1977 studio album by James Taylor
JT is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor . It was released on June 22, 1977, via Columbia Records , making it his first album released for the label. Recording session took place from March 15 to April 24, 1977, at The Sound Factory in Los Angeles with Val Garay . Production was handled by Peter Asher .
The album peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the United States and was Taylor's highest-charting album since Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon . By January 31, 1997, it was certified 3 times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America . At the 20th Annual Grammy Awards , it was also nominated for Grammy Award for Album of the Year , but lost to Rumours by Fleetwood Mac .
The album spawned three singles: "Handy Man " (Taylor's final top 10 hit), "Your Smiling Face " and "Honey Don't Leave L.A. ". "Handy Man", a Jimmy Jones cover, peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Adult Contemporary and won the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance . "Your Smiling Face", the other big hit , peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #6 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The record also contains other Taylor classics such as "Secret O' Life " and "Terra Nova", with the participation of Taylor's then-wife Carly Simon .
The New York Times noted that "perhaps the most obvious way that the new songs don't equal the old is their relative lack of memorable melody."[ 6]
Side two Title Writer(s) 1. "Handy Man " 3:17 2. "I Was Only Telling a Lie" Taylor 3:24 3. "Looking for Love on Broadway" Taylor 2:23 4. "Terra Nova" 4:32 5. "Traffic Jam" Taylor 1:58 6. "If I Keep My Heart Out of Sight" Taylor 3:01 Total length: 37:57
James Taylor – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitars Clarence McDonald – keyboards Danny Kortchmar – guitars Dan Dugmore – steel guitar (tracks: 2, 5) Leland Sklar – bass guitar Russ Kunkel – drums, castanets (track 7) , wood block (track 9) , tambourine and handclaps (track 10) Peter Asher – cowbell (track 3) , castanets (track 7) , cabasa (tracks: 7, 9) , wood block (track 9) , tambourine and handclaps (track 10) David Sanborn – saxophone (track 3) Red Callender – tuba (track 10) David Campbell – string arrangements and conductor (tracks: 1, 5) , viola (track 2) Linda Ronstadt – harmony vocals (track 5) Leah Kunkel – backing vocals (track 7) Carly Simon – harmony vocals (track 10) Peter Asher – producer Val Garay – recording, mixing Doug Sax – mastering at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California) John Kosh – art direction, design David Alexander – front cover, sleeve photos Jim Shea – back cover, inside photos ^ Ruhlmann, William. "JT - James Taylor | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" . AllMusic . Retrieved January 15, 2021 . ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press . ISBN 978-0195313734 . ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: T" . Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields . ISBN 089919026X . Retrieved March 15, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide . Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 1125 . ISBN 1-57859-061-2 . ^ "James Taylor: Album Guide" . rollingstone.com . Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved October 27, 2015 . ^ Rockwell, John (8 July 1977). "The Pop Life". The New York Times . p. C11. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 305. ISBN 0-646-11917-6 . ^ "Charts.nz – James Taylor – JT" . Hung Medien. Retrieved January 15, 2021. ^ "James Taylor Chart History (Billboard 200)" . Billboard . Retrieved January 15, 2021. ^ "American album certifications – James Taylor – J.T." Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved January 15, 2021 .
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