Buffy Saint-Marie and Joni Mitchell

An excerpt from the 2006 documentary "Buffy Sainte-Marie: A Multimedia Life." A portrait of Native American singer/songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. Mixes current and archival performance footage. Interviews include Joni Mitchell, Robbie Robertson, John Kay (of Steppenwolf), and Eric Andersen.
Buffy was instrumental in introducing Joni's music to a wider audience. Along with Ian & Sylvia and Tom Rush, Buffy was one of the first singers to record Joni's songs, bringing her first songwriter royalties and publishing profits. While Buffy, heard singing "Circle Game" in the background, reveals the influence Joni's music had on her and originally played Joni's tapes for Joel Dean and Elliot Roberts. It was Buffy who suggested that they go to Café Au Go Go (New York) to check Joni out. After hearing her perform (October 26, 1967), Elliot immediately expressed an interest in managing her career. And the rest is history.

[@thomasmcardle9575]

Such a Fabulous time ... we thought it would never end... but then came disco

[@Coopsterish]

We could use a billion Buffy Saint-Marie’s and a billion more Joni Mitchell’s right now. Cool, passionate ladies.

[@modifiedcontent]

Both more interesting by a mile than any of the guys who came from that scene, including Dylan

[@lilacgirl9332]

Oh I agree!!!!!!!!!

[@carmendawnallan8871]

Both Saskatchewan,Gals. From Another Canadian Gal and Saskatchewan Originally,myself. These two Artists make me Proud. ❤🎤🎵

[@earthangel8730]

@@modifiedcontent it was a sexist world then and it still is now. How do you think a freak like trump could be elected in 2016? USA is way too sexist to elect a female president. Why do you think our current insane president got so many votes in 2020? His CULT followers aside and the mindless hypocrites who vote straight party line no matter what freak is representing their party... many many men and women can't fathom females in powerful positions. Vice President elect Harris makes both trump and his goon pence look like the ignorant, racist and sexist pigs they are. Good riddance!

[@brianpeters5717]

Totally agree ❤️❤️❤️❤️💋🌅

[@RB-jl2qb]

I watched Buffy St Marie play a mouth harp ( my grandmother called it a Jews Harp) on Sesame Street when I was about 5 yrs of age and I was riveted, I couldn’t take my eyes of the screen and her voice went straight to the soul. . I have loved her ever since.

[@sunovadistributionn.z.693]

yeah, that was great :)

[@abbynormal7036]

Talking about being a real Indian and spitting at her own heritage. It landed her a sweet job with liberals that encouraged that.

[@fattoria_di_bastoni]

This is great. I love both women’s special talents, especially Joni Mitchell. I had no idea if their connection m.

[@sparkleon4love27]

Buffy and Joni my idols, and now I know Buffy had a hand in Joni's career, and so the wheel spins magically💖🌈

[@abbynormal7036]

Funny how it says someone replied to this, yet it doesn't show, is KZbin or this channel covering for the fakery of Buffy Fake Marie, the life of spitting at her own heritage. A life of dishonoring her real mother and father for her god of Money.

[@trajsmith]

So many great Canadians here, Robbie Robertson, John Kay and my two favorite Saskatchewan folks, Buffy and Joni.

[@georgianwindow]

I am always surprised to hear that these were Canadian singers I knew JM and NY were, I grew up and loved all those you mentioned not forgetting LC and GL

[@georgianwindow]

I am english from Bishop Auckland and I went and bought records of all those mentioned here by you at Brothertons record shop in this small town in North East England including Steppenwolf Neil Y Gordon L Joni M Buffy S M Leonard C

[@lah6739]

Buffy is amazing. may she live a long and healthy life. I love her.

[@Mattrsx]

We all just learned of her fraud. kzbin.info/www/bejne/m37WonaNg6iImZYsi=57VEk11wrMgZRRaC

[@juliababb9097]

I was born in 1960. And my parents had all your albums so I heard you sing from a very young age. No wonder I’m me.

[@sharonazar1]

I remember Buffy, Greenwich Village, her words were powerful and still are..

