Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon

Updated on Dec 08, 2024

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Released March 16, 1971 Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon(1971) One Man Dog(1972) Release date 16 March 1971 Producer Peter Asher		Length 37:07 Artist James Taylor Label Warner Bros. Records

Recorded January 3 – February 28, 1971 Studio Crystal Sound Studios, Los Angeles Genres Rock music, Acoustic music Similar James Taylor albums, Rock music albums

Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor. Released on March 16, 1971 as the follow-up to his commercial breakthrough and critical triumph, Sweet Baby James, it almost equaled the acclaim and surpassed the success of its predecessor at the time of its release. It contains Taylor's biggest hit single in the US, a version of the Carole King standard "You've Got a Friend", which became his only #1 on the Billboard charts on July 31, 1971. The week before, the album itself reached its peak position of #2 in the Billboard album charts. It was held off the top spot by King, then ruling the charts with the blockbuster Tapestry album, which contained her version of "You've Got a Friend". (Taylor also worked with King on her album and appears on several tracks performing acoustic guitar and backing vocals.)

Months later, the album managed to generate another Top 40 hit, "Long Ago and Far Away", which reached #31 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other songs became standards in concert, particularly "You Can Close Your Eyes".

In 1972, "You've Got a Friend" received Grammy Awards both for Taylor (Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male) and King (Song of the Year).