Today’s classic singer/songwriter song of the day is James Taylor’s “Carolina in My Mind.” Taylor wrote it back in 1968 when he was in London recording tracks for his self-titled debut album for Apple Records. It’s all about being homesick for his home back in North Carolina; he started writing it at producer Peter Asher’s flat in London, wrote some more while on holiday on the Mediterranean island of Formentera, and then finished it when he got stranded the island of Ibiza with Karin, a Swedish girl he had just met. (If you’re going to get stranded on a Mediterranean island, it might as well be with a Swedish girl named Karin.)
The original recording of “Carolina in My Mind,” included on the James Taylor album, was more of an up tempo number with a slight bluegrass feel, complete with harmonica intro. In my opinion, it feels somewhat overproduced. That version was released as a single in March of 1969 but failed to crack the Billboard Hot 100. Following the success of Taylor’s second album, Sweet Baby James, Apple re-released “Carolina in My Mind” as a single in October of 1970; that time around, the track rose to #67 on the Hot 100.
The version most people remember, however, is a re-recording that Taylor did for his 1976 Greatest Hits album. This one is a bit slower and more laid back than the original, and probably more true to the subject matter. It’s definitely the version I prefer.
Over the years, various artists have covered “Carolina in My Mind,” including George Hamilton IV, Crystal Mansion, the Everly Brothers, John Denver, Dawn, and Evie Sands. My favorite cover, however, was recorded by Melanie for her 1970 album, Candles in the Rain. This one’s a bit more introspective and melancholy, which kind of fits.
And here’s today’s daily bonus video of the day, James Taylor performing “Carolina in My Mind” live on the BBC-TV special, James Taylor in Concert, which was broadcast on November 16, 1970. I love his rather disarming introduction: “I was homesick at the time. I didn’t have a home, but that doesn’t keep you from being homesick.”
