Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = You've Got a Friend
| cover = You've Got a Friend Carole King label.jpeg
| alt =
| caption = Scandinavian single with "Beautiful" on the B-side
| type = single
| artist = Carole King
| album = Tapestry
| released = 1971
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = Soft rock
| length = 5:09
| label =
| writer = Carole King
| producer = Lou Adler
| misc =
}}
"'You've Got a Friend'" is a 1971 song written by American singer, songwriter, and musician Carole King. It was first recorded by King and included on her second studio album, 'Tapestry' (1971). 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 one on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 and number four on the UK Singles Chart. The two versions were recorded simultaneously in 1971 with shared musicians.
"You've Got a Friend" won Grammy Awards both for Taylor (Best Male Pop Vocal Performance) and King (Song of the Year). Dozens of other artists have recorded the song over the years, including Dusty Springfield, Michael Jackson, Anne Murray and Donny Hathaway.
History
"You've Got a Friend" was written by Carole King during the January 1971 recording sessions for her own album 'Tapestry' and James Taylor's album 'Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon'. King has stated that "the song was as close to pure inspiration as I've ever experienced. The song wrote itself. 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 Taylor's earlier song "Fire and Rain" that "I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend."] King's album was recorded in an overlap with Taylor's, and King, Danny Kortchmar, and Joni Mitchell perform on both. The song is included on both albums; King said in a 1972 interview that she "didn't write it with James or anybody really specifically in mind. But when James heard it he really liked it and wanted to record it".
Taylor's 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. 16 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, a decision she later said she strongly regretted.[Interview with Mary Hopkin, 'Record Collector' nr. 108, August 1988]
James Taylor and Carole King performed "You've Got a Friend" together in 2010 during their Troubadour Reunion Tour. In 2015, Taylor performed an acoustic rendition of the song at Htel de Ville, Paris, at the invitation of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo in tribute to the victims of the January 2015 le-de-France attacks. King performed the song at the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Reception
According to author James D. Perone, the song's themes include an expression of "a universal, sisterly/brotherly, agape-type love of one human being for another, regardless of gender." The "reassuring" lyrics have long made the song popular with lonely people needing a boost of self-confidence. The song's messages of friendship having no boundaries and a friend being there when you are in need have 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 "You've Got a Friend" Carole King's "most perfect new song." He particularly praised how the melody and lyrics support each other, and the "gorgeous, righteous rock melody" of the ending lyrics.[ 'Mojo' considered the song to probably be "the core of 'Tapestry'.] Allmusic critic Stewart Mason commented on the "plainspoken intimacy" of King's performance. Mason finds that the "shyness" of King's voice gives her recording of the song a sincerity that he finds Taylor's to lack.[ Mason also praises the "depth and shading" provided by the string instruments on King's recording.][
]
In his review of 'Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon', 'Rolling Stone' critic Ben Gerson described "You've Got a Friend" as an "affirmative song" but suggested that James Taylor's version was too similar to Carole King's original version to have been worth including on his album. Music critic Maury Dean describes Taylor's performance style for the song as minimalist and folkish and comments on his "star-spangled sincerity."[ 'Cash Box' praised the "tasty material and Taylor's stunning interpretation."]
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Personnel
Carole King version*Carole King piano, vocals
*David Campbell viola
*Terry King cello
*Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar conga
*Charles "Charlie" Larkey string bass
*Barry Socher violin
*James Taylor acoustic guitar
James Taylor version*James Taylor vocals, acoustic guitar
*Joni Mitchell backing vocals
*Danny Kortchmar acoustic guitar, congas
*Leland Sklar bass guitar
*Russ Kunkel drums, congas, cabasa
Brand New Heavies version
{{Infobox song
| name = You've Got a Friend
| cover = Brand_New_Heavies-You've_Got_a_Friend.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = The Brand New Heavies
| album = Shelter
| B-side = Remix
| released = 1997
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length =
| label = FFRR
| writer = Carole King
| producer = The Brand New Heavies
| prev_title = You Are the Universe
| prev_year = 1997
| next_title = Shelter
| next_year = 1998
| misc =
}}
"'You've Got a Friend'" was successfully covered by British acid jazz and funk group the Brand New Heavies for their fourth album, 'Shelter' (1997), and released as the third single from the album. It reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart and number 13 in Scotland in October 1997. The song also peaked within the top 10 in Hungary and was a top 30 hit in Ireland. The group performed the song on the music chart television programme 'Top of the Pops'.
