James Taylor - JT

On his last couple of Warner Brothers albums, Gorilla and In the Pocket, James Taylor seemed to be converting himself from the shrinking violet, too-sensitive-to-live "rainy day man" of his early records into a mainstream, easy-listening crooner with a sunny outlook. JT, his debut album for Columbia Records, was something of a defense of this conversion. Returning to the autobiographical, Taylor declared his love for Carly Simon ("There We Are"), but expressed some surprise at his domestic bliss. "Isn't it amazing a man like me can feel this way?" he sang in the opening song, "Your Smiling Face" (a Top 40 hit). At the same time, domesticity could have its temporary depressions ("Another Grey Morning"). The key track was "Secret O' Life," which Taylor revealed as "enjoying the passage of time." Working with his long-time backup band of Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, and Russell Kunkel, and with Peter Asher back in the producer's chair, Taylor also enjoyed the playing of music, mixing his patented acoustic guitar-based folk sound with elements of rock, blues, and country. He even made the country charts briefly with "Bartender's Blues," a genre exercise complete with steel guitar and references to "honky tonk angels" that he would later re-record with George Jones. The album's Top Ten hit was Taylor's winning remake of Jimmy Jones' "Handy Man," which replaced the grit of the original with his characteristic warmth. JT was James Taylor's best album since Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon because it acknowledged the darkness of his earlier work while explaining the deliberate lightness of his current viewpoint, and because it was his most consistent collection in years. Fans responded: JT sold better than any Taylor album since Sweet Baby James. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Name Credits Amy Herot Producer Bob Wolff Authoring Carly Simon Vocal Harmony, Vocals (Background), Vocals Clarence McDonald Keyboards, ? Dan Dugmore Guitar, Guitar (Steel) Danny Kortchmar Guitar David Alexander Photography David Campbell Strings, Conductor, Viola, Horn Arrangements, Arranger, String Conductor, String Arrangements David Paul Campbell Viola, String Arrangements, Conductor David Sanborn Saxophone Doug Sax Digital Remastering, Mastering Gavin Lurssen Mastering Graham Nash Vocals James Taylor Vocals, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Vocals (Background) James Taylor Move Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals (Background), Vocals Jim Shea Photography, Back Cover Kevin Boutote Mastering Kosh Design, Art Direction Laura Grover Product Manager, Remastering Producer Leah Kunkel Vocals, Percussion, Vocals (Background) Leland Sklar Bass Linda Ronstadt Vocals, Vocal Harmony, Vocals (Background) Nathaniel Kunkel Mixing Peter Asher Castanets, Tambourine, Cowbell, Producer, Cabasa, Handclapping, Cabassa, Percussion, Vocals, Wood Block, Bells Red Callender Bass, Tuba Russ Kunkel Tambourine, Castanets, Handclapping, Wood Block, Drums, Percussion Val Garay Engineer, Mixing