Carolina in My Mind

Last updated

"Carolina in My Mind"
CarolinaInMyMindLabel.jpg
Single by James Taylor
from the album James Taylor
B-side "Taking It In" (1969 original) "Something's Wrong" (1970 reissue) [1]
ReleasedFebruary/March 1969 (original UK & US releases)
October/November 1970 (US & UK reissues)
RecordedJuly–October 1968
Genre Folk rock, country pop
Length3:36 (original)
3:57 (1976 version)
Label Apple
Songwriter(s) James Taylor
Producer(s) Peter Asher
James Taylor singles chronology
"Something in the Way She Moves"
(1969)
"Carolina in My Mind"
(1969)
"Knocking 'Round the Zoo"
(1969)

"Carolina in My Mind" is a song originally written and performed by American singer-songwriter James Taylor. It was Taylor's second single from his 1968 self-titled debut album. Taylor wrote Carolina in My Mind while in England recording for the Beatles' label Apple Records, and the song's themes reflect his homesickness at the time. Released as a single in 1969, the song earned critical praise but not commercial success. It was re-recorded for Taylor's 1976 Greatest Hits album in the version that is most familiar to listeners. It has been a staple of Taylor's concert performances over the decades of his career. Carolina in My Mind is one of the most covered contemporary folk songs of all time, the most famous of which being covers by American singer-songwriter John Denver and American rock music duo the Everly Brothers.

Contents

The song was a modest hit on the country charts in 1969 for North Carolinian singer George Hamilton IV, released as the first single from his 1970 album Back Where It's At (see George Hamilton IV discography). Strongly tied to a sense of geographic place, "Carolina in My Mind" has been called an unofficial state anthem for North Carolina. It is also an unofficial song of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, being played at athletic events and pep rallies and sung by the graduating class at every university commencement. [2] The association of the song with the state is also made in written works of both fiction and non-fiction. It has become one of Taylor's most critically praised songs [3] [4] and one that has great popularity and significance for his audience. [3]

Song and recordings

The song references Taylor's years growing up in North Carolina. [5] Taylor wrote it while overseas recording for the Beatles' label Apple Records. He started writing the song at producer Peter Asher's London flat on Marylebone High Street, resumed work on it while on holiday on the Mediterranean island of Formentera, and then completed it while stranded on the nearby island of Ibiza with Karin, a Swedish girl he had just met. [3] [6] The song reflects Taylor's homesickness at the time, [7] as he was missing his family, his dog and his state. [6]

Dark and silent late last night,
I think I might have heard the highway calling ...
Geese in flight and dogs that bite
And signs that might be omens say I'm going, I'm going
I'm gone to Carolina in my mind.

The original recording of the song was done at London's Trident Studios during the July to October 1968 period, and was produced by Asher. [8] The song's lyric "holy host of others standing around me" makes reference to the Beatles, who were recording The Beatles in the same studio where Taylor was recording his album. [5] Indeed, the recording of "Carolina in My Mind" includes a credited appearance by Paul McCartney on bass guitar [9] and an uncredited one by George Harrison on backing vocals. [5] The other players were Freddie Redd on organ, Joel "Bishop" O'Brien on drums, and Mick Wayne providing a second guitar alongside Taylor's. [8] Taylor and Asher also did backing vocals and Asher added a tambourine. [8] Richard Hewson arranged and conducted a string part; [8] an even more ambitious 30-piece orchestra part was recorded but not used. [5] The song itself earned critical praise, with Jon Landau's April 1969 review for Rolling Stone calling it "beautiful" and one of the "two most deeply affecting cuts" on the album and praising McCartney's bass playing as "extraordinary". [10] Taylor biographer Timothy White calls the song "the album's quiet masterpiece". [5] In a 50-years-later retrospective of the album's release, Billboard calls the song "a mellow Taylor classic" and a "stone-classic". [11]

