1.
Album
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Album, is a collection of audio recordings issued as a single item on CD, record, audio tape, or another medium. Albums of recorded music were developed in the early 20th century, first as books of individual 78rpm records, vinyl LPs are still issued, though in the 21st century album sales have mostly focused on compact disc and MP3 formats. The audio cassette was a format used from the late 1970s through to the 1990s alongside vinyl, an album may be recorded in a recording studio, in a concert venue, at home, in the field, or a mix of places. Recording may take a few hours to years to complete, usually in several takes with different parts recorded separately. Recordings that are done in one take without overdubbing are termed live, the majority of studio recordings contain an abundance of editing, sound effects, voice adjustments, etc. With modern recording technology, musicians can be recorded in separate rooms or at times while listening to the other parts using headphones. Album covers and liner notes are used, and sometimes additional information is provided, such as analysis of the recording, historically, the term album was applied to a collection of various items housed in a book format. In musical usage the word was used for collections of pieces of printed music from the early nineteenth century. Later, collections of related 78rpm records were bundled in book-like albums, the LP record, or 33 1⁄3 rpm microgroove vinyl record, is a gramophone record format introduced by Columbia Records in 1948. It was adopted by the industry as a standard format for the album. Apart from relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of stereophonic sound capability, the term album had been carried forward from the early nineteenth century when it had been used for collections of short pieces of music. Later, collections of related 78rpm records were bundled in book-like albums, as part of a trend of shifting sales in the music industry, some commenters have declared that the early 21st century experienced the death of the album. Sometimes shorter albums are referred to as mini-albums or EPs, Albums such as Tubular Bells, Amarok, Hergest Ridge by Mike Oldfield, and Yess Close to the Edge, include fewer than four tracks. There are no rules against artists such as Pinhead Gunpowder referring to their own releases under thirty minutes as albums. These are known as box sets, material is stored on an album in sections termed tracks, normally 11 or 12 tracks. A music track is a song or instrumental recording. The term is associated with popular music where separate tracks are known as album tracks. When vinyl records were the medium for audio recordings a track could be identified visually from the grooves
2.
James Taylor
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James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and he is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the No.3 single Fire and Rain and had his first No.1 hit the year with Youve Got a Friend. His 1976 Greatest Hits album was certified Diamond and has sold 12 million US copies, following his 1977 album, JT, he has retained a large audience over the decades. Every album that he released from 1977 to 2007 sold over a million copies and his chart performance had a resurgence during the late 1990s and 2000s, when he recorded some of his most-awarded work. He achieved his first number one album in the US in 2015 with his recording Before This World. He is notable for his covers of other peoples songs, such as How Sweet It Is. James Vernon Taylor was born at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on March 12,1948 and his father was from a well-off family of Southerners of Scottish ancestry. His mother, the former Gertrude Woodard, studied singing with Marie Sundelius at the New England Conservatory of Music and was an opera singer before the couples marriage in 1946. James was the second of five children, the others being Alex, Kate, Livingston and they built a house in the Morgan Creek area off the present Morgan Creek Road, which was sparsely populated. James would later say, Chapel Hill, the Piedmont, the hills, were tranquil, rural, beautiful. Thinking of the red soil, the seasons, the way things smelled down there, I feel as though my experience of coming of age there was more a matter of landscape, James attended public primary school in Chapel Hill. Isaacs career prospered, but he was away from home, on military service at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. Isaac Taylor later rose to dean of the UNC School of Medicine from 1964 to 1971. The Taylors spent summers on Marthas Vineyard beginning in 1953, Taylor first learned to play the cello as a child in North Carolina and switched to the guitar in 1960. He began attending Milton Academy, a boarding school in Massachusetts in fall 1961. Summering before then with his family on Marthas Vineyard, he met Danny Kortchmar, the two began listening to and playing blues and folk music together, and Kortchmar quickly realized that Taylors singing had a natural sense of phrasing, every syllable beautifully in time. I knew James had that thing, Taylor wrote his first song on guitar at 14, and he continued to learn the instrument effortlessly
3.
Rock music
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It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by blues, rhythm and blues and country music. Rock music also drew strongly on a number of genres such as electric blues and folk. Musically, rock has centered on the guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass guitar. Typically, rock is song-based music usually with a 4/4 time signature using a verse-chorus form, like pop music, lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political in emphasis. Punk was an influence into the 1980s on the subsequent development of subgenres, including new wave, post-punk. From the 1990s alternative rock began to rock music and break through into the mainstream in the form of grunge, Britpop. Similarly, 1970s punk culture spawned the visually distinctive goth and emo subcultures and this trio of instruments has often been complemented by the inclusion of other instruments, particularly keyboards such as the piano, Hammond organ and synthesizers. The basic rock instrumentation was adapted from the blues band instrumentation. A group of musicians performing rock music is termed a rock band or rock group, Rock music is traditionally built on a foundation of simple unsyncopated rhythms in a 4/4 meter, with a repetitive snare drum back beat on beats two and four. Melodies are often derived from older musical modes, including the Dorian and Mixolydian, harmonies range from the common triad to parallel fourths and fifths and dissonant harmonic progressions. Critics have stressed the eclecticism and stylistic diversity of rock, because of its complex history and tendency to borrow from other musical and cultural forms, it has been argued that it is impossible to bind rock music to a rigidly delineated musical definition. These themes were inherited from a variety of sources, including the Tin Pan Alley pop tradition, folk music and rhythm, as a result, it has been seen as articulating the concerns of this group in both style and lyrics. Christgau, writing in 1972, said in spite of some exceptions, rock and roll usually implies an identification of male sexuality, according to Simon Frith rock was something more than pop, something more than rock and roll. Rock musicians combined an emphasis on skill and technique with the concept of art as artistic expression, original. The foundations of music are in rock and roll, which originated in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Its immediate origins lay in a melding of various musical genres of the time, including rhythm and blues and gospel music, with country. In 1951, Cleveland, Ohio disc jockey Alan Freed began playing rhythm and blues music for a multi-racial audience, debate surrounds which record should be considered the first rock and roll record. Other artists with rock and roll hits included Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis
4.
Columbia Records
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Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, Inc. the United States division of Sony Corporation. It was founded in 1887, evolving from an enterprise named the American Graphophone Company. Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in the sound business. Columbia Records went on to release records by an array of singers, instrumentalists. It is one of Sony Musics three flagship record labels alongside RCA Records and Epic Records, rather, as above, it was connected to CBS, a broadcasting media company which had purchased the company in 1938, and had been co-founded in 1927 by Columbia Records itself. Though Arista Records was sold to Bertelsmann Music Group, it would become a sister label of Columbia Records through its mutual connection to Sony Music. The Columbia Phonograph Company was founded in 1887 by stenographer, lawyer and New Jersey native Edward Easton and it derived its name from the District of Columbia, where it was headquartered. At first it had a monopoly on sales and service of Edison phonographs and phonograph cylinders in Washington. As was the custom of some of the regional companies, Columbia produced many commercial cylinder recordings of its own. Columbias ties to Edison and the North American Phonograph Company were severed in 1894 with the North American Phonograph Companys breakup, thereafter it sold only records and phonographs of its own manufacture. In 1902, Columbia introduced the XP record, a brown wax record. According to Gracyk, the molded brown waxes may have sold to Sears for distribution. Columbia began selling records and phonographs in addition to the cylinder system in 1901, preceded only by their Toy Graphophone of 1899. For a decade, Columbia competed with both the Edison Phonograph Company cylinders and the Victor Talking Machine Company disc records as one of the top three names in American recorded sound. In order to add prestige to its catalog of artists. The firm also introduced the internal-horn Grafonola to compete with the extremely popular Victrola sold by the rival Victor Talking Machine Company, during this era, Columbia used the famous Magic Notes logo—a pair of sixteenth notes in a circle—both in the United States and overseas. Columbia was split into two companies, one to make records and one to make players, Columbia Phonograph was moved to Connecticut, and Ed Easton went with it. Eventually it was renamed the Dictaphone Corporation, in late 1923, Columbia went into receivership
5.
