James Taylor (Extended) | Rise And Whine

Summary

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The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Guest: James Taylor (Extended) | Rise And Whine

Release Date: February 6, 2026

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Main Theme

This episode blends Stephen Colbert’s trademark political humor and sharp monologue with an extended, revealing conversation with legendary singer-songwriter James Taylor. Colbert covers the week’s political happenings—including Trump's appearance at the National Prayer Breakfast—before engaging Taylor in a warm, funny, and insightful interview about love songs, musical theater, biopics, songwriting, and Taylor's enduring friendship with Carole King.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Monologue: Politics, Prayer, and Puns

(00:49 – 12:01)

• National Prayer Breakfast & Trump’s Appearance

  • Colbert jokes about the annual event, making light of the blending of church and politics.
  • He mocks how Paula White Cain introduced Trump as “the goat, the greatest of all time,” then quips, “as a Christian, I thought the greatest of all time was the guy named Jesus. Still holds the record for saves.” (02:36)
  • Trump’s own remarks at the breakfast are lampooned, with Colbert imagining him “pretending to pray” and focusing on bacon.

• Super Bowl Interview & Current Events

  • Colbert parodies Trump’s pre-Super Bowl interview, skewering his comments on law enforcement (“use a softer touch”) and his characteristic self-congratulation about cognitive tests.
  • Trump brags about naming a mysterious “discombobulator” weapon, with Colbert wryly suggesting, “Sir, is there any chance the discombobulator is on now? Because I would not describe your recent behavior as combobulated.” (07:27)

• Trump's Strange Fundraising Tactics

  • Colbert highlights the odd, desperate tone of Trump’s latest Valentine’s Day fundraising emails, mocking their urgency and personal appeals: “‘I hope you still love me, Chris. I didn't think you'd leave me hanging this close to Valentine's Day.’ It's kind of creepy, but not the first time a president has made this kind of plea…” (07:45)

• Epstein Files & Bizarre News

  • Discusses recently-released Jeffrey Epstein documents, lampooning their odd details such as Steve Bannon’s grooming advice and Epstein’s infamous bran muffins.
  • Pizza Hut’s closure of hundreds of locations leads to Colbert’s observation that “America’s favorite salad is Ultimate Hut Bundle.”

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2. The Conversation: James Taylor (Interview)

(13:12 – End)

Love Songs & Broadway (13:41–18:46)

• Colbert & Taylor on Favorite Love Songs

  • Colbert asks Taylor about his favorite love song:

    “What’s James Taylor’s favorite love song?”
    Taylor: “‘The Way You Look Tonight.’”
    Colbert agrees, both praising Tony Bennett’s rendition. (13:59–14:09)

  • A playful detour into “Guys and Dolls” and the brilliance of classic musical theater.

• 25th Anniversary & Travel

  • Taylor discusses plans to celebrate his 25th anniversary with his wife Kim—opting for staying put versus traveling, ultimately choosing a Caribbean trip and joking about his awkwardness at tropical latitudes. (15:20–16:17)

• On Language Learning

  • Taylor shares he’s studying Spanish on Duolingo, prompting Colbert to joke about the app's random example sentences. (16:40–16:54)

Musical & Biopic Projects (16:56–21:50)

• ‘Fire and Rain’ Musical

  • Taylor details his “dream team” creative partners for the Tracy Letts-penned musical based on his songs. He describes the surreal experience of having such top talent involved and the lengthy, often years-long timeline for musical theater projects.
    • Notable quote:
      “I just feel, you know, I’m just waiting for the whole thing to fall to pieces and I wake up. But really, no, it’s a great…” (17:12–17:53)

• Biopics and Taylor’s Life

  • Colbert wonders why there isn’t a James Taylor biopic. Taylor, wry:

    “I will tell you why there’s no James Taylor biopic yet. And that’s because God is merciful.” (18:46)

  • Taylor expresses reluctance, citing the challenges of revisiting old memories — especially anything after 1970, “because those people are still walking around.” (18:59–19:29)
  • When it comes to potential actors, Taylor jokes about casting Moe and Curly of The Three Stooges as his younger and older selves, then warms to Colbert’s suggestion of the tall actor Jacob Elordi. Taylor reflects that biopics tend to “set who you are for history.”