[@abbynormal7036]

If you like lies, I guess her words are powerful. Seems a lot of folks like lies until held up to enough sunlight.

[@زراعة-غ4س]

What a beautiful buffy sainte marie | fallen in love with her songs

[@sharonhamill3755]

I got buffys first lp when I was a young girl.i saw her lots of times in uk .havent seen her for years.unique voice and her songs educated me about native americans.come back to see us buffy when covid is over.the lp it's my way is superb.she has nt gone out of date.she never will

[@abbynormal7036]

Her expiration date came due when she was found to be a fake that spit at her own family to keep the money train coming from those like you that enable them.

[@syndrodome]

Wonderful visuals

[@hardloper070884]

I'm so sad that I discovered her music so late. She's a genius.

[@abbynormal7036]

She something alright, liar comes to the top of the list.

[@bikecontroller3268]

And a total loony or liar. See how she threatened to accuse everyone who attempted to expose her lies...as a sex abuser. Her brother etc. She was nothing to do with ' Indian or First Nation' blood. A con merchant.

[@robertgillespie7946]

I'm embarrassed to admit I don't know much about Buffy but after this video I'm going to change that. I'm a rabid Joni fan which has led me to your channel. Thank you so much for sharing all of this rare footage.

[@valerieconnell2962]

Get her biography. It’s fabulous. She’s a pioneer in so many areas.

[@georgianwindow]

Such an unusual voice but she wrote lots of brilliant songs, Elvis recorded kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqjKi6CMq9hgjs0 There was a film called Soldier Blue she wrote the song for that film.

[@abbynormal7036]

All you need to know is she was a liar that threw her own family under the bus to keep her money train a going. Sounds like a good song story to make a few lyrics about huh....

[@sassulusmagnus]

When I first heard her song Cod'ine I was blown away. If you compare the lyric content to what was Top Ten in 1964, the contrast is dramatic. Still a very young lady, she was writing these gritty lyrics when a lot of popular music was pure fluff. I remember hearing her song My Country Tis Of Thy People You're Dying for the first time, riveted to the spot. I could not tear myself away. She has a gift for powerfully telling the truth.

[@PatriciaDonovan-g9m]

Absolutely phenomenal singer and songwriter.

[@davidstuart401]

They are still with us to remind us and the next generations of music and conscience and public responsibilities - Buffy, Joni, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez et al.

[@thookman08]

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC!!!!!!

[@markthompson4804]

Wonderful it’s great to watch a period of America that is never forgotten the music the artists and the times!

[@abbynormal7036]

No, it only learned to fake it and celebrate spitting at real cultures they came from.

[@Freyjapup]

I loved that Buffy recorded Joni's music..

[@carstenkoloc5226]

Two queens on vocal. ✌️😉💕

[@nixieNICLA]

Thank goodness for a movement, womb to the birth of the singer songwriters. Music is vital and this clip shows why. If I could go back in time I'd love to find myself in one of those coffee houses.

[@aliwalker7667]

+nixie NICLA makes me smile to read I am no alone here, I would also like to step back into time, this era ...............

[@MegaBarc]

+ali walker & nixie NICLA - So do I...

[@guyglowmore1]

what a gem. what a gift. have been there since the start and always appreciated buffy and joni and all those others but they sometimes get put in the background but come back months, years later, and in this case the love has grown as the impact of her music on me has skyrocketed. snowballed. touches the deepest parts of my soul

[@waynecormier5585]

I am a firm believer that we are the sum of our experiences. That's why we are all so different. I was lucky enough to be in the middle of all these great performers, Buffy, elston gunn (aka Bob Dylan, joni tom rush, Joan, etc. They helped make me who I am today, a little different and proud of it.

[@abbynormal7036]

Part fake?

[@lastrada52]

Buffy Saint-Marie....incredible singer-songwriter and performer. Still going strong too. Her "Priests of the Golden Bull" is intense and applicable even today. If you can read the lyrics as she sings it's even more powerful. The song "Darling Don't Cry," is fabulous and her "Until It's Time For You To Go," was even covered by Elvis Presley. A great career.

