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You've Got a Friend

April 08, 2024

For other uses, see You've Got a Friend (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Randy Newman's song, You've Got a Friend in Me.

"You've Got a Friend" is a 1971 song written by American singer-songwriter Carole King. It was first recorded by King and included on her second studio album, Tapestry (1971). Another well-known version is by James Taylor from his album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. His was released as a single in 1971, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the UK Singles Chart. The two versions were recorded simultaneously in 1971 with shared musicians.

"You've Got a Friend"
Scandinavian single with "Beautiful" on the B-side
Single by Carole King
from the album Tapestry
Released1971
GenreSoft rock
Length5:09
Label
Songwriter(s)Carole King
Producer(s)Lou Adler
Official audio
"You've Got a Friend" on YouTube
"You've Got a Friend"
Single by James Taylor
from the album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon
B-side"You Can Close Your Eyes"
ReleasedMay 1971
Genre
Length4:29
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Carole King
Producer(s)Peter Asher
James Taylor singles chronology
"Country Road"
(1971) 		"You've Got a Friend"
(1971) 		"You Can Close Your Eyes"
(1971)
Audio sample
"You've Got a Friend"

"You've Got a Friend" won Grammy Awards both for Taylor (Best Male Pop Vocal Performance) and King (Song of the Year). Dozens of other artists have recorded the song over the years, including Dusty Springfield, Michael Jackson, Anne Murray, and Donny Hathaway.

History edit

 
James Taylor and Carole King at the 2010 Troubadour Reunion Tour

"You've Got a Friend" was written by Carole King during the January 1971 recording sessions for her own album Tapestry and James Taylor's album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. King has stated that "the song was as close to pure inspiration as I've ever experienced. The song wrote itself. It was written by something outside myself, through me."[2] According to Taylor, King told him that the song was a response to a line in Taylor's earlier song "Fire and Rain" that "I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend."[3][4] King's album was recorded in an overlap with Taylor's, and Taylor and Danny Kortchmar perform on both versions of the song. The song is included on both albums; King said in a 1972 interview that she "didn't write it with James or anybody really specifically in mind. But when James heard it he really liked it and wanted to record it".[5]

Taylor's version was released as a single, and reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and his only song to reach that position on that chart) and number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. The James Taylor version also spent one week at the top of the Easy Listening charts.[6] Billboard ranked it as the No. 16 song for 1971.

Taylor's Apple Records labelmate Mary Hopkin has said that he gave her a chance to record the song, which she turned down, a decision she later regretted.[7][dubious – discuss]

James Taylor and Carole King performed "You've Got a Friend" together in 2010 during their Troubadour Reunion Tour. In 2015, Taylor performed an acoustic rendition of the song at Hôtel de Ville, Paris, at the invitation of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo in tribute to the victims of the January 2015 Île-de-France attacks.[8] King performed the song at the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.[9]

Reception edit

According to author James D. Perone, the song's themes include an expression of "a universal, sisterly/brotherly, agape-type love of one human being for another, regardless of gender."[10] The "reassuring" lyrics have long made the song popular with lonely people needing a boost of self-confidence.[11][12] The song's messages of friendship having no boundaries and a friend being there when you are in need have universal appeal.[13] For Taylor the lyrics had particular resonance due to the depression he had recovered from shortly before hearing King play the song.[11] The music moves between a major and minor key, which according to music critic Maury Dean gives the song a "sympathetic mood."[13]

In his review of Tapestry, Rolling Stone critic Jon Landau called "You've Got a Friend" Carole King's "most perfect new song."[14] He particularly praised how the melody and lyrics support each other, and the "gorgeous, righteous rock melody" of the ending lyrics.[14]Mojo considered the song to probably be "the core of Tapestry.[2] Allmusic critic Stewart Mason commented on the "plainspoken intimacy" of King's performance.[15] Mason finds that the "shyness" of King's voice gives her recording of the song a sincerity that he finds Taylor's to lack.[15] Mason also praises the "depth and shading" provided by the string instruments on King's recording.[15]

In his review of Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, Rolling Stone critic Ben Gerson described "You've Got a Friend" as an "affirmative song" but suggested that James Taylor's version was too similar to Carole King's original version to have been worth including on his album.[16] Music critic Maury Dean described Taylor's performance style for the song as minimalist and folkish and comments on his "star-spangled sincerity."[13]Cash Box praised the "tasty material and Taylor's stunning interpretation."[17] Record World said that "there's no way [Taylor] can miss with this gem."[18]

Charts edit

Certifications edit

James Taylor version edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[33] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[34] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Carole King version edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[35] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Personnel edit

Carole King version edit

[36]

James Taylor version edit

Brand New Heavies version edit

"You've Got a Friend"
 
Single by the Brand New Heavies
from the album Shelter
ReleasedOctober 6, 1997 (1997-10-06)[37]
Genre
Length3:27
LabelFFRR
Songwriter(s)Carole King
Producer(s)The Brand New Heavies
The Brand New Heavies singles chronology
"You Are the Universe"
(1997) 		"You've Got a Friend"
(1997) 		"Shelter"
(1998)
Music video
"You've Got a Friend" on YouTube

"You've Got a Friend" was covered by British acid jazz and funk group the Brand New Heavies for their fourth album, Shelter (1997), and released as the third single from the album in October 1997. It reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart and number 13 in Scotland in October 1997.[38] The song also peaked within the top 10 in Hungary and was a top 30 hit in Ireland. The group performed the song on the music chart television program Top of the Pops.

Critical reception edit

Scottish Daily Record felt that here, "[the] London's soul funk band are back on form".[39] A reviewer from Music Week gave it four out of five, declaring it as "a soulful cover", that "should have their usual specialist impact as well as crossover success."[40] An editor, Alan Jones, stated, "Recruiting Siedah Garrett has given the Brand New Heavies a new lease of life."[41] Daisy & Havoc from the RM Dance Update named it "one of the best tracks on the recent BNH album (which either says something about their songwriting or our age), and now it appears with the compulsory remixes."[42]

Track listings edit

  • CD single, UK and Europe (1997)
  1. "You've Got a Friend" (radio version)
  2. "You Are the Universe" (recorded live at The Forum)
  3. "Midnight at the Oasis" (recorded live at The Forum)
  4. "Sometimes" (recorded live at The Forum)
  • CD single, UK and Europe (1997)
  1. "You've Got a Friend" (radio version) – 3:27
  2. "You've Got a Friend" (Brooklyn Funk R&B mix) – 4:58
  3. "You've Got a Friend" (Ballistic Brothers mix) – 5:00
  4. "You've Got a Friend" (Brooklyn Funk club mix) – 4:54
  5. "You've Got a Friend" (Tee's club mix) – 6:27
  6. "You've Got a Friend" (original mix) – 3:48

Charts edit

Chart (1997) Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[43] 24
Germany (Official German Charts)[44] 77
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[45] 79
Hungary (Mahasz)[46] 7
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[47] 32
Ireland (IRMA)[48] 25
Scotland (OCC)[49] 13
UK Singles (OCC)[50] 9

McFly version edit

"You've Got a Friend"
Single by McFly
from the album Wonderland
A-side"All About You"
B-side"Room on the 3rd Floor"
ReleasedMarch 7, 2005 (2005-03-07)[51]
Length4:38
Label
Songwriter(s)Carole King
Producer(s)Hugh Padgham
McFly singles chronology
"Room on the 3rd Floor"
(2004) 		"All About You" / "You've Got a Friend"
(2005) 		"I'll Be OK"
(2005)

In 2005, English pop rock band McFly released their version of the song as a double A-side single along with their original song "All About You". The band's first double A-side single, it was released on March 7, 2005, as the lead single from their second studio album, Wonderland (2005). The single was the official Comic Relief charity single for 2005, with all royalties being donated to the charity. The single was also used to promote Make Poverty History.

The single peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart as well as in Ireland. Having sold over 536,000 copies in the UK, "All About You"/"You've Got a Friend" is McFly's best-selling single[52] and received a platinum sales status certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales and streams exceeding 600,000 units.

Chart performance edit

The single debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, giving McFly their third UK number-one single, as well as their fifth top-five hit in less than a year.[53] It debuted at number one, only to be knocked off the top spot the following week by the unofficial Comic Relief single "Is This the Way to Amarillo", by Tony Christie and (mimed by) Peter Kay.

Music video edit

The music video for "You've Got a Friend" was shot on location in Uganda. The band spent a week there in January 2005 for Comic Relief. The video sees McFly with the children of Uganda, playing with them, performing for them, and teaching them to sing. Towards the end of the video, McFly's vocals are removed for a chorus sung by the children.

