Carole King, Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King

By Emily Carney

Some context on Carole King: This singer songwriter, who is rather unfairly relegated to oldies radio stations in the US, had serious credibility within the world of girl-groups in the 1960s. At age 18, she co-wrote “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” with her then-husband Gerry Goffin, which was performed by the Shirelles. This song was covered beautifully in recent years by the late Amy Winehouse.

On another heartbreaking note, “So Far Away,” from King’s gazillion-times-over platinum 1971 album Tapestry, was played during Winehouse’s funeral in 2011. It’s no secret that not only King’s signature sound but also her drive to succeed as a young Jewish woman in the male-dominated world of 1960s songwriting still resonates at the present time.

1980’s Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King is essentially a rundown of some of the songwriting duo’s greatest hits. Of course, Little Eva’s “Locomotion” and The Chiffons’ “One Fine Day” are featured, except this time around, the songs are sung and played by King and her band.

The album has pleasingly familiar Tapestry-esque 1970s production values; it’s an interesting counterpoint to hear the smooth-voiced King’s takes on her own songs which produced such stratospheric success for other artists. Her version of “Wasn’t Born to Follow” is gorgeous and should be the only one that exists.

Another interesting side note about Carole King: Her life story inspired the great 1996 film Grace of My Heart, which was directed by Allison Anders. This film is also a must-see for those interested in how the world of 1960s pop evolved into the “California sound” prized by artists such as James Taylor and Joni Mitchell. This re-release of Pearls is a must-get for music anthologists and fans of that iconic sound.

Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King was released on Rockingale Records through Concord Music Group on February 28 and is available to order from their website.

For more on Carole King’s career, please check out her official website.