This ongoing look into bits and pieces of stories chronicles the building of artist’s careers and their musical legacies.
The next Rock & Roll artist we discuss is one of the of most prolific female song writers, if not the most prolific of her era, Carole King
While still in high school, King began arranging and composing music, and at age 15 she formed and sang in a vocal quartet called the Cosines. She studied briefly at Queens College before dropping out to marry Gerry Goffin in 1959 (divorced 1968), who abandoned his plans to become a chemist in order to write music with Carole.
Together, Goffin and King began writing songs for Aldon Music in the confines of a cubicle near the Brill Building on Broadway, and they quickly became one of the most successful songwriter duos in the industry. Their first hit, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1961; recorded by The Shirelles), became a number one single on the U.S. Hot 100 before King turned 19.
In 1968 King moved to Los Angeles, where she organized the group the City, which released one album (Now That Everything’s Been Said) but never gained commercial success. Thereafter King worked for a time with singer-songwriter James Taylor, playing piano and singing on the album Sweet Baby James (1970) and accompanying him on tour. Taylor’s version of King’s song “You’ve Got a Friend” eventually became a hit in the United States. With his encouragement, King fostered her own ability to perform solo, and her debut album, Writer, was released in 1970.
Tapestry was produced by Lou Adler and recorded at A&M studios in Los Angles, mostly in Studio B. Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, Charles Larkey are among the rhythm section musicians. James Taylor plays acoustic guitar and sings background vocals along with Joni Mitchell. At the time of the recording, The Carpenters were in Studio A and Joni Mitchell was recording “Blue” in studio C.
Tapestry topped the Billboard Chart for 15 weeks, won four Grammy Awards, and over time has sold 25 million copies worldwide, and has been named among the Rolling Stone Top 500 albums of all time.
1972
King’s “Rhymes and Reasons” album, produced by Lou Adler on Ode Records, goes Gold.
1973
King’s “Fantasy” album, produced by Lou Adler on Ode Records, goes Gold. She performs for over 100,000 people on Central Park’s Great Lawn in New York City on May 26.