The song was first released on Taylor's eponymous debut album in December 1968 (February 1969 in the United States), and was later released as a single in the UK in February 1969 and in the United States in March 1969. [12] However, owing to the same problems which plagued the release of the album (namely, Taylor's inability to promote it due to his hospitalization for drug addiction), the single's original release reached only No. 118 on US pop charts and failed to chart in the UK. [12] Indeed, Taylor had fallen back into addiction during the London recording sessions, [5] [13] and his line about being surrounded by Beatles had been immediately followed by "Still I'm on the dark side of the moon". [7] Following the success of Taylor's second album, Sweet Baby James , and its hit single "Fire and Rain", "Carolina in My Mind" was reissued by Apple as a single in October 1970 [1] and rose to No. 67 on the U.S. charts. (A previously unreleased acoustic demo of "Carolina in My Mind" was issued as a bonus track on the 2010 Apple Records remastering of James Taylor.) In Canada, the song peaked at No. 64 in the spring of 1969, [14] then recharted in the fall of 1970, reaching No. 39. [15]

Different versions of both this song and "Something in the Way She Moves" were remade by Taylor for use on his 1976 Greatest Hits album because of the difficulty of obtaining licensing rights from Apple during the 1970s and because of uncertainty about where the Apple masters were. [16] The new recordings were done in October 1976 at The Sound Factory in Los Angeles and production was again done by Peter Asher. [17]

This rendition of "Carolina in My Mind" had a slower tempo than the original, and accompanying Taylor on acoustic guitar were experienced LA session musicians Dan Dugmore on pedal steel guitar (highlighted in the descending note sequences at the song's conclusion), Lee Sklar on bass, Russ Kunkel on drums, Clarence McDonald on piano, Andrew Gold on harmonium, and Byron Berline on fiddle. [17] Backing vocals were handled by Gold and Taylor. [17] Greatest Hits became a diamond record, selling more than 11 million copies in the United States by 2001, [16] [18] and this is the version of "Carolina in My Mind" that became best known. [7] The remake earned even more critical praise than the original. Bill Janovitz of Allmusic said of the 1976 recording that it "accent[ed] the languid, plaintive and wistful country melancholy of the song", [7] while in the 1979 Rolling Stone Record Guide , critic Stephen Holden said that the "stunning" remake showed how much Taylor's singing had strengthened in the intervening years. [4] Biographer White believed that the song benefited from the removal of the original's orchestration. [5]

The 1976 re-recording was also included on Taylor's 2003 compilation The Best of James Taylor .

Chart history

Later appearances

Taylor performs "Carolina in My Mind" during his 2010 Troubadour Reunion Tour with Carole King. The video screen shows scenes of a countryside. Carolina in my Mind 2010.jpg
Taylor performs "Carolina in My Mind" during his 2010 Troubadour Reunion Tour with Carole King. The video screen shows scenes of a countryside.

"Carolina in My Mind" became a staple of Taylor's concert repertoire, appearing in the set list of virtually every Taylor tour. [26] A 1992 performance of it was included near the end of Taylor's first live album, 1993's Live . The audience reaction demonstrates that the song has great popularity despite never being a hit single: there is immediate cheering as the first notes are picked out on Taylor's acoustic guitar, and further cheering as soon as he starts to sing. By this era Taylor's always-excellent touring band [27] was using four backing singers. Arnold McCuller, David Lasley, Kate Markowitz, and Valerie Carter featured strongly in the arrangement, continuing the emphasis on the song's harmonies that had begun with the 1976 remake. [7]

