Gorilla (James Taylor album)

Last updated
Gorilla
James Taylor - Gorilla.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 1975 (1975-05)
RecordedMarch 17 – April 24, 1975 (1975-03-17 1975-04-24)
StudioWarner Bros. Studios (North Hollywood)
The Burbank Studios (Burbank)
Genre
Length38:46
Label Warner Bros.
Producer
James Taylor chronology
Walking Man
(1974)
Gorilla
(1975)
In the Pocket
(1976)
Singles from Gorilla
  1. "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)"
    Released: June 1975
  2. "Mexico"
    Released: September 1975

Gorilla is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor. Released in May 1975, it was more successful than Walking Man , his previous release. Two album tracks released as singles, "Mexico" and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", rose to the top five on the Billboard charts. This would be Taylor's second-to-last album of new material for Warner Bros. Records, his last being In the Pocket . In many ways, Gorilla showcased Taylor's electric, lighter side that became evident on Walking Man. The song "Sarah Maria" is about his daughter Sally (born Sarah Maria Taylor on January 7, 1974). His then-wife Carly Simon was featured on "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", originally recorded by Marvin Gaye. Jimmy Buffett recorded "Mexico" on his 1995 album Barometer Soup and performed "Lighthouse" during his Salty Piece of Land tour of 2005. [1]

Contents

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Rolling Stone (not rated) [4]
Christgau's Record Guide C+ [5]
MusicHound 3.5/5 [6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]

Track listing

All songs by James Taylor unless otherwise noted.

Side one
  1. "Mexico" – 2:57
  2. "Music" – 3:46
  3. "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – 3:33
  4. "Wandering" (Traditional; arrangement and additional lyrics: James Taylor) – 2:40
  5. "Gorilla" – 3:10
  6. "You Make It Easy" – 4:10
Side two
  1. I Was a Fool to Care" – 3:19
  2. "Lighthouse" – 3:15
  3. "Angry Blues" – 3:25
  4. "Love Songs" – 5:45
  5. "Sarah Maria" – 2:46

Personnel

Production

Charts

Related Research Articles

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (James Taylor album) 1976 greatest hits album by James Taylor

Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, released in November 1976 by Warner Bros. records. It remains Taylor's best-selling album, with over 11 million units being sold in the United States, making it among the best-selling albums of the 1970's.

<i>In the Pocket</i> (James Taylor album) 1976 studio album by James Taylor

In the Pocket is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor and his last to be released under Warner Bros. Records before signing with Columbia. Released in June 1976, the album found Taylor recording in the studio with many colleagues and friends, mainly Art Garfunkel, Carly Simon, Stevie Wonder and David Crosby, Linda Ronstadt, and Bonnie Raitt, among others.

<i>Walking Man</i> 1974 studio album by James Taylor

Walking Man is the fifth studio album by singer-songwriter James Taylor. Released in June 1974, it was not as successful as his previous efforts, reaching only No. 13 on the Billboard Album Chart and selling 300,000 copies in the United States. Until 2008's Covers, it was Taylor's only studio album not to receive a gold or platinum certification from the RIAA.

<i>Dad Loves His Work</i> 1981 studio album by James Taylor

Dad Loves His Work is the tenth studio album by James Taylor, released in 1981. The album includes the duet with JD Souther titled "Her Town Too", which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The album was certified Platinum in the United States. It was his first album without any covers.

<i>The Best of James Taylor</i> 2003 greatest hits album by James Taylor

The Best of James Taylor is the fourth compilation album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor released by Warner Bros. Records in 2003. The same album was released in Europe as You've Got a Friend: The Best of James Taylor.

<i>Another Passenger</i> 1976 studio album by Carly Simon

Another Passenger is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on June 5, 1976.

<i>Sundown</i> (Gordon Lightfoot album) 1974 studio album by Gordon Lightfoot

Sundown is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's ninth studio album, released in 1974 on the Reprise Records label. It was the only Lightfoot album to reach No. 1 on the pop chart in the US. In his native Canada, it topped the RPM 100 for five consecutive weeks, first hitting No. 1 on June 22, 1974, the same day it reached the top of the chart south of the border.

<i>Celebrate Me Home</i> 1977 studio album by Kenny Loggins

Celebrate Me Home is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins. It was released on April 13, 1977, by Columbia Records. The album was Loggins' first since Loggins and Messina ended in 1976, represents a slight move away from the folk-rock leanings of his previous recordings towards a more polished, soft rock sound.