Songwriting & Taylor’s Catalog (21:55–28:06)

• Top Five James Taylor Songs (per James Taylor)

  • Prompted by Colbert, Taylor lists:
    • “Mean Old Man” (“Paul McCartney bought the album because of it.”) (22:49–23:05)
    • “Millworker” (“Springsteen once performed it.”)
    • “Sweet Baby James”
    • “Frozen Man” (“Dylan commented on it.”)
    • “Carolina”
  • Colbert jokes that these will be “notarized and placed in a titanium chamber.” (24:27)

• Song Vaults and Writing Process

  • Taylor explains that nearly every finished song gets recorded:

    “Basically, if it doesn’t get finished. If it gets finished, it gets recorded.” (25:46)

  • He’s still writing, with “a mess of brand new starts on stuff,” admitting playfully they “sound just like the old stuff.” (26:02)

  • His creative process typically starts with guitar chords that “take me around in a circle and come back or else deliver me to a new place,” leading the melody and then the lyrics to follow. (26:44–27:44)

  • He remarks that he’s released an album in every decade since the 1960s and hints, “it’s time for a 20s album.” (27:40–28:06)

On Carole King, Classic Songs, and Friendship (28:53–32:51)

• ‘Mudslide Slim’ Anniversary and ‘You’ve Got a Friend’

  • Taylor shares how he first heard Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend”:

    • He and King were longtime collaborators, both supporting each other’s work.
    • King debuted the song at LA’s Troubadour, and Taylor recalls, “I literally ran to find my guitar so that I could play it.” (29:26–31:31)

  • He ended up recording it before King’s own version was released; King’s response when he told her:

    “She said, ‘That’s great.’ It was typically generous.” (32:06–32:10)

  • Carole King told Taylor his line in “Fire and Rain” (“I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend”) inspired her to write “You’ve Got a Friend”:

    “I’m going to tell him he does have a friend.” (32:42)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Colbert on Church-State Separation:
  “As American, I believe in the separation of church and breakfast. The mass, then brunch.” (01:07)

• Colbert on Presidential Cognitive Test Bragging:
  “Also, where is the head? It’s right here, okay? And not many people can handle the final question. Where is the head? Giraffe.” (06:27)

• James Taylor on a James Taylor Biopic:
  “I will tell you why there’s no James Taylor biopic yet. And that’s because God is merciful.” (18:46)

• On Carole King’s Songwriting Inspiration:
  “She said, you know that line in Fire and Rain, ‘I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend.’ She said that’s what inspired that song. ‘You’ve Got a Friend…’” (32:15)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:49–12:01: Monologue – Political humor, Trump at Prayer Breakfast, odd news.
• 13:12: Colbert introduces James Taylor.
• 13:41–14:30: Favorite love songs and the brilliance of “Guys and Dolls.”
• 15:20–16:17: Taylor on his 25th anniversary and a trip to the Caribbean.
• 16:40–16:54: Taylor learning Spanish on Duolingo.
• 16:56–18:05: “Fire and Rain” musical update.
• 18:46–21:17: Why there’s no James Taylor biopic and who could play him in one.
• 22:10–24:27: Taylor’s top five self-written songs.
• 25:07–27:44: Taylor’s songwriting process and vault.
• 27:40–28:06: New music potentially on the way – “it’s time for a 20s album.”
• 28:53–32:51: The story behind “You’ve Got a Friend,” Taylor and Carole King’s friendship.
• 32:15–32:42: King’s “You’ve Got a Friend” inspired by Taylor’s “Fire and Rain” lyric.

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Tone & Language

Conversation is warm, wry, and peppered with Colbert’s quick-witted humor. Taylor matches the tone with gentle self-deprecation, dry asides, and inviting anecdotes about legendary peers.

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In summary:
This episode offers classic Colbert blend—sharp current events satire, heartfelt celebrity conversation, and unique revelations. Taylor shares stories of music, friendship, and creativity, including the touching origin of “You’ve Got a Friend,” making this extended interview rich for fans of late night and singer-songwriter history alike.

Transcript

[Stephen Colbert]

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[James Taylor]

What do you have to lose?

[Stephen Colbert]

Give it a [e-mail] Switch limited time.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Stephen Colbert]

Why have I asked my electrician I found on Angie.com to bury my pet hamster? I was so moved by how carefully he buried my electrical wires. I knew I could trust him to bury my sweet nibbles after his untimely end.

[James Taylor]

This is very strange, Angie.

[Commercial Announcer]

The one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find pros for all your home [e-mail].

[Stephen Colbert]

Thank you. You're very kind. Welcome, welcome one and all to the Late show. I'm your host, Stephen Colbert. Ladies and gentlemen.

[James Taylor]

I don't.

[Stephen Colbert]

Down in D.C. this morning they held the annual National Prayer Breakfast. And they hold one every year. It's been going on for a long time, since we were kids. All the politicians show up and it seems fine. But frankly, I've always been uncomfortable with it because as American, I believe in the separation of church and breakfast. The mass, then brunch. Okay, church, you get a church, then the donuts and bad coffee. Now, Trump, of course President Trump was down there this morning, did some special material just for the prayer munchers.

[Donald Trump]

I think I've been here just about every time. It's hard to turn it down. I don't have the courage to turn it down. Sometimes I want to. Last time I came, I got in at 4 in the morning. They said, sir, you're going to be speaking at 7. They said, really? Oh, that's wonderful.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes, I said it was really wonderful. It was wonderful. Despite no sleep, it was great. Pretending to pray. Dear holy Jesus. Wow, look at all the bacon. Thank you for your attention to this platter. Before he got on stage, Trump was introduced by his spiritual advisor and haunted Bloomingdale's mannequin Paula White Cain. Here's how she brought Trump out.

[James Taylor]

It is my great honor to introduce.

[Stephen Colbert]

And I think I can say this.

[James Taylor]

Not as senior advisor, but as his friend, the goat, the greatest of all time.

[Stephen Colbert]

Now, I'm not an Ordained minister. But as a Christian, I thought the greatest of all time was the guy named Jesus. Still, I mean, you have to admit, still holds the record for saves. But I will agree that Trump is the goat because I believe he would eat a bicycle tire if you put it on a bun. And just because we're talking about Paula White Cane, I am legally obligated to show you this clip of her preaching in tongues. I love that. Maybe she's the goat. Can we play a little bit more of that footage?

[Donald Trump]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

And also with you.

[James Taylor]

There you go, buddy.

[Stephen Colbert]

And then, while Trump was all in on the prayer breakfast, he was less enthusiastic about other prayer meals.

[Donald Trump]

Mike Johnson's a very religious person, and he does not hide it. He'll say to me sometimes at lunch, sir, may we pray? Say, excuse me, we're having lunch, sir.

[Stephen Colbert]

Let me explain. You see, when people see you eat, a lot of people just start praying. But let's see. Oh, people will be praying about this. Super bowl is coming up on Sunday.

[Donald Trump]

So.

[Stephen Colbert]

One of the teams. So Trump sat down with Tom Yamas on NBC for the traditional pre. Pre super bowl interview. And at one point, they talked about ice.

[James Taylor]

Speaking of Minneapolis, what did you learn?

[Donald Trump]

I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch.

[Stephen Colbert]

You think it's like that quote from Godzilla. My takeaway. I could have watched where I stepped. Then he's eating that. He's eating a train. He's eating a subway car. It's nice. Then Yamas asked about the tragic deaths of Renee Goode and Alex Preddy.

[Donald Trump]

Two people. It's bad. I hate it. I hate even talking about it. Two people out of tens of thousands. Okay. And you get bad publicity.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. Turns out. Well, at least you're booing in unison.