[@alexandergarcia3607]

Buffy's "until it's time for you to go"really touched me and so did Joni's "Circle Game .I do circle Game at partys

[@HEADSUPBERKELEY]

Buffy is a unique and gifted individual. Thanks so much for posting this

[@CaptainCurmudgeon]

While Buffy was living in HI, she wrote traditional songs in Hawaiian. Local singers have performed them, so they are genuine, which is what I always expect from Buffy.

[@herasmarket]

Does she still live on the big island of Hawaii?

[@dennysmith4396]

Was gobsmacked on discovering Buffy St. Claire .... discovering she'd written so many great numbers... "Universal Soldier"...Donovan made famous... Also such a fan of Native Americans... Were given a rough time by all & sundry for livingnoff the land as God intended us to do.... the original "hippies".... Joni Mitchell also great talent... gentle soothing lyrics...

[@susannarobinson4278]

Buffy Saint Marie

[@deenababie]

@@susannarobinson4278 typos happen. Surly you’re aware 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@abbynormal7036]

Fake Fake Fake Pretend Indian that spit at her own for profit from self-hating whites while be prompted up by liberal leaning media (NY times in this video) and NPR and others. Threatening her own brother with fake claims of being a pedo if he dared tell the truth. Her lyrics were what her audience wanted to hear, not the truth.

[@frederickavandinemdphd2065]

I never missed a show at the Purple Onion in the village (Toronto) You'll never know how much you impacted my life... A'ho (F A VanDine MD PhD, Las Vegas....)

[@artredoubt3629]

@Eric Engbloom sounds like you have something you are trying to say

[@christinedidur364]

Buffy is still rocking, better than ever

[@mikekavanagh8952]

Lovely Video and great story.

[@ninaheully179]

Love y'all so much. There are no words....I am blessed to have many old vinyl platters and many CDs. I've learned to play some of y'alls easier tunes and yalls music has brought me lots of comfort in my tragic life. Thanks for the music❤PEACE...Y'all Rock !

[@jonpreuss3137]

would loved to have been born a little earlier than 1950 near the village. what a great time to live and breath

[@ScotlandsDSN]

❤

[@louisereich1839]

Joni Mitchell was completely original in her singing, in a wonderful way.

[@taddyd1]

COPIED Baez and Collins now hates them. Her first volume anthology had about 15 covers of songs the two folk queens had recorded on very successful lps. Her first commercial recording was a reworking of Baez' iconic House of the Rising Sun (which was also the 1st version Eric Burden also heard}

[@brianpeters5717]

Absolutely love them❤️💋✌️🎶🌅

[@A_Pa-Plainjane]

thanky, for tracing the roots of so many momentous changes back to the source. I will have to find out more about Lafarge. Most people do not know of the Beats and the early folksong movement which was the tinder for the sixties and everything else which followed. Since i am only the 18th commenter on this video, i have to assume that the vast majority of people still do not understand how we went from the McCarthy hearings in the fifties, to the protest movements of the sixties, and why we are still fighting some of the same battles today. Except we do not have the clear-cut vision to see the same forces for the status quo at work. We are too busy fighting terrorism and are too distracted by the dis-jointed 'news' reports of the big Five media outlets, which keep everyone ignorant and keep everyone 'good consumers'.

[@Khultan]

Yes!!!! ♥

[@lancewaddell-smith3170]

Buggar the Critics ! Great Song ❤ , Play it Loud then turn it up !!

[@MySerpentine]

Bless them

[@michaellincoln836]

I Can No Longer Comment On This Or Any Other Joni Mitchell Video.... I Can Only Weep......

[@123Goldhunter11]

I identify with Buffy. I love the woods.

[@abbynormal7036]

What is that identity ? English America or Italian? It wasn't Canadian or Native American. She faked it all and threatened anyone that dared tell the truth.

[@petergreen3122]

Buffy seems to be a very special person...

[@abbynormal7036]

Special liar. You couldn't trust anything out of her mouth.

