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JAMES TAYLOR
HANDY MAN
Guitar 1: Acoustic Guitar
About the Track
Song: Handy Man
Artist: James Taylor
Album: JT (1977)
Released: June 1977 (as a single)
Label: Columbia Records
Writers: Jimmy Jones, Otis Blackwell
Chart Performance
It became a big hit for him, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
The Song
Taylor recorded his mellow, acoustic soft rock version for his JT album.
His version gave the song a smooth, laid-back vibe, with Taylor’s signature calm vocals and tasteful acoustic arrangement.
It won James Taylor the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1978.
Songwriting Notes
Handy Man is actually a cover — the song was originally co-written and first recorded by Jimmy Jones in 1959, who made it a hit with his doo-wop style version.
The original version reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960.
The song was co-written by the prolific Otis Blackwell, known for writing hits like Elvis Presley’s All Shook Up and Don’t Be Cruel.
Patrick Jones - Course author
STAYCE ROBERTS
With over 40 years of dedication to the instrument, Stayce has taken his love of songwriting, guitar playing and producing that allows him to bring a fresh, professional style to his Online Instructional Videos, making him a top tier instructor in song and lesson tutorials.