Record producer
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A record producer or music producer oversees and manages the sound recording and production of a band or performers music, which may range from recording one song to recording a lengthy concept album. A producer has many roles during the recording process, the roles of a producer vary. The producer may perform these roles himself, or help select the engineer, the producer may also pay session musicians and engineers and ensure that the entire project is completed within the record companies budget. A record producer or music producer has a broad role in overseeing and managing the recording. Producers also often take on an entrepreneurial role, with responsibility for the budget, schedules, contracts. In the 2010s, the industry has two kinds of producers with different roles, executive producer and music producer. Executive producers oversee project finances while music producers oversee the process of recording songs or albums. In most cases the producer is also a competent arranger, composer. The producer will also liaise with the engineer who concentrates on the technical aspects of recording. Noted producer Phil Ek described his role as the person who creatively guides or directs the process of making a record, indeed, in Bollywood music, the designation actually is music director. The music producers job is to create, shape, and mold a piece of music, at the beginning of record industry, producer role was technically limited to record, in one shot, artists performing live. The role of producers changed progressively over the 1950s and 1960s due to technological developments, the development of multitrack recording caused a major change in the recording process. Before multitracking, all the elements of a song had to be performed simultaneously, all of these singers and musicians had to be assembled in a large studio and the performance had to be recorded. As well, for a song that used 20 instruments, it was no longer necessary to get all the players in the studio at the same time. Examples include the rock sound effects of the 1960s, e. g. playing back the sound of recorded instruments backwards or clanging the tape to produce unique sound effects. These new instruments were electric or electronic, and thus they used instrument amplifiers, new technologies like multitracking changed the goal of recording, A producer could blend together multiple takes and edit together different sections to create the desired sound. For example, in jazz fusion Bandleader-composer Miles Davis album Bitches Brew, producers like Phil Spector and George Martin were soon creating recordings that were, in practical terms, almost impossible to realise in live performance. Producers became creative figures in the studio, other examples of such engineers includes Joe Meek, Teo Macero, Brian Wilson, and Biddu
6.
George Massenburg
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Massenburg is a recording engineer and inventor. At 15, Massenburg worked part-time both in the studio and in an electronics laboratory. He attended Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and Johns Hopkins University, majoring in electrical engineering, as a sophomore, he left the University and never returned. Massenburg authored a paper entitled parametric equalization which was presented at the 42nd convention of the Audio Engineering Society in 1972. He is regularly published in journals and trade magazines worldwide. In 1973 and 1974, he was engineer of Studio Europa-Sonor in Paris, France. During those years, Massenburg also did freelance engineering and equipment design in Europe, Massenburg participated in over four hundred record albums over the past 45 years. He has designed, built and managed several recording studios, notably ITI Studios in Hunt Valley, Maryland, Blue Seas Recording in Baltimore, and The Complex in Los Angeles. In addition, he has contributed to the acoustical and architectural design of other studios, including Skywalker Sound and The Site in Marin County. Among GML’s most venerable products is the GML8200 Parametric Equalizer and the GML8900 Dynamic Range Controller and he won a Grammy in 1996, and the Special Merit/Technical Grammy Award in 1998. In 2005, Massenburg was inducted into the TECnology Hall of Fame for his 1969 invention of the ITI ME-230 Parametric Equalizer, in 2009, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music by Boston’s Berklee College of Music. In 1982, Massenburg founded GML, Inc. which produces equipment for specific recording applications, GML also consults and does independent design for several major audio electronics manufacturers. Massenburg married Carol Cookie Rankin in Mabou, Nova Scotia on July 27,2001, Rankin is one of the founding members of the Rankin Family, a Celtic folk/country band from Cape Breton who were very popular in Canada during the 1990s. She and Massenburg live in Montreal, Quebec, Franklin, Tennessee and Mabou, Cape Breton and he has one son, Sam, an electronic musician and performer
7.
Hourglass (James Taylor album)
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Hourglass is singer-songwriter James Taylors fourteenth studio album. Taylors first studio album in six years was released in 1997 to glowing notices and it built upon the success of his previous effort, New Moon Shine. Hourglass was an album that earned Taylor his best critical reviews in almost twenty years. The albums lyrics focused largely on Taylors troubled past and family, jump Up Behind Me paid tribute to his fathers rescue of him after The Flying Machine days, and the long drive from New York City back to his home in Chapel Hill. Enough to Be On Your Way was inspired by the death of his brother Alex earlier in the decade. The themes were inspired by Taylors divorce from actress Kathryn Walker. Rolling Stone found that one of the themes of this record is disbelief, the album also gave Taylor his first Grammy since JT, when he was honored with Best Pop Album in 1998. There is an Enhanced CD version of the album containing interviews, photos, all songs by James Taylor unless otherwise noted
8.
AllMusic
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AllMusic is an online music guide service website. It was launched in 1991 by All Media Guide which later became All Media Network, AllMusic was launched in 1991 by Michael Erlewine of All Media Guide. The aim was to discographic information on every artist whos made a record since Enrico Caruso gave the industry its first big boost and its first reference book was published the following year. When first released onto the Internet, AMG predated the World Wide Web and was first available as a Gopher site, the AMG consumer web properties AllMusic. com, AllMovie. com and AllGame. com were sold by Rovi in July 2013 to All Media Network, LLC. All Media Network, LLC. was formed by the founders of SideReel. com. The following are contributors to AllMusic, as of this date, All Media Network also produced the AllMusic guide series that includes the AllMusic Guide to Rock, the All Music Guide to Jazz and the All Music Guide to the Blues. Vladimir Bogdanov is the president of the series, in August 2007, PC Magazine included AllMusic in its Top 100 Classic Websites list. All Media Network AllGame AllMovie SideReel All Music Guide to the Blues All Music Guide to Jazz Stephen Thomas Erlewine Official website
9.
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
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The Rolling Stone Album Guide, previously known as The Rolling Stone Record Guide, is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from Rolling Stone magazine. Its first edition was published in 1979 and its last in 2004, the guide can be seen at Rate Your Music, while a list of albums given a five star rating by the guide can be seen at Rocklist. net. The Rolling Stone Record Guide was the first edition of what would later become The Rolling Stone Album Guide and it was edited by Dave Marsh and John Swenson, and included contributions from 34 other music critics. It is divided into sections by musical genre and then lists artists alphabetically within their respective genres, Albums are also listed alphabetically by artist although some of the artists have their careers divided into chronological periods. Dave Marsh, in his Introduction, cites as precedents Leonard Maltins book TV Movies and he gives Phonolog and Schwanns Records & Tape Guide as raw sources of information. The first edition included black and white photographs of many of the covers of albums which received five star reviews and these titles are listed together in the Five-Star Records section, which is coincidentally five pages in length. The edition also included reviews for many artists including Lenny Bruce, Lord Buckley, Bill Cosby, The Firesign Theatre, Spike Jones. Comedy artists were listed in the catch-all section Rock, Soul, Country and Pop, which included the genres of folk, bluegrass, funk, traditional pop performers were not included, with the notable exceptions of Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. Included too were some artists who might now be considered as world music. Big band jazz was handled selectively, with certain band leaders omitted, many other styles of jazz did appear in the Jazz section. The book was notable for the time in the provocative, in your style of many of its reviews. For example, writing about Neil Youngs song, Down by the River and his colleague, Dave Marsh, in reviewing the three albums of the jazz fusion group Chase, gave a one-word review, Flee. Good, a record of average worth, but one that might possess considerable appeal for fans of a particular style, mediocre, a record that is artistically insubstantial, though not truly wretched. Poor, a record where even technical competence is at question or it was remarkably ill-conceived, worthless, a record that need never have been created. Reserved for the most bathetic bathwater, Dave Marsh John Swenson Billy Altman Bob Blumenthal Georgia Christgau Jean-Charles Costa Chet Flippo Russell Gersten Mikal Gilmore Alan E. Like the first edition, it was edited by Dave Marsh and it included contributions from 52 music critics and featured chronological album listings under the name of each artist. In many cases, updates from the first edition consist of short, the only difference is that in addition to a rating, the second edition employs the pilcrow mark to indicate a title that was out of print at the time the guide was published. Many records had their ratings lowered as the book now offered a revisionist slant to rocks history and it included contributions from 16 music critics and featured alphabetical album listings under the name of each artist
10.
Singer-songwriter
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Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose, and perform their own musical material, including lyrics and melodies. The genre began with the folk-acoustic tradition, singer-songwriters often provide the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song, typically using a guitar or piano. Singer-songwriter is used to define popular music artists who write and perform their own material, such an artist performs the roles of composer, lyricist, vocalist, instrumentalist, and often self-manager. Most records by artists have a similarly straightforward and spare sound that placed emphasis on the song itself. The term has also used to describe songwriters in the rock, folk, and pop music genres including Henry Russell, Aristide Bruant, Hank Williams. Song topics include political protest, as in the case of the Almanac Singers, Pete Seeger, the concept of a singer-songwriter can be traced to ancient bardic oral tradition, which has existed in various forms throughout the world. Poems would be performed as chant or song, sometimes accompanied by a harp or other similar instrument, after the invention of printing, songs would be written and performed by ballad sellers. Usually these would be versions of existing tunes and lyrics, which were constantly evolving and this developed into the singer-songwriting traditions of folk culture. The term singer-songwriter in North America can be traced back to singers who developed works in the blues and folk music style. Early to mid-20th century American singer-songwriters include Lead Belly, Jimmie Rodgers, Blind Lemon Jefferson, T-Bone Walker, Blind Willie McTell, Lightnin Hopkins, Son House, the tradition of writing topical songs was established by this group of musicians. This focus on social issues has greatly influenced the singer-songwriter genre, artists who had been primarily songwriters, notably Carole King, Townes Van Zandt, and Neil Diamond, also began releasing work as performers. In contrast to the approach of most prior country and folk music. The adjectives confessional and sensitive were often used singer-songwriter style, in the rock band era, members were not technically singer-songwriters as solo acts. However, many were singer-songwriters who created songs with band members. Many others like Eric Clapton found success as singer-songwriters in their later careers, there were hints of cross-pollination, but rock and folk music had remained largely separate genres, often with different audiences. An early attempt at fusing elements of folk and rock was highlighted in the Animals House of the Rising Sun, dylan plugged an entire generation into the milieu of the singer-songwriter. In the mid- to late 1960s, bands and singer-songwriters began to proliferate the underground New York art/music scene. Lotti Golden, in her Atlantic debut album Motor-Cycle, chronicled her life in NYCs East Village in the late 60s counterculture, visiting subjects such as gender identity, kate Bush remained distinctive throughout with her idiosyncratic style
11.