[@brucegelman5582]

Buffy is a Saint.

[@abbynormal7036]

Another comment that didn't hold up well.

[@tomconway5684]

What a cool person.

[@nickbyrne5871]

Buffy is so cool

[@abbynormal7036]

Would love to hear your update opinion on the Pretendian now.

[@thomasromano9321]

Buffy St. Marie: brilliant, huge influence on Joni Mitchell. Don't blame Buffy for withdrawing in Hawaii. A lot of great artists often put themselves in isolated places, because it is replenishing.

[@racketman2u]

It's Buffy singing Joni's songs, not the other way around.

[@thomasromano9321]

@@racketman2u I suppose Buffy did sing some Joni songs, but some songs, like "The Universal Soldier" and "Codeine" (based on her own addiction to codeine) were written by Buffy.

[@artredoubt3629]

@@thomasromano9321 I never knew about the codeine.

[@thomasromano9321]

@@artredoubt3629 Buffy St. Marie composed a work called "Codeine," which was written about her addiction to codeine. The refrain is chilling: "And it's real and it's reel, one more time." She talks about how she reeled and staggered from the effects of codeine addiction. It's a powerful song where she sings about her parents addictions than says, "but the fate of their baby was many times worse."

[@abbynormal7036]

@@thomasromano9321 Probable more fakery, if it is about "parent's addiction" then we know it is fake.

[@Apachita]

"Nobody had heard of a hippy"...(until her). "Nobody had heard of an Indian"...(until her) "Songwriters were illegal".... (until her) "Joni would have been nothing" ...(without her). I'd just like to add that nobody faked an Indian so well until her.

[@abbynormal7036]

Lot of propping up of fakery by a lot of liberals. But the message she spouted takes precedence, it must live on. She sang of hatred of her own culture because it sold well with people that must hate themselves. The Indian culture was probable the most barbaric warlike in the world, yet now days it has been white-washed as the most idea culture to ever exist. Good grief.

[@sfdungeon]

. . . quite lovely!

[@torontorox]

"we write the songs about the way we feel" Robbie Robbertson

[@adelebiancarelli8719]

wow🧚

[@SeavaBliss]

Wow, used to play at Speakeasy and Folk City...Lenape lands.

[@bornagain66]

"Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC (born Beverly Sainte-Marie, February 20, 1941) is a Native Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues of indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire also includes subjects of love, war, religion, and mysticism." Buffy is Canadian!!

[@artredoubt3629]

Thank you kindly for that summary. Only just now learned that she paints. Quite an amazing woman. I have loved her for a long time.

[@Mattrsx]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/m37WonaNg6iImZYsi=57VEk11wrMgZRRaC Seems Buffy Lied to us all!

[@Mattrsx]

@@artredoubt3629 she's a fraud.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/m37WonaNg6iImZYsi=57VEk11wrMgZRRaC

[@abbynormal7036]

All BS, she is about as much Indian as the fake culture the Indians spread about their "peace and harmony" heritage. The truth is Buffy is fake and so is the white-washing of Indian heritage being anything peaceful (it was the most warful culture known). Now the Indian identity is to claim victimhood and blame everything on everyone else.

[@user-xt5ws2by8r]

Joni Mitchell was born in Ft McLeod, Alberta, Canada, so that would make her a Canadian as well

[@martbook]

Buffy and Joni, a couple of Saskatchewan ladies.

[@georgianwindow]

I did not know Buffy was also from Saskatchewa

[@abbynormal7036]

Nope, she was just a Pretendian. Fake who spit at her own family and threatened them with vile lies if they didn't keep their mouths shut about her real heritage. She made a living spitting at true self.

[@121ramondo]

Buffy is Native and no other

[@Earthdogbonzo3]

I've found my songbird!

[@louisereich1839]

Laugh at Louise! I meant Buffy Sainte-Marie. Joni Mitchell was also a wonderful singer, but Buffy was different, strange in a wonderful way.

[@maryalfiler9834]

Nice job Maria! telling the truth again .......like it is. ThanK YOU. HAPPY TO know you.

