Top 10 James Taylor Duets

Photo: By ETownHall (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

One of America’s most loved songwriters is also one of the most requested singing partners in the music industry. Who wouldn’t want to share the stage with such an esteemed artist as James Taylor? However, you must bring your A-game to sing harmony with James Taylor. His pitch-perfect vocals and Sweet Baby James harmonies demand an artist who can rise to the occasion. There are many recordings of James Taylor singing duets with such a wide range of artists. James Taylor has sung with artists of all styles and genres, from Tony Bennett to Joni Mitchell.

To make some sense from this list, we had to rule that no duet partner could appear more than once. The main reasons for that rule were fueled by the names Carly Simon and Carole King. James Taylor has sung so many songs with Carole King and Carly Simon that we could fill a top 100 James Taylor Duets list just between them. Some of our choices are studio recordings, while some picks come from live concerts and television specials. There is something extraordinary about each performance we have chosen. We hope you enjoy this list. You will be amazed at all of these performances.

# 10 –I Think It’s Gonna Work Out Fine (with Linda Ronstadt)

Well, there is no better way to start this list than with one of the greatest female voices in popular music history. Linda Ronstadt ruled the airwaves in the 1970s with hit after hit. Her golden voice blends so perfectly with James Taylor. The song “I Think It’s Gonna Work Out Fine” was released on Linda Ronstadt’s 1982 Get Closer album. Rose Marie McCoy and Sylvia McKinney wrote the song. It was initially a hit for Ike & Tina Turner in 1961.

# 9 – Baby It’s Cold Outside (with Natalie Cole)

“Baby It’s Cold Outside” is one of the most popular recorded duets ever. It has been recorded by some of the greatest singers in history. James Taylor‘s and Natalie Cole’s version stands at the top of the list of artists who have recorded this magical Christmas song. This one has always been a song about chemistry, and Taylor and Cole play the part perfectly. The song was first released on the James Taylor record, James Taylor A Christmas Album. The album was released in 2004

# 8 – Oh Susanna (with Johnny Cash)

When you hear James Taylor sing the opening line of “Oh Susanna,” you quickly realize that Taylor could take any melody and turn it into an enchanted listening experience. Taylor sings most of the song until Johnny Cash appears at the end. The camera angle of Cash defines how cool that man was. The performance in this video is from the Johnny Cash Television Show. The performance aired on Feb. 17, 1971

# 7 – For Free (with Joni Mitchell)

Although James Taylor only sings harmony at the end of this song, his guitar playing so beautifully blended with Joni’s voice and piano. It represents that a brilliant duet does not have to only center around vocals. Listen to Taylor’s guitar lines dance between Joni Mitchell’s rolling piano chords. It just gives you chills to hear something so organic and heartfelt. It defines the heart and soul of two artists of such depth. The performance was from their London Paris Show in 1970. It was aired on the BBC on John Peel’s Sunday Show

# 6 – Crying in the Rain (with Art Garfunkel)

On the song “Crying in the Rain,” James Taylor teamed up with one of the greatest duet singers in music history. It can be easily argued that Art Garfunkel defines one of the music industry’s most beautiful angelic male voices. Garfunkel’s work with Paul Simon represented some of the most loved 1960s to 70s songs. It was destiny that the golden voice of James Taylor would eventually team up with the angelic voice of Art Garfunkel. The duet appeared on Art Garfunkel’s 1993 album Up Till Now.

# 5 –Carolina in my Mind (with The Dixie Chicks)

“Carolina In My Mind” has always been one of James Taylor’s most loved songs. His duet with the Dixie Chicks on the classic track was mesmerizing. The two artists traded back-and-forth songs on VH1’s Crossroads show. There were so many highlights from the broadcast that it was almost impossible to pick only one song to be represented here on the James Taylor Duets list. However, the beauty of the “Carolina In My Mind” performance was too mesmerizing to ignore. The original broadcast of the VH1 Crossroads show aired on Friday, October 18th, 2002.

# 4 – Mockingbird (with Carly Simon)

Do you remember when this song was first released back in 1974? It was such a huge hit that one could not turn the radio dial without running into it on multiple stations at any given minute of the day. James Taylor recorded so many classic songs with Carly Simon that it almost seems criminal to only include one song on the list. Nonetheless, we had to pick only one with Carly Simon to represent all those wonderful artists. We thought “Mockingbird” was the most fun.

# 3 – Her Town Two (with J.D. Souther)

The harmonizing between James Taylor and J.D. Souther is as heavenly as it gets. It is the only song we included on the Top 10 James Taylor Songs and Top 10 James Taylor Duets lists. The video below is from a live performance in the 1980’s. The original version was released on James Taylor’s 1981 album Dad Loves His Work. James Taylor, J.D. Souther, and Waddy Wachtel wrote the song.

# 2 – How’s The World Treating You (with Alison Krauss)

Well, this one is quite striking. It may be hard to maintain one’s emotions when listening to this beautiful duet between Alison Krauss and James Taylor. At first, many fans may be surprised to see this one so high on the list. But one listen is all you need to be convinced of the song’s importance. Chet Atkins and Boudleaux Bryant wrote the song originally recorded by Elvis Presley. This version appears on the Alison Krauss album, A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection.

# 1 – You Got a Friend (with Carole King)

Well, how could this one not be No.1? The beauty of this duet is so striking it’s almost unbearable. Together, two of America’s most loved singer-songwriters sing one of the greatest love songs ever written. Listening to them sing together awakens a roller-coaster of memories for many who grew up in the 1970s. The song was written by Carole King in 1971. It was recorded in two versions that appeared simultaneously on both Carole King’s and James Taylor’s solo albums in 1971.