Things I should have known about my favorite artists

[par4ken]

Same way I was surprised that the singer of “Jackie Blue “ by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils was a man. I thought that was a woman for over 40 years

I once thought that the Stylistics lead singer was female, but they are all men!

 

[SeanSKA01]

I learned a couple of interesting things yesterday. Perhaps I'm the only one on the forum who didn't know these two facts, but they were real eye openers to me.

- He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother: That is session musician Reg Dwight playing piano on that song.

- Goldfinger: Guitar played by session musician Jimmy Page. He was awed by Welsh legend Shirley Bassey's performance.

This info makes these two songs more special to me.

Please, anymore enlightening tidbits to share?

Jimmy Page also plays the guitar break in Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual “

Page also plays on Joe Cocker”s version of “With a Little Help from My Friends”

 

[nikomen]

Isn’t that song billed to both artists?

No. It's on Dad Loves His Work album, and vinyl liner notes list background vocals J.D., but I heard it on the radio when it came out and I knew right away who it was. I always liked his voice. He was big friends with Graham Parsons and that whole group.

The JT one I loved the best was City Lights with his brother Livingston, and it was on Liv's album. You can't miss their brothers when you hear them sing separately. He's a music professor at Berkley in California and I sent him my album cover and I suggested that he should have a Taylor Family record with his bother Liv and his sister Kate. Unfortunatey his older brother Alex died from alcoholism many yeas ago and he had one album. If you close you eyes and imagine it you can hear a JT similarity.

The one that shocked me was Bob Dylan as the vocalist for Lay Lady Lay. Wow!

 

[4-earredwonder]

Two really- “Something “ and “Layla”
Three, if you want to include “Wonderful Tonight “

That must have been SOME woman!

Yep, She had that certain "SOMETHING!"

And ZING went the STRINGS of My

https://www.smoothradio.com/features/the-story-of/eric-clapton-wonderful-tonight-lyrics-pattie-boyd/

 

[nikomen]

I was shocked to hear that so many people DON'T realize that Mick Jagger is the main background vocalist for Carly's You're So Vain.

I got an old one for you but very clearly this song is really a true duet and not a background singer: Lou Rawls on Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home.

Back to JT, his Gorilla album Mexico Crosby and Nash sing perfect harmony vocals, and his then wife Carly sang harmony vocals on How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You.)

 

[ar surround]

Mexico Crosby and Nash sing perfect harmony vocals

That I didn't know. No wonder I love the vocals on that song.

 

[nikomen]

That I didn't know. No wonder I love the vocals on that song.

1975 James Taylor – Mexico (US:#49)​

Danny Kortchmar, James Taylor, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel

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“Mexico” is a song written by James Taylor that first appeared as the opening track of his 1975 album Gorilla. It was released as a single, with the album’s title track as the b-side, and reached #49 on the Billboard Hot 100, but performed much better on the Adult Contemporary chart, reaching #5. “Mexico” has appeared on many of Taylor’s live and compilation albums. It has been covered by Jimmy Buffett, Alex de Grassi and Lauren Laverne.
The lyrics of “Mexico” describe a dream of enjoying a night in a Mexican border town. It is one of several songs on Gorilla that uses a stream of consciousness technique to describe the singer’s fantasy, others including “Music” and “You Make It Easy.” It is a happy song that contrasts Taylor’s sad, sensitive image. “Mexico” has a “buoyant” rhythm. Its music incorporates features of country rock music. Graham Nash and David Crosby sing backup vocals on the song. Critic Doung Pringle describes Nash’s harmony vocals as “lovely.”

I got a treat for you my friend:

 

[nikomen]

And if you look at the drummer behind them at the very end of the song, is one of the worlds BEST drummer, session or otherwise, Steve Gadd. Other guests on Gorilla album, David Sanborn on sax and Randy Newman on organ.

 

[JonUrban]

No. It's on Dad Loves His Work album, and vinyl liner notes list background vocals J.D., but I heard it on the radio when it came out and I knew right away who it was. I always liked his voice. He was big friends with Graham Parsons and that whole group.

The JT one I loved the best was City Lights with his brother Livingston, and it was on Liv's album. You can't miss their brothers when you hear them sing separately. He's a music professor at Berkley in California and I sent him my album cover and I suggested that he should have a Taylor Family record with his bother Liv and his sister Kate. Unfortunatey his older brother Alex died from alcoholism many yeas ago and he had one album. If you close you eyes and imagine it you can hear a JT similarity.

The one that shocked me was Bob Dylan as the vocalist for Lay Lady Lay. Wow!

Alex actually had 2 albums on Capricorn in the early '70s during the "Taylor Influx". "Dinnertime" and "With Friends and Neighbors", as I recall. He also had a few albums after that, one that I had on CD called "Voodoo in Me", which featured a great duet with Brother James on the classic "He Don't Love You" (Like I love you).

