- Person
- Carole King
- Lived
- b. 1942
- Field
- Songwriting
- From
- American
The story
In the early 1960s Carole King was a young mother in her early twenties, writing songs with her husband Gerry Goffin for Don Kirshner's Aldon Music in New York. King wrote the melodies and Goffin the words, and their songs were handed to leading performers of the day. The couple also wrote for Kirshner's own label, Dimension Records.
Their first great success came when the Shirelles recorded “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” in 1960. It became the first song by a girl group to top the Billboard Hot 100. Their babysitter, Little Eva, sang “The Loco-Motion,” Bobby Vee recorded “Take Good Care of My Baby” and the Everly Brothers had a hit with “Crying in the Rain.”
In 1962 the Drifters recorded “Up on the Roof,” a gentle song about finding peace above the noise of the city. King came up with the tune while driving and suggested the idea of a secret refuge, and Goffin, inspired by the rooftop scenes of West Side Story, wrote the words; he later called it his favourite lyric. The record reached number five in early 1963. James Taylor, who sang it with King at Carnegie Hall in 1971, later made it a hit again in 1979.
The same year the Cookies took “Chains” to number 17 on the Hot 100. The record crossed the Atlantic and became popular with Liverpool bands. On February 11, 1963, the Beatles recorded it in four takes for their debut album, Please Please Me, with George Harrison singing lead and John Lennon on harmonica. For many fans it was the first time they heard Harrison sing lead on a record.
The list kept growing. The Chiffons sang “One Fine Day,” Herman's Hermits recorded “I'm into Something Good,” Dusty Springfield sang “Goin' Back,” the Monkees recorded “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and Aretha Franklin made “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” one of her signature songs. Later tributes came from artists including Rod Stewart, Celine Dion and the Bee Gees. The range of performers, across both sides of the Atlantic and every style of pop and soul, showed the craftsmanship of a writer who was still largely unknown to the public.
Why it matters
King's songs became part of the foundation of 1960s pop, sung by some of the most influential artists in music history and still recorded today.
About Carole King
Brooklyn-raised songwriter of 1960s classics with Gerry Goffin who became a star in her own right with Tapestry (1971), one of the best-selling albums ever.
More about Carole King
- Carole King played free to 100,000 in Central ParkOn 26 May 1973 Carole King gave a free concert in New York's Central Park, drawing an audience of at least 100,000 people.
- Carole King and Maurice Sendak made Really RosieIn 1975 Carole King wrote and sang the music for Really Rosie, an animated television special with lyrics by Maurice Sendak, still loved by children and parents.
- Carole King wrote songs the whole world singsCarole King co-wrote her first US No. 1 before she was 20, then released Tapestry in 1971, which held No. 1 for 15 weeks, sold more than 25 million copies and won four Grammys.
Sources
- Carole King Wikipedia
- Chains (Cookies song) Wikipedia
- Up on the Roof (song) Wikipedia
Another act of tikkun olam. This is part of tikkun olam, the Jewish idea of repairing the world, and every one of us can add to it.