Livingston Taylor

Livingston Taylor's musical career has been marked by numerous highs and lows. The younger brother of folk-pop superstar James Taylor, Taylor has had a more modest career. His best selling single, "I Will Be In Love With You," went no higher than the thirtieth position on the Billboard charts, while his last Top 40 single, "First Time Love," was released in 1980. Taylor's exuberant personality and warm charm as a performer has allowed him to maintain a busy concert schedule.

Taylor was the third of five children born to Dr. Isaac Taylor, a member of a prominent southern family, and, his wife, Trudy, a lyric soprano vocalists whose roots lie in the established families of New England. Although born in a suburb of Boston, Taylor was raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina after his father accepted a position as dean of a medical school.

As a youngster, Taylor experienced many emotional problems. While attending a private, Quaker-run high school in Westtown, Pennsylvania, he suffered from such severe depression that he hospitalized himself at McLean Psychiatric Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, where James had been hospitalized earlier. Much of his therapy centered around guitar playing and singing. Upon his release in the late-1960s, Taylor remained in the Boston area and began to perform in local clubs and coffeehouses. Discovered by critic/producer Jon Landeau, who later managed Bruce Springsteen, Taylor was one of the first artists signed to Capricorn Records in 1970. His self-titled debut album, produced by Landeau, included the original, biographical song "Carolina Day," and established Taylor's intimate and laid-back musical approach. His second album, Liv, again produced by Landeau, included the minor hit "Get Out of Bed." Taylor's relationship with Capricorn concluded with his third album, Over the Rainbow, in 1973. Despite the inclusion of an original tune, "Be My New Horizon," featuring backup vocals by James Taylor and Carly Simon, the album sold disappointingly.

Taylor's next album, 3 Way Mirror, his first on Epic, wasn't released until five years later. In addition to featuring "I Will Be In Love With You," the album included a song, "Going Round One More Time," that was covered by his brother James on That's Why I'm Here in 1985. Taylor publicized the album's release as opening act for Linda Ronstadt's "Living In The USA" national tour. In 1979, Capricorn released Echoes, a "greatest hits" sampling of songs from Taylor's first three albums.

The following year, Taylor released his second and last album on the Epic label, "Man's Best Friend." In addition to the minor hit, "First Time Love," the album included a light-hearted ditty, "Pajamas," that was later adapted into a children's book by Taylor and his wife, Maggie. In addition to hosting a nationally-syndicated television show, "This Week's Music", Taylor began teaching performance arts at the Berklee College of Music in 1984. He didn't release a new album, however, until four years later when he recorded "Life Is Good," the first of two albums produced by Artie Traum and Scott Petito. Taylor subsequently worked with Traum and Petito on his 1993 album, "Our Turn To Dance", while his 1996 album, "Bicycle", was produced by Petito. Taylor also recorded two albums-"Good Friends" in 1993 and "Arial" in 1997 — for David Chesky's Chesky label. "Unsolicited Material", released in 1994, captured the warm-hearted fun of Taylor's concerts and ranged from humorous tunes including Andy Breckman's "Railroad Bill" and "The Dollar Bill Song," a medley of "Songs That Should Never Be Played On The Banjo" and the originals "Jacques Cousteau" and "I Hate Country Music" to heartfelt renditions of Hoagy Carmichael's "Heart And Soul" and Earl Scruggs' "Earl's Breakdown." In 1998, Razor & Tie released, "Carolina Day: The Livingston Taylor Collection," an eighteen track retrospective of Taylor's career.

Words from allmusic.com. Photo from the official website. More information about Livingston Taylor at his official website.

Livingston Taylor -
Livingston Taylor
"Welcome to the young Taylor"
The Tracks are: Sit On Back, Doctor Man, Six Days On The Road, Packet Of Good Times, Hush A Bye, Carolina Day, Can't Get Back Home, In My Reply, Lost In The Love Of You, Good Friends & Thank You Song.
Musicians on the Livingston Taylor album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Atco/Original release year: 1970

Livingston Taylor -
Liv
"2nd album"
The Tracks are: Get Out of Bed, May I Stay Around, Open up Your Eyes, Gentleman, Easy Prey, Be That Way, Truck Driving Man, Mom Dad, On Broadway, Caroline & I Just Can't Be Lonesome No More.
Musicians on the Liv album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Capricorn Records/Original release year: 1971

Livingston Taylor -
Over The Rainbow
"3rd album"
The Tracks are: Loving Be My New Horizon, Pretty Woman, Blind, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Falling In Love With You, Oh Hallelujah, Let Me Go Down, I Can Dream Of You, Rodeo, Lady Tomorrow & If I Needed Someone.
Musicians on the Over The Rainbow album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Capricorn Records/Original release year: 1973

Livingston Taylor -
3-Way Mirror
"Look in the mirror"
The Tracks are: Going Round One More Time, L.A. Serenade, Gonna Have A Good Time, Train Off The Track, I Will Be In Love With You, No Thank You Skycap, I'll Come Running, Living Without You, Southern Kids & How Much Your Sweet Love Means to Me.
Musicians on the 3-Way Mirror album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Epic Records/Original release year: 1978

Livingston Taylor -
Echoes
"5th album"
The Tracks are: Get Out Of Bed, On Broadway, Carolina Day, Lady Tomorrow, Caroline, Lost In The Love Of You, Loving Be My New Horizon, Can't Get Back Home, Gentle Man, Over The Rainbow, If I Needed Someone & Hush A Bye.
Musicians on the Echoes album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Capricorn Records/Original release year: 1979

