( APPLAUSE )
WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST IS THE SIX-TIME GRAMMY
AWARD-WINNING SINGER AND SONGWRITER AND ROCK AND ROLL
HALL-OF-FAMER WHO HAS BEEN SITTING IN WITH THE BAND ALL
WEEK.
PLEASE WELCOME OUR FRIEND AND YOURS, MR. JAMES TAYLOR.
♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO.
>> Stephen: IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
NOW, JAMES, YOU'VE BEEN SITTING IN WITH THE BAND ALL WEEK.
I HOPE IT'S BEEN A LOVELY EXPERIENCE FOR YOU.
>> FANTASTIC.
IT HAS.
>> Stephen: WHAT NIEFTS YOUR FAVORITE?
WHAT NIGHT WAS YOUR FAVORITE?
>> OH, MAN.
I CAN'T CHOOSE.
( LAUGHTER )
WERE HERE, YOU WERE ABOUT TO RELEASE THIS "AMERICAN
STANDARD."
YOU WON THE GRAMMY FOR IT THIS YEAR.
CONGRATULATIONS.
AND JUST--
AND JUST FINISHED A 12-MONTH TOUR, OKAY.
>> YUP.
>> Stephen: 12-AMONG TOUR.
WHEN YOU DO AN ALBUM AND YOU GO, "OKAY, THAT'S HOW THAT SONG
SHOULD SOUND" AND THEN YOU GO TAKE IT UP ON THE ON THE ROAD
FOR THE FIRST TIME AND HEAR IT IN FRONT OF AUDIENCES OVER AND
OVER AGAIN, DOES THAT CHANGE YOUR VIEW OF THAT SONG OR HOW IT
SHOULD BE PLAYED?
>> YOU KNOW, I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS FOR A LONG TIME.
WITH SONGS THAT ARE STANDARDS LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW THE SONG.
IN MY CASE, YOU'VE PLAYED IT FOR MEANS YEARS.
YOU HAVE THE ARRANGEMENT OF IT.
AND YOU GO IN WITH A VERY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT
SHOULD SOUND LIKE, AND HOW YOU WANT TO CHANGE IT AND MAKE IT
YOUR OWN.
TYPICALLY, I WRITE MY OWN STUFF.
WHEN I GO INTO THE STUDIO AND PERFORM SOMETHING AND LAY IT
DOWN, THAT'S THE FIRST TIME IT'S-- IT'S SORT OF-- IT'S NEVER
PLAYED FOR PEOPLE.
I MEAN, SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL BOOK A GIG AND PLAY THE MATERIAL
THAT'S GOING TO BE ON A NEW ALBUM IN A WAR OR A SMALL CLUB
OR, YOU KNOW, AND TRY TO WORK IT UP.
BECAUSE AFTER YOU'VE PLAYED IT FOR ABOUT-- AND CATO KNOWS THIS.
AFTER YOU'VE PLAYED SOMETHING, ANYBODY-- ANY MUSICIAN DOES--
AFTER YOU PLAY SOMETHING ABOUT 20 TIMES IT SORT OF FINDS ITS
WAY.
IT GETS SORT OF SEATED.
AND I OFTEN THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA, BUT I'VE NEVER
REALLY GOTTEN AROUND TO DOING IT.
I NEVER-- SO, YEA.
>> Stephen: THE NEXT ONE.
DO THE NEXT ONE THAT WAY.
>> IT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION, AND IT'S A THING, YEAH.
>> Stephen: YOU'VE GOT SO MANY OF YOUR OWN STANDARDS.
THE JAMES TAYLOR CLASSICS.
DOES DOES YOUR-- ARE YOU EVER TEMPTED TO REALLY SWITCH UP,
LIKE HOW "FIRE AND RAIN" SOUNDS?
>> YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE-- WHAT THE INSPIRATION FOR
THAT IS, WHAT THE MOTIVATION IS TO CHANGE IT AND TO MAKE IT NEW.
