Carole King and her husband Gerry Goffin were a hit-writing machine, well before the classic 1971 Tapestry was released. James Taylor is touring with Carole King In 2010 in The Troubadour Tour. Back in 1970, they collaborated as Taylor’s career started and King’s career was about to shift from songwriter to singer/songwriter. The Los Angeles club, called the Troubadour, has ignited many careers. Rookie performer Elton John got a big boost from his exciting 1970 stage shows there. The Troubadour has been a career launching pad for a long list of now-classic bands, including Guns and Roses, the Eagles and even Cheech and Chong. King and Taylor’s two 1970 shows, in retrospect, was a meeting of the male and female royalty of the (solo) singer songwiter.
James Taylor needs no introduction. His legendary status on disc or in concert is well known. But, it is time to re-introduce you to Carole King. Taylor sang, with Joni Mitchell, on “Tapestry” as the humorously titled, the Taylor-Mitchell Boy-Girl Choir. Joni Mitchell, by the way, is one singer/songwriter who does have the status to be mentioned with these artists. Mitchell also sang back-up on Taylor’s version of “You’ve Got A Friend”. As the composer of “You’ve Got A Friend”, Carole King won song-writing Grammys. As the performer, Taylor won Grammys. James, Joni and Carole have an intertwined history. It was Carole King who was the veteran rock and roller and guiding light for these future stars.
Major Hits by Goffin and King on the Billboard U.S. Hot 100.
1960
“Will You Love Me Tomorrow” : Shirelles, #1-1960
BTW, DJ Mr. Ed loves this video.
Carole King (in 1971), The Four Seasons, Roberta Flack, Amy Winehouse, Melanie, Jackie DeShannon, Len Barry, Bunny Sigler, Cissy Houston, The Platters, Neil Diamond (in 1993), Linda Ronstadt, Angus Tung (in Mandarin), Shirley Kwan and Alan Tam (in Cantonese), Dave Mason and Debbie Gibson (both under the title “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”), The Rocky Fellers, Lorrie Morgan.
1961
“Take Good Care of My Baby” : Bobby Vee, #1-1961
Dion and the Belmonts (later in 1961), Bobby Vinton (in 1968), Smokie (in 1981), Bobby Vee, Stephen Collins,Dick Brave. (See The Beatles 1962 with Pete Best, not Ringo demo for Decca Records. Remember they broke big in 1964.)
“Some Kind of Wonderful”, The Drifters, #32-1961
Marvin Gaye (in 1968), Carole King (in 1971); not the same song as the Grand Funk Railroad hit
“Halfway to Paradise”, Tony Orlando, #39-1961
Billy Fury (1962), Bobby Vinton(1968), Tina Charles(1977)
“Every Breath I Take”, Gene Pitney, #42-1961
no relation to The Police’s “Every Breath You Take”
“Walkin’ with My Angel”, Bobby Vee, #53-1961
Herman’s Hermits
1962
“Chains”, The Cookies, #17-1962
The Beatles (in 1963), Carole King (in 1980)
“Keep Your Hands Off My Baby”, Little Eva,# 12-1962
The Beatles (in 1964, unreleased until 1994)
“The Loco-Motion”, Little Eva, #1-1962
The Chiffons (in 1963), Emerson Lake & Powell (instrumental), Grand Funk Railroad (in 1974, #1), Carole King(in 1980), Kylie Minogue (in 1988, #3), Tina Turner, Dwight Yoakam
“He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)”, The Crystals, 1962
-The Motels (in 1982), Hole (in 1994), Grizzly Bear (in 2007)
“Go Away Little Girl”, Steve Lawrence, #1-1962
Mark Wynter, The Tams, Donny Osmond (in 1971, #1), The Happenings (in 1966, #12)
“Point Of No Return”, Gene McDaniels, #21-1962
“Crying in the Rain”, The Everly Brothers, #6-1962
A-ha (in 1990, #1 in Norway), Dave Edmunds
1963
“Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad (About My Baby)”, The Cookies, #7-1963
“I Can’t Stay Mad At You”, Skeeter Davis, #7-1963
“Hey Girl”, Freddie Scott, #10-1963
Donny Osmond (in 1972, #9), George Benson (“Livin’ Inside Your Love” in 1977), Carole King (in 1980), Billy Joel(Greatest Hits Volume III in 1997), Bob James & David Sanborn, Bobby Vee (as part of a medley with The Temptations’ hit My Girl in 1968, #35)
“One Fine Day”, The Chiffons, #5-1963
Rita Coolidge (in 1979, #66), Carole King (in 1980, #12), Aaron Neville (in 1993), Natalie Merchant (in 1996)
“Up on the Roof”, The Drifters, #5-1963
Kenny Lynch (1964),King (in 1970), Laura Nyro (in 1970), James Taylor (in 1979, #28), Neil Diamond (in 1993),Billy Joe Royal, Peter Cincotti
1964
“I Can’t Hear You No More”, Betty Everett, #66-1964
Dusty Springfield (in 1965), King (in 1970), Helen Reddy (in 1976, #29)
“I’m into Something Good”, “Earl-Jean” McCrea, #38-1964
Herman’s Hermits (later in 1964, #13)
“Oh No, Not My Baby”, Maxine Brown, #24-1964
Manfred Mann (in 1965), Dusty Springfield (in 1965), Aretha Franklin (in 1970), Rod Stewart (in 1973, #59), The Partridge Family (Bulletin Board in 1973), King (in 1980 and 2001), Cher (in 1992), Linda Ronstadt (in 1994)
