Grammy Global Header

Grammy Hamburger Menu

Global Hamburger Menu

GRAMMY_lockup_stacked_black

Subscribe Nav

Subscribe Nav Newsletter Form

Be the first to find out about GRAMMY nominees, winners, important news, and events.

checkmark-gold

Subscribe Social Links

Join us on Social

The ’70s would prove, among many other things, the era of the sensitive singer/songwriter, and being a great one would prove a rewarding experience at the 14th Annual GRAMMY Awards held at New York’s Felt Forum (now The Theater at Madison Square Garden). Broadcast live on ABC for the second year, and hosted again by Andy Williams, the GRAMMY Awards were dominated by a woman who was on the opposite coast with a newborn child—<a href="/grammys/artists/carole-king">Carole King</a>, who won Record Of The Year (“It’s Too Late”), Album Of The Year (Tapestry), Song Of The Year (“You’ve Got A Friend”) and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female (Tapestry). And as if that wasn’t impressive enough, King’s “You’ve Got A Friend” also helped her friend <a href="/grammys/artists/james-taylor-1">James Taylor</a> win Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, while <a href="/grammys/artists/quincy-jones">Quincy Jones</a> won Best Pop Instrumental Performance for Smackwater Jack, named after another great song King co-wrote with early Brill Building partner and former husband Gerry Goffin.

Andy Williams started the show off by mentioning some records that were not nominated, including “Joy To The World” by Archie Bunker of “All In The Family” fame (the groundbreaking sitcom about a lovable bigot had launched in 1971), “I Am...I Said” by Richard Nixon (the Watergate scandal was just beginning to break), and “Shaft” as recorded by the James Frey of his day, Clifford Irving (Irving had published a faux “authorized” biography of recluse Howard Hughes).

Then in a nod to the show being held in such close proximity to the Great White Way, Williams introduced the cast of Godspell to perform an uplifting medley of two songs from the show: “Prepare Ye The Way Of The Lord” and “Day By Day.” In a noteworthy time capsule moment, Anthony Newley and the most musical Brady of all, Florence Henderson, presented the award for Best Score From An Original Cast Show Album, which Godspell composer Stephen Schwartz accepted in what looked very much like a denim tux.

The now late great Janis Joplin was rightly nominated for Best R&amp;B Vocal Performance, Female, alongside <a href="/grammys/artists/aretha-franklin">Aretha Franklin</a>, Diana Ross, Freda Payne and Jean Knight, with the Queen of Soul winning out for her stirring rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” The 5th Dimension did one of their entertaining singing presentations of the nominees, ultimately handing out the Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group award to the Carpenters for their self-titled 1971 album, which, in a Beatlesesque nod, became known to fans as “the tan album.”

More surprising was the usually stone-faced TV legend Ed Sullivan appearing to present the GRAMMY for Best Comedy Recording and getting a few laughs at his own expense. “I think it’s safe to say that after 23 years on television my comedy talent wasn’t obvious to anyone,” Sullivan joked. A shot of nominees Cheech &amp; Chong in the audience in full freak regalia makes one wish they had won so that there could be a shot of them and Sullivan embracing, but the award went instead to the great Lily Tomlin (This Is A Recording) who, like a several among the night’s winners, was not present to accept. Leonard Bernstein was there to pick up a special award, but explained he had a reason to leave early. “I could go on also interminably except that I have to rush back to my television set to see West Side Story on the other channel,” Bernstein explained. “Don’t you turn that dial,” host Williams then warned with a smile after Bernstein had exited.

The night offered other pleasant surprises, including a characteristically fine performance by the Bill Evans Trio. Evans didn’t smile as he played, but broke into a grin after winning the GRAMMY for Best Jazz Performance By A Group for The Bill Evans Album—one of his two awards for the night. Williams offered a preview of the upcoming film of The Concert For Bangladesh, and later presented a Trustees Award to an absent Beatles, explaining, “They were a revelation and a revolution.”

But sometimes such absences were charming. When King won her third award for the night for Record Of The Year, Herb Alpert—presenting with Karen and Richard Carpenter—smiled and said, “Well, she had triplets.”

You've Got A Friend (Single)

Theme From Shaft (Single)

My Sweet Lord (Single)

Joy To The World (Single)

It's Too Late

Record Of The Year

Tapestry

Shaft (Album)

Jesus Christ Superstar (Album)

Carpenters

All Things Must Pass (Album)

Album Of The Year

You've Got A Friend

Rose Garden

Me And Bobby Mc Gee (Single)

It's Impossible (Single)

Help Me Make It Through The Night

Song Of The Year

Best New Artist Of The Year

Theme From Summer Of '42

Theme From Shaft

The Rite Of Spring

Nightingale II (Track)

Earth

Best Instrumental Arrangement

What's Going On

Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey

Superstar (Single)

Long Ago Tomorrow (Single)