The song has been included in a number of Taylor's concert video releases, including 1980's James Taylor: In Concert at the Blossom Music Center, [28] 1988's James Taylor: In Concert at Boston's Colonial Theatre, [28] and 2002's Pull Over. [29] It was performed in collaboration with the Dixie Chicks in 2002 for the CMT Crossroads program. [30] [31] In 2004, Taylor and the Chicks again performed the song together during the Vote for Change tour, with Taylor dedicating it to former North Carolina Senator and U.S. vice-presidential candidate John Edwards. [32] On the 2006 A Musicares Person of the Year Tribute Honoring James Taylor tribute show and video release, "Carolina in My Mind" was performed by Alison Krauss and Jerry Douglas. [33] The song was then included in Taylor's 2006–2007 One Man Band Tour; accompanied only by Larry Goldings on piano and harmonium, Taylor introduced the song with visual material and by relating its composition on Formentera and other locations. [6] He talked about the Karin of the lyrics, whom he had known only briefly and never seen since, and related various humorous notions about how to find her again. [6] One such performance was documented on the 2007 album and video release One Man Band . [6] Another live performance appeared on Taylor's 2010 live CD/DVD combo release with Carole King, Live at The Troubadour . [34] James Taylor appeared on The Colbert Report on January 19, 2012, and sang "Carolina in My Mind" along with Stephen Colbert, [35] and then performed it on the final day of the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he greeted "fellow Tar Heels and Democrats". [36]

In a 2020 interview with Parade, Taylor stated that "Carolina in My Mind" was his favorite song to perform, explaining, "Because my audience responds well to it, and because it wears well, I like 'Carolina In My Mind'. I play it almost every time I perform, and I haven't tired of it." [37]

Other versions

While "Carolina in My Mind" did not gain much attention from the public upon its original release, it did from other artists. It was a No. 29 hit on the American country charts and No. 3 hit in Canada in 1969 for North Carolinian singer George Hamilton IV. [38] The Everly Brothers also released it as a single in 1969, under the variant title "Carolina on My Mind", but it failed to chart; [39] this was later collected on their 1994 box set Heartaches and Harmonies . Evie Sands also touched upon it in her 1969 album Any Way That You Want Me. [40]

The song was recorded by Melanie on her hit April 1970 album Candles in the Rain ; the arrangement and vocal phrasing are different from Taylor's, and Allmusic writes that her version "exist[s] on an entirely separate plane from the original". [41] It was also recorded in more conventional folk rock form by John Denver on his May 1970 album Take Me to Tomorrow . [42] Philadelphia-based pop group Crystal Mansion released a version in October 1970 that reached No. 73 on the U.S. pop singles chart. [43] Dawn included a version of it on their 1970 debut album Candida . About the same time, Glen Campbell was performing the song as a sped-up country duet with Linda Ronstadt on his popular television series The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour ; this was later collected on his 2007 video release Good Times Again . [44]

The song subsequently became so identified with Taylor that other artists recorded it less frequently,[ citation needed ] but still by the late 2000s there were some 60 albums (including compilation reappearances and albums from Taylor himself) that featured it. [45]

Sense of place

In 1998, a family of James Taylor fans listens to the Live recording of "Carolina in My Mind" as they enter the state on North Carolina Highway 168. ListeningToCarolinaInMyMind.jpg
In 1998, a family of James Taylor fans listens to the Live recording of "Carolina in My Mind" as they enter the state on North Carolina Highway 168.

"Carolina in My Mind" is strongly associated with its geographical place [46] and has been referred to a number of times as an unofficial state anthem of North Carolina. [47] [48] [49] [11] Taylor had grown up in Carrboro, outside Chapel Hill, where his father taught at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. [50] Taylor later reflected: "Chapel Hill, the piedmont, the outlying hills, were tranquil, rural, beautiful, but quiet. 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 and climate than people." [51] More broadly, the song has been associated with The South. Author James L. Peacock sees it akin to Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home" and other songs and works of literature in establishing "the South's sense of place", even if that sense is sometimes an exercise in projected nostalgia. [52] Author Ken Emerson also sees a connection to that quintessential American songwriter, with the Taylor song resembling Foster's "Sitting By My Own Cabin Door" in its sense of longing for home amid personal and contextual dislocation. [53] Recognizing the association with the state, the Chapel Hill Museum opened an ongoing exhibit "Carolina in My Mind: The James Taylor Story" in 2003 that includes memorabilia from Taylor's years in the area and a video documentary. [54]