Billboard 200
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The Billboard 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists, often, a recording act will be remembered by its number ones, those of their albums that outperformed all others during at least one week. The chart is based mostly on sales of albums in the United States, the weekly sales period was originally Monday to Sunday when Nielsen started tracking sales in 1991, but since July 2015, tracking week begins on Friday and ends on Thursday. A new chart is published the following Tuesday with an issue post-dated to the Saturday of the following week, the charts streaming schedule is also tracked from Friday to Thursday. Example, Friday January 1 – sales tracking week begins Thursday January 7 – sales tracking week ends Tuesday January 12 – new chart published, New product is released to the American market on Fridays. Digital downloads of albums are included in Billboard 200 tabulation. Albums that are not licensed for sale in the United States are not eligible to chart. As of the issue dated April 15,2017, the album on the Billboard 200 is More Life by Drake. Billboard began an album chart in 1945, initially only five positions long, the album chart was not published on a weekly basis, sometimes three to seven weeks passing before it was updated. A biweekly, 15-position Best-Selling Popular Albums chart appeared in 1955, the position count varied anywhere from 10 to 30 albums. The first number-one album on the new weekly list was Belafonte by Harry Belafonte, the chart was renamed to Best-Selling Pop Albums later in 1956, and then to Best-Selling Pop LPs in 1957. Beginning on May 25,1959, Billboard split the ranking into two charts Best-Selling Stereophonic LPs for stereo albums and Best-Selling Monophonic LPs for mono albums and these were renamed to Stereo Action Charts and Mono Action Charts in 1960. In January 1961, they became Action Albums—Stereophonic and Action Albums—Monophonic, three months later, they became Top LPs—Stereo and Top LPs—Monaural. On August 17,1963 the stereo and mono charts were combined into a 150-position chart called Top LPs, on April 1,1967, the chart was expanded to 175 positions, then finally to 200 positions on May 13,1967. In 1960, Billboard began concurrently publishing album charts which ranked sales of older or mid-priced titles and these Essential Inventory charts were divided by stereo and mono albums, and featured titles that had already appeared on the main stereo and mono album charts. In January 1961, the Action Charts became Action Albums—Monophonic, Albums appeared on either chart for up to nine weeks, then were moved to an Essential Inventory list of approximately 200 titles, with no numerical ranking. This list continued to be published until the consolidated Top LPs chart debuted in 1963, in 1982, Billboard began publishing a Midline Albums chart which ranked older or mid-priced titles. The chart held 50 positions and was published on a bi-weekly basis, on May 25,1991, Billboard premiered the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart
12.
Recording Industry Association of America
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The Recording Industry Association of America is a continental North and South American trade organization that represents the recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors, which the RIAA says create, the RIAA headquarters is in Washington, D. C. The RIAA was formed in 1952 and its original mission was to administer recording copyright fees and problems, work with trade unions, and do research relating to the record industry and government regulations. Early RIAA standards included the RIAA equalization curve, the format of the record groove and the dimensions of 33 1/3 rpm,45 rpm. Since 2001, the RIAA has spent $2 to $6 million each year on lobbying in the United States, the RIAA also participates in the collective rights management of sound recordings, and it is responsible for certifying Gold and Platinum albums and singles in the United States. Cary Sherman has been the RIAAs chairman and CEO since 2011, Sherman joined the RIAA as its general counsel in 1997 and became president of the board of directors in 2001, serving in that position until being made chairman and CEO. Mitch Glazier has been the RIAAs senior executive vice president since 2011 and he served as executive vice president for public policy and industry relations from 2000 to 2011. The past RIAA chairman and CEO is Mitch Bainwol, who served from 2003 to 2011 and he left in 2011 to become president and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. The board of directors consists of 26 members of the board, the RIAA operates an award program for albums that sell a large number of copies. The program originally began in 1958, with a Gold Award for singles, the criterion was changed in 1975 to the number of copies sold, with albums selling 500,000 copies awarded the Gold Award. In 1976, a Platinum Award was added for one million sales, the awards are open to both RIAA members and non-members. Since 2000, the RIAA also operates a program for Latin music sales. Currently, a Disco De Oro is awarded for 30,000 units, the RIAA defines Latin music as a type of release with 51% or more of its content recorded in Spanish. In 2006, digital ringtones were added to branch of certification. In the same year, the RIAA introduced the Latin Digital Award for digital recordings in Spanish and this release format includes DVD and VHS releases, and certain live albums and compilation albums. The certification criteria is different from other styles. Gold,50,000 Platinum,100,000 Multi-Platinum,200,000 copies The RIAA opposes unauthorized sharing of its music, studies conducted since the association began its campaign against peer-to-peer file-sharing have concluded that losses incurred per download range from negligible to moderate. The association has commenced high-profile lawsuits against file sharing service providers and it has also commenced a series of lawsuits against individuals suspected of file sharing, notably college students and parents of file sharing children
13.
Spotify
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Spotify is a music, podcast, and video streaming service, officially launched on 7 October 2008. It is developed by startup Spotify AB in Stockholm, Sweden and it provides digital rights management-protected content from record labels and media companies. Spotify is available in most of Europe, most of the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and it is available for most modern devices, including Windows, macOS, and Linux computers, as well as iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. Music can be browsed or searched for via various parameters, such as artist, album, genre, playlist, users can create, edit and share playlists, share tracks on social media, and make playlists with other users. Spotify provides access to over 30 million songs, as of June 2016, it has 100 million monthly active users, and as of March 2017, it has 50 million paying subscribers. They distribute approximately 70% of total revenue to rights holders, who then pay based on their individual agreements. Spotify operates under a freemium model, Spotify makes its revenues by selling premium streaming subscriptions to users and advertising placements to third parties. In December 2013, the company launched a new website, Spotify for Artists, Spotify gets its content from major record labels as well as independent artists, and pays copyright holders royalties for streamed music. The company pays 70% of its revenue to rights holders. Spotify for Artists states that the company does not have a fixed rate, instead considers factors such as the users home country. Rights holders received an average per-play payout between $.006 and $.0084, Spotify offers an unlimited subscription package, close to the Open Music Model —estimated economic equilibrium—for the recording industry. However, the incorporation of digital rights management protection diverges from the OMM and competitors such as iTunes Store, Spotify encourages people to pay for music, with subscriptions as its main revenue source. The subscription removes advertisements and limits, and increases song bitrates to 320 kbit/s, the website also claims that a Spotify customer is 1. 6x more financially valuable than the average adult non-Spotify U. S. music consumer. Additionally, the website includes a section entitled Spotifys impact on piracy as a response to the criticisms against the company regarding the exploitation of musicians. For example, in Norway, the figure of 1.2 billion unauthorized song downloads in 2008 is compared to a figure of 210 million from 2012, BBC Music Week editor Tim Ingham wrote, Unlike buying a CD or download, streaming is not a one-off payment. Hundreds of millions of streams of tracks are happening each and every day, which quickly multiplies the potential revenues on offer – and is a constant long-term source of income for artists. As of June 2016, the three Spotify subscription types, all offering unlimited listening time, are, In 2008, just after launch, in October 2010, Wired reported that Spotify was making more money for labels in Sweden than any other retailer online or off. Years after growth and expansion, a November 2012 report suggested strong momentum for the company
14.
