James Taylor

*Born on March 12, 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts.

*Started playing the guitar at age 12.

*He grew up between Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Boston, Massachusetts. He’d also spend summers in Martha’s Vineyard on the coast of Cape Cod.

*At 15,he met Danny Kortchmar while spending his summer in Martha’s Vineyard.

1965 James checked in to Mclean Psychiatric hospital due to mental illness and addiction.

Upon release from Mclean he went to New York and joined a band called “The Flying Machine”

They recorded two songs “Night Owl” and “Brighten Your Night with My Day” which James wrote. The group ended up breaking up due to James’ Heroin addiction.

1968- James went to London, England where he recorded a demo and was signed by the Beatles’ Apple Records.

He recorded his first album that was not a big hit.

James continued to struggle with Heroin throughout the year and eventually came back to the states.

*Upon returning to the states James checked into another mental facility and stayed for five months.

•During this time James was signed on with Warner Brothers. He recorded “Sweet Baby James” which released in 1970. It featured his hit “Fire and Rain”.

The album reached Top 10 by November 1970 and is the album he is most known for.

1971 brought… the release of his third album “Mudslide Slim and Blue Horizon”.

Also a number one hit with his cover of Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend”

He costarred in Two-Lane Blacktop with Dennis Wilson

1972 brought…A marriage to Carley Simon

Release of his fourth album “One Man Dog”

1974-1976“Walking Man” was released in 1974“Gorilla” was released in 1975“In the Pocket” was released in 1976

1977

He signed to Columbia Records

“JT” was released

1979 “Flag” was released

1981 “Dad Loves His Work” was released

James did a world tour between 1982-1985

1985 brought…“That’s why I’m here”

Marriage to Kathryn Walker

1988 brought… “Never Die Young”

The struggle of the 90’s*Loss of a brother*A divorce

Albums1991 “New Moon Shine”

1997 “Hourglass”2 live albums

2000’s2001 Marriage to Carolyn Smedvig

2002 “October Road”

2008 “Covers”

Accomplishments*Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2000

*Received the National Medal of Arts in 2011

*The French government designated him a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2012

*Has received two honorary doctorates of music from Williams College and Berklee School of Music

*Five Grammy’s

*Many Multiplatinum albums

*Sold over 100 million albums in his 40 year music career

Rolling Stone called him “One of the most

successful touring solo acts of the past forty

years.”

Listening Guide

“Fire and Rain”

• Album “Sweet Baby James”

• Released 1970

• Hit number 3 on the Billboard Top 100

0:00 Guitar starts with light strumming of a melodic tune. 0:08 Piano starts

0:16 James starts singing Verse one. Piano and guitar remain light.

0:38 drums beats to indicate change in music

0:40 chorus paino and guitar are light

0:50 James voice increases and guitar stumming becomes louder.

0:59 Drums and guitar used for Timbre. There is not any vocals during this part.

1:08 Vocals start again.

1:30 Chorus, volume increases for emphasis on the chorus, Piano and guitar remain in the background.

1:55 guitar starts low and gets louder towards

2:00 drum beats to lead up to the chorus

2:26 Chorus starts

2:48 guitar strumming is prominent and gets louder at 2:45

2:55 drums get louder, guitar strumming is very rhythmic.

3:10 music fades

3:21 song ends.

“Carolina In My Mind”

• Appears on James’ First Album• Released first in 1968 and again in 1976

0:03 Guitar starts

0:08 Vocals start with guitar remaining in the background. Bass starts.

0:30 piano accompanies the guitar and vocals.

0:43 twangy guitar starts and fades out.

1:00 violin is added with drums and piano

1:20 Chorus.

1:28 volume of vocals is louder very subtle violin in the back ground

1:47 violin stops.

1:55 keyboards along with cymbals and tambourine

2:19 vocal volume increases

2:40 vocal volume decreases no instrumental other than a bass.

2:50 vocal volume increases, guitars and piano are added back in.

3:30 “Going to Carolina in my mind starts to repeat. Vocals and instrumentals start to fade.

4:01 song ends

“Sweet Baby James”

• Appears on “Sweet Baby James”

0:02 guitar starts

0:08 vocals start for verse 1 with guitar still playing in background.. Very harmonious

0:32 other guitar added in.

1:00 chorus starts vocal volume increases slightly for timbre

1:27 Verse 2 vocals, bass and guitars

1:52 Volume increase in the vocals for an “ohh ohh”

2:18 instrumental volume increase leading up to chorus

2:23 Chorus

2:45 last guitar strum

2:52 song ends.

“How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)”

• Released on “Gorilla” in 1975• Number One on Easy Listening Chart• Number 5 on Billboard Top 100

0:05 drum beat, then it goes into the song. With a constant beat of a tambourine that carries through the song. Piano starts at 0:06.

0:24 change in piano to accompany James. prominent piano.

0:30 Verse one starts.

0:55 instrumental stops for a second putting emphasis on “Stop! And thank you baby” Lyrics.

1:00 Chorus starts. Harmony is very smooth here with the back up singers.

1:16 Verse two starts.

1:35 Timbre is present here.

1:45 stop instrument “Stop and thank you baby”

1:55 Chorus Timbre is present in this section

2:10 saxophone with ooohhh yeahs which creates a bit of texture through this section.

2:26 saxophone ends and Verse 3 starts.

2:50 sax starts Chorus repeats. Timbre is present here.

3:19 music fades, back up singers come in and the harmony is smooth.

3:33 music completely faded and song ends at 3:37

Bibliography

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/james-taylor/biographyhttp://www.jamestaylor.com/biography/http://www.biography.com/people/james-taylor-9503115#personal-life-and-activism&awesm=~oIDQXmOASMidcX

Pictures Courtesy of Google Images