"Help Me" is a love song written, produced, and performed by Canadian singer Joni Mitchell and released on her 1974 album Court and Spark. The song was recorded with jazz band Tom Scott's L.A. Express as the backing band.
"Help Me" was Mitchell's biggest hit single, her only Top 10 hit. It peaked at No. 7 in June 1974 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it hit #1 on the easy listening chart. The song would later be referenced in "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" by Prince, who was a huge fan of Mitchell's work.
Critical reception Billboard commented on Mitchell's voice punctuating words in similar way to the "sharp breaks" played by the drummer. Cashbox believed that the song would appeal to existing fans of her work and also attract a new audience "due to the strong vocal performance and fine musical backing." Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song No. 464 on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
Personnel
Joni Mitchell – vocals, acoustic guitar, piano; producer Tom Scott – woodwinds, reeds Joe Sample – electric piano Larry Carlton – electric guitar Max Bennett – bass guitar John Guerin – drums, percussion Henry Lewy and Ellis Sorkin – engineers
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1974)PeakpositionCanada RPM Top Singles 6Canada RPM Adult Contemporary 4U.S. Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - 7U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary1U.S. Cash Box Top 1008Quebec (ADISQ) 13
Year-end charts Chart (1974)RankCanada RPM Top Singles 82U.S. Billboard Hot 100 53U.S. Cash Box 50
See also List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1974 (U.S.)
References