On a related note, I just received from a list friend a nice big
reproduction of the February 3, 1972 Rolling Stone "Hollywood's Hot 100" aka
the infamous so-called "flow-chart" of all Joni's loves. Many people have
been hunting for this legendary chart which purportedly has been the source
of Joni's long-term rancor towards the publication. I have to tell you, I
initially could not see what would offend Joni so much about it. There are
tons of other musicians in the boxes linked to tons of other musicians. In
fact, I thought they gave special prominence to Joni in, what I perceive, an
affectionate way by singling her out with a big lipstick kiss encircling her
name. She is only linked to James Taylor, Graham Nash and David Crosby -
all of which has always been common knowledge and also true. I recall an
interview where Joni said they had linked her to many people who she'd never
been involved with and how it hurt them and her, etc. But I don't see that
at all - she definitely had relationships with those men. On a second look
at the chart, however, I have a hunch at what *really* might have irked her.
The majority of the connective lines on the chart signify *musical*
alliances, with the romantic alliances being a sort of secondary
acknowledgement. Joni does not even rate her own box as a musician on the
mostly male dominated chart, while at least Rita Coolidge and Carole King
are given their own boxes and tied to musical alliances. If you look at it
another way, or maybe from her perspective, one can see how she might feel
dissed, marginalized and made to look as if she was nothing more than those
guys' star groupie. I suspect this is the real reason she was offended but
might have been too hurt or had too much pride to say it. I can see why she
got her fur up a bit.
Kakki