1965
“Don’t Forget About Me”, Barbara Lewis, 1965
-Dusty Springfield
1966
“Don’t Bring Me Down”, The Animals, #12-1966
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (in 1986)
“Goin’ Back”, Dusty Springfield, 1966
The Byrds (in 1968, #86), King (in 1980), Larry Lurex (1973) Nils Lofgren,Elkie Brooks Johnny Logan, Diana Ross, Glen Shorrock & Renee Geyer (Aust. 1983)
“I Can’t Make It Alone”, P.J. Proby, 1966
-Dusty Springfield, Maria McKee (in 1993)
1967
“Pleasant Valley Sunday”, The Monkees, 1967
-The Weisstronauts (in 2008)
“(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”, Aretha Franklin, #8-1967
King (in 1971), Laura Nyro (in 1971), Rod Stewart (in 1974), Mary J. Blige (in 1995), Celine Dion (in 1995)
1968
“Porpoise Song”, The Monkees, #62-1968
“Wasn’t Born to Follow”, The Byrds, 1968
-King (in 1980)
1970
“Hi-De-Ho (That Old Sweet Roll)”, Blood, Sweat & Tears, #14-1970
Dusty Springfield (non-LP B-Side in 1969), King (in 1980)
This chart is from www.top40-charts.info
TAPESTRY Original 1971 vinyl release
1.”I Feel the Earth Move” – 2:58
2.”So Far Away” – 3:55
3.”It’s Too Late” (lyrics by Toni Stern) – 3:53
4.”Home Again” – 2:29
5.”Beautiful” – 3:08
6.”Way Over Yonder” – 4:44
7.”You’ve Got a Friend” – 5:09
8.”Where You Lead” (lyrics by Toni Stern) – 3:20
9.”Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” (Gerry Goffin, King) – 4:12
10.”Smackwater Jack” (Goffin, King) – 3:41
11.”Tapestry” – 3:13
12.”(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” (Goffin, King, Jerry Wexler) – 3:49
-Introduction written by DJ Mr Ed Mullen (www.DJMrEdHQ.com)
-Chart by www.top40-charts.info
-Listing of songs on “Tapestry” www.Amazon.com
-“The Ode Collection”, 2-CD covers many of Carole King’s early songs, including “Tapestry” hits.
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Post-Tapestry Highlights and Notes:
After “Tapestry” some singles of note.
“Sweet Seasons” #9-1972.
“Jazzman” #2-1974.
“Nightingale” #9-1975.
“Hard Rock Cafe” #30-1977.
“One Fine Day” #12-1980.
“It’s Going to Take Some Time This Time” #12-1972
(recorded by the Carpenters)
“I Will Follow Where You Lead”, theme from Gilmore Girls. Performed by Carole King and her daughter Louise Goffin. (Original version, on “Tapestry”) The “Gilmore Girls” soundtrack is available with samples on Amazon.com. King has guest appearances on the show, too.
“Oh! Carol” . Listen to “Oh Carol” by Neil Sedaka. It was Sedaka’s first Top 10 hit in the U.S. It has that early rock, Latin cha-cha beat. It was released in 1959. Now, listen to “Little Darlin” by the Diamonds released two years earlier in 1957. Both have that Latin beat with a special monologue during the break. Anyway, Sedaka was singing about Carole King. Both were songwriters in the legendary Brill Building in New York City. The building and its commemorative plaque are still there in Times Square.
These crossroads had some interesting travelers. King went to Madison High School in Brooklyn, then attended Queens College. King, Gerry Goffin (King’s soon to be husband) and Paul Simon also attended Queens College. Neil Diamond and Barbara Streisand sang in the same choir at Erasamus Hall (NY) Hign School. Neil Diamond , class of 1958 and Neil Sedaka class of 1956 attended Abraham Lincoln High School in New York.
She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Song for
“Now and Forever,” from “A League Of Their Own” (1992).
King won four Grammy Awards for Tapestry, the sales of which have been estimated at over 15 million copies worldwide.
1971 Grammy Award for Song of the Year : YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND
1971 Grammy Award for Record of the Year : IT’S TOO LATE
1971 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female (Tapestry)
1971 Grammy Award for Album of the Year (Tapestry)
The following is a quote from a press release about her 24th solo album called, “Love Makes The World” (2001).
“In 1987, Carole King was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In 1988, Goffin and King were awarded the National Academy of Songwriter’s Lifetime Achievement Award and
in 1990, as songwriters, the duo was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
In 2002, she received the prestigious Mercer Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In February of 2004, Goffin and King will receive the Trustee Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS).”
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Carol Klein was born Feb 9th, 1942 (Yea! Aquarius, like me)
Information collected from parts of each singers websites and song, chart and pop culture information websites.
Compiled and written by Ed Mullen (2010).