ITunes
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ITunes is a media player, media library, online radio broadcaster, and mobile device management application developed by Apple Inc. It is used to play, download, and organize digital downloads of music and video on personal computers running the macOS, the iTunes Store is also available on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Application software for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch can be downloaded from the App Store. ITunes 12.5 is the most recent major version of iTunes, available for Mac OS X v10.9.5 or later and Windows 7 or later, it was released on September 13,2016. ITunes 12.2 added Apple Music to the application, along with the Beats 1 radio station, soundJam MP, developed by Bill Kincaid and released by Casady & Greene in 1998, was renamed iTunes when Apple purchased it in 2000. Jeff Robbin, Kincaid, and Dave Heller moved to Apple as part of the acquisition and they simplified SoundJams user interface, added the ability to burn CDs, and removed its recording feature and skin support. On January 9,2001, iTunes 1.0 was released at Macworld San Francisco, originally a Mac OS 9-only application, iTunes began to support Mac OS X when version 2.0 was released nine months later, which also added support for the original iPod. Version 3 dropped Mac OS9 support but added smart playlists, in April 2003, version 4.0 introduced the iTunes Store, in October, version 4.1 added support for Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Introduced at Macworld 2005 with the new iPod Shuffle, Version 4.7, Version 7.0 introduced gapless playback and Cover Flow in September 2006. In March 2007, iTunes 7.1 added support for Windows Vista, iTunes lacked support for 64-bit versions of Windows until the 7.6 update on January 16,2008. ITunes is supported under any 64-bit version of Windows Vista, although the iTunes executable is still 32-bit, the 64-bit versions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 are not supported by Apple, but a workaround has been devised for both operating systems. Version 8.0 added Genius playlists, grid view, iTunes 9 added Homeshare, enabling automatic updating of purchased items across other computers on the same subnet and offers a new iTunes Store UI. Genius Mixes were added, as well as improved app synchronization abilities and it also adds iTunes LPs to the store, which provides additional media with an album. Apple added iTunes Extras as well to the store, which adds content usually reserved for films on DVD, both iTunes LPs and Extras use web-standards HTML, JavaScript and CSS. iTunes acts as a front end for Apples QuickTime media framework. Officially, it is required in order to manage the data of an iPod, iPhone, or iPad. In addition, users are able to add PDF files to their library, the PDFs can be synchronized with and read on several devices except the regular iPod. iTunes 8.0 saw the removal of several options in the Preferences window. For example, iTunes once gave users the option to display arrows beside the selected songs title, artist, album and these arrows are no longer removable, except through the direct editing of a preferences file. ITunes keeps track of songs by creating a library, allowing users to access
15.
Sweet Baby James (song)
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Sweet Baby James is a song written and recorded by James Taylor that serves as the opening and title track from his 1970 breakthrough album Sweet Baby James. It was released as the first single from the album but did not chart, nonetheless, it is one of his best-known and most popular tunes, considered a classic. Taylor considers it his best song, the song was written by Taylor for the son of his older brother Alex, who was also named James. Deliberately a cross between a cowboy song and a lullaby, it was first thought up by Taylor as he was driving through Carolina to meet his infant nephew for the first time. Taylor spent considerable effort on the lyrics, whose verses he said used the most intricate rhyming pattern of his career. The chorus echoes the sentiment, with a reference to Rock-a-bye Baby. According to Allmusic critic Bill Janovitz, the two verses contrast the new baby James, as a cowboy, in the first verse with the lonely grown-up James singing in the second verse. Sweet Baby James was included on Taylors diamond-selling Greatest Hits 1976 compilation, Sweet Baby James has been played at virtually every Taylor concert since its release. And if the concert is in Tanglewood or Great Woods, the commotion is enough to pause the song, Taylor was born in Boston, and although he moved to North Carolina when very young, spent summers in Massachusetts and went to boarding school there. This association has made Taylor a regional favorite in New England, including sell-outs at Tanglewood, I have a real connection to this place. He performed the song as part of his set on episode 1 of Saturday Night Lives second season, in the Four Together benefit concert arranged by Harry Chapin in 1977, John Denver sang the harmony part of the chorus on this song. A concert performance from 1992 was included on his 1993 album Live, jay Leno requested Taylors live performance of the song on his final The Tonight Show on May 29,2009. He said he had listened to it on the car radio as he left Boston for Los Angeles in the early 1970s and that the ten miles behind, ten thousand more to go line resonated deeply with him. Tom Rush, who made a practice of recording material from the best new singer songwriters of the era, the Seldom Scene added harmony on their bluegrass version, released on their debut album Act 1 in 1972. Highway 101 closed their 1989 album Paint the Town with it, daniel Greaves of The Watchmen often performs it a cappella during concerts. On ABCs Good Morning America on September 15,2008, Taylor acknowledged there was that element about the song and this appellation has been used in other contexts as well. Celebrity chef James Martin has a BBC2 show about desserts called Sweet Baby James
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Handy Man (song)
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Handy Man is a song written by singer Jimmy Jones and songwriter Otis Blackwell. Recordings by Del Shannon and also The Sparks Of Rhythm list Charles Merenstein as a co-writer as does BMI, the Sparks Of Rhythm version on the Apollo 541 single version released in 1959 credits Andrew Barksdale and Merenstein as writers omitting Jimmy Jones. The song is noted for Jones singing Comma, Comma Comma Comma lyrics and it was originally recorded by The Sparks Of Rhythm, a group Jones had been a member of when he wrote it, although he was not with them when they recorded it. That version was in a key, and had a completely different melody. When Jimmy Jones recorded it, the song was changed to a key, with a completely different melody. In 1959, Jones recorded the song himself, in a version which had been reworked by Blackwell, the song featured a whistler, who is heard throughout the lyrics. Handy Man went to three on the R&B charts and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960, becoming a million seller. The song was a hit again in 1964, hitting at Number 22, for Del Shannon, measured in terms of popularity on any chart, Taylors version of the song was the most successful. It hit #2 on the Cash Box Top 100 chart and reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it hit #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and was knocked out of the pole position by his then wife Carly Simon. Taylors version also earned him his second Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, allmusic critic Jason Elias compares Jones original with Taylors version stating that where Jones’s version was chipper and a little obnoxious, Taylors version is so laid back it’s almost somnolent. Elias notes that Taylors slowed down version has the benefit of allowing him to shade the words in new ways, Elias also praises Taylors guitar playing. Conway Twitty in 1960 recorded a fine Rock version of Handy Man for his album The Rock And Roll Story, elvis superb vocal backing group The Jordanaires provided the backing on it. Sadly this version was never released as a single, additionally it should be noted that the writers are just listed as Jones-Blackwell. Frank Black and Teenage Fanclub recorded a cover of Handy Man for a John Peel sessions recording, culture Club were accused of plagiarizing their 1983 hit Karma Chameleon from Handy Man, for its apparent lifting of the Comaa, Comma section. Culture Club frontman Boy George has denied consciously plagiarizing the song, I might have heard it once, in an episode of Whats Happening. Dwayne performs a version of the song during a class project. List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1977
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Jimmy Jones (singer)
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James Jimmy Jones was an American singer-songwriter who moved to New York City while a teenager. According to Allmusic journalist Steve Huey, best known for his 1960 R&B smash, Handy Man, Jones sang in a smooth yet soulful falsetto modeled on the likes of Clyde McPhatter, Jones was born in Birmingham, Alabama. His first job in the entertainment industry was as a tap dancer and he joined a doo-wop group named the Berliners in 1954. They later changed their name to Sparks of Rhythm, in 1955 Jones co-wrote Handy Man, which was recorded by the Sparks of Rhythm in 1956. After recording with other groups, Jones went solo and, in 1959, when the flute player did not show up for the session, Blackwell famously whistled on the recording. Handy Man, released in 1959, gave Jones his first US and it went to No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960, and peaked at No.3 in the UK Singles Chart. It introduced a rock falsetto singing style to the British audience and later scored hits for Del Shannon, a few months later in 1960, Jones recording of Good Timin climbed to No.1 in the UK and No.3 in the US. Both Handy Man and Good Timin were million sellers, earning Jones two gold discs, although Jones had only the two million-selling Top 40 hits, he nevertheless kept active in the music industry as both a songwriter and recording artist and made personal appearances as he saw fit. Jones subsequent career was low key, although it included three more UK chart entries in the twelve months. Jones remained with Cub until 1962, and then recorded for the decade for a variety of labels, including Bell, Parkway, Roulette. Del Shannon cited Jones and Bill Kenny as influences on his falsetto style, later singers who used falsetto included Frankie Valli of the Four Seasons, Lou Christie, Robert John, Jimmy Somerville, and Barry Gibb. Gibb cited Shannon, in turn, as an influence for his disco vocalizations with the Bee Gees, Jones released Grandmas Rock & Roll Party in the 1990s on CD, perhaps, in part due to his popularity in the UK Northern soul circles. It included new versions of Handy Man and Good Timin, castle/Sanctuary released a double album called Good Timin, The Anthology in 2002. Jimmy Jones died in Aberdeen, North Carolina, on August 4,2012, Jimmy Jones at the Internet Movie Database
18.
Your Smiling Face
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Your Smiling Face is a hit single by singer James Taylor. It reached number 11 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada, on Billboards Adult Contemporary chart, it reached number 6. Lines like Isnt it amazing a man like me can feel this way, reflect Taylors surprise at his newfound happiness in his relationship with Carly Simon. Rolling Stone critic Peter Herbst described it as being unabashedly happy, however, according to Taylor biographer Timothy White, the song was written for Taylors and Simons then three-year-old daughter Sally. White described the song as a pop sonnet, Taylor described it as a good, light-hearted pop love song. Herbst praises Taylors vocal for being a pretty convincing rock singer on the song and your Smiling Face was a fixture in Taylors live shows, but he had to abandon it for a while because he went through a period where he had difficulty reaching the falsetto notes. The song was used in the 1978 film FM, starring Michael Brandon and it was parodied in the South Park episode Fat Camp as The Prostitute Song. On Sesame Street, Taylor sang a parody of the song to Oscar the Grouch titled Whenever You See a Grouchy Face. The song was performed by the Filipino child stars John Steven de Guzman, Janna Agoncilio, Ashley Sarmiento, Rhed Bustamante, Marco Masa, lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
19.
Steamroller Blues
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Steamroller Blues, is a blues parody written by James Taylor, that appeared on his 1970 album Sweet Baby James. It was intended to mock the inauthentic blues bands of the day, the song later appeared on two of Taylors compilation albums and has been recorded by a variety of other artists. Rock journalist David Browne wrote that uring the Flying Machine days in the Village, Taylor had heard one too many pretentious white blues bands, rolling Stone Album Guide critic Mark Coleman, said Taylors song effectively mocks the straining pomposity of then-current white bluesmen. Taylor and Danny Kortchmar, both playing guitars, laid down the track in one night at Sunset Studios, the rhythm section being added later. A tight budget and production schedule forced Taylor to record the song despite suffering from a head cold, the song was included on Taylors diamond-selling Greatest Hits 1976 compilation using a live version recorded in August 1975 at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. Another performance, from 1992, was included on his 1993 album, during the 1970s, Elvis Presley added Steamroller Blues to his concert repertoire and included it on his live album Aloha From Hawaii, Via Satellite. Presley also released it as a single in March 1973 with Fool as its track. It was later included on Presleys 2007 compilation The Essential Elvis Presley, a newly-orchestrated version was included on the 2015 album If I Can Dream with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Taylors song was recorded by country music singer Billy Dean and appeared on his 1994 album Fire in the Dark, isaac Hayes performed the song on an episode of The A-Team
20.
Mexico (James Taylor song)
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Mexico is a song written by James Taylor that first appeared as the opening track of his 1975 album Gorilla. It was released as a single, with the title track as the b-side, and reached #49 on the Billboard Hot 100. Mexico has appeared on many of Taylors live and compilation albums and it has been covered by Jimmy Buffett, Alex de Grassi and Lauren Laverne The lyrics of Mexico describe a dream of enjoying a night in a Mexican border town. It is one of songs on Gorilla that uses a stream of consciousness technique to describe the singers fantasy, others including Music. It is a song that contrasts Taylors sad, sensitive image. Its music incorporates features of rock music. Graham Nash and David Crosby sing backup vocals on the song, critic Doung Pringle describes Nashs harmony vocals as lovely. Mexico peaked at only #49 on the Billboard Hot 100 but achieved substantial radio play and its performance in Canada was similar. It only reached #83 on the chart but made it to #8 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Rolling Stone critic Bud Scoppa describes the song as delightful, Music critic Robert Christgau rates Mexico and its b-side Gorilla as the two songs on Gorilla that he likes. Music critic Martin Smith regarded Mexico as his song from Gorilla. Author Martin Charles Strong describes it as demonstrating what Taylor was capable of when he decided to step up a gear, rolling Stone Album Guide critic Mark Coleman appreciates the songs sense of humor. In 2003, Allmusic critic Thom Jurek wrote that the song hasnt aged, Mexico has appeared on a number of James Taylor compilation albums. It was included on the 1976 album Greatest Hits and it later appearedon the 1990 album Classic Songs, the 2003 album The Best of James Taylor and the 2013 album The Essential James Taylor. Live versions of Mexico have been included on live albums, including the 1991 album Live in Rio, all versions of the 1993 album Live. Jimmy Buffett covered Mexico on his 1995 album Barometer Soup, Allmusic critic William Ruhlmann regarded the cover as appropriate since the song is consistent with Buffetts philosophy. Alex de Grassi covered Mexico on his 1999 album Alex de Grassis Interpretation of James Taylor, Lauren Laverne covered the song on a BBC Radio 1 Evening Session in August 2000. Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
21.
Country Road (song)
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Country Road is a song written and performed by James Taylor. It appears on his 1970 second album, Sweet Baby James, Country Road reached number 37 on the Billboard pop singles chart in early 1971. It is also featured on James Taylors 1976 Greatest Hits record, the song has been played at most of his concerts since 1970. Randy Meisner, later of The Eagles, played bass on the album version, the road leads away from his ensnaring family, Mama dont understand it/She wants to know where Ive been/Id have to be some kind of natural-born fool to want to pass that way again. It also takes him away from shattered affairs, prep schools, mental institutions — all manner of traps, at the end of the road lie freedom and ideal life in Carolina, and a heavenly band of angels. Author James Perrone describes the theme of Country Road to be the happiness and he further notes that the theme of solitude appears on other songs on Sweet Baby James, including the title track and Sunny Skies. Sunny Skies was also released as the b-side of the Country Road single, according to Allmusic critic Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. Country Road perfectly marked the transition between the 60s and the 70s and this is because the lyrics suggest that its time for those tired of trying to solve all the worlds problems to leave them to Jesus and go away on their own. Lankford finds the songs arrangement, with acoustic guitar and laid back vocals. Music author Barney Hoskyns called Country Road a perfect distillation of the new rural mood that had become popular at the time, merry Clayton in her 1970 album Gimme Shelter Al Kooper on his 1970 album Easy Does It Maynard Ferguson on his 1972 album M. F. Alex De Grassi on his 1998 Alex de Grassis Interpretation of James Taylor
22.
Fire and Rain (song)
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Fire and Rain is a folk rock song written and performed by James Taylor. After its release, Fire and Rain peaked at two on RPMs Canada Top Singles chart and at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. On the VH1 series Story Tellers, Taylor said the song was about several incidents during his recording career. The second line Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you refers to Suzanne Schnerr, in that same account, Taylor said he had been in a deep depression after the failure of his new band The Flying Machine to coalesce. Friends at home, concerned that it might distract Taylor from his big break, kept the news from him. The second part details Taylors struggle to overcome drug addiction and depression, the third part deals with coming to grips with fame and fortune, looking back at the road that got him there. It includes a reference to James Taylor and The Flying Machine, a band he worked with before his big break with Paul McCartney, Peter Asher. Carole King played piano on the song, drummer Russ Kunkel used brushes rather than sticks on his drum kit, and Bobby West played double bass in place of a bass guitar to underscore the melancholy on the song. King has stated that her song Youve Got a Friend, that Taylor recorded, was a response to the line in the refrain that I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend. In April 2011, the song was named at number 227 on Rolling Stones list of 500 greatest songs of all time, so thats why I keep saying it over and over again since then. Taylor explained that, over the decades, hes updated the song to include all the things hes encountered, such as skinny jeans, Fifty Shades of Grey, Snakes on a Plane. Taylor and Colbert then performed a highly ironic version of Fire and Rain and Calzones, packed with post-1970 pop-cultural references, Marcia Hines recorded a version of the track and released it as her debut single from her debut studio album, Marcia Shines. In a 2004 interview with George Negus Hines said, To this day, Fire, I thought Id see you one more time again – maybe that was about my mum. Its about being far away from all the things that you love, and it was being played on the radio in Boston, when I left home. And then I turned on the radio when I got into Australia, so it just gave me a connection. 7 Single Fire and Rain -4,30 You -4,15 James Taylor reflects on his career, archived from the original on April 4,2010. Transcript of Kerry OBrien interview with Taylor about Fire and Rain
23.
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)
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How Sweet It Is is a 1964 song written by the Motown songwriting team of Holland–Dozier–Holland and first recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. Produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier, Marvin Gaye released the song as a single in September 1964 and it peaked at No.6 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in January 1965 and No.4 on Billboards R&B Singles chart. Up to that point, it was Gayes most successful single with sales exceeding 900,000 copies. The songs personnel includes Marvin Gaye on lead vocals, The Andantes on background vocals, Gaye also released a German-language version of the song entitled Wie Schön Das Ist. Allmusic critic Jason Ankeny described the song as a radiant pop confection, anekny commented on the soulfulness of the song, and particularly noted the piano riff. Gayes recording has subsequently released on many greatest hits albums. Since Marvin Gayes original 1964 release, How Sweet It Is has been recorded by artists in an array of genres including soul, pop, gospel, folk, and country. In 1966, Junior Walker & the All Stars released the song as a single, according to Ankeny, this version makes up in grit what it lacks in Gayes grace, increasing the celebratory feel of the song. Writing for AllMusic, Jason Ankeny described the version as a rollicking floor-shaker fueled by his smoldering saxophone, James Taylor included his version of How Sweet It Is on his 1975 album Gorilla and also as the lead single from the album. Taylors 1975 single has been the most successful remake of the song to date, hitting No.1 on the Easy Listening chart, author Ian Halperin believes that the song was included on Gorilla as a tribute to Simon, who was then his wife. It was produced by Lenny Waronker and Russ Titelman, after his success with How Sweet It Is, Taylor continued to record R&B hits applying his soft rock approach. Music critic Robert Christgau regarded Taylors version as a desecration of Marvin Gaye, Taylor biographer Timothy White described it as music for the park on Sunday. Taylors version has been released on live and compilation albums. These include the compilation albums Greatest Hits, Classic Songs, The Best of James Taylor, Live versions have been included on Live and Live at the Beacon Theater. Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
24.