Track listing edit

UK CD single[54]

  1. "All About You"
  2. "You've Got a Friend"
  3. "Room on the 3rd Floor"
  4. "All About You" (orchestral version)
  5. "All About You" (video)

Charts edit

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[62] Platinum 536,000[52]

Other versions edit

Dusty Springfield recorded the song in early 1971 during the sessions for her third Atlantic Records album Faithful. Her recording predates that of James Taylor, but it was shelved until 1999 when it was included as a bonus track on the 1999 Deluxe Edition of her first Atlantic album, the critically acclaimed Dusty in Memphis (which contained four Carole King compositions). Faithful went unreleased due to disputes between Springfield and Atlantic, but the sessions were eventually issued as a stand-alone album in 2015.

The song (and two other songs from Tapestry) appear on Barbra Streisand's 1971 album Barbra Joan Streisand.

The song was recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway for their 1972 album Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway and was released as the album's first single. The single was released a year before the album was and coincidentally was released on the same date as James Taylor's single: May 29, 1971. The Flack and Hathaway version reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 8 on the R&B chart.[63]

The song was also recorded by Aretha Franklin on three separate occasions. The first and best-known was on her 1972 live gospel performance Amazing Grace, as part of a medley with "Precious Lord, Take My Hand". In 1995, she recorded the song again on Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King alongside BeBe & CeCe Winans, and once in 2010 as a duet with Ronald Isley on his album Mr. I.

In approximately 1973 or 1974, the song was covered by Cambodian singer Pou Vannary with the lyrics translated into Khmer.[64] Vannary's rendition is featured in the soundtrack to the 2015 documentary film Don't Think I've Forgotten.[65]

"You've Got a Friend" was performed by Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Gloria Estefan and Carole King at the VH1 Divas Live concert at the Beacon Theatre, New York, in 1998. It was released as a promotional single in selected countries, reaching number 74 on the Belgian Flanders Airplay Chart on December 15, 1998.[66]

American TV series Glee used this song in a mashup with Alanis Morissette's "You Learn" for the season six episode "Jagged Little Tapestry", a tribute to both King's album Tapestry and Morisette's Jagged Little Pill.[citation needed]

Filipina singer, Sarah Geronimo together with her dad, Delfin Geronimo did a cover of this song from her 2013 album, Expressions.

A country rendition of the song was released by Lynn Anderson on her 1971 studio album How Can I Unlove You.