[James Taylor]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

It turns out you kill people, you're going to have a rough news cycle. Even among the people who, like you, remember how much money General Mills lost when Sonny Cuckoo went criminally insane for Cocoa Puffs? They still haven't. They still haven't found Snap, Crackle or Pop's bodies. Don't really know what that joke means, but I enjoyed it. No idea what that joke means, but I enjoyed it. Despite the footage we just showed you, Trump bragged about the cognitive and defended his brain.

[Donald Trump]

I think it's very important. I've done more physicals. I take physicals just to give the report out. I take cognitive physicals, so I do a cognitive mind test. Okay. No other president has agreed to do them. I do them because I have no problem with it. Because I'm 100%.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm 100%, okay. I'm 100%. No, listen. No, listen. I'm 100% okay. I pass all the harder tests, all the hard tests they give me. Where's the head here? Also. Also, where is the head? It's right here, okay? And not many people can handle the final question. Where is the head? Giraffe. Trump also bragged about. I know what that joke's. Trump also bragged about a secret new weapon, this technology that we use down in Venezuela, and he apparently named it himself.

[James Taylor]

You talked about the weapon, the discombobulator.

[Donald Trump]

Discombobulator. Well, I'm not allowed to talk about it.

[James Taylor]

What does that do?

[Donald Trump]

Let me just tell you. You know what it does? None of their equipment works. That's what it does. Everything was. It was my name. I'm very proud of the name. Everything was discombobulated, Tom. It discombobulated everything.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sir, is there any chance the discombobulator is on now? Because. I would not describe your recent behavior as combobulated. Even though he can never run for office again, Trump is still fundraising. And just like Trump, his fundraising emails keep getting weirder. Like the one he sent a couple of days ago asking, will I hear from you before Valentine's Day? With a button that says, take poll. Just what everyone wants on Valentine's Day. A 79 year old man begging you to take poll. The spam email. The spam email, which in this case was addressed to some supporter named Chris, continues. I hope you still love me, Chris. I didn't think you'd leave me hanging this close to Valentine's Day. It's kind of creepy, but not the first time a president has made this kind of plea. Mr. Gorbachev, why won't Chris call? That's not the only. There was another Valentine's email that read, tick, tick, tick. That's the sound of your Trump membership on its last leg. Why would your leg be ticking? Chris? I've strapped a bomb to your thigh if you ever want to see your shins again. Take poll. Really very nice. Speaking of Trump's romantic tendencies, the Epstein files. We're still. Yeah, I agree. We're still barfing our way through the millions of pages released last week and learning new disturbing tidbits every day. For instance, Trump whisperer Steve Bannon apparently would advise Epstein on personal grooming. Always, always smart to take grooming tips from a guy who looks like a blowfish in a tank full of vodka. Okay, that may be unfair. Bannon also looks like a Frankenstein made from expired lunch meat and also a pile of dirty underwear that wished to be a real boy. Another unsettling detail from these files is that Jeffrey Epstein apparently made bran muffins that were very popular. I know that's a weird tidbit, but many folks evidently were willing to overlook his depraved sexual criminality to ask. That gives new meaning to the question, do you know the muffin man now? The recipe has gone viral because people are weird and clearly irregular. Because it calls for a half cup of flax seeds, a half cup of ground flaxseed mixture, a full cup of raisins, and 4 cups of digestive bran. That's not a muffin. That's an emergency medical device that is the jaws of life for your colon. The next story. This next story is close to my heart because that's where my stomach is. And I want you to brace yourself. Friends. Pizza Hut is closing hundreds of locations. I know it's rough news, but it does explain their new slogan. Damn. The Hut got out pizzaed. According to the company, the downturn in Pizza Hut's business is due to declining sales. And the Nobel Prize in Economics goes to Pizza Hut. Wouldn't that be great if they won the Nobel Prize in Economics? Wait, so the sales go down and the business closes? Okay, another issue might be that when you go to Pizza Hut's website and click salads, you get popular pizzas. We can't lose the Hut. They're the only ones who understand that America's favorite salad is Ultimate Hut Bundle. By the way, if you developed an ultimate Hut bundle, try one of Epstein's muffins. We got a great show for you tonight.