Reynolds Price
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Edward Reynolds Price was an American poet, novelist, dramatist, essayist and James B. Duke Professor of English at Duke University, apart from English literature, Price had a lifelong interest in Biblical scholarship. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Price was born Edward Reynolds Price in Macon, North Carolina on February 1,1933, the first of two sons of William Solomon and Elizabeth Price. Rather than joining other boys his age in sports and outdoor activities, Price developed a fondness for the arts – reading, writing, painting. After graduating in 1955, Price received a Rhodes Scholarship and attended Merton College, while at Oxford, Price formed important friendships with the poet W. H. Auden, as well as the biographer Lord David Cecil. He devoted a significant portion of his studies, as well as his thesis. In the spring of 1984, a medical event occurred when Price reported difficulty walking. James Schiff describes, “He soon learned of a ‘pencil-thick and gray-colored’ tumor, ten inches long and cancerous, which was ‘intricately braided in the core of spinal cord’. ”Although surgery and radiation managed to remove the tumor from his spine, Price became a paraplegic and required a wheelchair for the rest of his life. After enduring these initial years, Price emerged from this trying period “a more patient and watchful person and he wrote about his experience as a cancer survivor in his memoir A Whole New Life. Regarding his life after this tragedy, Price explains, Id have to say that, despite an enjoyable fifty-year start, theyve brought more in and sent more out – more love and care, more knowledge and patience, more work in less time. In 1987, Duke University gave Price its highest honor when it awarded him the University Medal for Distinguished Meritorious Service, Price died at the age of 77 on January 20,2011, as a result of complications from a heart attack. Over his career, Price produced 38 total novels, short stories, Price is classified as a Southern writer, as his works are often especially associated with his lifelong home of North Carolina. Prices first ever published story, called A Chain of Love and he wrote his first novel, A Long and Happy Life, and witnessed its publication in 1962. The work received the William Faulkner Foundation Award and has sold over a million copies and his 1986 novel Kate Vaiden also gained immense popularity and received the National Books Critics Circle Award. Price composed a memoir entitled Clear Pictures in 1989 which directly led to the production of a Charles Guggenheim documentary about the author’s lifetime and he completed another memoir called A Whole New Life in 1994 which chronicled his journey after the discovery of cancer in his spine. The Collected Poems, containing four volumes of poetry – Vital Provisions, The Laws of Ice, The Use of Fire, Price entered the realm of pop culture with the release and Top-40 status of James Taylor’s song “Copperline, ” which he and Taylor wrote together. Bill Clinton characterized Price as one of his favorite authors, on the cover of the December 1999 issue of Time magazine, Prices name appeared. Victor Strandberg explains, Prices name was next to a Renaissance portrait of Jesus alongside a headline reads, ‘Novelist Reynolds Price offers a new Gospel based on archeology
25.
Something in the Way She Moves
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Something in the Way She Moves is a song written by James Taylor that appeared on his 1968 debut album for Apple Records, James Taylor. It has also covered by other artists, including Tom Rush. The opening line inspired George Harrison to write the #1 Beatles song Something, according to James Taylors stage banter at the Apollo Theater on June 16,2015, this was the song he played for Paul McCartney as an audition before signing with Apple Records. Something in the Way She Moves is a romantic song, rolling Stone critic Jon Landau regards the song as being about transcendence of a sort. Taylor plays the song accompanied only by acoustic guitar, author Barry Alan Farber used Something in the Way She Moves as one of his favorite songs on the theme of love that both comforts and strengthens. Farber speculates that what is appealing is that it may remind Taylor of his mothers voice, Farber also highlights the lines, Every now and then the things I lean on lose their meaning And I find myself careening Into places where I should not let me go. As effectively expressing a feeling many people have of being scared of not being anchored sufficiently well in the world, Allmusic critic Linsday Planer regards Something in the Way She Moves as one of the notable inclusions on the James Taylor album. Fellow Allmusic critic David R. Adler described it as one of Taylors finest melodies, rolling Stone Album Guide critic Mark Coleman agrees that it is a highlight of James Taylor, describing the song as winsome and predicting the path Taylor would take in future recordings. Taylor biographer Timothy White describes it as being unquestionably Taylors finest performance on James Taylor, White described it as spare in presentation and poignant on its own elegant terms. Rolling Stone critic Jon Landau believes that the performance and Taylors restrained delivery add to the songs power, as Taylor lets the melody, lyric, guitar. Martin Charles Strong describes it as being an original and one that marked Taylor out as a kind of male Joni Mitchell. Taylor included Something in the Way She Moves on his 1976 Greatest Hits but, as with Carolina in My Mind, also from James Taylor and it was also included on the 2003 compilation album The Best of James Taylor. A live version was included on Taylors and Carole Kings live album Live at the Troubadour, a solo live version leads off Taylors album One Man Band. Taylor has stated that I never thought for a second that George intended to do that, I dont think he intentionally ripped anything off, and all music is borrowed from other music. So completely I let it pass, Taylor also acknowledged that the ending of Something in the Way She Moves was taken from the Beatles song I Feel Fine and so what goes around comes around. Tom Rush covered Something in the Way She Moves on his 1968 album The Circle Game, Taylor had played the song for Rush when he visited the Elektra Records offices for an audition in 1967. Rushs version was released as a single and become popular on New England radio stations, Harry Belafonte covered the song as the opening track of his 1971 album The Warm Touch. He also released it as a single, billboard regarded Something in the Way She Moves as one of the standout tracks on The Warm Touch
26.
Up on the Roof (song)
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In the UK it was a top ten success for singer Kenny Lynch, whose version was also released in 1962. In April 2010, The Drifters Up on the Roof was named number 114 on Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list and it is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fames 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The song was featured extensively in the 1992 episode of Reading Rainbow entitled Tar Beach, the episode focused on urban rooftops and used the song in both a video segment and during the end credits. In the UK the Drifters version of Up on the Roof failed to reach the Top 50, the Kenny Lynch version, which largely replicated the Drifters original, was the more successful, reaching number 10 in the UK. Other early recordings of the song were made by Little Eva, also Richard Anthony wrote French lyrics for the song, which he recorded as Sur le toit for his 1963 EP entitled En Écoutant La Pluie. New Jersey-based garage band the Sidekicks remade Up on the Roof to serve as B-side for their 1966 regional hit Suspicions, nyros version slows down the songs tempo and also omits the lyrics sung to the first of the originals three bridge sections. Also in 1970, Carole King herself recorded Up on the Roof for her recording debut Writer. Souther entitled Her Town Too, Up on the Roof would remain Taylors final Top 40 hit as a soloist, taylor and King performed the song together, switching back and forth from ones arrangement to the other, as the first encore during their 2010 Troubadour Reunion Tour shows. Up on the Roof had its most successful UK incarnation via a 1995 remake by Robson & Jerome released as a double A-side coupled with their remake of I Believe. Its arrangement hewed close to The Drifters original, the music video showed the duo cavorting atop a midtown Manhattan skyscraper. The single reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and has sold 890,000 copies in the UK, in addition I Believe/ Up on the Roof reached number 3 in Ireland and was a minor hit in the Netherlands at number 45. Also Viola Wills disco remake of the song appeared on Belgiums Dutch charts reaching number 23 in September 1980, up on the Roof is still performed by Rockapella at many of their concerts and appears on the live album In Concert. The Jamaican reggae band The Congos has also recorded this track on their Back In The Black Ark album in 2010, bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band covered the song live in 1975 during the initial Born To Run tour. Clifford of The Muppets performed the song on a 1997 episode of Muppets Tonight, lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
27.
Carole King
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Carole King is an American composer and singer-songwriter. She is the most successful songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century. King also wrote 61 hits that charted in the UK, making her the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts between 1952 and 2005. Kings career began in the 1960s when she, along with her then husband Gerry Goffin and she has continued writing for other artists since then. Kings success as a performer in her own right did not come until the 1970s, King has made 25 solo albums, the most successful being Tapestry, which held the record for most weeks at No.1 by a female artist for more than 20 years. Her most recent non-compilation album was Live at the Troubadour in 2010 and her records sales were estimated at more than 75 million copies worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and she is the recipient of the 2013 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the first woman to be so honored. She is also a 2015 Kennedy Center Honoree, King was born Carol Joan Klein in February 1942 in Manhattan, to a Jewish family. Her mother, Eugenia, was a teacher, and her father and they met in an elevator when they were students at Brooklyn College in 1936. He was majoring in chemistry while her mothers major was English and they married in 1937, during the heights of the Great Depression. Her mother dropped out to run the household while her father also quit college, with the economy struggling, he then took a more secure job as a firefighter in New York. After King was born, they remained in Brooklyn, eventually able to buy a small two-story duplex where they could rent the upstairs for income and her mother had learned how to play piano as a child and, after buying a piano, would sometimes practice. When Carol was four years old, her parents discovered she had developed a sense of relative pitch whereby she could name a note by just hearing it. Her father enjoyed showing off his daughters skill to visiting friends, I enjoyed making my father happy and getting the notes right. Carols mother then began giving her real music lessons when she was four years old and she would climb up on the stool and be raised as yet higher by sitting on a phone book. With her mother sitting alongside, Carol was taught music theory and elementary piano technique, including how to read notation, King wanted to learn as much as possible, My mother never forced me to practice. I wanted so much to master the popular songs that poured out of the radio, Carol began kindergarten when she was four years old, but after her first year she was promoted directly to second grade because she had an exceptional facility with words and numbers. In the 1950s she went to James Madison High School and she formed a band called the Co-Sines, changed her name to Carole King, and made demo records with her friend Paul Simon for $25 a session
28.
Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
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Dont Let Me Be Lonely Tonight is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, from his 1972 album One Man Dog. It was released as the single from the album. The song has been included on three of Taylors greatest-hits collection albums, Greatest Hits, Classic Songs and The Best of James Taylor. It has been recorded by pop and jazz artists, notably The Isley Brothers and Isaac Hayes, along with saxophonist Boney James. The song has been recorded by the artists, Johnny Mathis, on Me and Mrs. Jones Liza Minnelli, on The Singer, her best-selling album The Isley Brothers. This version was done in 12/8 time, with a rhythm, nancy Wilson, on Come Get to This Isaac Hayes, on For the Sake of Love, in a 7-minute, funk-infused version with a long instrumental introduction. Vocals were by Quinn, in a similar to the Isley Brothers version. It was released as a single, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance in 2010, losing to Beyoncés cover of At Last
29.
Dickey Lee
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Royden Dickey Lipscomb, known professionally as Dickey Lee, is an American pop/country singer and songwriter, best known for the 1960s teenage tragedy songs Patches and Laurie. Lee made his first recordings in his hometown of Memphis for Tampa Records and he achieved his first chart success in 1962, when his composition She Thinks I Still Care was a hit for George Jones. Later that year, Patches, written by Barry Mann and Larry Kobler and recorded by Lee for Smash Records, the song tells in waltz-time the story of teenage lovers of different social classes whose parents forbid their love. The girl drowns herself in the dirty old river, the singer concludes, It may not be right, but Ill join you tonight/ Patches Im coming to you. Because of the teen suicide theme, the song was banned by a number of radio stations, however, it sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Lee had a No.14 hit in 1963 with a song he co-wrote, in 1965, he returned to teen tragedy with Laurie, a song related to the urban legends known as the vanishing hitchhiker and Resurrection Mary. After the 1960s, Lee devoted his efforts to country performing and songwriting. He also co-wrote several songs with Bob McDill, including Someone Like You and he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1995. Lee is included as co-writer and singer on singer-songwriter Michael Saxells 2005 album Wonky Windmill on the song Two Men, allmusic NAMM Oral History Interview July 10,2015
30.
Carolina in My Mind
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Carolina in My Mind is a song written and performed by singer-songwriter James Taylor, which first appeared on his 1968 self-titled debut album. Taylor wrote it while recording for the Beatles label Apple Records. Released as a single, the song earned critical praise but not commercial success and it was re-recorded for Taylors 1976 Greatest Hits album in the version that is most familiar to listeners. It has been a staple of Taylors concert performances over the decades of his career, the song was a modest hit on the country charts in 1969 for North Carolinian singer George Hamilton IV. Strongly tied to a sense of place, Carolina in My Mind has been called an unofficial state anthem for North Carolina. It is also a song of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, being played at athletic events and pep rallies. The association of the song with the state is made in written works of both fiction and non-fiction. It has become one of Taylors most critically praised songs and one that has great popularity, the song references Taylors years growing up in North Carolina. Taylor wrote it while recording for the Beatles label Apple Records. The song reflects Taylors homesickness at the time, as he was missing his family, his dog, the original recording of the song was done at Londons Trident Studios during the July to October 1968 period, and was produced by Asher. The songs lyric holy host of others standing around me makes reference to the Beatles, indeed, the recording of Carolina in My Mind featured a credited appearance by Paul McCartney on bass guitar and an uncredited one by George Harrison on backing vocals. The other players were Freddie Redd on organ, Joel Bishop OBrien on drums, Taylor and Asher also did backing vocals and Asher added a tambourine. Richard Hewson arranged and conducted a string part, a more ambitious 30-piece orchestra part was recorded. Taylor biographer Timothy White calls the song the albums quiet masterpiece, the song was first released on Taylors eponymous debut album in December 1968, and was later released as a single in the UK in February 1969 and in the United States in March 1969. However, owing to the problems which plagued the release of the album. The new recordings were done in October 1976 at The Sound Factory in Los Angeles, backing vocals were handled by Gold and Taylor. Greatest Hits became a record, selling more than 11 million copies in the United States by 2001. The remake earned even more praise than the original
31.
You've Got a Friend
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Youve Got a Friend is a 1971 song written by Carole King. It was first recorded by King, and included in her album Tapestry, another well-known version is by James Taylor from his album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. His was released as a single in 1971 reaching number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the two versions were recorded simultaneously in 1971 with shared musicians. Youve Got a Friend won Grammy Awards both for Taylor and King, dozens of other artists have recorded the song over the years, including Dusty Springfield, Michael Jackson, Anne Murray and Donny Hathaway. Youve Got a Friend was written by Carole King during the January 1971 recording sessions for her own album Tapestry, and James Taylors album Mud Slide Slim, King has stated that the song was as close to pure inspiration as Ive ever experienced. It was written by something outside myself, through me, according to Taylor, King told him that the song was a response to a line in Taylors earlier song Fire and Rain that I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend. Kings album was recorded in an overlap with Taylors, and King, Danny Kortchmar, the song is included on both albums, King said in a 1972 interview that she didnt write it with James or anybody really specifically in mind. But when James heard it he really liked it and wanted to record it, Taylors version was released as a single, and reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. The James Taylor version also spent one week at the top of the Easy Listening charts, Billboard ranked it as the No.17 song for 1971. During the recording process, Taylor also offered to his Apple Records labelmate Mary Hopkin a chance to record the song, which she turned down, James Taylor and Carole King performed Youve Got a Friend together in 2010 during their Troubadour Reunion Tour. According to author James D. Perone, the themes include an expression of a universal, sisterly/brotherly, agape-type love of one human being for another. The reassuring lyrics have made the song popular with lonely people needing a boost of self-confidence. The songs messages of friendship having no boundaries and a friend being there when you are in need has universal appeal, for Taylor the lyrics had particular resonance due to the depression he had recovered from shortly before hearing King play the song. The music moves between a major and minor key, which according to music critic Maury Dean gives the song a sympathetic mood, in his review of Tapestry, Rolling Stone critic Jon Landau called Youve Got a Friend Carole Kings most perfect new song. He particularly praised how the melody and lyrics support each other, mojo considered the song to probably be the core of Tapestry. Allmusic critic Stewart Mason commented on the intimacy of Kings performance. Mason finds that the shyness of Kings voice gives her recording of the song a sincerity that he finds Taylors to lack, Mason also praises the depth and shading provided by the string instruments on Kings recording. Music critic Maury Dean describes Taylors performance style for the song as minimalist and folkish, Dusty Springfield recorded the song in early 1971 during the sessions for her third Atlantic Records album Faithful
32.
Singing
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Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of sustained tonality, rhythm, and a variety of vocal techniques. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist, Singers perform music that can be sung with or without accompaniment by musical instruments. Singing is often done in an ensemble of musicians, such as a choir of singers or a band of instrumentalists, Singers may perform as soloists, or accompanied by anything from a single instrument up to a symphony orchestra or big band. Singing can be formal or informal, arranged or improvised and it may be done as a form of religious devotion, as a hobby, as a source of pleasure, comfort, or ritual, as part of music education, or as a profession. Excellence in singing requires time, dedication, instruction, and regular practice, if practice is done on a regular basis then the sounds can become more clear and strong. Professional singers usually build their careers around one specific genre, such as classical or rock. They typically take voice training provided by teachers or vocal coaches throughout their careers. Though these four mechanisms function independently, they are coordinated in the establishment of a vocal technique and are made to interact upon one another. During passive breathing, air is inhaled with the diaphragm while exhalation occurs without any effort, exhalation may be aided by the abdominal, internal intercostal and lower pelvis/pelvic muscles. Inhalation is aided by use of external intercostals, scalenes and sternocleidomastoid muscles, the pitch is altered with the vocal cords. With the lips closed, this is called humming, humans have vocal folds which can loosen, tighten, or change their thickness, and over which breath can be transferred at varying pressures. The shape of the chest and neck, the position of the tongue, any one of these actions results in a change in pitch, volume, timbre, or tone of the sound produced. Sound also resonates within different parts of the body and an individuals size, Singers can also learn to project sound in certain ways so that it resonates better within their vocal tract. This is known as vocal resonation, another major influence on vocal sound and production is the function of the larynx which people can manipulate in different ways to produce different sounds. These different kinds of function are described as different kinds of vocal registers. The primary method for singers to accomplish this is through the use of the Singers Formant and it has also been shown that a more powerful voice may be achieved with a fatter and fluid-like vocal fold mucosa. The more pliable the mucosa, the more efficient the transfer of energy from the airflow to the vocal folds, Vocal registration refers to the system of vocal registers within the voice. A register in the voice is a series of tones, produced in the same vibratory pattern of the vocal folds
33.
