Taxi / Harry Chapin

Taxi is a Harry Chapin song released on the Heads and Tales album. Taxi was his first hit and the song that launched his commercial success. Taxi peaked at 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Inspiration
Before his successful music career started and he was at a low point in his film editing career, Chapin applied for a New York City taxi drivers permit. He actually never did drive a Taxi. This song also was about a former girlfriend, Clare, not Sue. The characters in this song are also featured in Harry's 1980 song Sequel. In performances without the band, Harry would frequently bring audience members on stage to sing the high part in Taxi. One such appearance in outside Naples, Italy is described in the Purposely Hoodwinked blog.

First release

 * Heads and Tales (1972)

Live releases

 * Greatest Stories Live (1976)
 * Bottom Line Encore Collection: Harry Chapin (1998)

Anthologies

 * Anthology of Harry Chapin (1985)
 * Gold Medal Collection (1988)
 * Story of a Life (1999) - live version
 * VH1: Behind the Music (2001)
 * The Essentials: Harry Chapin (2002)
 * A Better Place to Be: The Songs of Harry Chapin (2002)
 * Harry Chapin Classics (2003)
 * Heads and Tales and Sniper and Other Love Songs (2004)
 * Introducing Harry Chapin (2006)

Videos

 * Rockpalast Live - 25th Anniversary (2002)

Covers

 * In 1973, Lee Hazlewood released a studio version of "Taxi" on his I'll be Your Baby Tonight. This album also includes a cover of "Better Place to Be".
 * In 1984, this song was performed by John Herrera on the Lies and Legends cast recording.
 * In 1994, Mandy Patinkin released a cover of this song on his Experiment. Patinkin frequently performs this song in concert.
 * In 2003, Roger Hernandez with Marty Gassner covered "Taxi" on his Partners in Crime.
 * In 2004, Joe Uveges covered "Taxi" on his Promise of Portage.
 * In 2006, Joe d'Urso & Stone Caravan covered "Taxi" on his Cause release on the Schoolhouse label.
 * In 2006, Steve Chapin and "Big John" Wallace perform this song live on the The Chapin Family album Harry Chapin: A Celebration in Song: Volume I.

Various artist anthologies

 * I've Got the Music in Me - The Mellow Seventies (1982) - Columbia House (5 record vinyl box collection)
 * Storytellers - Warner Special Products OP 2512 - vinyl
 * The Best of the King Biscuit Flower Hour (1987) - Canadian import - previously unreleased live recording (3 CD collection, cassette)
 * Singers & Songwriters (1990) - Time-Life/WSP (CD)
 * Troubadours of Folk: Singer- Songwriters of the 70's (1995)- (CD)
 * Listen to the Music: '70s Male Singer-Songwriters (1996) - (CD,cassette)
 * Folk Favorites of the 60's and 70's (1996) - Time-Life (CD, cassette)
 * The Singer and Songwriters Collection: Early 70s (2000) Time-Life WSP (CD)
 * Singers & Songwriters, Vol. 3 (2001) - Sony Music Special Products (CD)
 * A Celebration of American Folk Music (2001) - Reader's Digest//Sony Music Special Products
 * Eazy Rock Ultimate Collection (2006) - Canadian import
 * Forever Changing: The Golden Age Of Elektra Records 1963-1973 (2006) - a 5 CD collection. Elektra also released a limited availability deluxe edition that included a 96 page booklet.

TV performances

 * June 28, 1972 - The David Frost Show
 * July 6, 1972 - The Tonight Show
 * August 19, 1972 - American Bandstand
 * August 19, 1972 - The Midnight Special
 * January 19, 1981 - The Midnight Special