[James Taylor]

Coming up.

[Commercial Announcer]

James Taylor.

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[Stephen Colbert]

Folks, you know my guest tonight is a six time Grammy award winning musical legend who is in the songwriters and rock and roll halls of fame. Please welcome back to the late show our friend and yours, Mr. James Taylor. Hey, good to see you. Oh, it's a pleasure.

[Donald Trump]

How are you?

[Stephen Colbert]

There you go. Cheers.

[James Taylor]

Yeah, cheers.

[Stephen Colbert]

There's to you.

[James Taylor]

Here's to you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Here's how long may you wave.

[James Taylor]

There you go.

[Stephen Colbert]

Now, you saw Evie was out here just a little while ago. Did you say hi? Have you guys said hi? Wonderful. Yeah. Came back next week, Valentine's Day. As we're talking here, I'm just curious, what's James Taylor's favorite love song? Lights are down, candles are on needle drops. What is James Taylor playing?

[James Taylor]

You know, I love that. The way you look tonight. You know that, too.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, that's my absolute favorite. That's your favorite? Oh, yeah, yeah. Tony Bennett's the way you look tonight.

[James Taylor]

Yeah, yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Unless James Taylor does a.

[James Taylor]

Is that Frank Lesser?

[Stephen Colbert]

What?

[James Taylor]

Is that Frank Lesser?

[Stephen Colbert]

I wish it is. I don't think it's in Guys and Dolls, but it could be Frank Lesser. Yeah, it's fantastic.

[James Taylor]

Oh, that's right. Frank Lesser wrote Guys and Dolls. Well, and the love song in that in Guys and Dolls. Isn't that great? There's some great, great songs.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, the love song Guys and dolls might be the only song that's not great.

[James Taylor]

I've never been in love before.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But every other song is great, guys. And Dallas is. Is a. Is a banger, as the kids say. Yeah, yeah.

[James Taylor]

As a. Yeah, sit down. You're rocking the boat.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, 100%. Yeah.

[James Taylor]

Marry the man today, huh?

[Stephen Colbert]

Fugue for tin horns. Yeah, yeah.

[James Taylor]

Great. Yeah, yeah. I got the horse right here.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, yeah. Which is fugue for ten horns.

[James Taylor]

Oh. Oh, yeah, yeah. That's the name of that.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's the name. It's called fugue for ten horns. Oh, yeah. I don't want to tell James Taylor about music, but I'm telling you about music right now. This month, you're celebrating your 25th anniversary with your lovely wife Kim. How are you? 25? That's big. How are you celebrating?

[James Taylor]

Well, we're gonna take. You know, both Kim and I are used to traveling for a living a lot, so.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, touring.

[James Taylor]

Yeah, touring. And she's been with Boston Symphony forever, so. They were always traveling. And so, you know, when we have time off, we tend to want to stay put. But we're gonna take a trip together.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, that's nice. Any particular region? Tell us the region. We're gonna.

[James Taylor]

The region is the Caribbean.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, nice, nice. What's James Taylor like in the Caribbean? Are you like a beach guy? Are you like a layback on the beach? Or do you have to be doing things?

[James Taylor]

I look like I don't belong there in so many ways.

[Stephen Colbert]

Like, you've been beached and you should be back in the water, or you just shouldn't even be at that latitude.

[James Taylor]

Like, I'm up to something shady, maybe, and. Yeah, no, it's. But we're going to go down to St. Barts. We're going to at least.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, it's nice. That's fancy.

[James Taylor]

It is.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's very fancy. Yeah.

[James Taylor]

But we get to practice our French a little bit. Mais oui, pour poi pas.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's very. That's very. Savre, baby.

[James Taylor]

Oui, honey. That about taps me out.

[Stephen Colbert]

But it's very romantic, the French. Do you speak any other languages? Do you habla l'? Espagnol?

[James Taylor]

A little bit of Espanol? I've been studying it, actually. On Duolingo.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure.

[James Taylor]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

The mouse and the bear need an apartment. Exactly. Good luck.

[James Taylor]

Really good, Useful stuff.

