Behind The Song: James Taylor, “Fire and Rain”
James Taylor arrived in a time when pop music was shifting. A particular brand of singer-songwriter, along with the likes of Carole King and Joni Mitchell, had emerged. Taylor fit the bill, too, offering up his own smooth, evocative tenor and way of songwriting that pierced right to the heart. His first major hit, 1970’s “Fire and Rain,” from his second album, Sweet Baby James, cemented him early on as a pillar of talent, a beacon that would soon completely upend the establishment.