Kelly Clarkson Is ‘Constant as a Northern Star’ on Joni Mitchell Kellyoke Cover

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The singer stayed faithful to the ballad's sparse, original instrumentation.

 

 

Kelly Clarkson Covers "When I Think of You" By Janet Jackson during 'Kellyoke.'

 

 

 

Kelly Clarkson kicked off the Wednesday (April 5) episode of her talk show with a lovely, lilting cover of Joni Mitchell‘s “A Case of You.”

Accompanied by a lone Appalachian dulcimer, much like the original recording, the American Idol winner rolled out the story Mitchell first told on her landmark 1971 album Blue, singing, “Just before our love got lost you said/ ‘I am as constant as a northern star’/ And I said, ‘Constantly in the darkness/ Where’s that at?/ If you want me I’ll be in the bar’/ On the back of a cartoon coaster/ In the blue TV screen light/ I drew a map of Canada/ Oh, Canada/ With your face sketched on it twice.”
The ballad was originally released as the B-side to Blue‘s sophomore single “California,” which failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 following the modest success of lead single “Carey.” Mitchell later re-recorded “A Case of You” for her 1974 live album Miles of Aisles and another version of the song also reappeared on her 2000 orchestral full-length Both Sides Now.

Other tracks Clarkson has selected for a Kellyoke spin as of late include Lenny Kravitz’s cover of “American Woman,” GAYLE’s Grammy-nominated breakout “abcdefu” — complete with tweaked lyrics to allude to her divorce from Brandon Blackstock — and Janet Jackson’s “When I Think of You.”

Meanwhile, the talk show host is also prepping the long-awaited release of Chemistry, her first new album of original, non-holiday music since 2017’s Meaning of Life. The studio set’s lead single “Mine” is set to arrive April 14 via Atlantic Records.

Watch Clarkson pay homage to Mitchell with her take on “A Case of You” below.