[Stephen Colbert]

Exactly. And last year was announced that your songs inspired a musical called Fire and Rain that is being written by Tracy Letts, that's doing the book. And I that fantastic, big fan of Tracy's, big fan of yours. Any updates on that?

[James Taylor]

Well, you know, it's really. I feel as though I stepped into this world at the very top possible level. A friend of mine, Gail Berman, who's a producer and an agent in Los Angeles, called up and sort of floated the idea. And, you know, she's fantastic. And Tracy and our director, David Cromer, I mean, it's like it's a dream team, really. So I just feel, you know, I'm just waiting for the whole thing to fall to pieces and I wake up. But really, no, it's a great.

[Stephen Colbert]

Any idea when we're going to see this?

[James Taylor]

You know, the trajectory for these things is really quite long sometimes.

[Stephen Colbert]

So a decade or two.

[James Taylor]

No, I don't think I've got quite that much time. So I think. I think, you know, but typically, I'm told it can be from the time somebody first hatches the idea to when it actually opens on Broadway. Can easily be seven years.

[Stephen Colbert]

A lot of music biopics lately. You know, we have. We got the Springsteen biopic, we got Dylan, we got Elvis a couple years ago. Why no James Taylor biopic? I read your, like your. I listened to your audible sort of memoir. Fascinating stuff in there. I mean, like, you just call it sweet baby.

[James Taylor]

I will tell you why there's no James Taylor biopic yet. And that's because God is merciful.

[Stephen Colbert]

Just some stuff you don't want to go by. You just don't want to look back. Okay.

[James Taylor]

You know. Yeah, I mean, I. I did that audible piece and, and that was the first 21 years, which was, you know, basically nobody could really check it because there's no proving or disproving any of it. But, but. And most of the people involved are dead or don't care anymore. But, but once you get. Once I get, you know, past 1970, basically, yeah. I start running into trouble if I, If I, you know, there. Those people are still walking around.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes, there's a paper trail, but at the very least, how about this? Wouldn't you want to see somebody portray you? Like who. If you could pick the actor, you know, who's gonna, you know, Jeremy White play Springsteen. Timothy Chalamet did Dylan, you know, you know, Austin Butler did Elvis. Who would you.

[James Taylor]

Well, all three of those guys would be great. And. No, I. I think maybe like Mo from the Three Stooges could do. He could do the early part.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure, sure, sure. With that, that haircut of yours.

[James Taylor]

Yeah, yeah. And then, you know, as time passes, we could. Curly could take over the, for the, for the, for the later years, you know, like. Yeah, right.

[Stephen Colbert]

How tall. How tall are you, James? How tall are you? Six two. What are you, six two. What about Jacob Elordi? He's tall.

[James Taylor]

That's a great idea.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. Would you enjoy that?

[James Taylor]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's great. Yeah. I don't know. You know, it's funny, like, I think about the biopics and the people who I've. Who historical figures that I've seen movies made about them and, you know, it's a big deal. It's sort of like you're suddenly set in stone. You know, it really kind of. Particularly if it has any success at all, it basically set. That's who you are for history. Like there are two or three films that sort of define Winston Churchill for me. Spielberg's film about Lincoln, you know, that's who I sort of in my mind think Lincoln is.

[Stephen Colbert]

So, you know, Daniel Day Lewis could play you. Wow.

[James Taylor]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

You know, I got to imagine a man with your success and the longevity of your career, you must have seen biopics of musicians that, you know. Like, you were there and you know what actually happened. Like, have you ever been watching, like, one of these biopics and go, bull. That's not. Like, has that ever happened to you? Like, you know, I was there. I was in the room, or I even just know that person, and that's not what they're like.

[James Taylor]

I'm sure if I could remember anything at all, that would be.

[Stephen Colbert]

What are? What are? What are? I've asked, you know, various. Various musicians this question before about their own work. I'm gonna try it with you right now. James Taylor. What are James Taylor's top five James Taylor songs?

[James Taylor]

They told me. They told me you were gonna ask that question.

