Pick a Day

Carole King's Landmark Tapestry Hits #1

Carole King's album Tapestry hits #1 in the US, where it stays for 15 weeks.

Prior to the release of Tapestry, Carole King was known as half of the songwriting duo Goffin and King, whose catchy songs populated the Hot 100 in the '60s. From a cubicle at Aldon Music, next door to the famed Brill Building, the young married couple churned out dozens of hits, including "The Loco-Motion" for Little Eva, "Take Good Care Of My Baby" for Bobby Vee, and "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman" for Aretha Franklin. After the duo's personal and professional split, King eventually pursued a recording career at the encouragement of her friend James Taylor. Tapestry is her sophomore release and a seminal album from the Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter scene. King's voice is no match for Aretha's, but it has a characteristic all its own: imperfect, but warm and inviting. Tapestry producer Lou Adler, who founded King's label Ode Records, wanted to keep the record as simple as possible and created an intimate album that blends sweet harmonies and well-crafted instrumentation with emotionally potent lyrics. "It brought out emotions that no other record at least at that time had," Adler recalled. "Tapestry was really special and hit a real chord with the public." The tracklist revisits a handful of Goffin-King standards – including "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," a #1 hit for the Shirelles, and "Natural Woman" – bringing a level of authenticity that can only come from the songwriter's perspective. The lead single, "It's Too Late," co-written by Toni Stern, examines the painful aftermath of a breakup while its flip side "I Feel the Earth Move" is a free-spirited expression of sexual desire. James Taylor, who was recording his Mud Slim and the Blue Horizon album around the same time, brings his acoustic stylings to many of the songs, including "You've Got a Friend," which he brings to #1 that summer. Many of King's other pals show up on the album, including Joni Mitchell on backing vocals, and her former bandmates from The City, Danny Kortchmar and Charles Larkey, on guitar and bass, respectively. Curtis Amy, who played sax on the Doors' "Touch Me," solos on "It's Too Late" and plays the flute on its follow-up "So Far Away," about two lovers drifting apart. After the album goes to #1, it spends the next six years on the chart. King, who is too shy to attend the Grammy Awards ceremony, takes home the night's most prestigious prizes, including Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Album of the Year, Record of the Year (for "It's Too Late"), and Song of the Year for Taylor's version of "You've Got A Friend." She's the first woman to sweep all the top awards. Tapestry becomes an emotional touchstone for listeners and its timeless themes never grow old. Fellow musicians are drawn to King's songs, and the singer-songwriter scene expands as budding artists are encouraged by her success. In 2003, the album ranks at #36 on Rolling Stone's list of 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time.

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• Charts