Guitar
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The guitar is a musical instrument classified as a fretted string instrument with anywhere from four to 18 strings, usually having six. The sound is projected either acoustically, using a wooden or plastic and wood box, or through electrical amplifier. It is typically played by strumming or plucking the strings with the fingers, the guitar is a type of chordophone, traditionally constructed from wood and strung with either gut, nylon or steel strings and distinguished from other chordophones by its construction and tuning. There are three types of modern acoustic guitar, the classical guitar, the steel-string acoustic guitar, and the archtop guitar. The tone of a guitar is produced by the strings vibration, amplified by the hollow body of the guitar. The term finger-picking can also refer to a tradition of folk, blues, bluegrass. The acoustic bass guitar is an instrument that is one octave below a regular guitar. Early amplified guitars employed a body, but a solid wood body was eventually found more suitable during the 1960s and 1970s. As with acoustic guitars, there are a number of types of guitars, including hollowbody guitars, archtop guitars and solid-body guitars. The electric guitar has had a influence on popular culture. The guitar is used in a variety of musical genres worldwide. It is recognized as an instrument in genres such as blues, bluegrass, country, flamenco, folk, jazz, jota, mariachi, metal, punk, reggae, rock, soul. The term is used to refer to a number of chordophones that were developed and used across Europe, beginning in the 12th century and, later, in the Americas. The modern word guitar, and its antecedents, has applied to a wide variety of chordophones since classical times. Many influences are cited as antecedents to the modern guitar, at least two instruments called guitars were in use in Spain by 1200, the guitarra latina and the so-called guitarra morisca. The guitarra morisca had a back, wide fingerboard. The guitarra Latina had a sound hole and a narrower neck. By the 14th century the qualifiers moresca or morisca and latina had been dropped, and it had six courses, lute-like tuning in fourths and a guitar-like body, although early representations reveal an instrument with a sharply cut waist
34.
Piano
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The piano is an acoustic, stringed musical instrument invented around the year 1700, in which the strings are struck by hammers. It is played using a keyboard, which is a row of keys that the performer presses down or strikes with the fingers and thumbs of both hands to cause the hammers to strike the strings. The word piano is a form of pianoforte, the Italian term for the early 1700s versions of the instrument. The first fortepianos in the 1700s had a sound and smaller dynamic range. An acoustic piano usually has a wooden case surrounding the soundboard and metal strings. Pressing one or more keys on the keyboard causes a padded hammer to strike the strings. The hammer rebounds from the strings, and the continue to vibrate at their resonant frequency. These vibrations are transmitted through a bridge to a soundboard that amplifies by more efficiently coupling the acoustic energy to the air, when the key is released, a damper stops the strings vibration, ending the sound. Notes can be sustained, even when the keys are released by the fingers and thumbs and this means that the piano can play 88 different pitches, going from the deepest bass range to the highest treble. The black keys are for the accidentals, which are needed to play in all twelve keys, more rarely, some pianos have additional keys. Most notes have three strings, except for the bass that graduates from one to two, the strings are sounded when keys are pressed or struck, and silenced by dampers when the hands are lifted from the keyboard. There are two types of piano, the grand piano and the upright piano. The grand piano is used for Classical solos, chamber music and art song and it is used in jazz. The upright piano, which is compact, is the most popular type, as they are a better size for use in private homes for domestic music-making. During the nineteenth century, music publishers produced many works in arrangements for piano, so that music lovers could play. The piano is widely employed in classical, jazz, traditional and popular music for solo and ensemble performances, accompaniment, with technological advances, amplified electric pianos, electronic pianos, and digital pianos have also been developed. The electric piano became an instrument in the 1960s and 1970s genres of jazz fusion, funk music. The piano was founded on earlier technological innovations in keyboard instruments, pipe organs have been used since Antiquity, and as such, the development of pipe organs enabled instrument builders to learn about creating keyboard mechanisms for sounding pitches
35.
Keyboard instrument
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A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument played using a keyboard. The most common of these are the piano, organ, and various keyboards, including synthesizers. Other keyboard instruments include celestas, which are struck idiophones operated by a keyboard, and carillons, today, the term keyboard often refers to keyboard-style synthesizers. Another important use of the keyboard is in historical musicology. Particularly in the 18th century, the harpsichord, the clavichord, and the piano were in competition. Hence in a phrase like Mozart excelled as a player the word keyboard is usefully noncommittal. The earliest known keyboard instrument was the Ancient Greek hydraulis, a type of pipe organ, the keys were likely balanced and could be played with a light touch, as is clear from the reference in a Latin poem by Claudian, who says magna levi detrudens murmura tactu. Intent, that is “let him thunder forth as he presses out mighty roarings with a light touch”, from its invention until the fourteenth century, the organ remained the only keyboard instrument. Often, the organ did not feature a keyboard at all, almost every keyboard until the fifteenth century had seven naturals to each octave. The clavichord and the harpsichord appeared during the 14th century—the clavichord probably being earlier, the harpsichord and clavichord were both common until widespread adoption of the piano in the 18th century, after which their popularity decreased. The piano was revolutionary, because a pianist could vary the volume of the sound by varying the vigor with which each key was struck. The pianos full name is gravicèmbalo con piano e forte meaning harpsichord with soft and loud but can be shortened to piano-forte, which means soft-loud in Italian. In its current form, the piano is a product of the late 19th century, in fact, the modern piano is significantly different from even the 19th-century pianos used by Liszt, Chopin, and Brahms. See Piano history and musical performance, keyboard instruments were further developed in the early twentieth century. Early electromechanical instruments, such as the Ondes Martenot, appeared early in the century and this was a very important contribution to the keyboards history. Much effort has gone into creating an instrument that sounds like the piano but lacks its size, the electric piano and electronic piano were early efforts that, while useful instruments in their own right, did not convincingly reproduce the timbre of the piano. Electric and electronic organs were developed during the same period, more recent electronic keyboard designs strive to emulate the sound of specific make and model pianos using digital samples and computer models. Concerns celebrated keyboard players and the various instruments used over the centuries
36.
Backing vocalist
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Backing vocalists are singers who provide vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. In some cases, a singer may sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalists entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used in a range of popular music, traditional music. Solo artists may employ professional backing vocalists in studio recording sessions as well as during concerts, in many rock and metal bands, the musicians doing backup vocals also play instruments, such as guitar, electric bass, drums, or keyboards. In Latin or Afro-Cuban groups, backup singers may play percussion instruments or shakers while singing, in some pop and hip-hop groups and in musical theater, the backup singers may be required to perform elaborately choreographed dance routines while they sing through headset microphones. The style of singing used by backup singers varies according to the type of song, in pop and country songs, backup vocalists may perform vocal harmony parts to support the lead vocalist. In hardcore punk or rockabilly, other members who play instruments may sing or shout backup vocals during the chorus section of the songs. While some bands use performers whose sole on-stage role is performing backing vocals, two notable examples of band members who sang back-up are The Beach Boys and The Beatles. The Beach Boys were well known for their vocal harmonies, occasionally with all five members singing at once such as In My Room. All five members would sing lead, although most often Brian Wilson or Mike Love would sing lead with guitarists Carl Wilson and Al Jardine, examples of three-part harmonies by Lennon, McCartney and Harrison include Nowhere Man, Because, Day Tripper, and This Boy. Former guitarist John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers sang nearly all backing vocals often singing some parts without accompaniment from lead vocalist Anthony Kiedis, the bands bassist Flea occasionally filled in for additional vocals. Frusciante usually sang one song by himself during concerts, another example is No Frontiers by The Corrs, which is sung by Sharon and Caroline. In the recording studio, some lead singers record their own backing vocals by overdubbing, one famous example is Freddie Mercury of Queen singing the first part of Bohemian Rhapsody himself by overdubbing. With the exception of a few songs on album, Dan Fogelberg, Eddie Rabbitt, David Bowie. Some bands, such as Hawthorne Heights and Finch have the backup singers do harsh vocals to highlight specific lyrics. Pop and R&B vocalists such as Diana Ross, Ariana Grande, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Beyoncé Knowles, Brandy, Faith Evans, DAngelo, when they perform live, they may have backing vocalists that impersonate their voices. Some bands use backing vocals in order to contrast with the singer who may be performing an unusual vocal technique. In rap music, a rapper who chants and rhymes to support the main artist is often referred to as hype man
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