A Bite of Carole King πͺ
A Bite of Carole King πͺ
The history-making singer-songwriter whose music you didn't know you know
Fun facts about artists you know and donβt, readable in 3 minutes or less. By Grace Lilly.
π A top-read post
β’ 3 min read β’
Sheβs everywhere
Even if you think youβve never heard a Carole King song, Iβm willing to bet youβve heard a Carole King song. Her music was near-ubiquitous in the latter half of the 20th century.
She had a prolific ability to write music that people wanted to hear. Aretha Franklinβs β(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,β The Chiffonsβ βOne Fine Day,β Hermanβs Hermitsβ βIβm Into Something Good.β She wrote hit after hit.
The songs she wrote for other musicians are undeniable. But I love her as a solo artist the most.
Her voice is life-is-good warm, the sonic embodiment of a soothing cup of tea. (Cozy-enthusiasts will recognize her classic βWhere You Leadβ as the theme song to Rory and Lorelaiβs Gilmore Girls.)
Fair warning: thereβs something about Carole Kingβs voice that may give you the urge to drop everything, curl up and just be. She made history and I bet sheβll make you smile.
Carole King
The basics
π€ American singer-songwriter
π€ b. 1942 (Manhattan, New York City)
π€ Groundbreaking artist, her album held the record for most weeks at No. 1 by a female artist for more than 20 years
Why you should know her: One of the most influential songwriters in American music history, wrote & co-wrote 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100
If you like
β¨ Joni Mitchell
β¨ Maggie Rogers
β¨ Steely Dan
β¨ James Taylor
β¨ Nora Jones
Known for
π Major songwriting success, wrote her first #1 hit as a teen (βWill You Love Me Tomorrowβ for the Shirelles), inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame
π For over 20 years, her solo album Tapestry (1971) remained the best-selling album by a female artist
π Associated with the Laurel Canyon music scene (β65-β71), collaborated with Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, David Crosby, Graham Nash
π 25 solo albums, 4 platinum, 8 gold, sold over 75 million copies
π 4 Grammy Awards, inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice (as a performer & songwriter)
π 1st woman to receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song; honored at the Kennedy Center Honors for her lifetime contribution to American culture through the performing arts
Bite-sized facts
πͺ Born Carol Klein, started learning piano at age 3; at age 4 her parents discovered she had perfect pitch
πͺ Had a natural aptitude for math, formed a band called the Co-Sines as a teen
πͺ Made demo records with friend Paul Simon in high school for $25/session; changed her name to Carole King
πͺ Started her career writing hits for other artists in the 60s, like βChainsβ (The Beatles) and βPleasant Valley Sundayβ (The Monkees)
πͺ Moved to LA, formed a music trio called The City; produced one album Now That Everything's Been Said (1968)
πͺ Friend & collaborator James Taylor encouraged her to pursue a solo career
πͺ Her album, Tapestry, appeared at #36 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list; her #1 single βIt's Too Lateβ was ranked #469 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
πͺ Has lived on an Idaho ranch since the early 1980s and is actively involved with environmental organizations in support of wilderness preservation
Songs & dates
β« 1960 Her first hit "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" for the Shirelles becomes the 1st song by a girl group to reach #1 on Billboardβs Hot 100
β« 1971 Breaks through as a solo artist with her 2nd (and most successful) album Tapestry, featuring singles βItβs Too Lateβ and βI Feel the Earth Moveβ
β« 1971 βSweet Seasonsβ hits #9, her certified platinum 3rd album, Music, stays on the Billboard pop charts for 44 weeks
β« 1972 βBeen to Canaanβ reaches No. 2 on the charts, from her gold certified album Rhymes and Reason
β« 1973 βBelieve in Humanityβ and βCorazonβ reach No. 28 and No. 37 on the US charts, from her certified gold album Fantasy
β« 1974 Wrap Around Joy becomes King's third album to reach #1; creates 2 singles, "Jazzman" (No. 2 on the charts) and "Nightingaleβ (No. 9 on the charts)
β« 1992 βNow and Foreverβ is in the opening credits to the film A League of Their Own and is nominated for a Grammy
She said
β βI just sort of try to be a good person; try to write music that lifts people and makes me feel good to sing.β
My Carole King Playlist
I gathered my fav Carole songs, from me to you with love. Like & save on Spotify and listen all week π
Where to start
BBC In Concert
Performing live on February 10, 1971
γ°οΈ
Carole in the 80s
Talking and performing on Letterman (August 26, 1982)
Down the rabbit hole
If you wanna dive even deeper:
Carole King: Natural Woman
A celebration of the legendary singer-songwriter's life and career from 1960s New York to the music mecca of 70s LA to the present. Carole King joins collaborators and family in new interviews, while rare home movies, performances and photos complete the tapestry.
πΏ Watch on YouTube or Amazon
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What people are saying
γ°οΈ βThis is my favorite post yet.β
γ°οΈ βI so love when you introduce new things to me.β
γ°οΈ βGreat great playlist. Honestly you have the best taste.β
It was impossible not to smile
My cheeks actually started hurting. I was watching The Point, a 1971 animated film from the mind of music legend Harry Nilsson about a relentlessly sweet boy named Oblio finding his way in the world.
Itβs warm and thoughtful and just plain lovely. I found myself totally mesmerized by the watercolor-soaked hand-drawn, imperfect lines paired with Nilssonβs why-do-I-suddenly-feel-calm voiceβ¦
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Carol King is an absolutely TOWERING figure in popular music. She almost has no peers. She's the standard by which others should be mentioned. I think you have to look at Paul McCartney and Irving Berlin when you're talking about 20th Century songwriters who are in her league.