"Carolina in My Mind" is also an unofficial song of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. [48] [55] It is played at athletic events and pep rallies, [56] and is sung by the graduating class at every university graduation. [57] [58] In 2019 the student newspaper The Daily Tar Heel ran a piece detailing how the song often stayed with students beyond their years on campus. [2] The song is also frequently performed by popular UNC campus a cappella groups, including the Clef Hangers. [2] The Clef Hangers' Fall Concert 2007 performances of the song featured future American Idol season 8 finalist Anoop Desai [59] handling the lead vocal on the closing part of the song. [60] The Clef Hangers, joined by university chancellor Holden Thorp, again performed it in March 2009 at the first anniversary memorial service for murdered student president Eve Carson. [55] [61] In 2019, one former Clef Hanger recalled that, "Pretty quickly ... I realized that the song had a lot of significance. We also sing it at graduation every year, as a send off, so there's more significance behind it ... we treat it like our special thing we get to bring during private events or even situations like graduation." [2]

In October 2006, Taylor returned to the campus to receive the school's Carolina Performing Arts Lifetime Achievement Award. [48] University chancellor James Moeser said to Taylor, "We love you. We love what you do and how you represent this university." [48] Taylor said, "It's strange but somehow compelling to come home and sing it. It draws a line through my own personal history and connects me again to a place that I go to in my dreams, a landscape that will forever be a part of me." [48]

"Carolina in My Mind" is the corps song for the Carolina Crown Drum & Bugle Corps; [62] the corps sings the song before every performance.[ citation needed ] The 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army, stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, sponsors a group of singing soldiers known as the 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus. They recorded a version of the song on their 2009 album A Soldier's Heart, [63] and the song is part of their concert repertoire. [64]

Some of the song's lyrics are used as an epigraph in the 2001 Celebrate the States series volume on North Carolina [65] and in the 1983 reference book America the Quotable. [66] News providers have used "Carolina in My Mind" as a title for stories about the state's politics, economy, and outdoor activities. [67] The song's geographical association also appears in fiction, including in Carly Alexander's 2004 novel The Eggnog Chronicles [68] and North Carolinian Sharyn McCrumb's 2006 novel St. Dale. [69]

Although it was North Carolina that inspired the song, it is popular in South Carolina too, tying for first place on a South Carolina Information Highway's construction of a soundtrack regarding the state. [70] It has been used as the theme for the television coverage of the annual Family Circle Cup tennis event in South Carolina.

"Carolina in My Mind" has been mentioned by members of the Carolinian diaspora. Prize-winning North Carolinian writer Jill McCorkle, [71] living in Massachusetts, refers to it as "the chosen anthem of misplaced Carolinians". [72] In Kathy Reichs' initial Temperance Brennan novel, Déjà Dead , the protagonist (like the author) is from North Carolina but working in Montreal as a forensic anthropologist, and alludes to the song as part of a Carolinian reverie in the midst of a horrid murder case. [73] One person who had moved to California said, "Still to this day I get nostalgic whenever I hear it on the radio. It's a song that makes anyone who grew up in North Carolina homesick. In a way, it's become an anthem song for people who left the state." [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl Scruggs</span> American musician (1924–2012)

Earl Eugene Scruggs was an American musician noted for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style, now called "Scruggs style", which is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. His three-finger style of playing was radically different from the traditional way the five-string banjo had previously been played. This new style of playing became popular and elevated the banjo from its previous role as a background rhythm instrument to featured solo status. He popularized the instrument across several genres of music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Taylor</span> American musician (born 1948)

James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maceo Parker</span> American saxophonist and composer (born 1943)

Maceo Parker is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s and Prince in the 2000s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. Since the early 1990s, he has toured under his own name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Campbell</span> American country musician (1936–2017)

Glen Travis Campbell was an American country singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actor. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television from 1969 until 1972. He released 64 albums in a career that spanned five decades, selling over 45 million records worldwide, including twelve gold albums, four platinum albums, and one double-platinum album.

