Song of the Day: 'It's Too Late' by Carole King

 

As was the case with the outtakes from Carly Simon's "Anticipation," I'm loving this adorable shot from the album cover shoot for Carole King's "Tapestry." (I like it even with out the kitty!) What a relief that the legendary singer/songwriter got into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year -- how it took FIFTY years after the release of one of the best albums of all time is anyone's guess. (Oh, wait: misogyny.) I've written about "Tapestry" being one of only two LPs my mother owned when I was a child -- K-Tel's "Believe in Music" being the other(!) -- and how I played it over and over a again. Yet I'm realizing that somehow I have never actually used a track from it as my SOTD, which I am remedying right now!

Song of the Day: 'Take Good Care of My Baby' by Bobby Vee

Underappreciated gem written by Goffin-King by Bobby Vee, who died Monday at 73. (I wonder if he's referring to the "baby" in his pants?) Read his NYT obit HERE.

PBS Documentary Looks Back on Carole King's 'Tapestry' 45 Years Later

I know they're two entirely different things, but I'd pay a hundred dollars to watch this and not a dollar-fifty to see the Broadway show based on the album. How can anything be better than the real deal?

Entertainment Weekly writes:

Written during King’s most vulnerable time as a recently divorced single mother and released in 1971 when the Vietnam War raged on, King became one of the strongest voices that spoke up for her generation. With lyrics like, “I want to be home again and feeling right,” and “When my soul was in the lost-and-found, you came along to claim it,” she spoke about the intimate desires rarely seen in pop music before. Forty-five years later, Tapestry has been revisited over and over, in the Tony-winning Beautiful and now in a PBS documentary, Carole King: Natural Woman as part of the network’s American Masters series, debuting on Feb. 19. The story of the album, which stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart for 15 consecutive weeks, is well-told — she recorded the collection in three weeks for $22,000 while the Carpenters and Joni Mitchell recorded in the rooms next door — but, produced by Lou Adler, it still lingers as one of the most important pop albums of the 20th century, housing mega-hits like “I Feel The Earth Move,” “You’ve Got A Friend,” “Where You Lead,” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.”

Song of the Day: 'I Believe in Loving You' by Carole King

Carole King's latest may not be her best song. But with lyrics by the late Hal David, and romantic photos submitted by her fans -- including a number of same-sex couples -- it's nice to see the further mainstreaming of LGBT lives in society. Download HERE.

Book Preview: 'A Natural Woman' by Carole King

Got chills reading an excerpt in New York magazine from Carole King's upcoming memoir, about how she began pounding the pavement trying to sell her songs when she was 15, and how she composed the No 1 smash "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" for the Shirelles ... when she 18. (She was an old pro by then.)

Pre-order "A Natural Woman" HERE -- and yes, I am a "Tapestry" queen.

We've Got a Friend

Here's wishing (212) favorite Carole King a very happy 68th birthday today! Regular readers know that "Tapestry" is one of my favorite albums of all time, one of the few records my mom owned, one that I played over and over again as a kid. (I loved the gatefold sleeve, but thought Carole was a man for a long time before hearing it!)

Neil Diamond's "Live at the Greek" and a totally great K-Tel collection -- that had "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" by Looking Glass, "Speak to the Sky" by Rick Springfield, "Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves" by Cher, "Go All the Way" by the Raspberries and "Back Stabbers" by the O'Jays, which was later used as the "theme song" to my show "Christmas at Harvey's" -- were two of the others! Although everybody's favorite "Natural Woman" doesn't get the gay-ccolades that Cher, Madonna and Bette have received over the years, Carole is a longtime champion of LGBT rights, and without question one of our generation's best songwriters. (Love you, Carole!) She and James Taylor are currently on tour together (The Troubadour Reunion). I hope I can make it. For details, click HERE.



 My mom used to put my little feet on top of hers and dance with me during "Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves" in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom  (Not sure how I turned out gay. )

UPDATE:

I see I'm not the only one who has fond memories of this collection. Annette Zilinskas -- of Blood on the Saddle and Bangles fame -- just posted this on Facebook! 

For those who don't know, Annette, far right, has rejoined the Fab Four in the years since Michael Steele opted to retire. What a blast seeing her in action again after all this time.