SATURDAY'S SINGLES - JAMES TAYLOR and THE JACKSON 5

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Good morning gang and welcome to the return of Saturday's Singles, a Birthday edition. First up, under our needle is Boston born vocalist and multi instrumentalist James Taylor, as he celebrates his 74th Birthday. Happy Birthday James ! We take a listen to two of his hits, via this Back To Back Hits 45. According to Discogs,  "Steamroller" is the A-side.  "Steamroller" also known as "Steamroller Blues" was released in 1970 on Warner Brothers label. The song, written by Taylor and produced by Peter Asher, hails from his 2nd studio album, Sweet Baby James. It is a blues parody song mocking inauthentic blues bands. It was never released as a single but is a fan favorite at live shows. It has been covered by Elvis, Merry Clayton, Billy Dean, and Isaac Hayes even performed it on an episode of The A- Team.  It's B- side is "You've Got A Friend", a cover of the Carole King classic, from James' 3rd record, Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon. The song reached #25 in Australia, #14 in the Netherlands, #12 on the Canadian Adult Contemporary charts, #4 in the UK, and #1 on the Hot 100 and the Adult Contemporary charts. 

"Steamroller"

James Taylor – guitar, vocals
Danny Kortchmar – guitar
Red Rhodes – steel guitar
John London – bass guitar
Chris Darrow – fiddle, violin
Carole King – piano, backing vocals
Russ Kunkel – drums

"You've Got A Friend"

James Taylor – vocals, acoustic guitar
Joni Mitchell – backing vocals
Danny Kortchmar – acoustic guitar, congas
Leland Sklar – bass guitar
Russ Kunkel – drums, congas, cabasa

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Our second set of candles belongs to 65 year old entertainer, singer, and dancer, Marlon Jackson of the Jackson 5. Happy Birthday Marlon ! With him in mind,  we feature the 5's 1970 Motown Records release, "The Love You Save". The tune, written and produced by The Corporation (Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell, and Deke Richards), peaked at #59 in Australia, #8 in Canada, #7 in the UK, and #1 the Hot 100, the R&B charts, as well as the Cash Box. Both it and it's B-side, "I Found That Girl" are from the group's second studio album, ABC.

Lead vocals - Michael Jackson and Jermaine Jackson
Background vocals - Michael Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Tito Jackson and Jackie Jackson
Freddie Perren – keyboards
David T. Walker – guitar
Louis Shelton – guitar
Don Peake – guitar
Wilton Felder – bass guitar
Gene Pello – drums

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