The U.S. state of North Carolina is known particularly for its history of old-time music. Many recordings were made in the early 20th century by folk song collector Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Influential North Carolina country musicians like the North Carolina Ramblers and Al Hopkins helped solidify the sound of country music in the late 1920s, while influential bluegrass musicians such as Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson came from North Carolina. Arthur Smith had the first nationally syndicated television program which featured country music. He composed "Guitar Boogie", the all-time best selling guitar instrumental, and "Dueling Banjos", the all-time best selling banjo composition. Country artist Eric Church from the Hickory area, has had multiple No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, including Chief in 2011. Both North and South Carolina are a hotbed for traditional country blues, especially the style known as the Piedmont blues. Elizabeth Cotten, from Chapel Hill, was active in the American folk music revival.

<i>James Taylor</i> (album) 1968 studio album by James Taylor

James Taylor is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor. Released on December 6, 1968, it was the first recording by a non-British artist released by Apple Records, and would also be Taylor's only release on that label. The album was released under the title First Album on the South African market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Kershaw</span> American singer-songwriter

Douglas James Kershaw is an American fiddle player, singer and songwriter from Louisiana. Active since 1948, he began his career as part of the duo Rusty and Doug, along with his brother, Rusty Kershaw. He had an extensive solo career that included fifteen albums and singles that charted on the Hot Country Songs charts. He is also a member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suspicious Minds</span> 1968 single by Mark James

"Suspicious Minds" is a 1968 song written and first recorded by the American songwriter Mark James. After this recording failed commercially, it was recorded by Elvis Presley with the producer Chips Moman. Presley's version reached No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, his 18th and final no. 1 single on that chart. In 1999, Presley's RCA Victor Records version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kellie Pickler</span> American country singer (born 1986)

Kellie Dawn Pickler is an American country music singer, actress and television personality. Pickler gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of American Idol and finished in sixth place. In 2006, she signed to 19 Recordings and BNA Records as a recording artist. Her debut album, Small Town Girl, was released later that year and has sold over 900,000 copies. The album, which was certified gold by the RIAA, produced three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts: "Red High Heels" at No. 15, "I Wonder" at No. 14, and "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind" at No. 16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bucky Covington</span> American singer

William Joel "Bucky" Covington III is an American country music singer. He placed eighth on the 5th season of the Fox Network's talent competition series American Idol. In December 2006, he signed a recording contract with Lyric Street Records. His self-titled debut album, produced by Dale Oliver and Mark Miller of the band Sawyer Brown, was released on April 17, 2007. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and produced three hit singles on the Hot Country Songs charts: "A Different World" at number six, "It's Good to Be Us" at number eleven, and "I'll Walk" at number ten. Three more singles: "I Want My Life Back", "Gotta Be Somebody", and "A Father's Love ", were released for an unreleased second album, titled I'm Alright, and later included on his 2012 album, Good Guys.

<i>From Elvis in Memphis</i> 1969 studio album by Elvis Presley

From Elvis in Memphis is the ninth studio album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. It was released by RCA Records on June 2, 1969. It was recorded at American Sound Studio in Memphis in January and February 1969 under the direction of producer Chips Moman and backed by its house band, informally known as the Memphis Boys. Following the success of Presley's TV special Elvis and its soundtrack, the album marked Presley's return to non-soundtrack albums after the completion of his film contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Church</span> American country singer-songwriter

Kenneth Eric Church is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has released nine studio albums through Capitol Nashville since 2005. His debut album, 2006's Sinners Like Me, produced three singles on the Billboard country charts including the top 20 hits "How 'Bout You", "Two Pink Lines", and "Guys Like Me".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim McGraw (song)</span> 2006 single by Taylor Swift