[Stephen Colbert]

They're not supposed to tell you, but I get.

[James Taylor]

All right.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, you brought a notebook.

[James Taylor]

Yeah, I did.

[Stephen Colbert]

I wish more guests brought props.

[James Taylor]

Yes. Well, I'll bet you do.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[James Taylor]

Yeah. No, it. It's hard. You know, Paul McCartney got in touch with me at one point. I know. You asked this question of Paul, too, didn't you?

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, I guess.

[James Taylor]

Yeah. And he. He. He. He commented on a song that I had written, said he really liked it, that he. He bought the album because of it. So that's got to go in there.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. What's that?

[James Taylor]

That's called Mean Old Man. Mean Old man song of mine called. Ah, a smatter.

[Stephen Colbert]

What album is it from?

[James Taylor]

A single smatter right up there.

[Stephen Colbert]

What album is that from?

[James Taylor]

That's a tough one. That's from October Road.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. Me an old man. Okay, got it. All right, that's one.

[James Taylor]

And I know that Bruce Springsteen liked my song and performed it once from a musical of Studs Terkel's book Working a song called Millworker.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure, I know Millworker. Sure. Okay, that's two.

[James Taylor]

So I guess that goes in there now. Yeah. I think Sweet baby James probably has to go.

[Stephen Colbert]

Four.

[James Taylor]

Oh, yeah. And Dylan. Dylan commented. He and I did a job together at the Apollo Theater and a benefit for something going on up there. I think it was for the Apollo itself. And Dylan said, I really like that song. God have mercy on the frozen man.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, that is four. Let's bring it home. James Taylor.

[James Taylor]

Well, I guess Carolina. Carolina.

[Stephen Colbert]

All right, these will be. These will be notorized and placed in a titanium chamber so it's never. It's never forgotten. You're going on tour across the United States and Europe soon. But before you do that, you know, obviously we. We love to hear the, the, the hits. We love to hear the things that we remember. Obviously we all want to hear Mean Old man and. But are you the sort of person, you've written so many songs. Do you have like a vault of like unreleased music that we'll someday get to hear?

[James Taylor]

Yeah. You know, in the beginning it felt as, it felt as though like songs were being like squeezed out of me. Like, like toothpaste. Maybe not like toothpaste, but, but you know, extruded. Sort of like there was pressure to get them out.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, so it's just like you couldn't actually keep them, hold them in.

[James Taylor]

Right, right. But then as, as time goes by and you've made a couple of records and the record company wants a new one and you've got an audience that's enthusiastic about something new, it sort of changes subtly to sort of feeling as though they're being pulled out of you, you know.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, sure.

[James Taylor]

So, you know, there are very few things that I've written that haven't been recorded. It basically, if it doesn't get finished. If it gets finished, it gets recorded.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. But you're still writing music.

[James Taylor]

I am. I've got a mess of brand new starts on stuff. I mean they sound just like the old stuff, but they, you know.

[Commercial Announcer]

Uh huh.

[Stephen Colbert]

What's your process? I'm curious, what's your process? I talked to Paul Simon about his process, which is fascinating. I'm just curious, what's yours?

[James Taylor]

Well, what's his process?

[Stephen Colbert]

He'll often start with a rhythm. He'll often start with a rhythm and then he'll write the lyrics to that rhythm. I mean, that's one way he's explained it.

[James Taylor]

Yeah, Yeah, well.

[Stephen Colbert]

Start with rhythm.

[James Taylor]

Yeah, well I do you just sit.

[Stephen Colbert]

There and go plunk, plunk.

[James Taylor]

And eventually something ting, a ting and. Yeah, no, I, I usually come up with a sort of a musical, sort of a wheel, like a series of chord changes that take me around in a circle and come back or else deliver me to a new. To a bridge or a new place or a chorus. And often that will have a melody that just happens because of that musical vocabulary. And often that melody will have a cadence to it that, that somewhere in my brain language gets connected to. So I often. But it usually starts with me playing the guitar, coming up with a set of changes and then, you know, the music sort of fills itself in. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

And how's that process going these days? Can we expect a new album?

