Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Yesterday’s classic song of the day was Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” and today’s classic song of the day is by her ex-husband, singer-songwriter James Taylor. The song is “Your Smiling Face” which, when released in September of 1977, went to #20 on the Billboard Hot 100, #12 on the Cash Box Top 100, and #6 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary…
If you’re of a certain age, today’s classic song of the day means something special to you. The song is “You’ve Got a Friend” and it was written by songwriter extraordinaire Carole King and recorded both by herself and by her friend James Taylor. Unlike many of Carole King’s tunes, Carole wrote both the words and the music for “You’ve…
This week we’ve been featuring tunes that were hits multiple times for multiple artists. This brings us to our final classic multiple-artist hit of the day, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).” This one was a hit for both Marvin Gaye and Junior Walker in the ’60s and for James Taylor in the ’70s. “How Sweet It…
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…
Today’s classic “man” song of the day is about a “Handy Man.” This tune was a hit for three different artists—Jimmy Jones, Del Shannon, and James Taylor. Who wrote “Handy Man” is up for debate. The original recording, released in 1959 by the Sparks of Rhythm, lists Andrew Barksdale and Charles Merenstein as writers. That version was in a bluesy…
For the day after Christmas, when everybody should still be in relatively good merriment, todays’ classic song of the day is “Wonderful World.” It was a hit for three very different artists: Sam Cooke, Herman’s Hermits, and Art Garfunkel. Lou Adler and Herb Alpert wrote “Wonderful World” in 1958 or so, but pretty much shelved it as a trifle. Sam…
Today’s song of the day is a James Taylor classic, 1974’s “Walking Man.” This was the lead track (side one, track one) of the same-named album. While “Walking Man” was released as a single, it didn’t break into the Billboard Hot 100—although it did reach #26 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart. It’s become one of Mr. Taylor’s best-known and best-loved…
Tomorrow is election day here in the United States, and one way or another history will be made. We’ll either have our first woman president or only our second president in history to win two nonconsecutive terms. There may be more history made, depending on who is elected, but let’s try to keep things relatively nonpolitical here. (You want to…
Today’s classic song of the day, keeping with our ongoing rain theme, is James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain.” Included as the first track on side two of Mr. Taylor’s Sweet Baby James album, the single, released in August of 1970, rose to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. “Fire and…