Trivia
In 2003 the song and concert footage were used in a TV and radio ad for communications company MCI in a cross-promotion for JT’s “Best of James Taylor” album, breaking JT’s long-standing ban on the use of his songs in commercials. That same year MCI was embroiled in a very public financial scandal and eventually went bankrupt before selling its assets to Verizon.
More from Wikipedia
"Shower the People" is the opening track on James Taylor's 1976 album In the Pocket.[1][2]
Reception
Cash Box said that the song is "a meaningful ballad that will pick up a lot of FM airplay" and said that it has "a way with melody and phrasing" similar to other Taylor songs.[3] Record World said that "This midtempo offering is bolstered by a great singalong chorus."[4]
Personnel
- James Taylor – lead vocals, harmony vocals, acoustic guitars
- Carly Simon – harmony vocals
- Danny Kortchmar – electric guitars
- Leland Sklar – bass guitar
- Russ Kunkel – drums, percussion
- Victor Feldman – orchestral bells, vibes
- Clarence McDonald – Fender Rhodes, hornorgan
- Nick DeCaro – hornorgan, voiceorgan
Chart performance
"Shower the People" reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. that fall, remaining in the Top 40 for eight weeks. It also topped the Easy Listening chart for one week, Taylor's third song to do so, following 1971's "You've Got a Friend" and 1975's "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)".[5]
In Canada, the song fell short of the Pop Top 40; however, it did reach number one on the Adult Contemporary chart.[6]
See also
References
- ^ Shower the People - James Taylor | Song Info | AllMusic, retrieved 2021-12-21
- ^ Ribowsky, Mark (2016-06-01). Sweet Dreams and Flying Machines: The Life and Music of James Taylor. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-61373-379-0.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 5, 1976. p. 16. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
- ^ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. June 12, 1976. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1976-09-11. Retrieved 2018-12-21.
External links
