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1988 studio album by James Taylor
Never Die Young is the twelfth studio album by singer-songwriter
James Taylor released in 1988, three years after his previous effort,
That's Why I'm Here . The album reached No. 25 on the
Billboard 200 and eventually was certified
Platinum by the
RIAA . It features the title track, which peaked at No. 80 on the
Billboard Hot 100 , becoming the only charting single from the album.
Cash Box said of the title track that the "lyrics are, as always, a dazzling string of pearls that mesmerize your heart while the musical feel covers you like a warm breeze."
[5]
Cash Box said of "Baby Boom Baby" that "Taylor again defines the agonizingly beautiful attainment of everything and really nothing at all, life's passage and passing."
[6]
Cash Box said of "Sweet Potato Pie" that it contains "smooth yet deceptively deep material."
[7]
James Taylor sings "Sweet Potato Pie" as a duet with
Ray Charles on Charles' 2004 Grammy Winning album
Genius Loves Company .
[8]
Track listing
All songs were written by
James Taylor , except where noted.
"Never Die Young" – 4:24
"T-Bone" (
Bill Payne , Taylor) – 3:47
"Baby Boom Baby" (Taylor, Zachary Wiesner) – 4:59
"Runaway Boy" – 4:18
"Valentine's Day" – 2:35
"Sun on the Moon" – 4:09
"Sweet Potato Pie" – 3:30
"Home by Another Way" (Timothy Mayer, Taylor) – 3:50
"Letter in the Mail" – 4:41
"First of May" – 4:01
Personnel
James Taylor – lead vocals, guitars
Don Grolnick – keyboards
Clifford Carter – synthesizer programming
Robbie Kilgore – synthesizer programming
Bill Payne – synthesizers (2, 4)
Bob Mann – guitars
Jeff Mironov – additional guitars (2, 6)
Dan Dugmore –
banjo ,
pedal steel guitar
Leland Sklar – bass guitar (1-4, 6-10)
Jay Leonhart –
acoustic bass (5)
Carlos Vega – drums, percussion
"Cafe" Edison A. da Silva – percussion (10)
Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone (2, 3)
Mark O'Connor – violin (4, 5)
Greg "Fingers" Taylor –
harmonica (8)
Rosemary Butler – backing vocals
Arnold McCuller – backing vocals
Lani Groves – additional backing vocals (1, 6, 10)
David Lasley – additional backing vocals (1, 6, 10)
Production
Producer – Don Grolnick
Production Coordinator – Peter Stiglin
Recorded and Mixed by James Farber
Assistant Engineer – Don Rodenbach
Recorded and Mixed at
The Power Station (New York, NY).
Guitar and Piano Technician – Edd Kolakowski
Digital Editing – Rhonda Schoen
Mastered by
Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
Wolf Photos –
Jim Brandenburg
J.T. Photos – Rudy Molacek
Art Direction –
Marc Balet
References
^
Never Die Young at
AllMusic
^
Larkin, Colin (2007).
Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.).
Oxford University Press .
ISBN
978-0195313734 .
^ 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 .
^
"James Taylor: Album Guide" .
rollingstone.com . Archived from
the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved October 27, 2015 .
^
"Single Releases" (PDF) . Cash Box . February 6, 1988. p. 10. Retrieved December 21, 2022 .
^
"Single Releases" (PDF) . Cash Box . June 18, 1988. p. 8. Retrieved December 21, 2022 .
^
"Single Releases" (PDF) . Cash Box . November 19, 1988. p. 13. Retrieved December 21, 2022 .
^
https://www.allmusic.com/album/genius-loves-company-mw0000383746
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