"Tim McGraw" is the debut single by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who wrote it with Liz Rose for her 2006 self-titled debut studio album. Big Machine Records released the song to US country radio on June 19, 2006. Produced by Nathan Chapman, "Tim McGraw" is an acoustic guitar-led country ballad that incorporates the '50s progression and elements of alternative rock. In the lyrics, Swift's character pleads with her ex-boyfriend to remember her every time he hears her favorite song by Tim McGraw, the song's namesake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teardrops on My Guitar</span> 2007 single by Taylor Swift

"Teardrops on My Guitar" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who wrote it with Liz Rose. In the United States, the song was the second single from Swift's 2006 self-titled debut album; Big Machine Records released it to country radio on February 20, 2007, and to pop radio as a crossover single on November 9, 2007. An international mix was included on the international edition of Swift's second studio album, Fearless, and released as a single in Europe on May 7, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Up on the Roof (song)</span> 1962 single by the Drifters

"Up on the Roof" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and recorded in 1962 by The Drifters. Released late that year, the disc became a major hit in early 1963, reaching number 5 on the U.S. pop singles chart and number 4 on the U.S. R&B singles chart. In the UK it was a top-ten success for singer Kenny Lynch, whose version was also released in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweet Baby James (song)</span> 1970 single by James Taylor

"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. Taylor considers it his best song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Country Road (song)</span> 1971 single by James Taylor

"Country Road" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, released in February 1971 by Warner Bros. Records. It is the third single from Taylor's second studio album, Sweet Baby James. "Country Road" is also featured on James Taylor's 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brendan James</span> American singer-songwriter

Brendan James is an American, piano-based singer-songwriter from Derry, New Hampshire. James spent his early music career playing at New York City open mics before he signed to Capitol Records in 2005. At Capitol he spent a year and a half recording his debut album, but was dropped before its release during the Capitol Records/Virgin Records merger in 2007. After leaving Capitol, he self-produced and released an EP, The Ballroom Break-in. He signed to Decca Records in 2008 and has released two studio albums with the label. His debut album, The Day is Brave, was released in 2008, while his self-titled second album, Brendan James, came out in 2010. He has toured nationally to support the albums, including tours with artists such as Jason Reeves, John Mayer, Tyrone Wells, Matt White, and Amber Rubarth.

"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 been covered by other artists, including Tom Rush and Harry Belafonte. The opening line inspired George Harrison to write the No. 1 Beatles' song "Something". According to James Taylor's stage banter at The Star in Frisco 31 July 2017, this was the song he played for Paul McCartney and George Harrison as an audition before signing with Apple Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Can Close Your Eyes</span> 1971 single by James Taylor

"You Can Close Your Eyes" is a song written by James Taylor which was released on his 1971 album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. It was also released as the B-side to his #1 single "You've Got a Friend". It has often been described as a lullaby. It was initially recorded by his sister Kate Taylor for her 1971 album Sister Kate. The song has been covered by many artists, including Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Maureen McGovern, Richie Havens, Sheryl Crow, Sting, Eddie Vedder with Natalie Maines, and the King's Singers.

