Gorilla | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 1975 | |||
Recorded | March 17 – April 24, 1975 | |||
Studio | Warner Bros. Studios (North Hollywood) The Burbank Studios (Burbank) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 38:46 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Producer | ||||
James Taylor chronology | ||||
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Singles from Gorilla | ||||
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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]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
Rolling Stone | (not rated) [4] |
Christgau's Record Guide | C+ [5] |
MusicHound | 3.5/5 [6] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [7] |
All songs by James Taylor unless otherwise noted.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Another Passenger is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on June 5, 1976.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
"Shower the People" is the opening track on James Taylor's 1976 album In the Pocket.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
"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!"
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.