King's PEARLS album has many great solo versions of her classic songs. My favourite is "One Fine Day" which really rocks! Speaking of which, the proggy"Spaceship Races" was the lead track from her first Ode album, WRITER. Tom Northcott had a hit with it here in Canada what was super-catchy. Blood Sweat & Tears had a hit with "Hi De Ho" that sounds like it was traditional blues/gospel song from another century. Great arrangement. King is a phenomenal songwriter, for sure!
😅😅 In tenth grade, my friend Renée and I were hanging out. She starts singing, "For Once in my life I don't have any homework..." 🎼 So, I chime in, "no test I have to study for..." 🎵 ... and it went on from there! That was a long time ago; that song wasn't even that old yet! 🤣🤣🤣 But, I can't help but singing our "Weird Al if he was shitty" version. Edit: The entire Tapestry album is pure poetry. It helped save my life once. (Long story.) But, it means a lot to me. "I feel the earth move under my feet, I feel the sky tumbling down..."
Great idea for a Capo Fetish video! The stuff Goffin and King wrote as Brill Building songwriters blows my mind (I have the 1993 4-CD box set, "The Brill Building Sound" -- on ERA/K-Tel Records! -- for a wider overview), and people who only know Carole King from "Tapestry" on might be surprised. I'd forgotten that she later covered Little Eva's version of her and Goffin's "The Loco-Motion" -- as did Grand Funk Railroad in 1974 and Kylie Minogue in 1988, not that it was one of my favorite Goffin-King songs. I was never much of a Herman's Hermits fan even as a kid (the novelty of that Hen-er-y the Eighth tune wore off fast), but there's one song from 1964 that I always liked -- and it sounds like it should have been a Monkees song, even though it predates the Pre-Fab Four by a couple of years: "(Something Tells Me") I'm Into Something Good." (You can easily imagine it with a Davey Jones vocal.) Definitely a cut or two above most HH material. Somebody should cover it again.
I like a Carol King song titled "A Road To Nowhere", which has a personal meaning for me, but I suspect was not co-written with Goffin, since it sounds like it was about their break-up. She recorded it as a demo (?), and the backing tracks were used by Buffy St. Marie.
Oh it is. "We're both on the road to nowhere..." When you hear Carol King sing that to you, you have to 'Stop, check, turn and double back'." Buffy St. Marie, not so much.
Another cool topic, Tom. If I could add one more version of Up On The Roof, try listening to The Cryan’ Shames version. One of my all time favorites. Dan
Great topic! The Drifters cover of Up On the Roof is timeless songwriting magic. Goffin and King's lyrics alone changed the American songbook...the Crusaders jazz instrumental version of So Far Away also shows KIng's melodic depth.
a-ha’s version of Crying In The Rain from their 1990 album East of The Sun is epic - as good as the Everly Brothers. Dark and brooding Scandinavian pop at its finest
Fun topic! So many great writing teams in the sixties - Lieber and Stoller, Holland Dozier Holland, Bacharach and David, etc. In addition to Goffin and King. And then the great session players like The Wrecking Crew! Such great behind the scenes talent in the sixties music scene.
I don't know if you have it or have heard of it (you probably have heard of it) but right after Goffin and King's marriage broke down, and before she started her solo career, Carole started a band called The City which recorded one album call "Now that everythings been said." It is excellent, released about 68 and includes Carole's version of "Wasn't Born to Follow" which is excellent as well. I love Carole King and was so floored to find a album I had never seen (it was recently re-released) and it turns out to be equal to her classic stuff. If you haven't got it, look it up, it is worth the trouble.
"It Might as Well Rain Until September" sung by Carole for me. A demo that couldn't be bettered. And on my Dansette record player listening as a kid, it was just perfect.
