You've Got a Friend - James Taylor - MP3 instrumental karaoke

One of the most enduring songs in the history of pop music, James Taylor’s “You’ve Got a Friend” is a timeless ode to friendship and camaraderie. Though James Taylor’s version is one of the most popular, the song was first written by singer-songwriter Carol King for her 1971 album Tapestry. What’s unique about this scenario is that both James Taylor and Carol King’s versions were recorded simultaneously in 1971, with shared musicians (including Danny Kortchmar and Joni Mitchell). The song was written as a response to a line in James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain,” where he sings “I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend.” James Taylor’s version was released as a single for his album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon (1971) and was a tremendous success, hitting Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. His version also earned a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and Carol King’s composition was awarded Song of the Year the same year.