Freedom And Fear (Track)

Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)

Wings (Album)

The 5th Dimension/Live!! (Album)

Stones (Single)

Carpenters (Album)

Best Engineered Recording - Non-Classical

The Music Of Erik Satie: Through A Looking Glass (Album)

Sticky Fingers (Album)

Sharepickers (Album)

Pollution

Hot Platters (Album)

Black Pearl (Album)

Bark (Album)

B, S And T; 4 (Album)

Best Album Cover

This Is Benny Goodman (Album)

The Genius Of Louis Armstrong (Album)

Sam, Hard And Heavy

Piano Rags By Scott Joplin (Album)

Music Of Varese (Album)

Miles Davis (Album)

Louis Armstrong July 4, 1900 - July 6, 1971 (Album)

Honky Tonkin' With Charlie Walker (Album)

Best Album Notes

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Single)

That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be (Single)

Gypsies, Tramps And Thieves (Single)

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female

It's Impossible (Album)

If You Could Read My Mind (Single)

I Am, I Said (Single)

Ain't No Sunshine (Single)

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male

How Can You Mend A Broken Heart (Single)

All I Ever Need Is You (Single)

Best Pop Vocal Performance By Duo, Group Or Chorus

Theme From Love Story

Smackwater Jack

Burt Bacharach (Album)

Best Pop Instrumental Performance

Pearl (Album)

Mr. Big Stuff (Single)

I Love You (Call Me) (Track)

Contact (Album)

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female

We Can Work It Out (Single)

Never Can Say Goodbye (Single)

Inner City Blues (Make You Wanna Holler) (Single)

Ain't Nobody Home (Single)

A Natural Man

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male

Respect Yourself (Album)

Theme From Shaft (Instrumental) (Single)

Proud Mary

If I Were Your Woman (Single)

Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Group

Smiling Faces Sometimes (Single)

Never Can Say Goodbye

Mr. Big Stuff

Ain't No Sunshine

Best Rhythm & Blues Song

There Is A God

The Five Blind Boys Of Alabama (Album)

Put Your Hand In The Hand Of The Man From Galilee

Pass Me Not (Single)

Great Moments In Gospel (Album)

Best Soul Gospel Performance

Joshua (Single)

How Can I Unlove You (Single)

He's So Fine (Single)

Good Lovin' (Single)

Best Country Vocal Performance, Female

When You're Hot, You're Hot

She's All I Got (Single)

Kiss An Angel Good Morning (Single)

I Won't Mention It Again (Single)

Easy Loving (Single)

Best Country Vocal Performance, Male

Rings (Single)

No Need To Worry

I Saw The Light (Single)

Better Move It On Home (Single)

After The Fire Is Gone

Best Country Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group

Snowbird

Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town (Single)

Rose Garden (Album)

Jerry Kennedy Plays: With All Due Respect To Kris Kristofferson (Album)

For The Good Times (Single)

Best Country Instrumental Performance

Best Country Song

The Pat Boone Family (Album)

Golden Streets Of Glory (Album)

Did You Think To Pray

Amazing Grace (Album)

Abide With Me (Album)

Best Sacred Performance (Musical)

Time To Get It Together (Album)

Put Your Hand In The Hand (Album)

Let Me Live

Jesus Christ, What A Man (Single)

He's Still King Of Kings (Album)

Best Gospel Performance (Other Than Soul Gospel)

They Call Me Muddy Waters

The Esso Trinidad Steel Band (Album)

Stormy Monday Blues

Mississippi Fred McDowell (Album)

Message To The Young (Album)

Javanese Court Gamelan (Album)

18th Century Traditional Music Of Japan (Album)

Best Ethnic Or Traditional Recording

New Orleans Suite

Hill Where The Lord Hides

Best Instrumental Composition

Shaft

Ryan's Daughter (Album)

Love Story (Album)

Friends (Album)

Bless The Beasts And Children (Album)

Best Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special

Two By Two (Album)

Touch

The Rothchilds (Album)

Godspell

Follies (Album)

Best Score From An Original Cast Show Album

Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory

The Story Of Scheherazade (Album)

Sex Explained For Children

Sesame St., Rubber Duckie And Other Songs From Sesame St. (Album)

Bill Cosby Talks To Kids About Drugs

Best Recording For Children

When I Was A Kid (Album)

This Is A Recording

Flip...The Flip Wilson Show (Album)

Cheech And Chong (Album)

Ajax Liquor Store (Single)

Best Comedy Recording

Will Rogers' U.S.A. (Album)

Long Day's Journey Into Night (Album)

I Can Hear It Now - The Sixties (Album)

Hamlet (Album)

Desiderata

Best Spoken Word Recording

The You And Me That Used To Be (Album)

The Bill Evans Album

Quintessential Recording Session (Album)

Phil Woods And His European Rhythm Machine At The Frankfurt Jazz Festival (Album)