Joni Mitchell is widely recognised as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time.
Many artists have proclaimed their love for her honest lyricism underscored by folk melodies, from Taylor Swift to Donna Summer. Though artists now are open about how Mitchell has influenced their work, it used to be a different story.
During a conversation with Interview Magazine in 2005, Mitchell recalls that “straight white men” would only compliment her by saying, “‘My girlfriend really likes your music,’ as if they were the wrong demographic”. While rock music reigned supreme, her feminine vocals and soft instrumentals didn’t yet lend themselves to a male audience willing to admit their love for her music.
However, English rock legends Led Zeppelin were an exception. Despite their heavy rock sound and image, the band were open about their admiration for Joni Mitchell and even took influence from her in their own music.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page explained that he listened to Joni Mitchell at home “all the time”, particularly her sixth studio album Court and Spark.
It’s an odd but endearing image to picture a youthful, long-haired Jimmy Page listening to the tender 1974 record. But it’s also an unsurprising one, given that Led Zeppelin often incorporated folk influences into their heavy rock leanings.
Given that Led Zeppelin song ‘Going to California’ was heavily inspired by Mitchell’s ‘California’, the track acts almost as a conversation with its precursor. Mitchell’s protagonist is longing for home, for California, while Zeppelin’s track longs for a California girl “with love in her eyes and flowers in her hair”.
Page continued to share his love for Mitchell, sharing: “The main thing with Joni is that she’s able to look at something that’s happened to her, draw back and crystallize the whole situation, then write about it… She brings tears to my eyes, what more can I say?… I can relate so much to what she says.”
Mitchell’s songwriting has always been noted for its honesty and poeticism. But at the time, she shared that only Led Zeppelin were “courageous and outspoken” enough to share their love for it: “But others wouldn’t admit it”.
Her appreciation for their open admiration of her music came primarily from its juxtaposition with how others treated her. She recalled that “Other artists would cross the street when I walked by. Initially, I thought that was due to elitism, but I later found out they were intimidated by me”.
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