James Taylor (album)
| James Taylor | ||||
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| Studio album by James Taylor | ||||
| Released | December 6, 1968 | |||
| Recorded | July–October, 1968 | |||
| Studio | Trident Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Length | 38:30 | |||
| Label | Apple | |||
| Producer | Peter Asher | |||
| James Taylor chronology | ||||
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| Singles from James Taylor | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Mojo |  |
| MusicHound | 3.5/5 |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable) |
| Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
James Taylor is the self-titled debut studio album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor. Released on December 6, 1968, it was the first recording by a non-British artist released by Apple Records, and would also be Taylor's only release on that label. The album was released under the title First Album on the South African market.
The album was produced by Peter Asher, who was A&R head for The Beatles' newly formed label Apple Records. Taylor recorded the album from July to October 1968 at Trident Studios, at the same time as the Beatles were recording the White Album. Trident was the most technologically advanced studio in England at the time and was in high demand; some session time booked by The Beatles was used instead to record Taylor's album. Paul McCartney and Peter Asher brought in arranger Richard Hewson to add orchestrations to several of the songs and unusual "link" passages in between them; these would receive a mixed reception at best.
Notable songs include the Taylor classics "Something in the Way She Moves", "Carolina in My Mind" and "Rainy Day Man". McCartney and an uncredited George Harrison guested on bass and backing vocals respectively on "Carolina in My Mind", the lyric of which, "holy host of others standing around me", made reference to The Beatles, while the title phrase of Taylor's "Something in the Way She Moves" provided the starting point for Harrison's classic "Something". (Coincidentally, Taylor has said he had meant for the song to be called "I Feel Fine" – after a dominant line in the chorus – but the title had already been taken by a Beatles song.) Taylor also recorded a very early version of "Fire and Rain", which would be his breakthrough hit on his second album, but Asher did not choose it for the album release.
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