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Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Story with Johnnie Walker

Singer-songwriter James Taylor talks to Johnnie Walker about his remarkable life, and illustrates his story with acoustic guitar performances.

Johnnie Walker meets James Taylor, a man who epitomises the American singer-songwriter generation of the early 1970s.

The Boston, Massachusetts-born singer and guitarist is perhaps best known in the UK for his cover of Carole King's You've Got A Friend, which provided him with his only Top 5 hit on this side of the Atlantic. His breakthrough came about here after he signed to The Beatles' Apple record label - the first non-British act to do so.

His impressive back catalogue boasts Carolina In My Mind, Your Smiling Face, Shower The People, his versions of Up On The Roof and How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), the Grammy-Award-winning 1998 album Hourglass and the recently-released set Covers, noted for his take on the Temptations' It's Growing.

In this unique audio portrait, Johnnie Walker spends two hours with James - his famous acoustic guitar by his side - in a tranquil village in Scotland. The musician talks openly about his lengthy battle with drug addiction, family tragedy, recording with The Beatles, his marriage to Carly Simon, finding happiness, and reveals the true inspiration behind his the emotionally-charged track Fire & Rain.

James illustrates this remarkable life story with some raw, acoustic guitar performances. He also reveals an unusual pre-gig ritual and explains how he'll be rehearsing for his upcoming UK tour - on a cruise liner.

2 hours

Last on

Mon 25 May 2009 18:00
大象传媒 Radio 2

Music Played

  • James Taylor - Your Smiling Face

  • None

    Deleted Record

  • Ray Charles

    What I'd Say

  • James Taylor - Steamroller

  • James Taylor - Raised Up Family

  • James Taylor - Country Road

  • James Taylor - Carolina In My Mind

  • James Taylor - Something In The Way She Moves

  • The Beatles

    Something

    • The Beatles : 1967 1970.
    • APPLE.

  • James Taylor - Little More Time With You

  • James Taylor - Fire & Rain

  • James Taylor - Sweet Baby James

  • James Taylor - Handyman

  • James Taylor - Hey Mister That's Me Up On The Jukebox

  • Carly Simon & James Taylor - Mockingbird

  • James Taylor - You've Got A Friend

  • James Taylor

    (I'm A) Roadrunner

    • Covers.
    • Promo.

  • James Taylor - Everyday

  • James Taylor - Oh What A Beautiful Morning

  • James Taylor - It's Growing

  • Mark Knopfler & James Taylor

    Sailing To Philadelphia

    • Sailing To Philadelphia.
    • MERCURY.

  • James Taylor - Sunny Skies

  • James Taylor - Her Town Too

  • James Taylor - Fire & Rain

Broadcast

  • Mon 25 May 2009 18:00
    大象传媒 Radio 2