Livingston Taylor -
Man´s Best Friend
"A masterpiece"
The Tracks are: Ready Set Go, Dance With Me, First Time Love, Sunshine Girl, You Don't Have To Choose, Dancing In The Street, Out Of This World, Face Like A Dog, Pajamas & Marie.
Musicians on the Man´s Best Friend album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Epic Records/Original release year: 1980

Livingston Taylor -
Life Is Good
"A great life"
The Tracks are: Life Is Good, One Of The Things I Did So Well, City Lights, If I Were You, It's Love, Make It Love, Loving Arms, Louie, Glad I Know You Well, Falling in Love With You & Mary Ann.
Musicians on the Life Is Good album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Critique Records/Original release year: 1988

Livingston Taylor -
Our Turn To Dance
"Lets dance"
The Tracks are: Our Turn to Dance, It's My Job, I Must Be Doing Something Right, No Easy Way to Break Somebody's Heart, Make the Change, My Father's Eyes, Silvered Wings, You Got the Right Guy, Someday You May Notice Me, Vacation & Way You Look Tonight.
Musicians on the Our Turn To Dance album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Vanguard Records/Original release year: 1991

Livingston Taylor -
3-Way Mirror
"Reissue of the 78 album"
The Tracks are: Going Round One More Time, L.A. Serenade, Gonna Have A Good Time, Train Off The Track, I Will Be In Love With You, No Thank You Skycap, I'll Come Running, Living Without You, Southern Kids & How Much Your Sweet Love Means to Me.
Musicians on the 3-Way Mirror album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Epic Records/Original release year: 1993

Livingston Taylor -
Good Friends
"Be a good friend"
The Tracks are: Out of This World, Jacques Cousteau, Heart & Soul, Carolina Day, If I Only Had a Brain, Grandma's Hands, Blind, Good Friends, Pajamas, Get out of Bed, Save Your Heart for Me, Fifth & Vine, Bluer Than Blue, In My Reply, Somewhere Over the Rainbow & Thank You Song.
Musicians on the Good Friends album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Chesky Records/Original release year: 1993

Livingston Taylor -
Unsolicited Material
"Live concert"
The Tracks are: Intro/Life Is Good, Writing A Book, Jacques Cousteau, Olympic Guitar, Elusive Butterfly, Save Your Heart for Me, I Hate Country Music, I Must Be Doing Something Right, Railroad Bill, Pajamas, Jason, Heart & Soul, No Easy Way to Break Somebody's Heart, On & On, Dollar Bill Song, Carolina Day, City Lights, Earl's Breakdown, Eight More Miles To Louisville, Songs That Should Never Be Played On The Banjo, Goodnight, Over In The Soviet Union & Over The Rainbow.
Musicians on the Unsolicited Material album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Whistling Dog Records/Original release year: 1994

Livingston Taylor -
Bicycle
"Take a trip"
The Tracks are: 1. I Believe, I Belong, Boatman, Olympic Guitar, Bicycle, Don't Let Me Lose This Dream, Oh! Loretta, Nobody Can Make Me Cry, Looking To Love, Dixie Chicken & Last Letter.
Musicians on the Bicycle album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Coba Records/Original release year: 1996

Livingston Taylor -
Ink
"Covering some great songs"
The Tracks are: Isn't She Lovely, First Time Love, Hallelujah I Love Her So, Fly Away, Our Turn To Dance, I Must Be Doing Something Right, The Biggest Part Of Me, Get Here, Baker Street, The More I See You, The End Of The Innocence & Never Can Say Goodbye.
Musicians on the Ink album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Chesky Records/Original release year: 1997

Livingston Taylor -
Carolina Days
"A collection of songs"
The Tracks are: Get Out of Bed, Carolina Day, Can't Get Back Home, Good Friends, Lost in the Love of You, Packet of Good Times, Caroline, On Broadway, I Just Can't Be Lonesome No More, Loving Be My New Horizon, Lady Tomorrow, Over the Rainbow, Going Round One More Time, I'll Come Running, I Will Be in Love With You, First Time Love, Pajamas & Hush a Bye.
Musicians on the Carolina Days album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Razor & Tie Records/Original release year: 1998

Livingston Taylor -
Snapshot
"Take a quick shot"
The Tracks are: To be updated.
Musicians on the Snapshot album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Whistling Dog Records/Original release year: 1999

Livingston Taylor -
The Best Of Livingston Taylor
"Best of"
The Tracks are: Get Out Of Bed, Carolina Day, Packet Of Good Times, Lost In The Love Of You, In My Reply, Good Friend, Hush a Bye, Loving Be My New Horizon, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Let Me Go Down, Going Round One More Time, I Will Be In Love With You & First Time Love.
Musicians on the Best Of Livingston Taylor album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Hip O/Original release year: 2005

Livingston Taylor -
There You Are Again
"Here Mr Taylor is again"
The Tracks are: Best Of Friends, There I'll Be, Yes, My Baby Don't Mind, Step By Step, There You Go Again, Tuesday's Lullaby, Tell Jesus (To Come To My House), Blame It On Me, My Perfect Christmas Day, Wish I Were A Cowboy & You're The Boss Of Me.
Musicians on the There You Are Again album: Livingston Taylor and others.
Available from Chesky Records/Original release year: 2006