Billboard #1 Hits: #257: ” You’ve Got A Friend”- James Taylor – July 31, 1971. #1 for 1 week in Billboard Hot 100.
- Single: “You’ve Got A Friend”- James Taylor
- Record Company- Warner Bros.
- Genre: Pop
- Written by Carole King
- Time: 4:29
- B-side:”You Can Close Your Eyes”
- Album-Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon
- Grade: B
- Peaked at #1 1 week in Billboard Hot 100. #4 in UK Singles Chart.
July 1971 was a big month for Carole King- “It’s Too Late” was #1 for 5 weeks, then two weeks after it ended its run at the top- a song she had written that was on her #1 album Tapestry- “You’ve Got A Friend” hit #1 as a cover by James Taylor. Taylor had a big hit a year earlier with “Fire And Rain” #3- and “You’ve Got A Friend” would be the only #1 hit he would have in his career. Taylor would win a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and King would win one for Song Of The Year.
The song wrote itself. It was written by something outside myself, through me.” According to Taylor, King told him that the song was a response to a line in Taylor’s earlier song “Fire and Rain” that “I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend.”
I agree with your B grade. I’ve always liked James Taylor, and like the song well enough, but it was just dull and boring. I like Carole King’s version better.
Agree with you – King’s version superior. Taylor’s is OK but he had better songs.
While I also prefer King’s version, I dig Taylor’s cover as well, both in terms of the guitar work and his warm voice. As such, in my completely unbiased opinion, I’d give Carole an A+ and James an A- 🙂
Weird that was James Taylor’s only #1 hit, he’s had so many good songs over the years.
I thought he may have had at least another #1 but..no many hits just one #1.
There appeared to have been so many iconic artists of the 70s who surprisingly only had a sole #1 – in addition to JT there’s Al Green, Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, Earth Wind & Fire, ABBA, Eric Clapton, Paul Simon solo.
I didn’t realize that. The one which sticks out to me as odd having a #1 at all is Neil Young- not a singles artist but he did have that one big one.
So interesting. Makes me wonder what that chart is really all about when the greats don’t reach the top of it.
How about CCR 5 which stalled at #2- no #1’s.. and add Donny Osmond -only 1 #1 hit! ha!
I have to wonder wth WAS at the top of the chart then 😉
I will do a little research and see what hits kept CCR out of #1.
I like this one better than Taylor’s other work – it has an epic cinematic quality to it, thanks to the backing vocals coming in during the second chorus, that his other songs don’t usually have. I give it an A.
Also this is the only #1 ever with Joni Mitchell on it (she provides backing vocals), which has to bump it up.