1975 James Taylor – Mexico (US:#49)
“Mexico” is a song written by James Taylor that first appeared as the opening track of his 1975 album Gorilla. It was released as a single, with the album’s title track as the b-side, and reached #49 on the Billboard Hot 100, but performed much better on the Adult Contemporary chart, reaching #5. “Mexico” has appeared on many of Taylor’s live and compilation albums. It has been covered by Jimmy Buffett, Alex de Grassi and Lauren Laverne.
The lyrics of “Mexico” describe a dream of enjoying a night in a Mexican border town. It is one of several songs on Gorilla that uses a stream of consciousness technique to describe the singer’s fantasy, others including “Music” and “You Make It Easy.” It is a happy song that contrasts Taylor’s sad, sensitive image. “Mexico” has a “buoyant” rhythm. Its music incorporates features of country rock music. Graham Nash and David Crosby sing backup vocals on the song. Critic Doung Pringle describes Nash’s harmony vocals as “lovely.”
Album
Gorilla is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor. Released on May 1, 1975, it was more successful than Walking Man, his previous release, with two hits: “Mexico” and “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)”, which rose to the top five on the Billboard charts. This would be his second-to-last […]
Musicians
Bass | Leland Sklar |
Drums | Russ Kunkel |
Guitar | James Taylor |
Guitar | Danny Kortchmar |
Acoustic Guitar | James Taylor |
Harp | Gayle Levant |
Percussion | Milt Holland |
Background Vocals | David Crosby |
Background Vocals | Graham Nash |
Vocals | James Taylor |
Produced By
Lenny Waronker
Russ Titelman
Songwriters
James Taylor
Charts
US:#49
UK:# –