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Greatest Hits (James Taylor Album)
''Greatest Hits'' is the first compilation album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor. Released in November 1976. To this day, it is the best-selling album of his career. The album took place in the context of Taylor's end of his recording contract with Warner Records. It features redone versions of " Carolina in My Mind" and "Something in the Way She Moves", both of which had been previously included on Taylor's self-titled debut album in 1968. It also includes a previously unavailable live version of " Steamroller". The album did not rise higher than number 23 on the ''Billboard'' albums chart on its original release. However it became a steady seller for many years, and ''Greatest Hits'' has sold over 11,000,000 copies certifying it as a Platinum album eleven times over, and a diamond album once (for 10 million copies). In August 2012, the album re-entered the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart, at number 15, which gave the album a new peak. Reception Music critic Wil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single " Fire and Rain" and had his first hit in 1971 with his recording of "You've Got a Friend", written by Carole King in the same year. His 1976 ''Greatest Hits'' album was certified Diamond and has sold 12 million copies in the US alone. Following his 1977 album '' JT'', he has retained a large audience over the decades. Every album that he released from 1977 to 2007 sold over 1 million copies. He enjoyed a resurgence in chart performance during the late 1990s and 2000s, when he recorded some of his most-awarded work (including '' Hourglass'', '' October Road'', and '' Covers''). He achieved his first number-one album in the US in 20 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ticknor & Fields
Ticknor and Fields was an American publishing company based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded as a bookstore in 1832, the business would publish many 19th century American authors including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry James, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry David Thoreau, and Mark Twain. It also became an early publisher of ''The Atlantic Monthly'' and ''North American Review''. The firm was named after founder William Davis Ticknor and apprentice James T. Fields, although the names of additional business partners would come and go, notably that of James R. Osgood in the firm's later years. Financial problems led Osgood to merge the company with the publishing firm of Henry Oscar Houghton in 1878, forming a precursor to the modern publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Houghton Mifflin revived the Ticknor and Fields name as an imprint from 1979 to 1989. Company history Early years In 1832 William Davis Ticknor and John All ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mexico (James Taylor Song)
"Mexico" is a song written by James Taylor that first appeared as the opening track of his 1975 album ''Gorilla''. It was released as a single, with the album's title track as the B-side, and reached No. 49 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, but performed much better on the Adult Contemporary chart, reaching No. 5. "Mexico" has appeared on many of Taylor's live and compilation albums. It has been covered by Jimmy Buffett, Alex de Grassi and Lauren Laverne. Lyrics and music The lyrics of "Mexico" describe a dream of enjoying a night in a Mexican border town. It seems to describe the singer's first-hand experiences in Mexico but has a twist near the end where the singer acknowledges that he has never been to Mexico, turning the song into a "fantasy about escaping to an exotic land." It is one of several songs on ''Gorilla'' that uses a stream of consciousness technique to describe the singer's fantasy. Others include "Music" and "You Make It Easy." ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' critic D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" is a song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye from his fifth studio album of the same name (1965). It was written in 1964 by the Motown songwriting team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, and produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier. The song title was inspired by one of the actor and comedian Jackie Gleason's signature phrases, "How Sweet It Is!" Marvin Gaye version Produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier, the song was released as a single in September 1964. It peaked at number six on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in January 1965 and at number three on US ''Billboard's'' R&B Singles chart. Up to that point, it was Gaye's most successful single with record sales exceeding 900,000 copies. The song's personnel includes Marvin Gaye on lead vocals; The Andantes on background vocals; and The Funk Brothers on various instruments, including piano and percussion. Gaye also released a German-language version of the song entitled ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
"Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, from his 1972 album '' One Man Dog''. The song has been included on three of Taylor's greatest-hits collection albums: ''Greatest Hits'' (1976), '' Classic Songs'' (1987) and ''The Best of James Taylor'' (2003). Taylor re-recorded the song for the 2001 Michael Brecker album '' Nearness of You: The Ballad Book''; this rendition won Taylor the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 2002. Personnel *James Taylor – lead vocals, acoustic guitar *Danny Kortchmar – electric guitar *Craig Doerge – piano *Lee Sklar – bass guitar *Russ Kunkel – drums, congas *Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone Reception ''Billboard'' described "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" as a "ballad beauty." ''Record World'' called it a "superb lilting ballad featuring stunning Peter Asher production work and a terrific saxophone finale." ''AllMusic'' reviewer Bill Janovitz wrote th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carole King
Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of all time, King is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the US, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. King also wrote 61 hits that charted in the UK, making her the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts between 1962 and 2005. King's major success began in the 1960s when she and her first husband, Gerry Goffin, wrote more than two dozen chart hits, many of which have become standards, for numerous artists. She has continued writing for other artists since then. King's success as a performer in her own right did not come until the 1970s, when she sang her own songs, accompanying herself on t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
You've Got A Friend
"You've Got a Friend" is a 1971 song written by American singer, songwriter, and musician Carole King. It was first recorded by King and included on her second studio album, ''Tapestry'' (1971). 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 one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number four 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. History "You've Got a Friend" was written by Carole King during the January 1971 recording sessions for her own album ''Tapestry'' and James Taylor's album ''Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon''. King has stated that "the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Country Road (song)
"Country Road" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, released in February 1971 by Warner Bros. Records. It is the third single from Taylor's second studio album, ''Sweet Baby James''. "Country Road" is also featured on James Taylor's 1976 ''Greatest Hits'' record. The song has been played at most of his concerts since 1970. Randy Meisner, later of the Eagles, played bass on the album version. Background The song was inspired by Somerset Street in Belmont, Massachusetts, a wooded road running adjacent to the land owned by McLean Hospital where Taylor had committed himself in 1965 to receive treatment for depression. Taylor's friend Danny Kortchmar said "Country Road": captures the restless, anticipatory, vaguely hopeful feeling that plays a large part on James' character and appears in " Carolina in My Mind," "Blossom", and "Sweet Baby James." The road leads away from his ensnaring family: "Mama don't understand it / She wants to know wher ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sweet Baby James (song)
"Sweet Baby James" is a song written and recorded by James Taylor that serves as the opening and title track from his 1970 breakthrough album ''Sweet Baby James''. It was released as the first single from the album but did not chart. Nonetheless, it is one of his best-known and most popular tunes. Taylor considers it his best song. History The song was written by Taylor for the son of his older brother Alex, who was also named James (and indeed was named after him). Deliberately a cross between a cowboy song and a lullaby, it was first thought up by Taylor as he was driving through Carolina to meet his infant nephew for the first time. Taylor spent considerable effort on the lyrics, whose verses he later said used the most intricate rhyming pattern of his career. One of the most famous parts of the lyric is: :''Now the first of December was covered with snow'' :''And so was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston'' :''Lord, the Berkshires seemed dream-like on account of that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fire And Rain (song)
"Fire and Rain" is a song written and performed by James Taylor and released in August 1970 on Warner Bros. Records as a single from his second album, ''Sweet Baby James''. The song follows Taylor's reaction to the suicide of Suzanne Schnerr, a childhood friend, and his experiences with drug addiction and fame. After its release, "Fire and Rain" peaked at number two on ''RPM'' Canada Top Singles chart and at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Background and composition On the VH1 series ''Storytellers'', Taylor said the song was about several incidents during his early recording career. The second line "Suzanne, the plans they made put an end to you" refers to Suzanne Schnerr, a childhood friend of his who died by suicide while he was in London, England, recording his first album. In that same account, Taylor said he had been in a deep depression after the failure of his new band the Flying Machine to coalesce (the lyric "Sweet dreams and Flying Machines in pieces on th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Music Critic
''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of musical aesthetics. With the concurrent expansion of interest in music and information media over the past century, the term has come to acquire the conventional meaning of journalistic reporting on musical performances. Nature of music criticism The musicologist Winton Dean has suggested that "music is probably the most difficult of the arts to criticise." Unlike the plastic or literary arts, the 'language' of music does not specifically relate to human sensory experience – Dean's words, "the word 'love' is common coin in life and literature: the note C has nothing to do with breakfast or railway journeys or marital harmony." Like dramatic art, music is recreated at every performance, and criticism may, therefore, be directed both at the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