References edit

  1. ^ Smith, Troy L. (December 14, 2021). "Every No. 1 song of the 1970s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Magazine, Various Mojo (November 2007). "Tapestry". The Mojo Collection (4th ed.). Canongate Books. ISBN 9781847676436.
  3. ^ Greene, Andy (August 13, 2015). "James Taylor: My Life in 15 Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 23, 2021 – via James Taylor Official Site.
  4. ^ White, T. (August 4, 2015). "James Taylor Looks Back on His Classics". Easy 93.1 FM. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  5. ^ Kubernik, Harvey (2008). "Troubadours – Carole King's Monumental Tapestry Album | American Masters | PBS". pbs.org. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Record Research. p. 239.
  7. ^ Interview with Mary Hopkin, Record Collector nr. 108, August 1988
  8. ^ Gibson, Megan (January 16, 2015). "Watch James Taylor Sings "You've Got a Friend" with John Kerry". Time.com. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  9. ^ Zaleski, Annie (October 30, 2021). "Jennifer Hudson Stuns With Virtuosic 'Natural Woman' During Carole King's Rock Hall Induction". Rolling Stone.
  10. ^ Perone, J.D. (2006). The Words and Music of Carole King. Greenwood Publishing. p. 40. ISBN 9780275990275.
  11. ^ a b Halperin, Ian (2003). Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Story. Citadel. pp. 128–129. ISBN 978-0806523484.
  12. ^ White, T. (2009). Long Ago and Far Away. Omnibus Press. p. 190. ISBN 9780857120069.
  13. ^ a b c Dean, M. (2003). Rock 'n' Roll Gold Rush. Algora. pp. 254–255. ISBN 0875862071.
  14. ^ a b Landau, J. (April 29, 1971). "Tapestry". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  15. ^ a b c Mason, S. "You've Got a Friend". Allmusic. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  16. ^ Gerson, B. (June 24, 1971). "Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  17. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 5, 1971. p. 22. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  18. ^ "Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. June 5, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
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  20. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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  29. ^ . tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  30. ^ . collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
  31. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1971/Top 100 Songs of 1971". www.musicoutfitters.com.
  32. ^ . tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  33. ^ "British single certifications – James Taylor – You've Got a Friend". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  34. ^ "American single certifications – James Taylor – You've Got a Friend". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  35. ^ "American single certifications – Carole King – You've Got A Friend". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  36. ^ ""Tapestry – release by Carole King"". MusicBrainz. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  37. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. October 4, 1997. p. 37. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  38. ^ "Home Design ~ officialcharts". www.officialcharts.com.
  39. ^ "Chart Slot". Daily Record. October 24, 1997.
  40. ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. September 27, 1997. p. 33. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  41. ^ Jones, Alan (September 13, 1997). "Talking Music" (PDF). Music Week. p. 14. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  42. ^ Daisy & Havoc (September 20, 1997). "Hot Vinyl" (PDF). Music Week, in RM (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 8. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  43. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 44. November 1, 1997. p. 16. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  44. ^ "The Brand New Heavies – You've Got A Friend" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  45. ^ "The Brand New Heavies – You've Got A Friend" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  46. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 50. December 13, 1997. p. 19. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  47. ^ "Íslenski Listinn NR. 249 vikuna 27.11. – 4.12. 1997". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). November 28, 1997. p. 22. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  48. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Brand New Heavies". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  49. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  50. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  51. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. March 5, 2005. p. 23.
  52. ^ a b Myers, Justin (November 5, 2016). "Girlbands vs Boybands – their biggest songs of the century revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  53. ^ "Comic Relief song tops the chart". BBC News. BBC. March 13, 2005. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  54. ^ All About You / You've Got a Friend (UK CD single liner notes). McFly. Island Records, Universal Records. 2005. MCSTD40409, 987 063-0.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  55. ^ "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 13. March 26, 2005. p. 37. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  56. ^ "Íslenski listinn". DV. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  57. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – All About You/You've Got a Friend". Irish Singles Chart.
  58. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  59. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  60. ^ . Gaonchart.co.kr (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
  61. ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2005". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  62. ^ "British single certifications – McFly – All About You". British Phonographic Industry.
  63. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 206.
  64. ^ Scheck, Frank (April 22, 2015). "'Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  65. ^ Pirozzi, John (director, producer), Andrew Pope (producer) (2015). Don't Think I've Forgotten (film) (in English and Khmer). Argot Pictures.
  66. ^ Jaspers, Sam (2006). Ultratop 1995-2005. Book & Media Publishing. ISBN 90-5720-232-8.

April 08, 2024
friend, other, uses, disambiguation, confused, with, randy, newman, song, 1971, song, written, american, singer, songwriter, carole, king, first, recorded, king, included, second, studio, album, tapestry, 1971, another, well, known, version, james, taylor, fro. For other uses see You ve Got a Friend disambiguation Not to be confused with Randy Newman s song You ve Got a Friend in Me You ve Got a Friend is a 1971 song written by American singer songwriter Carole King It was first recorded by King and included on her second studio album Tapestry 1971 Another well known version is by James Taylor from his album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon His was released as a single in 1971 reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the UK Singles Chart The two versions were recorded simultaneously in 1971 with shared musicians You ve Got a Friend Scandinavian single with Beautiful on the B sideSingle by Carole Kingfrom the album TapestryReleased1971GenreSoft rockLength5 09LabelOdeA amp MSongwriter s Carole KingProducer s Lou AdlerOfficial audio You ve Got a Friend on YouTube You ve Got a Friend Single by James Taylorfrom the album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue HorizonB side You Can Close Your Eyes ReleasedMay 1971GenreFolk rocksoft rockpop 1 Length4 29LabelWarner Bros Songwriter s Carole KingProducer s Peter AsherJames Taylor singles chronology Country Road 1971 You ve Got a Friend 1971 You Can Close Your Eyes 1971 Audio sample source source You ve Got a Friend filehelp You ve Got a Friend won Grammy Awards both for Taylor Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and King Song of the Year Dozens of other artists have recorded the song over the years including Dusty Springfield Michael Jackson Anne Murray and Donny Hathaway Contents 1 History 2 Reception 3 Charts 3 1 Weekly charts 3 2 Year end charts 4 Certifications 4 1 James Taylor version 4 2 Carole King version 5 Personnel 5 1 Carole King version 5 2 James Taylor version 6 Brand New Heavies version 6 1 Critical reception 6 2 Track listings 6 3 Charts 7 McFly version 7 1 Chart performance 7 2 Music video 7 3 Track listing 7 4 Charts 7 4 1 Weekly charts 7 4 2 Year end charts 7 5 Certifications 8 Other versions 9 ReferencesHistory edit nbsp James Taylor and Carole King at the 2010 Troubadour Reunion Tour You ve Got a Friend was written by Carole King during the January 1971 recording sessions for her own album Tapestry and James Taylor s album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon King has stated that the song was as close to pure inspiration as I ve ever experienced The song wrote itself It was written by something outside myself through me 2 According to Taylor King told him that the song was a response to a line in Taylor s earlier song Fire and Rain that I ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend 3 4 King s album was recorded in an overlap with Taylor s and Taylor and Danny Kortchmar perform on both versions of the song The song is included on both albums King said in a 1972 interview that she didn t write it with James or anybody really specifically in mind But when James heard it he really liked it and wanted to record it 5 Taylor s version was released as a single and reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and his only song to reach that position on that chart and number 4 on the UK Singles Chart The James Taylor version also spent one week at the top of the Easy Listening charts 6 Billboard ranked it as the No 16 song for 1971 Taylor s Apple Records labelmate Mary Hopkin has said that he gave her a chance to record the song which she turned down a decision she later regretted 7 dubious discuss James Taylor and Carole King performed You ve Got a Friend together in 2010 during their Troubadour Reunion Tour In 2015 Taylor performed an acoustic rendition of the song at Hotel de Ville Paris at the invitation of U S Secretary of State John Kerry and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo in tribute to the victims of the January 2015 Ile de France attacks 8 King performed the song at the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 9 Reception editAccording to author James D Perone the song s themes include an expression of a universal sisterly brotherly agape type love of one human being for another regardless of gender 10 The reassuring lyrics have long made the song popular with lonely people needing a boost of self confidence 11 12 The song s messages of friendship having no boundaries and a friend being there when you are in need have universal appeal 13 For Taylor the lyrics had particular resonance due to the depression he had recovered from shortly before hearing King play the song 11 The music moves between a major and minor key which according to music critic Maury Dean gives the song a sympathetic mood 13 In his review of Tapestry Rolling Stone critic Jon Landau called You ve Got a Friend Carole King s most perfect new song 14 He particularly praised how the melody and lyrics support each other and the gorgeous righteous rock melody of the ending lyrics 14 Mojo considered the song to probably be the core of Tapestry 2 Allmusic critic Stewart Mason commented on the plainspoken intimacy of King s performance 15 Mason finds that the shyness of King s voice gives her recording of the song a sincerity that he finds Taylor s to lack 15 Mason also praises the depth and shading provided by the string instruments on King s recording 15 In his review of Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon Rolling Stone critic Ben Gerson described You ve Got a Friend as an affirmative song but suggested that James Taylor s version was too similar to Carole King s original version to have been worth including on his album 16 Music critic Maury Dean described Taylor s performance style for the song as minimalist and folkish and comments on his star spangled sincerity 13 Cash Box praised the tasty material and Taylor s stunning interpretation 17 Record World said that there s no way Taylor can miss with this gem 18 Charts editWeekly charts edit Chart 1971 PeakpositionArgentina 19 16Australia Kent Music Report 20 page needed 25Canada Adult Contemporary RPM 21 12Canada Top Singles RPM 22 2Ireland IRMA 23 3Netherlands Dutch Top 40 24 20Netherlands Single Top 100 25 14UK Singles OCC 26 4US Adult Contemporary Billboard 27 1US Billboard Hot 100 28 1US Cash Box Top 100 29 1 Year end charts edit Chart 1971 RankCanada Top Singles RPM 30 33UK citation needed 32US Billboard Hot 100 31 16US Cash Box Top 100 32 27Certifications editJames Taylor version edit Region Certification Certified units salesUnited Kingdom BPI 33 Silver 200 000 United States RIAA 34 Gold 1 000 000 Shipments figures based on certification alone Sales streaming figures based on certification alone Carole King version edit Region Certification Certified units salesUnited States RIAA 35 Gold 500 000 Sales streaming figures based on certification alone Personnel editCarole King version edit Carole King piano vocals David Campbell viola Terry King cello Danny Kootch Kortchmar conga Charles Larkey string bass Barry Socher violin James Taylor acoustic guitar 36 James Taylor version edit James Taylor vocals acoustic guitar Joni Mitchell backing vocals Danny Kortchmar acoustic guitar congas Leland Sklar bass guitar Russ Kunkel drums congas cabasaBrand New Heavies version edit You ve Got a Friend nbsp Single by the Brand New Heaviesfrom the album ShelterReleasedOctober 6 1997 1997 10 06 37 GenreAcid jazz houseLength3 27LabelFFRRSongwriter s Carole KingProducer s The Brand New HeaviesThe Brand New Heavies singles chronology You Are the Universe 1997 You ve Got a Friend 1997 Shelter 1998 Music video You ve Got a Friend on YouTube You ve Got a Friend was covered by British acid jazz and funk group the Brand New Heavies for their fourth album Shelter 1997 and released as the third single from the album in October 1997 It reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart and number 13 in Scotland in October 1997 38 The song also peaked within the top 10 in Hungary and was a top 30 hit in Ireland The group performed the song on the music chart television program Top of the Pops Critical reception edit Scottish Daily Record felt that here the London s soul funk band are back on form 39 A reviewer from Music Week gave it four out of five declaring it as a soulful cover that should have their usual specialist impact as well as crossover success 40 An editor Alan Jones stated Recruiting Siedah Garrett has given the Brand New Heavies a new lease of life 41 Daisy amp Havoc from the RM Dance Update named it one of the best tracks on the recent BNH album which either says something about their songwriting or our age and now it appears with the compulsory remixes 42 Track listings edit CD single UK and Europe 1997 You ve Got a Friend radio version You Are the Universe recorded live at The Forum Midnight at the Oasis recorded live at The Forum Sometimes recorded live at The Forum CD single UK and Europe 1997 You ve Got a Friend radio version 3 27 You ve Got a Friend Brooklyn Funk R amp B mix 4 58 You ve Got a Friend Ballistic Brothers mix 5 00 You ve Got a Friend Brooklyn Funk club mix 4 54 You ve Got a Friend Tee s club mix 6 27 You ve Got a Friend original mix 3 48Charts edit Chart 1997 PeakpositionEurope Eurochart Hot 100 43 24Germany Official German Charts 44 77Netherlands Single Top 100 45 79Hungary Mahasz 46 7Iceland Islenski Listinn Topp 40 47 32Ireland IRMA 48 25Scotland OCC 49 13UK Singles OCC 50 9McFly version edit You ve Got a Friend Single by McFlyfrom the album WonderlandA side All About You B side Room on the 3rd Floor ReleasedMarch 7 2005 2005 03 07 51 Length4 38LabelIsland UniversalSongwriter s Carole KingProducer s Hugh PadghamMcFly singles chronology Room on the 3rd Floor 2004 All About You You ve Got a Friend 2005 I ll Be OK 2005 In 2005 English pop rock band McFly released their version of the song as a double A side single along with their original song All About You The band s first double A side single it was released on March 7 2005 as the lead single from their second studio album Wonderland 2005 The single was the official Comic Relief charity single for 2005 with all royalties being donated to the charity The single was also used to promote Make Poverty History The single peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart as well as in Ireland Having sold over 536 000 copies in the UK All About You You ve Got a Friend is McFly s best selling single 52 and received a platinum sales status certification from the British Phonographic Industry BPI for sales and streams exceeding 600 000 units Chart performance edit The single debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart giving McFly their third UK number one single as well as their fifth top five hit in less than a year 53 It debuted at number one only to be knocked off the top spot the following week by the unofficial Comic Relief single Is This the Way to Amarillo by Tony Christie and mimed by Peter Kay Music video edit The music video for You ve Got a Friend was shot on location in Uganda The band spent a week there in January 2005 for Comic Relief The video sees McFly with the children of Uganda playing with them performing for them and teaching them to sing Towards the end of the video McFly s vocals are removed for a chorus sung by the children Track listing edit UK CD single 54 All About You You ve Got a Friend Room on the 3rd Floor All About You orchestral version All About You video Charts edit Weekly charts edit Chart 2005 PeakpositionEurope European Hot 100 55 2Iceland Islenski listinn 56 8Ireland IRMA 57 1Scotland OCC 58 1UK Singles OCC 59 1Chart 2010 PeakpositionSouth Korea GAON 60 64 Year end charts edit Chart 2005 PositionUK Singles OCC 61 6 Certifications edit Region Certification Certified units salesUnited Kingdom BPI 62 Platinum 536 000 52 Other versions editDusty Springfield recorded the song in early 1971 during the sessions for her third Atlantic Records album Faithful Her recording predates that of James Taylor but it was shelved until 1999 when it was included as a bonus track on the 1999 Deluxe Edition of her first Atlantic album the critically acclaimed Dusty in Memphis which contained four Carole King compositions Faithful went unreleased due to disputes between Springfield and Atlantic but the sessions were eventually issued as a stand alone album in 2015 The song and two other songs from Tapestry appear on Barbra Streisand s 1971 album Barbra Joan Streisand The song was recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway for their 1972 album Roberta Flack amp Donny Hathaway and was released as the album s first single The single was released a year before the album was and coincidentally was released on the same date as James Taylor s single May 29 1971 The Flack and Hathaway version reached No 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No 8 on the R amp B chart 63 The song was also recorded by Aretha Franklin on three separate occasions The first and best known was on her 1972 live gospel performance Amazing Grace as part of a medley with Precious Lord Take My Hand In 1995 she recorded the song again on Tapestry Revisited A Tribute to Carole King alongside BeBe amp CeCe Winans and once in 2010 as a duet with Ronald Isley on his album Mr I In approximately 1973 or 1974 the song was covered by Cambodian singer Pou Vannary with the lyrics translated into Khmer 64 Vannary s rendition is featured in the soundtrack to the 2015 documentary film Don t Think I ve Forgotten 65 You ve Got a Friend was performed by Celine Dion Shania Twain Gloria Estefan and Carole King at the VH1 Divas Live concert at the Beacon Theatre New York in 1998 It was released as a promotional single in selected countries reaching number 74 on the Belgian Flanders Airplay Chart on December 15 1998 66 American TV series Glee used this song in a mashup with Alanis Morissette s You Learn for the season six episode Jagged Little Tapestry a tribute to both King s album Tapestry and Morisette s Jagged Little Pill citation needed Filipina singer Sarah Geronimo together with her dad Delfin Geronimo did a cover of this song from her 2013 album Expressions A country rendition of the song was released by Lynn Anderson on her 1971 studio album How Can I Unlove You References edit Smith Troy L December 14 2021 Every No 1 song of the 1970s ranked from worst to best Cleveland com Retrieved January 30 2023 a b Magazine Various Mojo November 2007 Tapestry The Mojo Collection 4th ed Canongate Books ISBN 9781847676436 Greene Andy August 13 2015 James Taylor My Life in 15 Songs Rolling Stone Retrieved August 23 2021 via James Taylor Official Site White T August 4 2015 James Taylor Looks Back on His Classics Easy 93 1 FM Retrieved August 10 2015 Kubernik Harvey 2008 Troubadours Carole King s Monumental Tapestry Album American Masters PBS pbs org Retrieved March 20 2013 Whitburn Joel 2002 Top Adult Contemporary 1961 2001 Record Research p 239 Interview with Mary Hopkin Record Collector nr 108 August 1988 Gibson Megan January 16 2015 Watch James Taylor Sings You ve Got a Friend with John Kerry Time com Retrieved July 20 2016 Zaleski Annie October 30 2021 Jennifer Hudson Stuns With Virtuosic Natural Woman During Carole King s Rock Hall Induction Rolling Stone Perone J D 2006 The Words and Music of Carole King Greenwood Publishing p 40 ISBN 9780275990275 a b Halperin Ian 2003 Fire and Rain The James Taylor Story Citadel pp 128 129 ISBN 978 0806523484 White T 2009 Long Ago and Far Away Omnibus Press p 190 ISBN 9780857120069 a b c Dean M 2003 Rock n Roll Gold Rush Algora pp 254 255 ISBN 0875862071 a b Landau J April 29 1971 Tapestry Rolling Stone Retrieved November 28 2021 a b c Mason S You ve Got a Friend Allmusic Retrieved April 22 2014 Gerson B June 24 1971 Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon Rolling Stone Retrieved November 28 2021 CashBox Record Reviews PDF Cash Box June 5 1971 p 22 Retrieved December 10 2021 Picks of the Week PDF Record World June 5 1971 p 1 Retrieved April 22 2023 Cash Box International Best Sellers PDF worldradiohistory com Cash Box 6 May 1972 p 46 Kent David 1993 Australian Chart Book 1970 1992 St Ives N S W Australian Chart Book ISBN 0 646 11917 6 Top RPM Adult Contemporary Issue 5333 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved April 4 2020 Top RPM Singles Issue 5362 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved April 4 2020 The Irish Charts Search Results You ve Got a Friend Irish Singles Chart Retrieved January 14 2018 Nederlandse Top 40 James Taylor in Dutch Dutch Top 40 Retrieved January 17 2021 James Taylor You ve Got a Friend in Dutch Single Top 100 Retrieved January 17 2021 James Taylor Artist Chart History Official Charts Company Retrieved November 30 2018 James Taylor Chart History Adult Contemporary Billboard Retrieved January 17 2021 James Taylor Chart History Hot 100 Billboard Retrieved November 30 2018 Cash Box Top 100 8 07 71 tropicalglen com Archived from the original on June 8 2015 Retrieved January 19 2018 RPM 100 Top Hits of 71 collectionscanada gc ca Archived from the original on October 20 2012 Top 100 Hits of 1971 Top 100 Songs of 1971 www musicoutfitters com Cash Box YE Pop Singles 1971 tropicalglen com Archived from the original on October 6 2016 Retrieved January 19 2018 British single certifications James Taylor You ve Got a Friend British Phonographic Industry Retrieved March 29 2021 American single certifications James Taylor You ve Got a Friend Recording Industry Association of America Retrieved March 29 2021 American single certifications Carole King You ve Got A Friend Recording Industry Association of America Retrieved March 7 2024 Tapestry release by Carole King MusicBrainz Retrieved June 14 2022 New Releases Singles PDF Music Week October 4 1997 p 37 Retrieved December 6 2022 Home Design officialcharts www officialcharts com Chart Slot Daily Record October 24 1997 Reviews Singles PDF Music Week September 27 1997 p 33 Retrieved September 13 2022 Jones Alan September 13 1997 Talking Music PDF Music Week p 14 Retrieved September 13 2022 Daisy amp Havoc September 20 1997 Hot Vinyl PDF Music Week in RM Dance Update Supplemental Insert p 8 Retrieved September 13 2022 Eurochart Hot 100 Singles PDF Music amp Media Vol 14 no 44 November 1 1997 p 16 Retrieved January 15 2020 The Brand New Heavies You ve Got A Friend in German GfK Entertainment charts Retrieved January 15 2020 The Brand New Heavies You ve Got A Friend in Dutch Single Top 100 Retrieved January 15 2020 Top National Sellers PDF Music amp Media Vol 14 no 50 December 13 1997 p 19 Retrieved January 15 2020 Islenski Listinn NR 249 vikuna 27 11 4 12 1997 Dagbladid Visir in Icelandic November 28 1997 p 22 Retrieved January 17 2020 The Irish Charts Search Results The Brand New Heavies Irish Singles Chart Retrieved January 17 2021 Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Retrieved January 17 2021 Official Singles Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Retrieved January 17 2021 New Releases Singles Music Week March 5 2005 p 23 a b Myers Justin November 5 2016 Girlbands vs Boybands their biggest songs of the century revealed Official Charts Company Retrieved November 6 2016 Comic Relief song tops the chart BBC News BBC March 13 2005 Retrieved August 30 2015 All About You You ve Got a Friend UK CD single liner notes McFly Island Records Universal Records 2005 MCSTD40409 987 063 0 a href Template Cite AV media notes html title Template Cite AV media notes cite AV media notes a CS1 maint others in cite AV media notes link Hits of the World Eurocharts PDF Billboard Vol 117 no 13 March 26 2005 p 37 Retrieved April 4 2020 Islenski listinn DV Retrieved November 8 2020 The Irish Charts Search Results All About You You ve Got a Friend Irish Singles Chart Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Official Singles Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company 가온차트와 함께하세요 Gaonchart co kr in Korean Archived from the original on March 6 2012 Retrieved December 22 2011 End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 2005 Official Charts Company Retrieved October 10 2021 British single certifications McFly All About You British Phonographic Industry Whitburn Joel 2004 Top R amp B Hip Hop Singles 1942 2004 Record Research p 206 Scheck Frank April 22 2015 Don t Think I ve Forgotten Cambodia s Lost Rock and Roll Film Review The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved July 31 2018 Pirozzi John director producer Andrew Pope producer 2015 Don t Think I ve Forgotten film in English and Khmer Argot Pictures Jaspers Sam 2006 Ultratop 1995 2005 Book amp Media Publishing ISBN 90 5720 232 8 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title You 27ve Got a Friend amp oldid 1215296760, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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