James Taylor, The #46 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Two

 

(Continued from Part Two)

 

Taylor was in a bad slump, and he brought in Carly as well as Graham Nash and David Crosby to sing backing vocals and other renowned musicians such as Little Feat guitarist Lowell George and saxophonist David Sanborn for his next project. James returned to the forefront with the 1975 album Gorilla.   James covered the Marvin Gaye hit "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" and scored a #1 hit in Canada and with adults in the U.S.; it peaked at #5 overall.  

The album was certified Gold and there were more positive results--On November 3, Taylor and Simon married. 

 

By this time, the previously shy Taylor was now witty and confident onstage and developed an amazing rapport with his audiences.  The single "Mexico" rose to #5 on the Easy Listening chart.

Stevie Wonder, Crosby, Bonnie Raitt and Art Garfunkel helped James with his 1976 album In the Pocket, which gave Taylor another Gold certification.  The single "Shower The People" raced to #1 on the Adult chart but stalled at #22 Popular, making it one of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.

Taylor released his Greatest Hits collection, which has gone over 10 million in U.S. sales and 20 million worldwide.  In 1977, James switched labels again, signing with Columbia.  In 1977, he released the album JT, which was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.  Taylor took another remake, "Handy Man" (originally by Jimmy Jones), to #1 on the Easy Listening chart and #5 overall in the United States and #1 in Canada.

"Handy Man" earned James a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.  His follow-up, "Your Smiling Face", only made it to #20, though it was a #6 Easy Listening hit.

 

JT has sold over three million copies in the U.S.  "Secret O'Life" is about living in the moment, but James titled it that way rather than "Secret Of Life" because the latter seemed too preposterous.  He said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine that he felt that the "O" would make it seem irreverent, evoking the names of Life Savers candy flavors such as "Pep O Mint" and "Wint O Green" and offset this presumptuousness of announcing "the secret to life".

 "Another Grey Morning" deals with a subject James knows well--depression.  He evokes an imagery and his singing stokes that emotion.

 

This was JT's venture into Country style and George Jones later covered the song.  Linda Ronstadt sang backing vocals on "Bartender Blues".

 James joined Paul Simon and Garfunkel for a remake of Sam Cooke's "Wonderful World".  A #1 smash on the Adult Contemporary chart, it's another highly underrated song at #17 overall. 

 James appeared on Broadway before releasing the album Flag in 1979.  Taylor's remake of the Drifters smash "Up On The Roof" was a #7 Adult Contemporary hit that stopped at #28 overall.  He was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male at the Grammy Awards.

 "Rainy Day Man" was originally recorded when James was with the Flying Machine. He wrote it with roommate and friend Zach Wisner while they were at the Albert Hotel in New York City.  He reworked it for the Flag album.

Taylor and Carly Simon performed at Madison Square Garden for the No Nukes concert, which was released as an album and a movie.

Join us for the conclusion of James Taylor!