On 31 July 1971, James Taylor reached number one with “You’ve Got a Friend”, a song written by his friend and collaborator Carole King. The hit became one of Taylor’s best-known recordings and highlighted the close creative relationship between two leading singer-songwriters of the era.

King wrote the song in response to Taylor’s “Fire and Rain”, particularly its reference to loneliness and difficulty finding a friend. Taylor recorded it first for Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, with King on piano and Joni Mitchell providing backing vocals, while King released her own version on Tapestry in February 1971; Taylor’s album followed in April. Taylor initially worried that recording it might deny King a hit, but producer Peter Asher sought and received her approval.