You've Got a Friend (1971) 11/2/20

In 1971, when Carole King was recording her groundbreaking “Tapestry” album, James Taylor was using the same studio to record his classic “Mud Slide Slim” album. They shared several studio musicians, and both had Joni Mitchell sing some background vocals. But the sharing didn't stop there...

Carole was a fan of James' earlier hit, “Fire and Rain, ”which we highlighted back on February 9th. You can read about it here: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelCuuuk/posts/147407080066081

According to James, his lyric, “There were lonely times when I could not find a friend” inspired Carole to write today's “Great Song of the '70s.”

Carole recorded “You've Got a Friend” first, with James and Joni singing backup. James LOVED the song and asked Carole if he could record it, too. She agreed, and so it was recorded again, with James singing lead, Carole on piano, and Joni once again singing backup.

Carole's version became a beloved album cut on “Tapestry,” universally praised by music critics, but was never released as a single (She had hits with several other cuts, however, including “It's Too Late,” “So Far Away,” and “I Feel the Earth Move.”)

James' version, which WAS released as a single, promptly went to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 and Easy Listening Charts, and #2 on Canada's Top 40, proving there was plenty of love for his version as well.

It was already a win-win situation for Carole and James, but there's more! Carole won the Grammy for “Song of the Year,” while James won the Grammy for “Best Male Pop Performance.”

There were rumors that James and Carole were dating at the time, and that led to all the sharing, but apparently, they were “just friends.” And what a great story of friendship it is!

From 1971:

James Taylor:

Carole King: