Something in the Way She Moves

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with Something in the Way You Move or Something (Beatles song).

"Something in the Way She Moves"
Song by James Taylor
from the album James Taylor
Released1968
Recorded1968 at Trident Studios, London
GenreFolk rock
Length2:54
LabelApple Records
Songwriter(s)James Taylor
Producer(s)Peter Asher

"Something in the Way She Moves" is a song written by

Beatles' song "Something". According to James Taylor's stage banter at The Star in Frisco 31 July 2017, this was the song he played for Paul McCartney
and George Harrison as an audition before signing with Apple Records.

James Taylor version

"Something in the Way She Moves" is a romantic song.[1] Rolling Stone critic Jon Landau regards the song as being about "transcendence of a sort."[2] Taylor plays the song accompanied only by acoustic guitar.[2]

Rolling Stone Album Guide critic Mark Coleman agrees that it is a "highlight" of James Taylor, describing the song as "winsome" and predicting the path Taylor would take in future recordings.[5] Taylor biographer Timothy White describes it as being "unquestionably Taylor's finest performance" on James Taylor.[6] White described it as "spare in presentation" and "poignant on its own elegant terms."[6] Rolling Stone critic Jon Landau believes that the spare performance and Taylor's "restrained delivery" add to the song's power, as Taylor "lets the melody, lyric, guitar, and voice speak for themselves."[2] Martin Charles Strong describes it as being a "memorable original" and one that "marked Taylor out as a kind of male Joni Mitchell, if not quite as adventurous."[7]

Taylor included "Something in the Way She Moves" on his 1976

Live at the Troubadour.[10] A solo live version leads off Taylor's album One Man Band.[11]

Inspiration for "Something"

Beatles album Abbey Road, which was also released as a single and reached No. 1.[12][13] Early in the development of "Something," Harrison had expanded the opening of this song to "Something in the way she moves / Attracts me like a pomegranate," using the word "pomegranate" simply as a place-holder until better words could be found.[13][14][15]

Taylor has stated that "I never thought for a second that George intended to do that. I don't think he intentionally ripped anything off, and all music is borrowed from other music. So completely I let it pass."[12] Taylor also acknowledged that the ending of "Something in the Way She Moves" was taken from the Beatles' song "I Feel Fine" and so "what goes around comes around."[12]

Cover versions

"Something in the Way She Moves"
Folk Rock
Length3:25
LabelElektra Records
Songwriter(s)James Taylor
Producer(s)Arthur Gorson

Crawdaddy! reviewed the song as being the best song on The Circle Game, saying that it "flows beautifully with Bruce Langhorne's country stylings pushing it through," also acknowledging that "Rush's brand of vocalizing fits perfectly" because "he can never get excited about anything."[12]

Country artist Bobbie Gentry recorded a version titled "Something In the Way He Moves" for her 1970 album Fancy.

Matthews' Southern Comfort recorded a version of "Something in the Way She Moves" for his 1970 album Second Spring
.

Harry Belafonte covered the song as the opening track of his 1971 album The Warm Touch.[16] He also released it as a single. Billboard regarded "Something in the Way She Moves" as one of the "standout" tracks on The Warm Touch.[17] Billboard also called the melody "beautiful" and stated that Belafonte gives the song "his own unique treatment."[18]

Mitchel Forman recorded an acoustic piano version of "Something in the Way She Moves" for the 2001 multi-artist album Sketches of James: Selection from the James Taylor Songbook.[4]

References

  1. ^
    Allmusic
    . Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Landau, J. (19 April 1969). "James Taylor". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  3. Allmusic
    . Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  4. ^
    Allmusic
    . Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  5. ISBN 0679737294
    .
  6. ^
    ISBN 9780857120069
    .
  7. ISBN 9781841953120
    .
  8. Allmusic
    . Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  9. Allmusic
    . Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  10. Allmusic
    . Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  11. Allmusic
    . Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  12. ^
    ISBN 9781458471390
    .
  13. ^
    ISBN 9780195129410
    .
  14. ISBN 9780595314874
    .
  15. ^ Paul Du Noyer (13 March 2009). "George Harrison's Uncertain Something". Archived from the original on 26 May 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  16. Allmusic
    . Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  17. ^ "Billboard Album Reviews". Billboard. 20 February 1971. p. 54.
  18. ^ "Special Merit Spotlight". Billboard. 6 February 1971. p. 74. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
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