How many of you grew up listening to the music of James Taylor?
I did and he always seemed to be there for the most difficult times in my life. I remember his songs clearly aligning as they in some ways helped define my childhood.
Taylors music was relatable, some and easy, comforting even. I hope you enjoy the songs and interviews as we travel back in time! - Andy
Video from James Taylor
"Music video by James Taylor performing Her Town Too. (C) 1981 Country Road Music, Inc. (ASCAP)/ Leadsheet Land Music (BMI)/ EMI April Music, Inc.(ASCAP). All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission." from video introduction.
James Taylor - You've Got A Friend (Pebble Mill, Oct 19, 1993)
Video from James Taylor
"Pebble Mill at One" is a British television magazine program that was broadcast live on weekdays at one o'clock on @BBC1 from 1972 to 1986, and again from 1991 to 1996. It was transmitted from the Pebble Mill studios of BBC Birmingham, and uniquely was hosted from the center's main foyer area, rather than a conventional television studio. "You've Got a Friend" is a 1971 song written by @Carole King. It was first recorded by King and included in her album Tapestry. Another well-known version is by James Taylor from his album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. His was released as a single in 1971, reaching number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. The two versions were recorded simultaneously in 1971 with shared musicians. "You've Got a Friend" won Grammy Awards both for Taylor (Best Male Pop Vocal Performance) and King (Song of the Year). Dozens of other artists have recorded the song over the years, including Dusty Springfield, Michael Jackson, Anne Murray and Donny Hathaway.
LYRICS - You’ve Got A Friend When you’re down and troubled And you need some loving care And nothing Oh, nothing is going right Just close your eyes and think of me Yes, and soon I will be there To brighten up Oh, even your darkest nights You just call out my name And you know wherever I am I’ll come running To see you again It’s winter, spring, summer or fall Now all you got to do is call on me And I will be there, yeah, yes, I’ll be there You’ve got a friend If the sky high above you Should grow dark and full of clouds And that old cold north wind Should begin to blow Just keep your poor head together now And call my name out loud, you know Pretty soon I’ll be knocking on your door You just call out my name And you know wherever I am I’ll come running To see you again It’s winter, spring summer or fall Really, all you got to do is call And I’ll be there You know I’ll be there Oh, ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend When people can be so cold They’ll hurt you, yes, and desert you Well, they’ll take your soul if you let them But don’t you let them You just call out my name And you know wherever I am I’ll come running like as fast as I can To see you again Oh, yes, don’t you know about that Winter, spring, summer or fall Oh, all you’ve got to do is call And I will be there Yeah, yes, I’ll be there You’ve got a friend You’ve got a friend Ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend Walking and talking and everything friend Well, I said everybody here tonight in Pittsfield No matter how low you may go sometimes Ought to take some consolation in one thing, oh, yeah Ain’t it good to know Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah You’ve got a friend. " from video introduction.
James Taylor Opens up About His 'Crazy and Dangerous' Streak: 'I’m Really Lucky to Have Survived'
"On a chilly afternoon, James Taylor begins building a fire. Standing in the cavernous barn on the compound he owns in western Massachusetts, he slowly feeds pieces of wood into a small antique fireplace, nurturing the flames until they roar. “It’s a ritual,” he says. “It’s amazing how warm these little flames can keep us.”
Warm enough, it seems, to heat a space whose ceilings soar more than 27 feet, filling an area that doubles as the private recording studio where Taylor has cut parts of his past five albums, including his latest, American Standard.
As its title suggests, the album salutes the Great American Songbook with Taylor’s signature take on songs by writers of the 1920s through the ’50s, from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Cole Porter and Frank Loesser (writer of the music and lyrics for Guys and Dolls and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”). Its release February 28 will coincide with a major anniversary in Taylor’s life: It’s been 50 years since the release of Sweet Baby James, an album that made him a superstar at 21 and ushered in the singer-songwriter movement of the early ’70s, fleshed out by friends and/or lovers of Taylor’s, including Joni Mitchell, Carole King and Carly Simon..." from the article: James Taylor Opens up About His 'Crazy and Dangerous' Streak: 'I’m Really Lucky to Have Survived'
James Taylor Looks Back
Video from CBS Sunday Morning
"Life these days is pretty sweet for James Taylor, the musician-songwriter famed for such hits as "Fire and Rain," "Carolina In My Mind" and "Sweet Baby James." Jane Pauley visited Taylor at his home in the Berkshires of Massachusetts to talk about his audio memoir on his early days in North Carolina, and a new album exploring the songs Taylor loved growing up, titled "American Standard." (This story was originally broadcast on February 2, 2020.)" from video introduction.
Kennedy Center Honors: James Taylor Tribute 2016
Video from Jukebox Heroes
"Setlist 00:00 - Bill Clinton - Intro 02:45 - Darius Rucker - Medley: Sweet Baby James / Caroline In My Mind 07:37 - Sheryl Crow - Medley: Fire and Rain / Your Smiling Face 13:54 - Garth Brooks - Shower The People 16:33 - Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow and Darius Rucker - How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" from video introduction.