[James Taylor]

Well, you know, someone pointed out to me that I released an album in the past six decades, I've released an album in every decade. 60s, 60s, 70s, a lot of 70s, quite a few 80s, few 90s, an album in the OTS, in the aughts, and then the last one was a teens album and it's time for a 20s album.

[Stephen Colbert]

We have to take a quick break here, but stick around. We'll be right back with more James Taylor, everybody.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Stephen Colbert]

Hey, everybody. We're back with the one, the only, Mr. James Taylor. This year is the 55th anniversary of your third studio album, Mudslide Slim and the Blue Horizon. And tonight, for this audience, you're gonna play. You Can Close youe Eyes off that album for us. If I got that correct, sir. The album also has you've Got a Friend, you know, Carole King's, you know, great, great song. When did you first hear that? You guys obviously knew each other.

[James Taylor]

We sure did. Yeah. Carol and I, you know, I had always. I sort of channeled a lot of Carol without really knowing it because she was still. She wrote so many great songs, you know, pop songs. And she was a, a pen for hire. And she and Jerry Gothin just wrote so many fantastic songs that I learned and, and loved. So when I finally got to meet Carol out on the west coast, you know, she and I just clicked and she was, she played piano on, on my Sweet Baby James album. And beautifully, it was a really. Just a great collaboration. And I played on Tapestry and then we went on the road together. She was in my band and we were playing a job together at the Troubadour, a dive, really, in Los Angeles, but an important gig to play. And she and I were going back for the second or third engagement at the Troubadour. And she broke the seal on this brand new tune and I just, I was sure I knew the song already because it was so, you know, it was such a classic immediately. And I literally ran to find my guitar so that I could play it. Well, a couple of weeks later, we were in the recording studio and we had already recorded tracks for two of my songs on that, on that album on Mudslide Slim. And, you know, we had a couple of hours left. So that's typically the time when, when someone will think of a cover. And that's how we ended up doing How Sweet It Is and Handyman and up on the Roof. And you know, it's just like someone. It's just at the spur of the moment, drop of the hat, we do a quick arrangement and boom. And in this case, I had learned this song of Carol's and I said.

[Stephen Colbert]

Let'S play that song of Carol's.

[James Taylor]

Well, you know, she's in the studio making a tapestry. And here's the.

[Stephen Colbert]

So no one's heard the song before. You're literally playing a song of hers that hadn't been released by her.

[James Taylor]

That's right. And she's recording. Of course she wants to record that song. It's the best song written by a human being, you know. So I blithely go and record the song and then we really like the way it sounded. So I had to go to Carol and say, I sort of cut your hit. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

And what did she say?

[James Taylor]

She said, that's great.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. She was, she was. That's very generous of her.

[James Taylor]

It was, it was. It was typically generous. And I'll tell you too, she told me, she said, you know that line in Fire and Rain, I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend. She said that's what inspired that song. You've got a friend, she said. I heard those lines and I was thinking to myself, I'm going to tell him he does have a friend.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, that's extraordinary.

[James Taylor]

It really was an amazing thing.

[Stephen Colbert]

And you heard it without knowing. You heard it without knowing.

[James Taylor]

Oh, man, it just.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. Well, James, thanks so much. It's always lovely to see you. Thank you for listening to the Late Show POD show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.

[Commercial Announcer]

I'm back.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm really back.

[Commercial Announcer]

School Spirits returns.

[Stephen Colbert]

Why am I here?

[James Taylor]

Not dead.

[Stephen Colbert]

Right? This place is an absolute death trap.

[James Taylor]

We need to get out of here now.

[Commercial Announcer]

School Spirits new season now streaming only on Paramount plus at Pluto tv, we're celebrating Black History Month with award winning films like Dream Girls and Selma.

[James Taylor]

We must make a massive demonstration and.

[Commercial Announcer]

Full seasons of hit shows like Power.

[Stephen Colbert]

I got you. Brilliant.

[Commercial Announcer]

Black Entertainment is on Pluto TV stream now. Hey, never.