# James Taylor and the Original Flying Machine

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
James Taylor and the Original Flying Machine is an archival release of 1966 recordings of American singer-songwriter James Taylor's band The Flying Machine (not to be confused with The Flying Machine of "Smile a Little Smile for Me" fame from 1969), first released in February 1971.

## History

The songs on the album were recorded with Taylor's band The Flying Machine in a late 1966 three-hour session in New York City's Select Sound Studios. They were produced by Chip Taylor, who had been involved in some recent pop hits, and Al Gorgoni, who also added harpsichord to the band's sound. The group felt the resulting tracks were of only demo quality. After "Night Owl" (b/w "Brighten Your Night with My Day") was released as an unsuccessful single by Jay Gee Records, a subsidiary of Jubilee Records, no work towards an album release went forward.
Taylor subsequently signed with Apple Records, failed commercially again, but then became a huge success with Warner Bros. Records on Sweet Baby James in 1970 and Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon in 1971. Euphoria Records then released the sessions using the name "The Original Flying Machine", to distinguish the group from the UK outfit The Flying Machine who had emerged in 1969 with the hit song "Smile a Little Smile for Me". The released album had modest success capitalizing on Taylor's fame, reaching #74 on the U.S. pop albums chart. Flying Machine member Danny Kortchmar was not pleased, saying "The people involved wouldn't spring for the money for a whole album of James' songs [in 1967]. So it seemed terrible years later when the same people put out the Flying Machine album of those few sessions."
The sessions were re-released by Gadfly Records, with additional short intros and two remixes, in 1996.

## Track listing

All songs by James Taylor except where noted.
* "Night Owl" 2:29
* "Brighten Your Night With My Day" 2:45
* "Kootch's Song" (Danny Kortchmar) 3:13
* "Knocking 'Round the Zoo" (Danny Kortchmar Lead Vocal) 2:59
* "Rainy Day Man" (James Taylor, Zach Wiesner) 3:16
* "Knocking 'Round the Zoo" (James Taylor Lead Vocal) 3:10
* "Something's Wrong" (Instrumental Version) 3:07
* 1996 Re-issue
* "Rainy Day Man" (James Taylor, Zach Wiesner) 3:16
* "Knocking 'Round the Zoo" (Intro) 0:53
* "Knocking 'Round the Zoo" (James Taylor Lead Vocal) 3:10
* "Something's Wrong" (Backing Track) 3:07
* "Night Owl" 2:29
* "Brighten Your Night With My Day" (Intro) 1:01
* "Brighten Your Night With My Day" 2:45
* "Kootch's Song" (Danny Kortchmar) 3:13
* "Knocking 'Round the Zoo" (Danny Kortchmar Lead Vocal) 2:59
* "Night Owl" (Remixed version)
* "Knocking 'Round the Zoo" (Remixed version)

## Personnel
### The Flying Machine

* James Taylor — guitar, vocals
* Danny Kortchmar — guitar, vocals
* Zachary Wiesner — bass
* Joel O'Brien — drums

### Additional recording musician

* Al Gorgoni — harpsichord

### Production

* Engineers: Wally Sheffey, Eddie Youngblood

## Charts

Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
| 1971 | Pop Albums | 74 |