References

  1. 1 2 Castleman, Harry; Podrazik, Walter J. (1976). All Together Now. Pierian Press. pp. 75, 93.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Keyes, Brian (June 24, 2019). "Alumni reflect on how 'Carolina in My Mind' stays with them years after graduation". The Daily Tar Heel . Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Halperin, Ian (2003). Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Story (Revised ed.). Citadel Press. p. 71. ISBN   0-8065-2348-4.
  4. 1 2 Dave Marsh; John Swenson, eds. (1979). The Rolling Stone Record Guide . Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 379. ISBN   0-394-73535-8.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 White, Timothy. James Taylor: Long Ago and Far Away, Omnibus Press, 2002, ISBN   0-7119-9193-6. pp. 137–140.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Taylor, James (2007). One Man Band (DVD). Hear Music.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Janovitz, Bill. "Carolina in My Mind: Song Review". Allmusic . Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  8. 1 2 3 4 James Taylor (Vinyl inside gatefold). James Taylor. Apple Records. 1968.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. Castleman, Harry; Podrazik, Walter J. (1977). "1967 – It's Lonely at the Top". All Together Now – The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961–1975 (Second ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. p.  71. ISBN   0-345-25680-8.
  10. Landau, Jon (April 19, 1969). "Album Reviews: James Taylor". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on March 29, 2010. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  11. 1 2 Enos, Morgan (December 6, 2018). "James Taylor's Self-Titled Debut Turns 50: A Track-by-Track Retrospective". Billboard .
  12. 1 2 White, Long Ago and Far Away, pp. 142–144.
  13. Halperin, Fire and Rain, p. 70.
  14. 1 2 RPM Top Singles, April 28, 1969
  15. 1 2 RPM Top Singles, December 12, 1970
  16. 1 2 White, Long Ago and Far Away, p. 240.
  17. 1 2 3 Greatest Hits (Vinyl inside gatefold). James Taylor. Warner Bros. Records. 1976.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA . Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  19. Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959–2004
  20. 1 2 Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 ISBN   0-89820-089-X
  21. 1 2 "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 12, 1970". Archived from the original on June 8, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  22. "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. January 3, 1970. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  23. "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. January 1, 1970. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  24. "George Hamilton IV Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  25. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research.
  26. One newspaper story per year (and tour) is presented as supporting evidence. Note that some years Taylor did not tour (2000, 1988) or played only a small number of shows, usually benefits (1993, 1991, 1989), making fewer stories written. The early 1980s and before are harder to access through online newspaper archives.
    • "James Taylor's Singing Has Something to Say, but It Was Said Long Ago". Los Angeles Times . November 16, 1987.
    Citations are primarily based upon this Google News Archive search done June 30, 2009.
  27. Ruhlmann, William. "Live: Review". Allmusic . Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  28. 1 2 Risberg, Joel (2005). The James Taylor Encyclopedia. GeekTV Press. pp.  52–53. ISBN   1-4116-3477-2.
  29. Taylor, James (2002). Pull Over. DVD: Columbia Music Video.
  30. "CMT Crossroads: James Taylor and Dixie Chicks". CMT. Archived from the original on March 22, 2004. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  31. Risberg, The James Taylor Encyclopedia, p. 73.
  32. Shelburne, Craig (October 4, 2004). "In Concert, Natalie Maines Reiterates Opposition to Bush". CMT News. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  33. Various artists (2006). A Musicares Person of the Year Tribute Honoring James Taylor. DVD: Rhino Entertainment.
  34. "James Taylor & Carole King – Live at the Troubadour". Street Date. CBS Radio. April 29, 2010. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  35. "James Taylor & Stephen Colbert – "Carolina in My Mind"". January 19, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  36. "Singer/Songwriter James Taylor Performs at Democratic National Convention". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  37. Farber, Jim (February 14, 2020). "'You Don't Know Me'! James Taylor Says These 7 Songs Tell His Life Story". Parade. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  38. Whitburn, Joel (2006). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits (2nd ed.). Billboard Books. p. 418. ISBN   0-8230-8291-1.
  39. Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate Books. p. 515. ISBN   1-84195-615-5.
  40. "Any Way That You Want Me". Allmusic . Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  41. Deming, Mark. "Candles in the Rain: Review". Allmusic . Retrieved April 4, 2009.
  42. Ober, Chick (June 28, 1970). "Jerry Hahn Brotherhood – An Array of Sound" . St. Petersburg Times . p. 69. Retrieved February 16, 2022 via Newspapers.com.
  43. Whitburn, Joel (2000). Top Pop Singles 1955–1999. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. p. 151. ISBN   0-89820-140-3.
  44. Roland, Tom (November 30, 2007). "Glen Campbell Recalls Good Times". CMT News. Archived from the original on February 18, 2008. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
  45. "Song Search Results for: Carolina In My Mind (60)". Allmusic. Archived from the original on June 3, 2009. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
  46. Nelson, Connie; Harris, Floyd (2004). Film Junkie's Guide to North Carolina. John F. Blair. p. 201. ISBN   0-89587-269-2.
  47. "Hey, James Taylor – You've got a ... bridge?". Rome News-Tribune . May 21, 2002. Archived from the original on January 31, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  48. 1 2 3 4 5 Hoppenjans, Lisa (October 2, 2006). "You must forgive him if he's ..." The News & Observer . Retrieved June 28, 2009.[ dead link ]
  49. Waggoner, Martha (October 17, 2008). "James Taylor to play 5 free NC concerts for Obama". USA Today . Associated Press . Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  50. White, Long Ago and Far Away, pp. 55, 57.
  51. White, Long Ago and Far Away, p. 61.
  52. Peacock, James L. (2007). Grounded Globalism: How the U.S. South Embraces the World. University of Georgia Press. p. 226. ISBN   978-0-8203-2868-3.
  53. Emerson, Ken (1998). Doo-dah!: Stephen Foster and the Rise of American Popular Culture. Da Capo Press. p. 304. ISBN   0-306-80852-8.
  54. "Carolina in My Mind: The James Taylor Story". The Chapel Hill Museum. Archived from the original on August 15, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  55. 1 2 Blythe, Anne (March 3, 2009). "Service will honor slain student leader". The News & Observer . Archived from the original on March 11, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  56. "UNC Marching Tar Heels – Duke Pep Band Trip Schedule" (PDF). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. November 29, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 20, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  57. Ferreri, Eric, Jane Stancill and Sue Stock (May 12, 2008). "A roundup of the graduation ceremonies". The News & Observer . Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2009.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  58. "The University of North Carolina Spring Commencement 2009". UNC General Alumni Association. 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  59. "News: Vote for Anoop on American Idol". The UNC Clef Hangers. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
  60. "UNC Clef Hangers – Carolina In My Mind". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
  61. "Eve Carson Remembrance". University Gazette. March 18, 2009. Archived from the original on March 23, 2009. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
  62. "Carolina In My Mind". Drum Corps International. December 12, 2010.
  63. "A Soldier's Heart". Amazon. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  64. "The 82nd Airborne Division (Fort Bragg) All American Chorus sings "Carolina in My Mind" at the WBHS 3rd annual Army JROTC Veterans Day ceremony". Star-News . Wilmington, North Carolina. November 10, 2016. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021.
  65. Shirley, David (2001). North Carolina. Marshall Cavendish. p.  9. ISBN   0-7614-1072-4.
  66. Edelhart, Mike; Tinen, James (1983). America the Quotable. Facts on File. p.  421. ISBN   0-87196-331-0.
  67. "'carolina in my mind' Archive Search" . Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  68. Alexander, Carly (2004). The Eggnog Chronicles. Kensington Books. p. 256. ISBN   0-7582-0643-7.
  69. McCrumb, Sharyn (2006). St. Dale. Kensington Books. p. 169. ISBN   0-7582-0777-8.
  70. "Soundtrack for this state now playing". The Post and Courier . November 15, 2007. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2009.
  71. "Jill McCorkle – 1958". The American Collection. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
  72. McCorkle, Jill (2004). "North Carolina". In Leonard, John (ed.). These United States: Original Essays by Leading American Writers on Their State Within the Union. Nation Books. p. 337. ISBN   1-56025-618-4.
  73. Reichs, Kathy (2007). Déjà Dead (10th anniversary ed.). Simon & Schuster. p.  177. ISBN   978-1-4165-7098-1.