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Symphonic Steps

Livingston Taylor composer, voice & guitar
BBC Concert Orchestra | Bill Elliott arranger & conductor

Release Date: January 24, 2025
Catalog #: BR8988
Format: Digital
20th Century
Orchestral
Vocal Music
Guitar
Orchestra
Voice

With several top 40 hits to his name and a remarkably diverse oeuvre spanning several different styles, Livingston Taylor is widely regarded for his creation of beautiful, introspective, and original songs and sparkling interpretations of the classic songbook. Pair his compositional talents and natural performance ability with the might, musicality, and precision of the BBC Concert Orchestra, and a spellbinding program of melodies old and new come to life.

Recorded live at the BBC’s renowned Maida Vale studio in London with music arranged and conducted by the Tony Award®-winning and GRAMMY®-nominated Bill Elliott, SYMPHONIC STEPS delivers a resounding fusion of folk and classical characteristics, an auditory experience that is nostalgic, tender, and uplifting. Effusing a warm, timeless tone, this Big Round Records release is further proof of the unwavering creativity and artistic zeal that has earned Livingston enthusiastic listeners worldwide.

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Track Listing & Credits

# Title Composer Performer
01 Glad I Know You Well Livingston Taylor Livingston Taylor, voice & guitar; BBC Concert Orchestra | Bill Elliot, conductor 4:45
02 I Will Be In Love With You Livingston Taylor Livingston Taylor, voice & guitar; BBC Concert Orchestra | Bill Elliot, conductor 4:31
03 When Sunny Gets Blue Marvin Fisher Jack Segal, lyrics; Livingston Taylor, voice & guitar; BBC Concert Orchestra | Bill Elliot, conductor 4:08
04 Answer My Prayer Livingston Taylor Livingston Taylor, voice & guitar; BBC Concert Orchestra | Bill Elliot, conductor 4:05
05 Everybody's Just Like Me Livingston Taylor Livingston Taylor, voice & guitar; BBC Concert Orchestra | Bill Elliot, conductor 3:51
06 Kitty Hawk Livingston Taylor Livingston Taylor, voice & guitar; BBC Concert Orchestra | Bill Elliot, conductor 3:51
07 Carolina In My Mind James Taylor Livingston Taylor, voice & guitar; BBC Concert Orchestra | Bill Elliot, conductor 3:35
08 Blind Livingston Taylor Livingston Taylor, voice & guitar; BBC Concert Orchestra | Bill Elliot, conductor 3:41
09 Over the Rainbow Harold Arlen Yip Harburg, lyrics; Livingston Taylor, voice & guitar; BBC Concert Orchestra | Bill Elliot, conductor 4:59
10 Railroad Medley arr. Bill Elliot Livingston Taylor, voice & guitar; BBC Concert Orchestra | Bill Elliot, conductor 5:22
11 Banjo Extravaganza Earl Scruggs Livingston Taylor, voice & banjo; BBC Concert Orchestra | Bill Elliot, conductor 5:02

Special Thanks To:
Gail Arnold

Thanks To:
Diane Arnold
Brittany Bethune
Ralph Jaccodine
Roger Katz
Eric L’Esperance
Greg Manocherian
Seth Rappaport
Mark Reichin
Loren Segan
Julie Webb

Management Ralph Jaccodine Management
Booking Seth Rappaport – Paladin Artists

Recorded June 23, 2023 at the Maida Vale BBC Studio in London, England, United Kingdom
Producers Bill Elliott, R. Berred Ouellette
Recording Engineers R.Berred Ouellette, Mike Hatch – Floating Earth Ltd
Assistant UK Engineers Alex Sermon, Grace Banks
Mixing R.Berred Ouelette, Bill Elliott
Additional Recording John Weston – Futura Productions
Mastering Melanie Montgomery

Photography Evan Jaccodine

Executive Producer Bob Lord

A&R Director Brandon MacNeil

VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette

VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Chelsea Kornago
Digital Marketing Manager Brett Iannucci

Artist Information

Livingston Taylor

Composer, Guitarist, Vocalist

Livingston Taylor picked up his first guitar at the age of 13, which began a more than 50-year career that has encompassed performance, songwriting, and teaching. Born in Boston and raised in North Carolina, Livingston is the fourth child in a very musical family that includes Alex, James, Kate, and Hugh. Taylor recorded his first record at the age of 19 and has continued to create beautifully crafted, introspective, original songs as well as sparkling interpretations of the classic songbook that have earned him enthusiastic listeners worldwide.

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Notes

Glad I Know You Well was featured on Taylor’s album Life is Good, released in 1988. The following year the album was the winner of the 1989 Boston Music Award for “Outstanding Folk Album” (other winners: Bobby Brown, Tracy Chapman, Tom Rush, and Aerosmith).

Livingston’s top 40 ballad, released in 1978 glows anew when the BBC Concert Orchestra wraps around the timeless melody and lyric of that terrific pop hit.

When Sunny Gets Blue is a song written by Marvin Fisher (music) and Jack Segal (lyrics), which has become a jazz standard. The song was originally recorded in September 1956 by Johnny Mathis backed by Ray Conniff and his Orchestra.

Livingston and Bill are big Johnny Mathis fans. That affection, in addition to the Fisher/Segal jazz standard with the best players in England make this recording inevitable.

Taylor teamed up with Carole Bayer Sager to pen the soaring Answer My Prayer. Two veteran songwriters together  at the top of their game. The original version  can be found on the album Last Alaska Moon (April 2010).

Liv’s rendition of what he believes to be James Taylor’s best pop song.

Harold Arlen’s (lyrics by Yip Harburg) ballad, Over The Rainbow, also known as Somewhere Over the Rainbow, is the 6th, and final, in a series of exclusive BBC Concert Orchestra song releases. The song was written for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, in which it was sung by actress Judy Garland in her starring role as Dorothy Gale. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and became Garland’s signature song.

The classic Arlen/Harburg ballad has become a Livingston Taylor signature song. It embodies the private and public person that millions have come to know and love.

Taylor and Bill Elliot’s brilliant rendition of Railroad Medley. The clickedy-clack of trains on tracks brings out the best of the classic pre-1960 songwriters. Liv and Bill were glad to get on board and turn those tunes into pure orchestral fun.

Who can resist the polar opposites of a banjo on the front porch of an Appalachian cabin and the lofty heights of 58 classical musicians? Certainly not Bill and Liv.

Videos

Glad I Know You Well

I Will Be In Love With You

When Sunny Gets Blue

Answer My Prayer

Over the Rainbow

Railroad Medley