[@abbynormal7036]

Truth again? Nope, you just bought the lies hook, line, and sinker). Pretendian. Fake liar.

[@Mikisiwismybrother2021]

well, this didn't age too well, did it.

[@jimmcconnell7328]

Given the recent information about Buffy there will have be a disclaimer about her story of being Cree by at least one commenter who happens upon these videos of her.

[@marthacain1468]

Met him at Carnegie Mellon U. calei, w/ Howard Glasser & Carla Haben

[@alnicospeaker]

In the 60s BW photo 2:49 she looks exactly like today. Perfect Native American genes..

[@abbynormal7036]

ROTFLMBO at your "Perfect Native American Genes" comment. Perfect English Italian genes that spit/threatened her own family if they didn't keep their traps shut.

[@patbayes2289]

Buffy St Marie is Canadian

[@aliwalker7667]

+Pat Bayes Native Canadian... Buffy was adopted, more accurately; Buffy Sainte-Marie was born in 1941 on the Piapot Cree First Nation Reserve in the Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan, Canada. She was later adopted, growing up in Massachusetts....In 1964 on a return trip to the Piapot Cree reserve in Canada for a Powwow she was welcomed and (in a Cree Nation context) adopted by the youngest son of Chief Piapot, Emile Piapot and his wife, who added to Sainte-Marie's cultural value of, and place in, native culture.

[@Klaudiart]

+Pat Bayes and Native American... xo

[@A_Pa-Plainjane]

excellent, thanks, Buffy deserves all the credit she gets, one of the greatest voices and one of the greatest spirits who ever graced the planet.

[@kjun03]

Eric Andersen!! Not enough of him! He lived it! Dylan cashed in

[@MrGandharva108]

Buffy must have inspired Grace Slick's singing style.

[@lovefeist3136]

William F. Buckley at 1:08?

[@mushmorant9253]

No. It is not him. Similar face, but I don't think he ever had that much hair.

[@troygaspard6732]

At 1:01 I see a what appears to be Barbra Streisand.

[@randomoldlady_]

interesting - both Canadian women

[@abbynormal7036]

Nope, just fake.

[@christopherskipp1525]

Where is Buffy from?

[@abbynormal7036]

America with white heritage (English and Italian). Her whole past was made up to spit at her real heritage.

[@jonpreuss3137]

pack my bags for the forests of Maine. no fare thee well but good bye for high desert New Mexico

[@stevenkostechko6079]

1492 is when Americans discovered Columbus!

[@animerlon]

I hate to be THAT person, but here i go. In the description of this video, Buffy is referred to as Native American. Although she has lived most of her life in the USA, she was born in Canada & has dual citizenship. That would make her First Nations not Native American. She was one of the thousands of indigenous children kidnapped from their families & communities & was adopted by a couple from Massachusetts. EDIT 2 weeks later; Well, the shit really has hit the fan about this bio being false. I'm kinda amused by the coincidental timing of my comment, but saddened that her story is just a fabrication & so many have been deceived for so long.

[@videograph982]

...no, she wasn't.

[@quandrixtwincaster5738]

This comment REALLY didn't age well. LOL

[@animerlon]

@@videograph982 You're not wrong, i stand corrected.

[@animerlon]

@@quandrixtwincaster5738 😄😆😂 Not at all.

[@gardenplots283]

Well, you are right about the difference between someone being referred to as First Nations or Native American.

[@sue6454]

"Beat Generation" - Lol

[@tomkrakowski2008]

H

[@jameskennedy721]

Talking over such rare performance films is ignorant and annoying .

[@estebansteverincon7117]

Wow, Buffy has a nice body still.

[@LakhnBer]

Jeez, Esteban -- here you have this teacher, a person radiating power, and you notice "nice body"? (OK, I noticed her that way too -- fifty or so years ago. But young men are all idiots.)

[@estebansteverincon7117]

Sorry, but I'm not ashamed of liking a woman's body. I'm 45, and I _still_ think she has a nice body.

[@lertyuis]

Robert Spector: You're still an idiot!