James Taylor, Carole King – Live at the Troubadour (180g Vinyl 2LP by Craft)

Available on 180g Vinyl 2LP for the First Time Cut by Bernie Grundman and Pressed at QRP!

In November of 1970, James Taylor and Carole King first performed together at the Troubadour on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, CA. Taylor had just released his debut album for the Beatles’ newly-formed Apple Records and King was finding her way as a first-time solo performer even though by then she was a famous songwriter with a string of hits for other artists. When they returned to the club for a two-week co-headlining run in 1971, their lives were somewhat different. That summer, Taylor’s “Fire and Rain” was topping the charts and King’s landmark Tapestry was on its way to making her a music superstar.

Thirty-six years later, in November 2007, Taylor, King and members of their renowned original band “The Section” (featuring guitarist Danny Kortchmar, bassist Leland Sklar and drummer Russell Kunkel) returned to the Troubadour for a three-night, six-show run to celebrate the venue’s 50th anniversary. This remarkable recording, culled from these unforgettable shows, features 15 songs and 75 minutes of pristine audio, including stunning performances of the pair’s most beloved hits such as King’s “So Far Away,” “It’s Too Late,” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?”, as well as Taylor’s “Carolina in My Mind,” “Sweet Baby James,” and “Fire and Rain,”

The return to the intimate Troubadour – the fertile ground that served as the unofficial home to a some of the era’s defining musicians such as the Eagles, Elton John, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt and Joni Mitchell – rekindled King’s and Taylor’s love for making music together. Variety enthused at the time, “Taylor and King reminded us about the intensity of the song, that the artistically-rich and commercially-viable are not mutually exclusive and how one tiny club continues to be a birthing room for some of this city’s most memorable music.” The experience was deeply felt by everyone – the musicians on stage, the fans in attendance, as well as the project’s technical crew.

Taylor states: “The Troubadour in 1971 wasn’t the beginning, but it was a big step into the light for both of us. When we reunited for the Troubadour’s 50th Anniversary celebration in 2007, it felt like yesterday. It was, and still is, all about the music and the celebration of performing together.” King adds, “What’s even more remarkable is that James’s and my musical connection and friendship continue to transcend time and place. Whenever we’re together, there we are. I feel a tremendous gratitude to be able to share this experience with James, with this fine band, and most of all, with the fans.”

Features:
• 180g vinyl 2LP pressing from Craft Recordings
• Available for the first time on vinyl
• Lacquers cut by Bernie Grundman
• Pressed at QRP

LP1
1. Blossom (James Taylor)
2. So Far Away (Carole King)
3. Machine Gun Kelly (Danny Kortchmar)
4. Carolina in My Mind (James Taylor)
5. It’s Too Late (Carole King – Toni Stern)
6. Smackwater Jack (Gerry Goffin – Carole King)
7. Something in the Way She Moves (James Taylor)
8. Will You Love Me Tomorrow (Gerry Goffin – Carole King)

LP2
1. Country Road (James Taylor)
2. Fire and Rain (James Taylor)
3. Sweet Baby James (James Taylor)
4. I Feel the Earth Move (Carole King)
5. You’ve Got a Friend (Carole King)
6. Up on the Roof (Gerry Goffin – Carole King)
7. You Can Close Your Eyes (James Taylor)