Critical receptionScottish newspaper 'Daily Record' stated that "[the] London's soul funk band are back on form" on the track.["Chart Slot". 'Daily Record'. 24 October 1997.] A reviewer from 'Music Week' rated it four out of five, describing it as "a soulful cover", that "should have their usual specialist impact as well as crossover success." The magazine's Alan Jones stated, "Recruiting Siedah Garrett has given the Brand New Heavies a new lease of life." Daisy & Havoc from the 'RM' Dance Update declared it "one of the best tracks on the recent BNH album (which either says something about their songwriting or our age), and now it appears with the compulsory remixes."
Track listings* 'CD single, UK & Europe (1997)'
#"You've Got A Friend" (Radio Version)
#"You Are The Universe" (Recorded Live At The Forum)
#"Midnight At The Oasis" (Recorded Live At The Forum)
#"Sometimes" (Recorded Live At The Forum)
* 'CD single, UK & Europe (1997)'
#"You've Got A Friend" (Radio Version) - 3:27
#"You've Got A Friend" (Brooklyn Funk R&B Mix) - 4:58
#"You've Got A Friend" (Ballistic Brothers Mix) - 5:00
#"You've Got A Friend" (Brooklyn Funk Club Mix) - 4:54
#"You've Got A Friend" (Tee's Club Mix) - 6:27
#"You've Got A Friend" (Original Mix) - 3:48
Charts
Other versions
Dusty Springfield recorded the song in early 1971 during the sessions for her third Atlantic Records album 'Faithful'. Her recording predates that of James Taylor, but it was shelved until 1999 when it was included as a bonus track on the 1999 Deluxe Edition of her first Atlantic album, the critically acclaimed 'Dusty in Memphis' (which contained four Carole King compositions). 'Faithful' went unreleased due to disputes between Springfield and Atlantic, but the sessions were eventually issued as a stand-alone album in 2015.
The song was recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway for their 1972 album 'Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway' and was released as the album's first single. The single was released a year before the album was and coincidentally was released on the same date as James Taylor's single: May 29, 1971. The Flack and Hathaway version reached #29 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 and #8 on the R&B chart.
This song was also recorded by Aretha Franklin on three separate occasions. The first and best-known was on her 1972 live gospel performance 'Amazing Grace', as part of a medley with "Precious Lord, Take My Hand". In 1995 she covered the song again on Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute To Carole King alongside BeBe & CeCe Winans, and once in 2010 as a duet with Ronald Isley on his album Mr. I
In approximately 1973 or 1974, the song was covered by Cambodian singer Pou Vannary with the lyrics translated into Khmer. Vannary's rendition is featured in the soundtrack to the 2015 documentary film 'Don't Think I've Forgotten'.
"You've Got a Friend" was performed by Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Gloria Estefan, and Carole King at the 'VH1 Divas Live' concert in Beacon Theatre, New York, in 1998. It was released as a single and reached number 74 on the Belgian Flanders Airplay Chart.
In 2005, British pop/rock band McFly's cover of this song charted at number one in the UK Singles Chart. This was released as a double-A side along with the band's song "All About You". This was also the official single for that year's Comic Relief event.
Yo La Tengo covered this song on their album Popular Songs.
The American TV series 'Glee' used this song in a mashup with Alanis Morissette's You Learn for the season six episode "Jagged Little Tapestry", a tribute to both King's album 'Tapestry' and Morisette's 'Jagged Little Pill'. It was performed by Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera), Brittany Pierce (Heather Morris), Tina Cohen-Chang (Jenna Ushkowitz), Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron), and Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) with their almamater high school's glee club.
Sarah Geronimo with Daddy Delfin Geronimo covered the song from her 2013 album, Expressions.
Hip hop boy band Brockhampton, did a live cover of this from their concert film, 'Live From The Chapel'.
References
Category:Songs about friendship
Category:1971 singles
Category:1997 singles
Category:1998 singles
Category:Carole King songs
Category:James Taylor songs
Category:Andy Williams songs
Category:Michael Jackson songs
Category:Donny Hathaway songs
Category:Roberta Flack songs
Category:Celine Dion songs
Category:Barbra Streisand songs
Category:Gloria Estefan songs
Category:Emily Osment songs
Category:Billy Ray Cyrus songs
Category:McFly songs
Category:Trini Lopez songs
Category:The Brand New Heavies songs
Category:Grammy Award for Song of the Year
Category:Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Cashbox number-one singles
Category:Number-one singles in Denmark
Category:Songs written by Carole King
Category:Warner Records singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Lou Adler
Category:Song recordings produced by Peter Asher
Category:1971 songs
Category:A&M Records singles
Category:Ode Records singles
Category:FFRR Records singles
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