"You've Got a Friend" is a 1971 song written and performed by American singer and songwriter Carole King. It was first recorded by King and included on her second album, Tapestry (1971). A popular version by James Taylor appears on his album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon (1971). Taylor's version, which includes background singing by Joni Mitchell, was released as a single in 1971. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the UK Singles Chart. Both versions were recorded at the same time in 1971 with some of the same musicians.
"You've Got a Friend" received Grammy Awards: Taylor won for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and King won for Song of the Year at the 14th Annual Grammy Awards in 1972. Many other artists have performed the song over the years, including Dusty Springfield, Michael Jackson, Anne Murray, and Donny Hathaway.
In 2001, Taylor's version was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame. King's version was added in 2002.
History
Carole King wrote the song "You've Got a Friend" during the January 1971 recording sessions for her album Tapestry, while James Taylor was recording his album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. She said the song came to her very quickly and felt like it was written by something outside herself. James Taylor said King mentioned the song was inspired by a line from his earlier song "Fire and Rain" ("I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend"). In a 1972 interview, King said she did not write the song with any specific person in mind, but James Taylor liked it and wanted to record it. Both King and Taylor included the song on their own albums, and Taylor and Danny Kortchmar performed on both versions.
Taylor's version of the song was released as a single. It reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (his only song to reach that position) and number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. It also spent one week at the top of the Easy Listening charts. Billboard ranked it as the No. 16 song for 1971.
Mary Hopkin, a fellow artist on Taylor's Apple Records label, said Taylor once gave her the chance to record the song, but she declined. She later said she regretted this decision.
In 2010, Taylor and King performed "You've Got a Friend" together during their Troubadour Reunion Tour. In 2015, Taylor performed an acoustic version of the song at Hôtel de Ville in Paris at the invitation of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, as a tribute to the victims of the January 2015 Île-de-France attacks. King performed the song at the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Reception
According to author James D. Perone, the song expresses a kind of love that is caring and shared between people, no matter their gender. The comforting words have made the song popular among people who feel lonely and need confidence. The song’s message that friendship knows no limits and that a true friend helps during hard times has wide appeal. The lyrics especially connected with Taylor, who had recently recovered from depression before hearing King perform the song. The music changes between happy and sad tones, which music critic Maury Dean says gives the song a feeling of understanding and support.
In his review of Tapestry, Rolling Stone critic Jon Landau called "You've Got a Friend" King's "most perfect new song." He praised how the melody and lyrics work together and the "beautiful, strong rock melody" in the ending. Mojo magazine said the song is likely the most important part of Tapestry. AllMusic critic Stewart Mason noted King’s performance felt simple and heartfelt, writing that her quiet voice gives her recording a truthfulness that he believes Taylor’s version lacks. Mason also praised the "rich details" added by string instruments in King’s recording.
In his review of Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, Rolling Stone critic Ben Gerson called "You've Got a Friend" an "encouraging song" but said Taylor’s version was too similar to King’s to be meaningful on his album. Music critic Maury Dean described Taylor’s performance style as simple and folk-like, noting his "honest and sincere" delivery. Cash Box praised the "well-written songs and Taylor’s impressive performance." Record World said, "there’s no way [Taylor] can fail with this song."
Personnel
- Carole King – piano and vocals
- James Taylor – vocals and acoustic guitar
- Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar – congas
- Charles Larkey – string bass
- Barry Socher – violin
- David Campbell – viola
- Terry King – cello
- James Taylor – vocals and acoustic guitar
- Danny Kortchmar – acoustic guitar and congas
- Russ Kunkel – drums, congas, and cabasa
- Leland Sklar – bass guitar
- Joni Mitchell – backing vocals
Brand New Heavies version
The song "You've Got a Friend" was performed by the British acid jazz and funk group the Brand New Heavies for their fourth album, Shelter (1997). It was released as the third single from the album in October 1997. The song reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart and number 13 in Scotland during the same month. It also reached the top 10 in Hungary and was a top 30 hit on the Irish Singles Chart. The group performed the song on the music chart television program Top of the Pops.
A review in Scottish Daily Record noted that the band "are back on form." A reviewer from Music Week gave the song a rating of four out of five, calling it "a soulful cover" that "should have their usual specialist impact as well as crossover success." Alan Jones said, "Recruiting Siedah Garrett has given the Brand New Heavies a new lease of life." Daisy & Havoc from the RM Dance Update called it "one of the best tracks on the recent BNH album" and mentioned it now includes "the compulsory remixes."
CD single, UK and Europe (1997)
1. "You've Got a Friend" (radio version)
2. "You Are the Universe" (recorded live at The Forum)
3. "Midnight at the Oasis" (recorded live at The Forum)
4. "Sometimes" (recorded live at The Forum)
CD single, UK and Europe (1997)
1. "You've Got a Friend" (radio version) – 3:27
2. "You've Got a Friend" (Brooklyn Funk R&B mix) – 4:58
3. "You've Got a Friend" (Ballistic Brothers mix) – 5:00
4. "You've Got a Friend" (Brooklyn Funk club mix) – 4:54
5. "You've Got a Friend" (Tee's club mix) – 6:27
6. "You've Got a Friend" (original mix) – 3:48
McFly version
In 2005, the English pop rock band McFly released their version of the song as a double A-side single, paired with their original song "All About You." This was the band's first double A-side single and was released on March 7, 2005, as the lead single from their second studio album, Wonderland (2005). The single was the official Comic Relief charity single for 2005, with all royalties donated to the charity. It was also used to promote the Make Poverty History campaign.
The single reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and in Ireland. It sold over 536,000 copies in the UK, making "All About You"/"You've Got a Friend" McFly's best-selling single. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified it as platinum for sales and streams exceeding 600,000 units.
The single debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, giving McFly their third UK number-one single and their fifth top-five hit in less than a year. It was later replaced at the top of the chart by the unofficial Comic Relief single "Is This the Way to Amarillo," performed by Tony Christie and (mimed by) Peter Kay.
The music video for "You've Got a Friend" was filmed in Uganda. The band traveled there in January 2005 for Comic Relief. The video shows McFly spending time with children in Uganda, playing with them, performing for them, and teaching them to sing. At the end of the video, McFly's vocals are removed, and the chorus is sung by the children.
- "All About You"
- "You've Got a Friend"
- "Room on the 3rd Floor"
- "All About You" (orchestral version)
- "All About You" (video)
Other versions
Dusty Springfield recorded the song in early 1971 during the sessions for her third Atlantic Records album, Faithful. Her version of the song was recorded before James Taylor's, but it was not released until 1999. It was added as a bonus track on the 1999 Deluxe Edition of her first Atlantic album, Dusty in Memphis, which includes four songs written by Carole King. The Faithful album was not released at first because of disagreements between Springfield and Atlantic Records. However, the recording sessions were later released as a standalone album in 2015.
The song, along with two others from Tapestry—"Beautiful" and "Where You Lead"—was included on Barbra Streisand's 1971 album Barbra Joan Streisand.
Johnny Mathis released an album titled You've Got a Friend on August 11, 1971.
Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway recorded the song for their 1972 album Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway. The song was released as the album's first single a year before the album, on May 29, 1971, which was the same day as James Taylor's single. The Flack and Hathaway version reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 8 on the R&B chart.
Aretha Franklin recorded the song three times. The first and most well-known version was her 1972 live gospel performance on Amazing Grace, which was part of a medley with "Precious Lord, Take My Hand." She also recorded the song in 1995 on Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King with BeBe & CeCe Winans, and in 2010 as a duet with Ronald Isley on his album Mr. I.
In 1973 or 1974, the Cambodian singer Pou Vannary performed the song with lyrics translated into Khmer. Her version is featured on the 2015 documentary film Don't Think I've Forgotten soundtrack.
In 1988, the British group The Housemartins included a version of the song on their compilation album Now That's What I Call Quite Good.
Carole King, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, and Gloria Estefan performed "You've Got a Friend" at the VH1 Divas Live concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York in 1998. The performance was released as a promotional single in some countries and reached No. 74 on the Belgian Flanders Airplay Chart on December 15, 1998.
Lynn Anderson released a country version of the song on her 1971 studio album How Can I Unlove You.