Sweet Baby James
Sweet Baby James | ||||
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Sunset Sound, Los Angeles | ||||
Genre | ||||
Length | 31:51 | |||
Warner Bros. | ||||
Producer | Peter Asher | |||
James Taylor chronology | ||||
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Singles from Sweet Baby James | ||||
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Sweet Baby James is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter
The album includes two of Taylor's earliest successful singles: "Fire and Rain", and "Country Road", which reached number three and number thirty seven on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. The album itself reached number three on the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart.
Sweet Baby James made Taylor one of the main forces of the ascendant singer-songwriter movement in the early 1970s and onward. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year, in 1971, and was listed at number 104 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[2] In 2000 it was voted number 228 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[3] In 2002 the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[4]
Background
The album, produced by
The song "Suite for 20 G" was so named because Taylor was promised $20,000 (US$166,171 in 2023 dollars[5]) once the album was delivered. With one more song needed, he strung together three unfinished songs into a "suite", and completed the album.[7]
The album produced two charting singles: "Fire and Rain", backed by "Anywhere Like Heaven", which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 31, 1970, and "Country Road", backed by "Sunny Skies", which peaked at number 37 on March 20, 1971. An additional single, "Sweet Baby James", backed by "Suite for 20 G", did not chart.[8]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [14] |
Reviewing for
Accolades
- In 2001 the TV network VH1 named Sweet Baby James the 77th greatest album of all time.[16]
- In 2003, the album was ranked number 104 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,[2] maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list,[17] dropping to number 182 in a 2020 revised list.[18]
Track listing
All songs by James Taylor unless otherwise noted.
Side one
- "Sweet Baby James" – 2:54
- "Lo and Behold" – 2:37
- "Sunny Skies" – 2:21
- "Steamroller" – 2:57
- "Country Road" – 3:22
- "Oh, Susannah" (Stephen Foster) – 1:58
Side two
- "Fire and Rain" – 3:20
- "Blossom" – 2:14
- "Anywhere Like Heaven" – 3:23
- "Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip on Me" – 1:46
- "Suite for 20 G" – 4:41
Personnel
Musicians
- James Taylor – guitar, vocals
- Danny Kortchmar – guitar
- Red Rhodes – steel guitar
- John London – bass guitar
- Randy Meisner – bass guitar on "Country Road" and "Blossom"
- Bobby West – double bass on "Fire and Rain"
- Chris Darrow – fiddle, violin[19]
- Carole King – piano, backing vocals
- Russ Kunkel – drums
The horn players are uncredited.
Technical
- Jack Bielan – brass arrangements
- Peter Asher – producer
- Bill Lazerus – engineer
- Darrell Johnson – mastering
- Ed Thrasher – art direction
- Henry Diltz – photography
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[26] | Silver | 60,000* |
United States (RIAA)[27] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ Wurlitzer, Rudolph; Corry, Will (1971). Two-lane Blacktop. Award Books. p. 36. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
- ^ OCLC 70672814. Retrieved March 20, 2005.
- ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
- ^ https://www.grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award#s
- ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Browne, David (2011). Fire and Rain: The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY and the Lost Story of 1970. Boston: Da Capo Press. p. 64.
- ^ "Suite For 20G by James Taylor". Songfacts.com.
- ^ "James Taylor charts". Billboard.com.
- ^ AllMusic. Retrieved October 2, 2004.
- ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 15, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
- ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Portions posted at "James Taylor > Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the originalon January 5, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (April 23, 1970). "Consumer Guide (9)". The Village Voice. Retrieved March 15, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ISBN 978-0195313734.
- ^ von Tersch, Gary (April 30, 1970). "James Taylor Sweet Baby James > Album Review". Rolling Stone. No. 57. Archived from the original on November 3, 2007. Retrieved June 15, 2006.
- ^ "Rock On The Net: VH1: 100 Greatest Albums". www.rockonthenet.com. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
- ^ "Chris Darrow interview on Outsight Radio Hours". Archive.org. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top Albums/CDs – Volume 14, No. 16" (PHP). RPM. December 5, 1970. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ^ "James Taylor | full Official Chart History". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
- ^ "James Taylor Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Billboard.BIZ Top Pop Albums of 1970". billboard.biz. Archived from the original on December 15, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
- ^ "Billboard.BIZ Top Pop Albums of 1971". billboard.biz. Archived from the original on December 31, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
- ^ "British album certifications – James Taylor – Sweet Baby JAmes". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 11, 2022. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Sweet Baby JAmes in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "American album certifications – James Taylor – Sweet Baby JAmes". Recording Industry Association of America.
External links
- Album online on Radio3Net a radio channel of Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company