James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948 in Boston , Massachusetts ) is an American guitarist , singer , composer and lyricist . A five-time Grammy winner and a member of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame , he is one of the most influential contemporary singer-songwriters on the American music scene.
biography
Taylor grew up sheltered in a liberal family in Chapel Hill (North Carolina) , but suffered from neuroses and depression , which resulted in a suicide attempt in 1965 . His three siblings, Alex (1947–1993), Kate (* 1949) and Livingston (* 1950) are also musicians.
His musical career began in the USA in the second half of the 1960s. There he founded the band Flying Machine in New York together with his friend Danny Kortchmar . Meanwhile heavily addicted to drugs, he went to Great Britain in 1968 , where he received a contract with Apple Records , the Beatles' record company, with the support of record producer Peter Asher in London , and produced his first solo LP.
After returning to the United States, he broke both hands in a motorcycle accident. After a rehab, he recorded the LP Sweet Baby James and became known to a wide audience, in particular with the track Fire And Rain contained on it , in which he addressed his drug addiction. With the song You've Got a Friend composed by Carole King , he had his first and so far only number one hit in the US pop charts in 1971. The song previously appeared on Carole King's debut album Tapestry that same year , on which James Taylor had also worked. Also in 1971 Taylor played in the film Asphaltrennen (original title: Two-Lane Blacktop ) by Monte Hellman alongside Dennis Wilson the male lead role.
Taylor was one of a number of musicians in the 1970s who were intensely involved in political and social projects. Among other things, the film and music production No Nukes , a documentary concert series against nuclear technology, followed in 1980 by the release of a live album, with the participation of colleagues such as Jackson Browne , Bruce Springsteen , Graham Nash , Bonnie Raitt and others .
In the 1970s, Taylor secured regular studio and live productions from the session band The Section , which also worked for many other well-known artists. From 1972 to 1983 he was married to his colleague Carly Simon (* 1945). With her he has the daughter Sally Taylor (* 1974) and the son Ben Taylor (* 1977), both musicians. James Taylor was a frequent guest star on third-party productions by Joni Mitchell , Linda Ronstadt , Art Garfunkel and others. In 1972 he was a guest musician on Neil Young's successful album Harvest , where he can be heard in the songs Heart of Gold and Old Man . In 1998 Taylor received a Grammy Award for his album Hourglass . His album Greatest Hits was awarded a diamond record (11 times platinum) for more than eleven million copies sold in the USA in 1996 . In 2000 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame . In the same year, Mark Knopfler's second solo production, Sailing to Philadelphia , appeared, which includes the title song of the same name as a duet with James Taylor. Other songs in which he can be heard as a background singer: Back in the High Life by Steve Winwood and Perfect Love by Marc Cohn .
In 2006 he contributed the title Our Town to the soundtrack for the animated film Cars .
In 1997, the US country musician Garth Brooks named James Taylor one of his great role models and named his first daughter (Taylor) after him.
Taylor broke a special record with the placement of the album American Standard (2020) at number 4 on the US Billboard charts. Nobody but him has managed to hit at least one top 10 album in each of the past six decades.
Discography
Studio albums
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | CH | UK | US | |||
1968 | James Taylor | - | - | - |
US62 (28 weeks) US |
|
1970 | Sweet baby James | - | - |
UK6th
silver
(59 weeks)UK |
US3 × 3
(102 weeks)US |
|
1971 | James Taylor and the Original Flying Machine | - | - | - |
US74 (8 weeks) US |
recorded between 1966 and 1967
|
Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon | - | - |
UK4 (42 weeks) UK |
US2 × 2
(45 weeks)US |
||
1972 | One man dog | - | - |
UK27 (5 weeks) UK |
US4th
gold
(38 weeks)US |
|
1974 | Walking man | - | - | - |
US13 (18 weeks) US |
|
1975 | gorilla | - | - | - |
US6th
gold
(27 weeks)US |
|
1976 | In the pocket | - | - | - |
US16
gold
(24 weeks)US |
|
1977 | JT | - | - | - |
US4th × 3
(39 weeks)US |
|
1979 | Flag | - | - | - |
US10
platinum
(23 weeks)US |
|
1981 | Dad Loves His Work | - | - | - |
US10
platinum
(23 weeks)US |
|
1985 | That's Why I'm Here | - | - | - |
US34
platinum
(30 weeks)US |
|
1988 | Never Die Young | - | - | - |
US25th
platinum
(34 weeks)US |
|
1991 | New moon shine | - | - | - |
US37
platinum
(47 weeks)US |
|
1997 | Hourglass | - | - |
UK52
silver
(2 weeks)UK |
US9
platinum
(24 weeks)US |
|
2002 | October Road |
DE71 (2 weeks) DE |
- |
UK39 (6 weeks) UK |
US4th
platinum
(25 weeks)US |
|
2004 | A Christmas album | - | - | - |
US-
platinum
US
|
|
2006 | James Taylor at Christmas | - | - | - |
US16
gold
(34 weeks)US |
|
2008 | Covers | - | - |
UK23
silver
(5 weeks)UK |
US4 (16 weeks) US |
|
2015 | Before This World |
DE32 (2 weeks) DE |
CH41 (1 week) CH |
UK4 (6 weeks) UK |
US1 (13 weeks) US |
|
2020 | American Standard |
DE24 (2 weeks) DE |
CH66 (1 week) CH |
UK11 (2 weeks) UK |
US4 (5 weeks) US |
gray hatching : no chart data available for this year
Live albums
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | CH | UK | US | |||
1993 | live | - | - | - |
US20th × 2
(24 weeks)US |
|
2007 | One man band | - | - | - |
US4th
gold
(38 weeks)US |
|
2010 | Live at the Troubadour | - | - |
UK33 (3 weeks) UK |
US4th
gold
(37 weeks)US |
with Carole King
|
More live albums
- 1994: Best Live
- 2009: Amchitka (with Joni Mitchell and Phil Ochs )
Compilations
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | CH | UK | US | |||
1976 | Greatest hits | - | - |
UK-
platinum
UK
|
US15th
Diamond + platinum
(69 weeks)US |
|
1987 | Classic songs | - | - |
UK53
silver
(5 weeks)UK |
- | |
2000 | Greatest Hits Volume 2 | - | - | - |
US97
gold
(12 weeks)US |
|
2003 | The Best Of James Taylor - You've Got A Friend | - | - |
UK4th
gold
(12 weeks)UK |
US11
platinum
(42 weeks)US |
|
2013 | The Essential James Taylor | - | - |
UK50 (2 weeks) UK |
US-
platinum
US
|
gray hatching : no chart data available for this year
More compilations
- 2019: The Warner Bros Albums 1970-1976
EPs
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | CH | UK | US | |||
2009 | Other covers | - | - | - |
US122 (2 weeks) US |
Singles
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK | US | Country | A. C. | |||
1969 | Carolina in My Mind James Taylor |
- |
US67 (7 weeks) US |
- | - |
Chart entry when re-released in 1970
|
1970 | Fire and Rain Sweet Baby James |
UK42
silver
(3 weeks)UK |
US3 (16 weeks) US |
- |
A. C.7 (12 weeks) A. C. |
|
1971 | Country Road Sweet Baby James |
- |
US37 (8 weeks) US |
- |
A. C.9 (8 weeks) A. C. |
|
You've Got a Friend Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon |
UK4 (15 weeks) UK |
US1
gold
(14 weeks)US |
- |
A. C.1 (11 weeks) A. C. |
||
Long Ago and Far Away Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon |
- |
US31 (8 weeks) US |
- |
A. C.4 (8 weeks) A. C. |
||
1972 | Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight One Man Dog |
- |
US14 (11 weeks) US |
- |
A. C.3 (10 weeks) A. C. |
|
1973 | One Man Parade One Man Dog |
- |
US67 (4 weeks) US |
- | - | |
1974 | Walking Man One Man Dog |
- | - | - |
A. C.26 (6 weeks) A. C. |
|
1975 | How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) Gorilla |
- |
US5 (15 weeks) US |
- |
A. C.1 (13 weeks) A. C. |
|
Mexico Gorilla |
- |
US49 (8 weeks) US |
- |
A. C.5 (10 weeks) A. C. |
||
1976 | Shower the People In the Pocket |
- |
US22 (16 weeks) US |
- |
A. C.1 (14 weeks) A. C. |
|
1977 | Woman's Gotta Have It In the Pocket |
- | - | - |
A. C.20 (9 weeks) A. C. |
|
Handy Man JT |
- |
US4 (20 weeks) US |
- |
A. C.1 (20 weeks) A. C. |
||
Your Smiling Face JT |
- |
US20 (17 weeks) US |
- |
A. C.6 (17 weeks) A. C. |
||
1978 | Honey Don't Leave LA JT |
- |
US61 (6 weeks) US |
- | - | |
1979 | Up on the roof flag |
- |
US28 (11 weeks) US |
- |
A. C.7 (21 weeks) A. C. |
|
1981 | Her Town Too Dad Loves His Work |
- |
US11 (14 weeks) US |
- |
A. C.5 (13 weeks) A. C. |
with JD Souther
|
Hard Times Dad Loves His Work |
- |
US72 (5 weeks) US |
- |
A. C.23 (9 weeks) A. C. |
||
Summer's Here Dad Loves His Work |
- | - | - |
A. C.25 (8 weeks) A. C. |
||
1985 | Everyday That's Why I'm Here |
- |
US61 (11 weeks) US |
Country26 (16 weeks) Country |
A. C.3 (21 weeks) A. C. |
|
1986 | Only One That's Why I'm Here |
- | - |
Country80 (9 weeks) Country |
A. C.6 (15 weeks) A. C. |
|
That's Why I'm Here That's Why I'm Here |
- | - | - |
A. C.8 (14 weeks) A. C. |
||
1988 | Never Die Young Never Die Young |
- |
US80 (5 weeks) US |
- |
A. C.3 (18 weeks) A. C. |
|
Baby Boom Baby Never Die Young |
- | - | - |
A. C.16 (15 weeks) A. C. |
||
Sweet Potato Pie Never Die Young |
- | - | - |
A. C.37 (6 weeks) A. C. |
||
1991 | Copperline New Moon Shine |
- | - | - |
A. C.13 (18 weeks) A. C. |
|
1992 | (I've Got To) Stop Thinkin '' 'Bout That New Moon Shine |
- | - | - |
A. C.28 (10 weeks) A. C. |
|
Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha New Moon Shine |
- | - | - |
A. C.19 (13 weeks) A. C. |
||
Like Everyone She Knows New Moon Shine |
- | - | - |
A. C.31 (8 weeks) A. C. |
||
1997 | Little More Time with You Hourglass |
- | - | - |
A. C.3 (26 weeks) A. C. |
|
2002 | On the 4th of July October Road |
- | - | - |
A. C.16 (15 weeks) A. C. |
|
Whenever You're Ready October Road |
- | - | - |
A. C.21 (17 weeks) A. C. |
||
2003 | September Grass October Road |
- | - | - |
A. C.25 (11 weeks) A. C. |
|
2008 | It's growing covers |
- | - | - |
A. C.11 (25 weeks) A. C. |
|
2015 | Today Today Today Before This World |
- | - | - |
A. C.29 (4 weeks) A. C. |
|
SnowTime Before This World |
- | - | - |
A. C.19 (5 weeks) A. C. |
||
The following songs did not appear as single, but were made available for download and streaming through the album and were thus able to achieve a placement: | ||||||
2001 | Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas October Road |
- | - | - |
A. C.4 (5 weeks) A. C. |
|
2004 | Santa Claus Is Coming to Town James Taylor: A Christmas Album |
- | - | - |
A. C.12 (2 weeks) A. C. |
|
Deck the Halls James Taylor: A Christmas Album |
- | - | - |
A. C.5 (4 weeks) A. C. |
||
Winter Wonderland James Taylor: A Christmas Album |
- | - | - |
A. C.8 (2 weeks) A. C. |
More singles
- 1969: Knocking 'Round the Zoo
- 1969: Something's Wrong
- 1970: Sweet Baby James
- 1973: Hymn
- 1974: Daddy's baby
- 1976: Everybody Has the Blues
- 1976: You Make It Easy
- 2015: Angels of Fenway
- 2015: Montana
Guest Posts
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK | US | Country | A. C. | |||
1974 | Mockingbird hotcakes |
UK34 (5 weeks) UK |
US5
gold
(16 weeks)US |
- |
A. C.10 (12 weeks) A. C. |
with Carly Simon
|
1978 | (What a) Wonderful World Watermark |
- |
US17 (14 weeks) US |
- |
A. C.1 (14 weeks) A. C. |
with Art Garfunkel & Paul Simon
|
Bartender's Blues Bartender's Blues |
- | - |
Country6 (3 weeks) Country |
- |
with George Jones
|
|
Devoted to You Boys in the Trees |
- |
US36 (9 weeks) US |
Country33 (10 weeks) Country |
A. C.2 (14 weeks) A. C. |
with Carly Simon
|
|
1986 | Back in the High Life Again Back in the High Life |
UK53 (4 weeks) UK |
US13 (21 weeks) US |
- |
A. C.1 (21 weeks) A. C. |
with Steve Winwood
|
2017 | What I'm Thankful For (The Thanksgiving Song) Back in the High Life |
- | - |
Country50 (1 week) Country |
- |
with Garth Brooks
|
Further guest contributions
- 1994: Crying in the Rain (with Art Garfunkel)
- 2001: Sailing to Philadelphia (with Mark Knopfler )
- 2012: Soul Companion (with Mary Chapin Carpenter )
- 2013: Don't Try So Hard (with Amy Grant )
- 2018: Change (with Charlie Puth )
Video albums
- 1979: James Taylor: In Concert (Sony Music Distribution)
- 1986: James Taylor Live in Rio (Columbia)
- 1988: James Taylor in Concert in Boston (Sony)
- 1993: Squibnocket (Sony)
- 1998: Live at the Beacon Theater (Columbia)
- 2002: Pull Over (Sony)
- 2006: A Musicares Person of the Year Tribute ( Rhino Records )
- 2007: One Man Band - Live CD & DVD concert at The Colonial Theater in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, with Larry Goldings as a "one-man band"
- 2010: Live at the Troubadour (Carole King and James Taylor) (Hear Music)
Awards for music sales
|
|
Note: Awards in countries from the chart tables or chart boxes can be found in these.
Country / Region | silver | gold | platinum | diamond | Sales | swell |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Awards for music sales (country / region, awards, sales, sources) |
||||||
Australia (ARIA) | - | gold1 | 3 × platinum3 | - | 107,500 | bpi.co.uk |
Canada (MC) | - | - | platinum1 | - | 100,000 | musiccanada.com |
United States (RIAA) | - | 10 × gold10 | 28 × platinum28 | diamond1 | 35,250,000 | riaa.com |
United Kingdom (BPI) | 6 × silver6th | gold1 | platinum1 | - | 900,000 | bpi.co.uk |
All in all | 6 × silver6th | 12 × gold12 | 33 × platinum33 | diamond1 |
Awards and recognitions
- 1971: Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male , You've Got a Friend
- 1977: Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male , Handy Man
- 1998: Best Pop Album , Hourglass
- 2001: Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male , Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
- 2003: Best Country Collaboration With Vocals , How's the World Treating You , with Alison Krauss
Other awards:
- 1998: Billboard Century Award
- 2000: Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- 2000: Induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
- 2006: A Musicares Person of the Year, The Musicares Foundation
- 2012: Chevalier des Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
- 2015: Presidential Medal of Freedom
- The Rolling Stone listed Taylor 84th of the 100 greatest musicians, 74th of the 100 best singers and 69th of the 100 best songwriters of all time .
Filmography
- 1971: Two-Lane Blacktop by Monte Hellman
- 1994: Guest appearance in the episode Homer the space hero of the series The Simpsons ( OT : Deep Space Homer ; Season 5 )
- 2009: Cameo in How Life Plays Original: Funny People by Judd Apatow with Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen
Web links
- Official website (English).
- James Taylor Online (unofficial website )
- James Taylor in the nndb (English)
- Detailed biography, German
- Interview , June 2015
Individual evidence
- ↑ More information about the song in: Fred Bronson: The Billboard Book of Number One Hits . 3rd revised and expanded edition. New York City, New York: Billboard Publications, 1992, p. 296
- ↑ Janet Maslin in the New York Times (Eng.)
- ↑ http://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=top_tallies&ttt=DA&col=artist&ord=asc#search_section
- ↑ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame James Taylor in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- ↑ Timothy White : James Taylor: Immense Singer, Considerable Cranium in Mojo , September 1997 (English)
- ↑ James Taylor Becomes First Act With Top 10 Albums in Each of Last Six Decades , billboard.com on March 8, 2020, accessed April 27, 2020
- ↑ a b c d e f Chart sources: DE CH UK US
- ↑ 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone , December 2, 2010, accessed August 7, 2017 .
- ↑ 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Rolling Stone , December 2, 2010, accessed August 7, 2017 .
- ↑ The 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time. Rolling Stone , August 2015, accessed August 7, 2017 .
- ↑ FAZ.net, June 15, 2015; FASZ June 7, 2015, page 43
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Taylor, James |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Taylor, James Vernon (full name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American guitarist, singer, composer and lyricist |
DATE OF BIRTH | March 12, 1948 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Boston , Massachusetts , United States |