Born a songwriter, when she was a teenager, and still attending James Madison High School in Brooklyn, New York, Carole King was already selling songs to publishing houses all over the city, while writing songs for her band Co- Sines and making demo albums with his classmate Paul Simon. In the 1960s King met her future husband and co-writer Gerry Goffin at Queens College and penned some of the greatest hits of the 1960s and 1970s and a career spanning over six decades.
King’s hit songs for other artists even bypass the enormity of his 1971 solo album Tapestry and hits “You’ve Got a Friend”, “I Feel the Earth Move”, “So Far Away”, and “It’s Too Late”.
In the early 1960s, King scored his first No. 1 hit as a songwriter with the Shirelles’ hit ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’, also recorded by King on Tapestry and released during the girl group’s debut in 1960 Tonight is evening. King then composed Aretha Franklin’s 1967 hit “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” with Goffin and producer Jerry Wexler.
Throughout the 1960s, on his own, King wrote hit after hit in every genre, from doo-wop and pop, to R&B, soul and rock, and even a few songs the Beatles wanted to cover (” Take Good Care of My Baby”, “Chains”).
Here’s a look at some of the songs Carole King wrote for other artists during the 1960s.
“Take Good Care of My Baby”, Bobby Vee (1961)
Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin
Reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in September 1961 and becoming a hit for pop singer Bobby Vee, “Take Good Care Of My Baby” was also covered by The Beatles, Dion and the Belmonts, Bobby Vinton, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Micky Dolenz of the Monkees and many more in the years that followed.
“The Loco-Movement”, Little Eva (1962)
Written by Carole King
Originally written for R&B singer Dee Dee Sharp, who turned down the song, “The Loco-Motion” became an instant hit for Little Eva in 1962 and over the next two decades. The song remained a hit in 1974 for rock band Grand Funk Railroad and again in 1987 when Kylie Minogue released a cover of the track on its 1988 debut. Kyliewhich reached number three in the United States on the Hot 100.
“Chains”, The Cookies (1962) / The Beatles (1963)
Written by Carole King
Originally written for the Cookies of Brooklyn, New York, “Chains” was the R&B group’s first charting since their 1956 hit “In Paradise.” In Liverpool, England, the Beatles also used the song in their live sets, and in 1963 the band recorded a version for their debut. Please make me happy. For “Chains”, George Harrison took over lead vocals for the first time.
“Crying in the Rain”, The Everly Brothers (1962)
Written by Carole King and Howard Greenfield
Co-written with Howard Greenfield, a colleague of King and Goffin at Aldon Music, “Crying In the Rain” was recorded by The Everly Brothers and peaked at number six on the US pop charts. Aretha Franklin also included a live recording of the track on her 1968 album, Aretha in Paris. In 1990 Norwegian band A-Ha also recorded “Crying in the Rain”, on their fourth album, East of the Sun, West of the Moon, which remains on their set list to this day.
“On the Roof”, The Drifters (1963)
Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin
Reaching No. 5 in the US on the pop singles chart and No. 4 on the R&B singles chart for doo-wop and R&B group The Drifters, “Up On The Roof” was released on their 1964 album , under the boardwalk-the title track became another big hit for the quintet a year later. “Up On the Roof” was also listed as one of the “500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll” by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“One Fine Day”, The Rags (1963)
Written by Carole King
Inspired by the title of Puccini’s aria “Un Bel di Vedremo” from the opera Lady Butterfly, “One Fine Day” was recorded by girl group The Chiffons and became a mega hit. Covered by everyone from Bette Midler to The Carpenters and more, King also recorded the song in 1980, and it was featured on the soundtrack to the 1996 romantic comedy of the same name, starring George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer. , as well as a version by Natalie Marchand.
“I’m Into Something Good”, Herman’s Hermits (1964)
Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin
Originally recorded by The Cookies, British band Herman’s Hermits eventually took the song to No. 1 in the UK and even entered the US charts at No. 42 during the height of the British Invasion. King revealed that the song was inspired by Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. “I don’t hide it,” King said. “This song was influenced by Brian’s music”
“Oh No, Not My Baby”, Maxine Brown (1964)
Written by Carole King
Covered by everyone from Cher to Aretha Franklin, Linda Rondstadt and Dusty Springfield, “Oh No Not My Baby” tells the story of refusing to accept the reality of a partner’s many infidelities. In 1964, it reached number 24 on R&B singer Maxine Brown’s pop chart.
“Flip”, Dusty Springfield (1966)
Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin
Singing about the loss of innocence that comes with adulthood—I think I’m coming back / To the things I learned so well in my youth / I think I’m coming back / Those days when I was young enough to know the truth – “Goin’ Back was made famous by Dusty Springfield in 1966 and was later covered by Diana Ross, The Pretenders, Bon Jovi, Phil Collins and even Freddie Mercury, later released on a compilation of the singer’s Queen singles, Messenger of the Gods: Singlesin 2016.
“Wasn’t Born to Follow”, The Byrds (1968)
Written by Carole King
Off The Byrds fifth album The famous Byrd brothers, the song also made its way onto the soundtrack of the 1969 road drama Easy Rider, with Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. That year King also recorded her own version of the song while fronting The City, and in 1999 Dusty Springfield covered the song on his Lost Recordings album, Dusty in London.
Photo: Legacy Records
