Writers: Carole King and Gerry Goffin
Producer: Peter Asher
Recorded: Early 1979 at the Sound Factory, Los Angeles
Released: May 1979
| Players: | James Taylor–vocals, acoustic guitar Waddy Wachtel–electric guitar Danny Kortchmar–electric guitar Leland Sklar–bass Russ Kunkel–drums |
| Album: | Flag (Columbia, 1979) |
The first single from James Taylor's Flag album, “Up On The Roof” reached Number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song is a cover of the Carole King/Gerry Goffin-written 1962 hit for the Drifters, which was a Number Five hit in its original incarnation.
Flag was Taylor's second album for Columbia Records, where he moved in 1977 after eight years with Warner Bros. Records.
Three of the songs on Flag originally appeared in the Broadway musical Working, which was based on the life of writer Studs Terkel.
Flag reached Number 10 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum.