EP 990 Carole King’s Music Then and Now Made the Musical Earth Move

Carole King was always a great writer of pop melodies from the early days of Teen Pan Alley, at the Brill Building, in the heart of midtown Manhattan, when she and her then husband, Gerry Goffin, a lyricist, gave us classics like “Up on the Roof”, “Natural Woman,” “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and “The Locomotion” and hundreds more.  Her transformation in 1971 to a recording artist giving us one of the most successful albums in history, “Tapestry,” was something many who knew her might not have anticipated.  She was shy and not confident about her vocal abilities and star power.  And, yet, the authenticity of that album, as she found her voice, both in the lyrics and melodies, in many of the songs, made her name synonymous with the singer-songwriter era, of the early 1970’s.  And her musical soulmate, James Taylor, is largely responsible for the confidence she gained in becoming an artist, as well as a writer.  Jane Eisner captures her life and career in the book, “Carole King: She Made the Earth Move.”  Her impact today?  Well, Taylor Swift inducted her into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for the second time, first as a songwriter and then as an artist, and said she was the greatest pop songwriter of all time.  High praise, indeed.  Her legacy lives on.

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