Ahh... the "Prototype THOSL Cover" thread returns.
If you're talking about a watercolor version of THOSL, you are describing the mockup of the cover. There are some bold, brownish brushstrokes near the right edge, in the foreground that are quite unlike the polished, final version. If you look closely, the fold lines are easy to spot along the center spine. It's quite likely that you're seeing the .jpg that I sent to the chap who wrote the article on the making of the cover. Was the book you were looking at published in 2001 by "Q" magazine, in the UK? The history, as I remember it follows: Some of Joni's paintings were discussed in a book called "StarArt". I think the "final" version of the cover was discussed in there. A Friend Of Joni owned the prototype painting and decided that, because of undisclosed personal reasons, she needed to raise some cash. With a heavy heart, she sent a high-quality 35mm photo of the original watercolor to Jim Johnanson at jonimitchell.com and asked him to hold an auction. JJ posted the picture on the official site and I downloaded it, aware that Joni's stuff is cool anyway, and that a prototype of a famous cover is.... **WAY** cool. ..... And now ..... you know ..... the REST ..... ..... of the story. Lama Mike wrote: >>>"Browsing in the bookshop the other day, as one does, I spotted a book called (more or less) '100 Classic Album Covers'. One of the covers was 'Hissing' and the explanation of the cover art was very interesting but one thing worried me: in this book the cover of the album has a brownish background (well, foreground to be exact) whereas I remember my copy (still in Wales, must check it at Easter) being mostly a shade of green. Are there different versions of this cover?" Lama
