Wild Things Run Fast is Joni Mitchell‘s eleventh studio album and her first for Geffen Records. Released in 1982, it represents her departure from jazz to a more 80s pop sound.
The resulting world tour took Mitchell through the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia. A video of the tour was released in 1983, entitled Refuge of the Roads. The recorded performances were not live but recorded in a studio once the tour had been completed, with applause dubbed-in in post production. There was also some Super 8 footage taken by Mitchell on the road. It has since been released on DVD.
Mitchell claimed that her inspiration for the album came from hearing the music of popular bands such as Steely Dan, Talking Heads and The Police at a discothèque during a trip to the Caribbean in 1981. She said that hearing The Police, especially, affected her sound, saying, “their rhythmic hybrids, and the positioning of the drums, and the sound of the drums, was one of the main calls out to me to make a more rhythmic album”
Tracks
1 (You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) 2:39
2 Be Cool (Joni Mitchell) 4:19
3 Chinese Cafe Unchained Melody (Joni Mitchell, Hy Zaret, Alex North) 5:19
4 Ladies’ Man (Joni Mitchell) 2:41
5 Love (Joni Mitchell) 3:56
6 Man to Man (Joni Mitchell) 3:41
7 Moon at the Window (Joni Mitchell) 3:44
8 Solid Love (Joni Mitchell) 3:10
9 Underneath the Streetlight (Joni Mitchell) 2:21
10 Wild Things Run Fast (Joni Mitchell) 2:18
11 You Dream Flat Tires (Joni Mitchell) 2:57
Musicians
1 (You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care
| Bass |
Larry Klein |
| Drums |
Vinnie Colaiuta |
| Guitar |
Mike Landau |
| Sax |
Kim Hutchcroft |
| Sax |
Larry Williams |
| Vocals |
Joni Mitchell |
2 Be Cool
| Bass |
Larry Klein |
| Drums |
John Guerin |
| Guitar |
Joni Mitchell |
| Synthesizer |
Russell Ferrante |
| Background Vocals |
John Guerin |
| Background Vocals |
Kenny Rankin |
| Background Vocals |
Robert de la Garza |
| Background Vocals |
Skip Cottrell |
| Vocals |
Joni Mitchell |
3 Chinese Cafe Unchained Melody
| Bass |
Larry Klein |
| Drums |
John Guerin |
| Guitar |
Steve Lukather |
| Synthesizer |
Larry Williams |
| Piano |
Joni Mitchell |
| Vocals |
Joni Mitchell |
4 Ladies’ Man
| Bass |
Larry Klein |
| Drums |
Vinnie Colaiuta |
| Guitar |
Larry Carlton |
| Synthesizer |
Larry Williams |
| Acoustic Guitar |
Joni Mitchell |
| Sax |
Larry Williams |
| Background Vocals |
Charles Valentino |
| Background Vocals |
Howard Kinney |
| Background Vocals |
Lionel Richie |
| Vocals |
Joni Mitchell |
5 Love
| Bass |
Larry Klein |
| Drums |
Vinnie Colaiuta |
| Guitar |
Steve Lukather |
| Acoustic Guitar |
Joni Mitchell |
| Sax |
Wayne Shorter |
| Vocals |
Joni Mitchell |
6 Man To Man
| Bass |
Larry Klein |
| Drums |
John Guerin |
| Guitar |
Steve Lukather |
| Acoustic Guitar |
Joni Mitchell |
| Synthesizer |
Russell Ferrante |
| Percussion |
Victor Feldman |
| Background Vocals |
James Taylor |
| Vocals |
Joni Mitchell |
7 Moon At The Window
| Bass |
Larry Klein |
| Drums |
John Guerin |
| Guitar |
Joni Mitchell |
| Synthesizer |
Russell Ferrante |
| Sax |
Wayne Shorter |
| Vocals |
Joni Mitchell |
8 Solid Love
| Bass |
Larry Klein |
| Drums |
Vinnie Colaiuta |
| Guitar |
Mike Landau |
| Acoustic Guitar |
Joni Mitchell |
| Vocals |
Joni Mitchell |
9 Underneath The Streetlight
| Bass |
Larry Klein |
| Drums |
Vinnie Colaiuta |
| Guitar |
Mike Landau |
| Acoustic Guitar |
Joni Mitchell |
| Piano |
Joni Mitchell |
| Vocals |
Joni Mitchell |
10 Wild Things Run Fast
| Bass |
Larry Klein |
| Drums |
Vinnie Colaiuta |
| Guitar |
Steve Lukather |
| Synthesizer |
Larry Williams |
| Vocals |
Joni Mitchell |
11 You Dream Flat Tires
| Bass |
Larry Klein |
| Drums |
Vinnie Colaiuta |
| Guitar |
Mike Landau |
| Background Vocals |
Lionel Richie |
| Vocals |
Joni Mitchell |
Liner Notes
Producer – Joni Mitchell
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Larry Klein, Vinnie Colaiuta (Tracks 2, 7)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Don Alias (Track 6)
Mastered By (Originally) – John Golden
Mixed By – Henry Lewy, Joni Mitchell, Larry Hirsch
Mixed By (Assistant) – Chase Williams
Recorded By – Henry Lewy, Skip Cottrell
Recorded By (Assistant) – Clyde Kaplan
Art Direction – Glen Christensen
Painting – Joni Mitchell
Recorded At Devonshire Studios
Recorded At A&M Studios
Phonographic Copyright The David Geffen Company
Copyright The David Geffen Company
Wild Things Run Fast is Joni Mitchell‘s eleventh studio album and her first for Geffen Records. Released in 1982, it represents her departure from jazz to a more 80s pop sound.