James Taylor is not only one of the greatest singer/guitar player/songwriters of all time, but he’s also a great storyteller.
The best story of his recent show at San Diego’s Valley View Casino Center was when James talked about his early days as a musician. He wasn’t having much luck in the music business on our side of the Atlantic, so at the age of 20, his parents paid for a ticket so he could fly to London and pursue his dreams.
This was early in 1968, and soon afterward he scored an audition for Apple Records in front of Paul McCartney and George Harrison, who were in the middle of recording the White Album. As James explained it, he was “as nervous as a Chihuahua on methamphetamine.”
This led to his first album, titled James Taylor and produced by Peter Asher. The record was released in June 1968 in the UK and February 1969 in the US, and it included classics like “Carolina in My Mind†and “Something in the Way She Moves.â€
Taylor’s two-hour-plus performance included many fan favorites, plus a handful from his last studio album, 2015’s Before This World. You can see photos from the show and a set list below.
Photos: James Taylor at Valley View Casino Center
Set 1
Wandering
Secret Of Life
Every Day
Montana
Today Today Today
Country Road
Fool To Care
Copperline
Carolina In My Mind
Sun on The Moon
Fire & Rain
Shed A Little Light
Set 2
Up On the Roof
You’ve Got A Friend
Promised Land
Shower The People
Angels Of Fenway
Jolly Springtime
Sweet Baby James
Steamroller
Mexico
Your Smiling Face
Encore
Knock On Wood
How Sweet It Is
You And I Again