Their Sister, Kate, had an early '70s album called "Sister Kate", also on Capricorn, but when James moved to Columbia, they gave Kate a contract as well, and she released 2 albums, the first Columbia album had a Duet with James, "It's in his Kiss" (Shoop-Shoop Song) that got considerable airplay. She has put out more albums over the years, her "Beautiful Road" album has a duet with James on the classic New Years Eve tune"Old Lang Syne"

Livingston is the James sibling with the most productive output, with 3 early Atco/Capricorn LPs, the first was fairly popular with the single "Carolina Day". He went to Epic in the early '80s and had minor hits with "I Will Be in Love with You" and "Going 'Round one More Time". Since then he has release many excellent albums and continues to tour to a very accepting fan base. Two of my favorites are "Our Turn To Dance" and "Life is Good".

The last sibling, Hugh, who runs an Inn on Martha's Vineyard, released an album in the '90
s called "It's Up to You". It includes a duet with Kate on the tune "Real Good Sign". The final track on Hugh's album is a cover of "Jailhouse Rock". During one stay at the Outermost (his Inn on MV), I suggested that it would have been great if when they recorded that album that the Taylor Family did the same thing they did at the end of the Blues Brothers movie, where all of the actors in the film sang a verse from Jailhouse Rock. It would have been great to have all 5 Taylors do the same. Missed opportunity

If you Google, you can find a few appearances where they all were at the same place, once on the Today show.

PS - Liv teaches at Berkley, in Boston

 

[nikomen]

When Liv wrote me back me said that a Taylor family album would be a great idea and he'd talk to the "family." That was about 30 years ago

 

[Bruce00]

What an interesting and enlightening read, thank you folks

 

[barfle]

I once thought that the Stylistics lead singer was female, but they are all men!

How about Chris Montez? “The More I See You” sure sounds like a female. Not to mention tnat the name “Chris” doesn’t really let you know,

 

[barfle]

A lot of early Motown songs like “Up On the Roof” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” were written by Carol King and her then-husband Jerry Goffin. They were surprisingly good hit-writers.

 

[Rstaylor]

Isn’t that song billed to both artists?

Yes it is

 

[Rstaylor]

No. It's on Dad Loves His Work album, and vinyl liner notes list background vocals J.D., but I heard it on the radio when it came out and I knew right away who it was. I always liked his voice. He was big friends with Graham Parsons and that whole group.

The JT one I loved the best was City Lights with his brother Livingston, and it was on Liv's album. You can't miss their brothers when you hear them sing separately. He's a music professor at Berkley in California and I sent him my album cover and I suggested that he should have a Taylor Family record with his bother Liv and his sister Kate. Unfortunatey his older brother Alex died from alcoholism many yeas ago and he had one album. If you close you eyes and imagine it you can hear a JT similarity.

The one that shocked me was Bob Dylan as the vocalist for Lay Lady Lay. Wow!

 

[par4ken]

A lot of early Motown songs like “Up On the Roof” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” were written by Carol King and her then-husband Jerry Goffin. They were surprisingly good hit-writers.

What I find surprising is that Carole King didn't release her own stuff back in those early days. Back then she was a hit writer for others. So many great hits came out of the Brill Building!

 

[mandrix]

Trivia...
Randy "California" of Spirit used to play with Hendrix in New York.
When Hendrix made the split to the UK, he wanted Randy to go. As Randy was only 16 he needed his parents permission to I suppose get a passport.
They said no.
Way I remember, Without benefit of Google, is that Randy formed Spirit with his Father in law. Mark Andes of Spirit was in several bands, Jay Ferguson had a solo career and I THINK eventually got into film in some capacity (not as an actor as I recall).

 

[Willie Wilson]

Trivia...
Randy "California" of Spirit used to play with Hendrix in New York.
When Hendrix made the split to the UK, he wanted Randy to go. As Randy was only 16 he needed his parents permission to I suppose get a passport.
They said no.
Way I remember, Without benefit of Google, is that Randy formed Spirit with his Father in law. Mark Andes of Spirit was in several bands, Jay Ferguson had a solo career and I THINK eventually got into film in some capacity (not as an actor as I recall).

Trivia...
Randy "California" of Spirit used to play with Hendrix in New York.
When Hendrix made the split to the UK, he wanted Randy to go. As Randy was only 16 he needed his parents permission to I suppose get a passport.
They said no.
Way I remember, Without benefit of Google, is that Randy formed Spirit with his Father in law. Mark Andes of Spirit was in several bands, Jay Ferguson had a solo career and I THINK eventually got into film in some capacity (not as an actor as I recall).

He came a long way from Thunder Island…

 

[Willie Wilson]

Kinda early in the day to be seeing double!

 

[mandrix]

Well I didn't need my glasses to read it!