James Taylor was a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Thursday night, where the host got him to reveal his five favorite songs from his catalog.
The list included Taylor classics like “Sweet Baby James,” the title track from his 1970 sophomore album, and “Carolina in My Mind,” from his 1968 self-titled debut. He also chose three songs because they were liked by other rock stars.
He said that Paul McCartney told him the song “Mean Old Man” was the reason he bought Taylor’s 2002 album, October Road, so Taylor put that in the top five. He also included “Millworker,” from the 1979 album Flag, which was a track that Bruce Springsteen liked and performed. Rounding out the list was “The Frozen Man,” from 1991’s New Moon Shine, because Bob Dylan told him he liked the track.
Colbert also asked Taylor why there hasn’t been a biopic on his life yet, to which he responded, “It’s because God is merciful.”
He noted that he did an Audible memoir, which only covered his life to age 21, joking, “Nobody could really check it because there’s no proving or disproving any of it and most of the people involved are dead or don’t care anymore.”
Taylor added, “Once I get past 1970, basically, I start running into trouble … those people are still walking around.”
Taylor also performed on the show. Joined by his son Henry Taylor, he performed “You Can Close Your Eyes” from his 1971 album, Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. They also offered up a bonus performance of “Line ‘Em Up” from the 1997 album Hourglass.
James Taylor is set to hit the road starting April 26 in Highland, California. A complete list of dates can be found at JamesTaylor.com.
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