My Music And Song's

Posts Tagged ‘Hall Of Fame’

The singer songwriter boom of the 1970s owed a lot to James Taylor, an artist who has been recording and performing ever since and who has written songs that became classics. Most people can hum a James Taylor song and he has the respect of fellow musicians. His contribution was officially recognized when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

Taylor made an impact at the prestigious Newport Folk Festival in 1969 but his first album had disappointing sales. The follow up however, Sweet Baby James, was a huge success and produced the hit single, Fire and Rain. The third album, Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, was another best seller and produced another hit single. This time, it was not a James Taylor song but a cover of Carole King’s You’ve Got a Friend, a song that Taylor made his own. The single won a Grammy award and was number one on the Billboard chart.

Many albums have followed over the years and the highlights were collected on the 1976 Greatest Hits album, which achieved diamond sales and is still the best selling album for him. It featured a new version of another famous James Taylor song, Carolina on My Mind. Other tracks include Fire and Rain, You’ve Got a Friend and a cover of How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), penned by the songwriting team of Holland, Dozier and Holland). Fellow musicians can be heard on the album, on backing vocals, including David Crosby, Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon.