October road
october road
october road
october road
october roadEarlyyears
TaylorgrewupinChapelHill,NorthCarolina,wherehisfather,IsaacM.Taylor,wasthedeanoftheUniversityofNorthCarolinaSchoolofMedicinefrom1964to1971.[3]HisfamilyspentsummersonMartha'sVineyard.
[edit]Earlycareer
TaylorfirstlearnedtoplaythecelloasachildinChapelHill,andswitchedtotheguitarin1960.Hisstyleonthatinstrumentevolvedfromlisteningtohymns,carols,andWoodyGuthrie.HeattendedMiltonAcademy,aprepschoolinMassachusetts,andsummeredwithhisfamilyonMartha'sVineyard,wherehemetDannyKortchmar.Thetwobeganplayingfolkmusictogether.Afterdroppingoutofschool,heformedabandcalledTheCorsayerswithhisbrother,Alex.Later,hecommittedhimselftoMcLeanHospitalfordepression,wherehesubsequentlyearnedahighschooldiplomafromtheassociatedArlingtonSchool.[4][5]Aftergraduating,heformedabandcalledtheFlyingMachinewithKortchmarandJoelO'BrieninNewYorkCity.ThebandwassignedtoRainyDayRecordsandreleasedonesingle,"BrightenYourNightwithMyDay"(B-side:"NightOwl").Thesinglewasnotasuccess.(AUKbandwiththesamenameemergedin1969withthehitsong"SmileaLittleSmileforMe".)
WhilelivinginNewYorkCity,Taylorbecameaddictedtoheroin.Onenight,afterreceivingadesperatephonecall,hisfatherdrovetoNewYorkandrescuedhim.Taylorlaterwroteasongcalled"JumpUpBehindMe"thatpaidtributetohisfather'shelpduringatimeofdesperateneed.ThesongalsoreflectsonTaylor'smemoriesofthelongdrivefromNewYorkCitybacktohishomeinChapelHill.
In1968,TaylormovedtoLondon.HewassignedtoAppleRecordsaftersendingademotapetoPeterAsher(ofPeter&Gordon)andreleasedhisdebutalbum,JamesTaylor.DespitetheBeatlesconnection,andthepresenceofPaulMcCartneyandGeorgeHarrisonononetrack,thealbumdidnotsellverywell,andTaylor'saddictionworsened.[citationneeded]MovingbacktotheUnitedStates,TaylorcheckedintotheAustenRiggsCentertotreathisdrugproblem.[citationneeded]RiggsisahospitalinWesternMassachusettsinthetownofStockbridge(nearwherehelivestoday).By1969hewaswellenoughtoperformlive,andhadasix-nightstandattheTroubadourClubinLosAngeles.OnJuly20,1969heperformedattheNewportFolkFestival.ShortlythereafterhebrokebothhandsinamotorcycleaccidentonMartha'sVineyardandwasforcedtostopplayingforseveralmonths.
[edit]1970s
Oncerecovered,TaylorsignedtoWarnerBros.RecordsandmovedtoCaliforniakeepingAsherashismanagerandrecordproducer.Hissecondalbum,SweetBabyJames,wasamassivesuccess,buoyedbythesingle"FireandRain,"asongabouthisexperienceinpsychiatricinstitutionsandthesuicideofhisfriend,SuzanneSchnerr.ThesuccessofthissingleandthealbumpiquedinterestinTaylor'sfirstalbum,JamesTaylor,andpropelledthealbumandthesingle,"CarolinaInMyMind,"backintothecharts.
DuringthetimeSweetBabyJameswasreleased,TaylorappearedwithDennisWilsonofTheBeachBoysinaMonteHellmanfilm,Two-LaneBlacktop.Also,1971sawthereleaseofMudSlideSlimandtheBlueHorizon,anotherhitalbum.HewonaGrammyAwardforhisversionofCaroleKing's"You'veGotaFriend".
In1972,TaylorreturnedwithOneManDogandmarriedfellowsinger-songwriterCarlySimononNovember3.Hisnextalbum,1974'sWalkingMan,wasadisappointmentbutthefollowingone,Gorilla,wasasuccesspartiallybecauseofasuccessfulsinglecoverversionofMarvinGaye's"HowSweetItIs(ToBeLovedbyYou)."ThiswasfollowedbyInthePocketin1976andthenagreatesthitsalbumthatincludedsomere-recordingsofAppleRecords-eramaterial.ItbecameahugehitandremainsTaylor'sbestsellingalbum.Itwascertifieddiamond,andtodatehassoldover11millioncopies.[2]
TaylorsignedwithColumbiaRecordsandreleasedJTin1977winninganotherGrammyAwardforBestMalePopVocalPerformanceforhiscoverversionof"handyman."
AftercollaboratingwithArtGarfunkelandbrieflyworkingonBroadway,Taylortookatwo-yearbreak,reappearingin1979withthecover-studdedalbumFlag,featuringaTop40versionofGerryGoffinandCaroleKing's"UpontheRoof."TayloralsoperformedattheNoNukesconcertinMadisonSquareGardenandappearedonthealbumandthefilmfromtheconcert.
[edit]1980sand1990s
In1981,JamesTaylorreleasedthealbumDadLovesHisWork.
Hewasquotedinvariousinterviewsthathewasthinkingofretiringafterfulfillinghislastcontractualobligation,theRockinRioin1985.[citationneeded]However,hewassurprisedbythereceptionoftheaudienceonSaturday,January12(therewere250,000people,thebiggestattendanceofthe10-dayfestival),whenheperformedrightbeforeGeorgeBenson.Twodayslater,theywerescheduledtoperforminthesameorder,butbecauseTaylor'sextendedperformancehadcausedadelaytoBenson'sonSaturday,Bensonproposedthattheyswitchtheorder.Taylorendedupthefinaleinthissecondperformance.[citationneeded]Buoyedbytheaudience'sreception,hedecidedtotakebackhislifeandhiscareer.Thesong"OnlyaDreaminRio"waswrittenintributetothatnight,withverseslike"Iwastherethatverydayandmyheartcamebackalive."Thealbum,That'sWhyI'mHere,fromwhichthatsongcame,startedaseriesofstudiorecordingsthat,whilespacedfurtherapartthanhispreviousrecords,showedamoreconsistentlevelofqualityandfewercovers.
In1988,hereleasedNeverDieYoung.Hebegantouringregularly.especiallyonthesummeramphitheatercircuit.Hislaterconcertsfeaturesongsfromthroughouthiscareerandaremarkedbythemusicianshipofhisbandandbackupsingers.The1993two-disc(LIVE)albumcapturesthiswell,withahighlightbeingArnoldMcCuller'sdescantsinthecodasof"ShowerthePeople"and"IWillFollow."In1995,TaylorperformedtheroleofLordinRandyNewman'sFaust.
Taylor'stwoalbumsoforiginalmaterialfromthe1990swerenotablysuccessful.Histhirteenthalbum,NewMoonShine,wentplatinumin1991andhewontheGrammyforBestPopAlbumin1998forHourglass.
[edit]2000s
InconcertatDeVosHall,GrandRapids,Michigan–April2006In2001Taylorwedforthethirdtime,marryingCaroline("Kim")Smedvig.PartoftheirrelationshipwasworkedintothealbumOctoberRoad,onthesong"Onthe4thofJuly."ThecoupleresideinthetownofWashington,Massachusettswiththeirtwinboys,RufusandHenry,bornin2001toasurrogatemotherviainvitrofertilization.[citationneeded]
Flankedbytwogreatesthitreleases,OctoberRoadappearedin2002toareceptiveaudience.Itfeaturedanumberofquietinstrumentalaccompanimentsandpassages.Thealbumappearedintwoversions,asingle-discversionanda"limitededition"two-discversionwhichcontainedthreeextrasongsincludingaduetwithMarkKnopfler,"SailingtoPhiladelphia,"whichalsoappearedonKnopfler'sSailingtoPhiladelphiaalbum.Alsoin2002,TaylorteamedwithbluegrassmusicianAlisonKraussinsinging"TheBoxer"attheKennedyCenterHonorsTributetoPaulSimon.TheylaterrecordedtheLouvinBrothersduet,"How'stheWorldTreatingYou?"In2004,afterhechosenottorenewhisrecordcontractwithColumbia/Sony,hereleasedJamesTaylor:AChristmasAlbumwithdistributionthroughHallmarkCards.
Alwaysvisiblyactiveinenvironmentalandliberalcauses,inOctober2004Taylorjoinedthe"VoteforChange"tourplayingaseriesofconcertsinAmericanswingstates.TheseconcertswereorganizedbyMoveOn.orgwiththegoalofmobilizingpeopletovoteforJohnKerryandagainstGeorgeW.Bushinthatyear'sPresidentialcampaign.Taylor'sappearanceswerejointperformanceswiththeDixieChicks.
TaylorperformedtheUSNationalAnthematGame2oftheWorldSeriesinBostononOctober24,2004.
InDecember2004,TaylorappearedashimselfinanepisodeofTheWestWingentitled"AChangeIsGonnaCome."HesangSamCooke'sclassic"AChangeIsGonnaCome"ataneventhonoringanartistplayedbyTaylor'swifeCaroline.Taylor'srenditionwasthenreleasedovertheInternet.[citationneeded]
HeappearedonCMT'sCrossroadsalongsidetheDixieChicks.Inearly2006,MusicareshonoredTaylorwithperformancesofhissongsbyanarrayofnotablemusicians.BeforeaperformancebytheDixieChicks,leadsingerNatalieMainesacknowledgedthathehadalwaysbeenoneoftheirmusicalheroes,andhadforthemliveduptotheironce-imaginedreputationofhim.[citationneeded]
Inthefallof2006,TaylorreleasedarepackagedandslightlydifferentversionofhisHallmarkChristmasalbum,nowentitledJamesTayloratChristmas,anddistributedbyColumbia/Sony.
In2006,TaylorperformedRandyNewman'ssong"OurTown"fortheDisneyanimatedfilmCars.Thesongwasnominatedforthe2007AcademyAwardforthebestOriginalSong.
OnJanuary1,2007,TaylorheadlinedtheinauguralconcertattheTimesUnionCenterinAlbany,NewYork,honoringnewlysworninGovernorofNewYorkEliotSpitzer.
Itwasannouncedin2007thatTaylor'snextalbum,OneManBandwasreleasedonCDandDVDinNovemberonStarbucks'HearMusicLabel,wherehejoinedwithPaulMcCartneyandJoniMitchell.
OnNovember28–30,Taylor,accompaniedbyhisoriginalbandandCaroleKing,headlinedaseriesofsixshowsatTheTroubadour.Theappearancesmarkedthe50thanniversaryofthevenue,whereTaylor,Kingandmanyothers,suchasTomWaits,NeilDiamond,andEltonJohn,begantheirmusiccareers.ProceedsfromtheconcertwenttobenefittheNaturalResourcesDefenseCouncil,MusiCares,AlliancefortheWildRockies,andtheLosAngelesRegionalFoodbank,amemberofAmerica'sSecondHarvest—TheNation'sFoodBankNetwork.PartsoftheperformanceshownonCBSSundayMorningintheDecember23,2007,broadcastshowedTayloralludingtohisearlydrugproblemsbysaying,"Iplayedhereanumberoftimesinthe70s,allegedly..."Taylorhasusedversionsofthisjokeonotheroccasions,anditappearsaspartofhisOneManBandDVDandtourperformances.
InDecember2007JamesTayloratChristmaswasnominatedforaGrammyAward,buthedidnotwin.InJanuary2008Taylorrecordedapproximately20songsbyothersforanewalbumwithabandincludingLuisConte,MichaelLandau,LouMarini,ArnoldMcCuller,JimmyJohnson,DavidLasley,WaltFowler,AndreaZonn,KateMarkowitz,SteveGaddandLarryGoldings.Theresultinglive-in-studioalbum,namedCovers,wasreleasedinSeptember2008.[6]meanwhile,insummer2008,Taylorandthisbandtoured34NorthAmericancitieswithatourentitledJamesTaylorandHisBandofLegends.
