Court and Spark

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Court and Spark is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Released by A&M in January 1974, it infuses the folk rock style of her previous albums with jazz elements.

It was an immediate commercial and critical success—and remains her most successful album. It reached No. 2 in the United States and No. 1 in Canada and eventually received a double platinum certification by the RIAA, the highest of Mitchell's career.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It also reached the Top 20 in the UK and was voted the best album of the year for 1974 in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critics Poll.<ref name="PazzJop">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2020, it was ranked at number 110 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In 2004, Court and Spark was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Background

Mitchell did not release a new album in 1973, the first year she had not done so in her professional career. Her previous offering, For the Roses, was released in November 1972 to critical and commercial success, and Mitchell decided to spend the whole of the next year writing and recording a new album that revealed her growing interest in new sounds—particularly jazz. During 1973 her stage appearances were fewer than in previous years. She performed in April in a benefit concert at the Sir George Williams University Auditorium and then appeared live again in August, twice at The Corral Club, accompanied by Neil Young.

Mitchell spent most of 1973 in the recording studio creating Court and Spark. Mitchell and engineer Henry Lewy called in a number of top L.A. musicians to perform on the album including members of the Crusaders, Tom Scott's L.A. Express, cameos from Robbie Robertson, David Crosby and Graham Nash and even a twist of comedy from Cheech & Chong.

Release and reception

On December 1, 1973, Asylum Records released a single, her first in over a year, "Raised on Robbery".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The single reached No. 65 on the Billboard Singles Chart in February 1974.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In January 1974, Court and Spark was released, and met with widespread critical acclaim and commercial success. Its success was reaffirmed when the follow-up single, "Help Me", was released in March. It received heavy radio airplay and became Mitchell's first and only top 10 Billboard single, peaking at No. 7 on the Hot 100 in the first week of June, and reaching No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Template:Album ratings Court and Spark became a big seller that year, peaking at No.2 on the Billboard album chart<ref name="Billboard">{{#ifeq: | yes | https://www.allmusic.com/album/r44890{{

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}}</ref> and staying there for four weeks. The album topped the US Cashbox and Record World charts for one week each.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In a July 1979 interview with Cameron Crowe for Rolling Stone, Mitchell recounted playing the newly completed Court and Spark to Bob Dylan, during which he fell asleep.<ref name="rs79">Template:Cite magazine</ref> She later suggested that Dylan was probably trying to be "cute" in front of label boss David Geffen, who was also present.<ref name="rs79" />

Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks recalled taking LSD to the album: "I was with my producer, at his house, with a set of speakers that were taller than that fireplace, and I was in a safe place. And I sat there on the floor and listened to that record… That was a pretty dynamic experience."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In 2000 it was voted number 116 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.<ref name="Larkin">Template:Cite book</ref>

Honors

• RIAA certifications: gold February 27, 1974; platinum and double platinum December 12, 1997.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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• In 1974, Court and Spark was voted the 'Best Album of the Year' in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll.<ref name="PazzJop"/>
• It was voted number 116 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums 3rd Edition (2000).<ref name="Larkin2">Template:Cite book</ref>
• In 2003, the album was ranked number 111 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,<ref name="RS500">Template:Cite book</ref> 114 in a 2012 revised list,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and 110 in a 2020 revised list.<ref name=":0" />

Grammy Awards

Template:Awards table |- | style="width:35px; text-align:center;" rowspan="4"|1975 ||Court and Spark || Album of the Year<ref name="1970saoty">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> || Template:Nom |- | rowspan="2"|"Help Me" || Record of the Year<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>|| Template:Nom |- | Best Female Pop Vocal Performance<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>|| Template:Nom |- | "Down to You" (arranger: Joni Mitchell and Tom Scott) || Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)<ref name="grammywinners">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>|| Template:Won |-

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Track listing

All tracks are written by Joni Mitchell, except where noted.

Side one

1. "Court and Spark" – 2:46
2. "Help Me" – 3:22
3. "Free Man in Paris" – 3:02
4. "People's Parties" – 2:15
5. "The Same Situation" – 2:57

Side two

1. "Car on a Hill" – 3:02
2. "Down to You" – 5:38
3. "Just Like This Train" – 4:24
4. "Raised on Robbery" – 3:06
5. "Trouble Child" – 4:00
6. "Twisted" (Annie Ross, Wardell Gray) – 2:21

Personnel

• Joni Mitchell – vocals, acoustic guitar, piano; clavinet Template:Small
• Tom Scott – woodwinds, reeds
• Joe Sample – electric piano; clavinet Template:Small
• Larry Carlton – electric guitar Template:Small
• Max Bennett – bass guitar Template:Small
• John Guerin – drums, percussion
• Chuck Findley – trumpet Template:Small
• José Feliciano – electric guitar Template:Small
• Wayne Perkins – electric guitar Template:Small
• Robbie Robertson – electric guitar Template:Small
• Dennis Budimir – electric guitar Template:Small
• Wilton Felder – bass guitar Template:Small
• Jim Hughart – bass guitar Template:Small
• Milt Holland – chimes Template:Small
• David Crosby – backing vocals Template:Small
• Graham Nash – backing vocals Template:Small
• Susan Webb – backing vocals Template:Small
• Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong – background voices Template:Small

Technical personnel

• Joni Mitchell – record producer
• Henry Lewy and Ellis Sorkin – engineers
• Anthony Hudson – art direction, design
• Joni Mitchell – cover painting
• Norman Seeff – photography

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chart

Weekly chart performance for Court and Spark

Chart (1974)	Position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref name="auchart">Template:Cite book</ref>	34
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	1
US Cash Box Top 100 Albums<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	1

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for Court and Spark

Chart (1974)	Position
Canadian Albums Chart<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	23
US Billboard Pop Albums<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	13