Greatest Hits (James Taylor album)

Greatest Hits
Greatest hits album by James Taylor
Released	November 1, 1976 (LP) January 1, 1987 (CD)
Recorded	December 1969 – October 1976
Genre	Soft rock Pop rock[1]
Length	43:42
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Peter Asher, David Spinozza, Lenny Waronker, Russ Titelman
James Taylor chronology
In the Pocket (1976) Greatest Hits (1976) JT (1977)

Greatest Hits is American singer-songwriter James Taylor's first compilation album. Released on November 1, 1976. To this day, it is the best-selling album of his career.

The album took place in the context of Taylor's end of his recording contract with Warner Brothers. It features redone versions of "Carolina in My Mind" and "Something in the Way She Moves", both of which had previously been included in Taylor's 1968 debut album. It also includes previously unavailable live version of "Steamroller".^[1]

The album did not rise higher than #23 on the Billboard albums chart on its original release. However it became a steady seller for many years, and Greatest Hits has sold over 11,000,000 copies certifying it as a platinum album eleven times over, and a diamond album once (for 10 million copies).

In August 2012, the album re-entered the Billboard albums chart at #15, which gave the album a new peak.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
MusicHound	3.5/5[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[3]

Track listing

All songs were written by James Taylor except where noted.

Side 1:

1. "Something in the Way She Moves" (1976 Version) – 3:14
2. "Carolina in My Mind" (1976 Version) – 4:00
3. "Fire and Rain" – 3:26
4. "Sweet Baby James" – 2:55
5. "Country Road" – 3:26
6. "You've Got a Friend" – 4:33

Side 2:

1. "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" – 2:39
2. "Walking Man" – 3:36
3. "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – 3:39
4. "Mexico" – 3:01
5. "Shower the People" – 4:01
6. "Steamroller" (Live) – 5:19

Reviews and response

Music critic William Ruhlmann gave the album a positive review, writing for Allmusic that it constitutes a "reasonable collection for an artist who wasn't particularly well-defined by his singles. While cautioning that the release didn't quite show the "evolution" of Taylor's songwriting, he stated that it remains "a good sampler" of the artist's early work.^[1]

Personnel

• James Taylor - acoustic guitar, vocals
• Kenny Ascher - electric piano (track 8)
• Byron Berline - fiddle (track 2)
• Michael Brecker - tenor saxophone (track 7)
• David Crosby - harmony vocals (track 10)
• Nick DeCaro - hornorgan, voiceorgan (track 11)
• Craig Doerge - piano (track 7)
• Dan Dugmore - steel guitar (tracks 1, 2)
• Victor Feldman - orchestra bells, vibes (track 11)
• Andrew Gold - harmonium, backing vocals (track 2)
• Milt Holland - percussion (track 10)
• Jim Keltner - drums (track 9)
• Carole King - piano, backing vocals (tracks 3–5)
• Danny Kortchmar - electric guitar (tracks 7, 9–10, 12); credited as Danny Kootch - acoustic guitar, congas (track 6)
• Russ Kunkel - drums (tracks 2–7, 10–12); congas (tracks 6–7); cabasa (track 6); tambourine (track 9); shaker (track 10)
• Gayle Levant - harp (track 10)
• John London - bass guitar (track 4)
• Rick Marotta - drums (track 8)
• Ralph MacDonald - percussion (track 8)
• Clarence McDonald - piano (tracks 2, 9, 12); Fender Rhodes (tracks 9, 11); voiceorgan (track 11)
• Randy Meisner - bass guitar (track 5)
• Joni Mitchell - backing vocals (track 6)
• Andy Muson - bass guitar (track 8)
• Graham Nash - harmony vocals (track 10)
• Gene Orloff - strings (concert master) (track 8)
• Herb Pedersen - backing vocals (track 1)
• Red Rhodes - steel guitar (track 4)
• David Sanborn - saxophone (track 9)
• Carly Simon - harmony vocals (tracks 9, 11)
• Leland Sklar (credited as "Lee" Sklar) - bass guitar (tracks 1–2, 6–7, 9–12)
• David Spinozza - electric guitar; acoustic guitar (track 8)
• Bobby "Wild Wild" West - double bass (track 3)

See also

• List of best-selling albums in the United States

References