In a 50-years-later retrospective of the album's release, Billboard calls the song 'a mellow Taylor classic' and a 'stone-classic'. Taylor biographer Timothy White calls the song 'the album's quiet masterpiece'. The song itself earned critical praise, with Jon Landau's April 1969 review for Rolling Stone calling it 'beautiful' and one of the 'two most deeply affecting cuts' on the album and praising McCartney's bass playing as 'extraordinary'. Richard Hewson arranged and conducted a string part an even more ambitious 30-piece orchestra part was recorded but not used. Taylor and Asher also did backing vocals and Asher added a tambourine. The other players were Freddie Redd on organ, Joel 'Bishop' O'Brien on drums, and Mick Wayne providing a second guitar alongside Taylor's. Indeed, the recording of 'Carolina in My Mind' includes a credited appearance by Paul McCartney on bass guitar and an uncredited one by George Harrison on backing vocals. The song's lyric 'holy host of others standing around me' makes reference to the Beatles, who were recording The Beatles in the same studio where Taylor was recording his album. The original recording of the song was done at London's Trident Studios during the July to October 1968 period, and was produced by Asher. I think I might have heard the highway calling .Īnd signs that might be omens say I'm going, I'm going It has become one of Taylor's most critically praised songs and one that has great popularity and significance for his audience.

The association of the song with the state is also made in written works of both fiction and non-fiction. It is also an unofficial song of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, being played at athletic events and pep rallies and sung by the graduating class at every university commencement. Strongly tied to a sense of geographic place, 'Carolina in My Mind' has been called an unofficial state anthem for North Carolina. The song was a modest hit on the country charts in 1969 for North Carolinian singer George Hamilton IV, released as the first single from his 1970 album Back Where It's At (see George Hamilton IV discography). It has been a staple of Taylor's concert performances over the decades of his career. It was re-recorded for Taylor's 1976 Greatest Hits album in the version that is most familiar to listeners. Released as a single in 1969, the song earned critical praise but not commercial success. Taylor wrote it while overseas recording for the Beatles' label Apple Records, and the song's themes reflect his homesickness at the time. ' Carolina in My Mind' is a song written and performed by singer-songwriter James Taylor, which first appeared on his 1968 self-titled debut album. 'Taking It In' (1969 original) 'Something's Wrong' (1970 reissue) įebruary/March 1969 (original UK & US releases) 1969 single by James Taylor 'Carolina in My Mind'

Going to carolina in my mind