowboys.. Taught me all I know.. So I grabbed the gold.. and left him lying dead there.. on the side of the road. NOW WE KNOW WHERE WEIR AND GARCIA LEARNED THIS SONG. No wonder Dylan was so mad when David Geffen had him to a party shortly after Dylan went to Asylum for one record.. invited him to the sound check listening party for Court And Spark.. and Bob came apart after listening to it.. said he didn't like it and left.. then went back to Columbia the next year for good. Too many fish in that pool. Probably the greatest compliment that Joni was ever paid.. though it likely hurt her quite badly. Dylan wrote in Things Have Changed (2000) that "I hurt easy.. I just don't show it.. you can hurt someone and not even know it". Life is much crueler to women than men. You are phenomenal, Joni. Morning Morgantown. Buy your dreams a dollar down. Morning.. any town you name.. morning's just the same.

[@TomatoDave]

Looking at this video, I now understand why every guy who met her fell in love sith her in the 60's. So beautiful and talented.

[@lowellthomasjr.468]

Her "self portrait" was a beautiful representational rather than abstract pencil drawing ! wow...wrote all the songs, played piano and guitar and...wow!!!

[@smartalek1]

Such a great rendition. Shouldn't be surprising, but I wouldn't have expected it. And yes, she does sing "shirt," which is the lyric. And I know it's not just me thinking that nice Mr Brand (pretty sure there's no "t" in his name) is thinking things he really shouldn't be thinking about his musical guest when she sings that line... Remember, Mr Brand, it's a family show, m'kay?

[@michaelbrent5950]

Damn, she was beautiful. And so good on the guitar.

[@cleatusbarncoat8642]

Just picked-up Reckless Daughter by David Yaffe. Can’t wait to dive-into JM.

[@elliemakesmusic]

i love her.

[@RondelayAOK]

That's great! I only know the Dead version. Oscar Brand's kinda leering at her, but it's neat to see the other performers just stunned by her performance: what a helluva performer---she can do it all.

[@mnbvrty]

Amazing!!!

[@ChickenReelCinema]

It is Oscar Brand. He preserved many filthy old songs. Look him up. Great version with Joni.

[@kenmacdonald9214]

Look at the facial expressions of the guys watching. They realize that their day has come and gone. That they have nothing. Joni Mitchel has defined the last several decades as far as music goes.