Sweet Baby James

Sweet Baby James is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, released on February 1, 1970, by Warner Bros. Records. It reached number three on the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart, and includes two of Taylor's earliest successful singles: "Fire and Rain" and "Country Road", which reached number three and number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. This success made Taylor one of the most prominent figures in the emerging singer-songwriter movement.

At the 13th Annual Grammy Awards, Sweet Baby James was nominated for Album of the Year. It was listed at number 104 on Rolling StoneTemplate:'s list "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time",<ref name="RS500">Template:Cite book</ref> and, in 2000, it was voted number 228 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.<ref name="Larkin">Template:Cite book</ref> In 2002, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Background

Produced by Peter Asher, Sweet Baby James was recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, California, between December 8 and 17, 1969, at a cost of only $7,600 (US$Template:Inflation in Template:Inflation-year dollarsTemplate:Inflation-fn) out of a budget of $20,000.<ref name= Browne>Template:Cite book</ref> Taylor was "essentially homeless" at the time the album was recorded, either staying in Asher's home or sleeping on a couch at the house of guitarist Danny Kortchmar, or anyone else who would have him.<ref name= Browne />Template:Rp

The song "Suite for 20 G" was so named because Taylor was promised $20,000 (US$Template:Inflation in Template:Inflation-year dollarsTemplate:Inflation-fn) once the album was delivered. With one more song needed, he strung together three unfinished songs into a "suite" to complete the album.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The album produced two charting singles: "Fire and Rain" (b/w "Anywhere Like Heaven"), which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 31, 1970, and "Country Road" (b/w "Sunny Skies"), which peaked at number 37 on March 20, 1971. An additional single, "Sweet Baby James" (b/w "Suite for 20 G"), did not chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Critical reception

Template:Album ratings Reviewing for Rolling Stone in 1970, Gary von Tersch observed in the music "echoes of the Band, the Byrds, country Dylan and folksified Dion", which Taylor manages to negotiate into a "very listenable record that is all his own".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Village Voice critic Robert Christgau was harsher in his appraisal of the album, saying that "Taylor's vehement following bewilders me; as near as I can discern, he is just another poetizing simp. Even the production is conventional. For true believers only."<ref name="VV">Template:Cite news</ref> In a retrospective review, AllMusic's William Ruhlmann was more receptive to "Taylor's sense of wounded hopelessness", believing it reflected "the pessimism and desperation of the 1960s hangover that was the early '70s" and "struck a chord with music fans, especially because of its attractive mixture of folk, country, gospel, and blues elements, all of them carefully understated and distanced."<ref name="AM"/>

Accolades

• In 2001, the TV network VH1 named Sweet Baby James the 77th greatest album of all time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• In 2003, the album was ranked number 104 on Rolling Stone magazine's list "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time",<ref name="RS500"/> maintaining the position in the 2012 update to the list,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and dropping to number 182 in the 2020 update.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Track listing

All songs by James Taylor unless otherwise noted.

Side one

1. "Sweet Baby James" – 2:54
2. "Lo and Behold" – 2:37
3. "Sunny Skies" – 2:21
4. "Steamroller" – 2:57
5. "Country Road" – 3:22
6. "Oh, Susannah" (Stephen Foster) – 1:58

Side two

1. "Fire and Rain" – 3:20
2. "Blossom" – 2:14
3. "Anywhere Like Heaven" – 3:23
4. "Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip on Me" – 1:46
5. "Suite for 20 G" – 4:41

Personnel

Musicians

• James Taylor – vocals, guitar
• Danny Kortchmar – guitar
• Red Rhodes – steel guitar
• John London – bass guitar (except “Country Road”, “Fire and Rain”, and “Blossom”)
• Randy Meisner – bass guitar on "Country Road" and "Blossom"
• Bobby West – double bass on "Fire and Rain"
• Carole King – backing vocals, piano
• Russ Kunkel – drums
• Chris Darrow – fiddle, violin<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The horn players are uncredited.

Technical

• Jack Bielan – brass arrangements
• Peter Asher – producer
• Bill Lazerus – engineer
• Darrell Johnson – mastering
• Ed Thrasher – art direction
• Henry Diltz – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1970–1971)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref name=aus>Template:Cite book</ref>	7
Canadian RPM Albums Chart<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	3
UK Albums Chart<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	6
US Billboard Top LPs & Tapes<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	3

Year-end charts

Chart (1970)	Position
US Billboard Pop Albums<ref>Template:Cite web </ref>	15
Chart (1971)	Position
US Billboard Pop Albums<ref>Template:Cite web </ref>	7

External links

• Album online on Radio3Net a radio channel of Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company