<i>Prisoner in Disguise</i> 1975 studio album by Linda Ronstadt

Prisoner In Disguise (1975) is Linda Ronstadt's sixth solo LP release and her second for the label Asylum Records. It followed Ronstadt's multi-platinum breakthrough album, Heart Like a Wheel, which became her first number one album on the US Billboard 200 album chart in early 1975.

<i>Back with a Heart</i> 1998 studio album by Olivia Newton-John

Back with a Heart is the sixteenth studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John. It was released by MCA Nashville on 12 May 1998 in the United States. Her first album in four years, it marked her return to country music after two decades. The album peaked in the Top Ten Country charts in both the U.S. and U.K. In America, it was her first album to crack the Billboard Top Country Albums charts since Totally Hot in 1978.

<i>Mistaken Identity</i> (Donna Summer album) 1991 studio album by Donna Summer

Mistaken Identity is the fifteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Donna Summer, released on August 23, 1991, by Atlantic Records and Warner Bros. Records. A musical departure for Summer, Mistaken Identity was her last release under Atlantic Records, and The album was a commercial failure and failed to chart, although it reached number 97 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The lead single, "When Love Cries, entered Billboard Hot 100 at number #77, but the second and final single "Work That Magic" failed to chart in the US.

<i>Waking Up Laughing</i> 2007 studio album by Martina McBride

Waking Up Laughing is the ninth studio album by American country music singer Martina McBride. It was released on April 3, 2007, through RCA Nashville. This album is the first in McBride's career in which she has both co-written songs and been involved in the production single-handedly. This album produced three chart singles for McBride on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with "Anyway" at #5, "How I Feel" at #15, and "For These Times" at #35. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA.

<i>The Rainy Season</i> 1993 studio album by Marc Cohn

The Rainy Season is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Marc Cohn, released in 1993. The album peaked at number 63 on the Billboard 200 chart and at number 24 on the UK charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shower the People</span> 1976 single by James Taylor

"Shower the People" is the opening track on James Taylor's 1976 album In the Pocket.

<i>Heartlight</i> (album) 1982 studio album by Neil Diamond

Heartlight is the fifteenth studio album by Neil Diamond. It was released in August 1982 on Columbia Records. The album spent 34 weeks on the charts and peaked at #9. For shipments of a million copies it was certified Platinum by the RIAA.

<i>Loves Gonna Get Ya!</i> 1986 studio album by Ricky Skaggs

Love's Gonna Get Ya! is the eighth studio album by American country music artist Ricky Skaggs. It was released in 1986 via Epic Records. The album peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

<i>October Road</i> (album) 2002 studio album by James Taylor

October Road is the 15th studio album by singer-songwriter James Taylor, released in 2002. The album would be Taylor's last album of original material until Before This World in 2015. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Performance at the 45th Grammy Awards in 2003. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 with 154,000 copies sold in its opening week, Taylor's best-performing album in the SoundScan era. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA on November 21, 2002, and had sold 1,076,000 copies in the United States as of May 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexico (James Taylor song)</span> 1975 single by James Taylor

"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 album's title track as the B-side, and reached No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100, but performed much better on the Adult Contemporary chart, reaching No. 5. "Mexico" has appeared on many of Taylor's live and compilation albums. It has been covered by Jimmy Buffett, Alex de Grassi and Lauren Laverne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)</span> 1964 song performed by Marvin Gaye

"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" is a song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye from his fifth studio album of the same name (1965). It was written in 1964 by the Motown songwriting team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, and produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier. The song title was inspired by one of the actor and comedian Jackie Gleason's signature phrases, "How Sweet It Is!"

<i>The Comeback</i> (Zac Brown Band album) 2021 studio album by Zac Brown Band

The Comeback is the seventh studio album by American country music group Zac Brown Band. The album was released on October 15, 2021, by Home Grown Music and Warner Music Nashville.

References

  1. Song & Lyrics Database – BuffettNews.com
  2. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r19687/review
  3. Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0195313734.
  4. Gorilla – Rolling Stone
  5. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: T". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved March 15, 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  6. Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide . Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p.  1125. ISBN   1-57859-061-2.
  7. "James Taylor: Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  8. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 305. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  9. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4000a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  10. "James Taylor Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  11. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6489a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  12. "Top US Billboard 200 Albums - Year-end 1975". BestSellingAlbums.org. Retrieved 5 January 2025.