Shower the People

"Shower the People" is the opening track on James Taylor's 1976 album In the Pocket.

Reception
Cash Box said that the song is "a meaningful ballad that will pick up a lot of FM airplay" said that it has "a way with melody and phrasing" similar to other Taylor songs. Record World said that "This midtempo offering is bolstered by a great singalong chorus."

Personnel

 * James Taylor – lead vocals, harmony vocals, acoustic guitars
 * Carly Simon – harmony vocals
 * Danny Kortchmar – electric guitars
 * Leland Sklar – bass guitar
 * Russ Kunkel – drums, percussion
 * Victor Feldman – orchestral bells, vibes
 * Clarence McDonald – Fender Rhodes, hornorgan
 * Nick DeCaro – hornorgan, voiceorgan

Chart performance
"Shower the People" reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. that fall, remaining in the Top 40 for eight weeks. It also topped the Easy Listening chart for one week, Taylor's third song to do so, following 1971's "You've Got a Friend" and 1975's "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)".

In Canada, the song fell short of the Pop Top 40; however, it did reach number one on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Covers

 * Christian rock singer Mylon LeFevre covered the song with his band Broken Heart on their 1990 album Crank It Up. Released as a single, their version peaked at number 4 on CCM Magazine Christian AC and Christian CHR charts.