BUT, ALSO, YOU KNOW, I-- I'M VERY AWARE THAT AN AUDIENCE
WANTS TO-- YOU KNOW, IF THEY WANT TO HEAR THE SONG, THEY WANT
TO HEAR IT AS THEY RECOGNIZE IT.
THEY DON'T WANT TO HEAR SOME VERSION.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: YOUR SON HENRY JOINS YOU ON TOUR THIS TIME
AROUND.
WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE TO HAVE YOUR SON THERE WITH YOU?
>> IT'S BEEN GREAT.
IT FELT SO EASY AND SO KNOW-- WELL, FAMILIAR, OBVIOUSLY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT-- IT WAS JUST...
I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK HE'S GOT A FEEL FOR IT, YOU KNOW.
HE'S GOT-- HE-- YOU KNOW, I'VE TOURED ACTUALLY WITH THREE OF MY
CHILDREN AT VARIOUS POINTS.
AND IT IS A WONDERFUL THING.
AND HENRY JUST, IN PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, HE SAYS, FOR HIM, HE
SAYS HE FEELS ANXIETY.
HE FEELS, YOU KNOW, NERVES BEFOREHAND.
BUT YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THAT.
IT'S-- I THINK HE'S-- I'VE OFTEN SAID THAT 90% OF SHOW BUSINESS
IS HOW YOU LOOK WHEN YOU'RE NERVOUS, YOU KNOW.
>> Stephen: WHAT-- WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
LIKE IF YOU CAN LIKE-- BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO NOT BE
NERVOUS, THEN WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE TO AN AUDIENCE?
>> EXACTLY.
WHAT KNOW-- HOW YOU LOOK WHEN YOU'RE NERVOUS, IF YOU LOOK
GOOD, YOU'RE IN GOOD SHAPE.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: ARE YOU NERVOUS?
ARE YOU STILL NERVOUS WHEN YOU GO ON STAGE EVER?
>> YEAH.
I'M ALWAYS NERVOUS WHEN I GO ON, MORE AT THE BEGINNING OF A TOUR.
ONCE YOU GET INTO A GROOVE, AND I'M SURE-- MAN, YOUR GROOVE HAS
TO LAST FOR YEARS.
>> Stephen: I'M NERVOUS EVERY NIGHT BEFORE I COME OUT, BECAUSE
I KNOW HOW IT SHOULD PLAY UP HERE.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: LAUGHTER I'M GETTING UP HERE IS WAY KNRN--
( LAUGHTER ).
( APPLAUSE )
BE EITHER IN THE MOMENT OR SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF IT, YOU KNOW.
YOU WANT TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO DO AND NOT
THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST DID.
>> Stephen: 100,000%.
100,000%.
SO THERE'S A NEW VENUE OPENING UP AT FENWAY IN BOSTON.
IT'S THE M.G.M. MUSIC HALL?
IS THAT WHAT IT IS?
>> I THINK SO.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE THE FIRST PERFORMER THERE.
WHAT IS-- ARE YOU-- ARE YOU A RED SOX FAN?
>> I AM.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT PLAYING NEXT TO THE PARK?
>> I AM.
I AM A RED SOX FAN.
AND I'VE PLAYED FENWAY A COUPLE OF TIMES.
THAT'S A DELIGHT.
>> Stephen: DID YOU EVER PLAY BALL?
>> PLAY BALL WHEN I WAS A KID.
>> Stephen: DID YOU HAVE ANY DREAMS?
>> NO, I WAS-- I PLAYED ANYTHING, MOSTLY FIRST BASE.
>> Stephen: IT'S A GOOD POSITION.
>> BUT I WAS VERY MEDIOCRE LAUGH EXTREMELY.
>> Stephen: I PLAYED LEFT DUGOUT.
WE HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK, BUT WHEN WE COME BACK I WILL ASK
JAMES ABOUT HIS OLD FRIEND JONI MITCHELL.
STICK AROUND.