If I recall, "Goin' back" was shoved down The Byrds' gullet by the label. They disliked it and didn't want to record it, much less release it as a single. Or so I read.
spot on with pleasant valley sunday. never knew this was written by goffin after king wanted him to buy a house in the suburbs. i guess he wasn’t convinced 😂
I loved the Beatles’ version of Chains - when my sister went off to college I would go into her room and play that same album over and over. I think my favorite Drifters cover is “Some Kind of Wonderful” while my favorite version of “Up on the Roof” is James Taylor’s poignant version “Flag.” Speaking of poignant, Tammy Wynette’s version of “Crying in the Rain” is heartbreaking. Linda Ronstadt’s version of “Oh No, Not my Baby” is exquisite and certainly as perfect as Maxine Brown’s. Brinsley Schwarz’s cover of “Don’t Ever Change” is superb and, going back to the bands my sister loved, Herman’s Hermits’ “I’m Into Something Good” was a terrific record.
"As We Go Along" is another King-Stern song from the Head album. It’s also the B-side to the "Porpoise Song" single. Maybe as close to a Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane level single the Monkees ever came to. Beautiful vocal by Dolenz.
You mentioned Howard Greenfield. He was most notable for being the lyricist for Neil Sedaka. But he wrote lyrics for other famous songs, too. Look him up on Wikipedia and you may be surprised.
Strangely enough, the Carol King song that I've always loved and always stops me in "my tracks" is her version of "Snow Queen". Just a great wonderful version of her song! The Best! Listen to it sometime. This version...ua-cam.com/video/Vb_7I2fwjXE/v-deo.html
Other great Goffin/King songs, Ben E King - Tell Daddy Ben E King - Brace Yourself Ben E King - So Much Love Everly Brothers - Just Can't Say Goodbye (superior to the Bobby Vee version) Carole King - Road To Nowhere (stand-alone 1966 single) Electric Prunes - I Happen To Love You (best version) P J Proby - I Can't Make It Alone (he was good just for once when he made this really incredible piece of Spectoresque) Check out Carole's demo. ua-cam.com/video/62JOmDxb5sk/v-deo.html Check out The Everly Brothers original, but then unreleased version of Chains. You may think The Beatles based their version on this, but they could not possibly have heard this version then. Here it is in stereo, without the overdubbed chains sound effect. ua-cam.com/video/Emrq9bebbqo/v-deo.html Check Carole King's original 1966 demo of Goin' Back, not to be confused with her two much later versions, one each on her 1970 album Writer, and her 1980 album Pearls, the latter of which contained entirely her own versions of songs she originally pitched, including Wasn't Born To Follow. ua-cam.com/video/5yx2f0SScTk/v-deo.html Here is Dusty's earlier take with a very different intro. ua-cam.com/video/E4oNRNkpBkY/v-deo.html Carole does have a CD in the UK on the Jasmine label which collects more of her early demos of songs of which some she eventually pitched, such as Go Away Little Girl, plus both sides of her early singles up to 1962. I also have a double CD of hers which may be a dubious release, Brill Building Legends, which includes loads of her demos, some of which were her originals demos of songs she eventually pitched, such as Take Good Care Of My Baby, and Walking With My Angel. Maybe, they are playable on UA-cam. Dusty's version of Going Back was apparently never on a single in the States, only on her Golden Hits album, ironically. Check out Carole's demo of The Porpoise Song. ua-cam.com/video/wbJrUYz1T78/v-deo.html
If you want to watch a happy, rocking Carole King video on UA-cam, I like her singing "Chains." She belts it out in a poodle skirt. ua-cam.com/video/thGvCTwGZX4/v-deo.html
King's PEARLS album has many great solo versions of her classic songs. My favourite is "One Fine Day" which really rocks! Speaking of which, the proggy"Spaceship Races" was the lead track from her first Ode album, WRITER. Tom Northcott had a hit with it here in Canada what was super-catchy.
Blood Sweat & Tears had a hit with "Hi De Ho" that sounds like it was traditional blues/gospel song from another century. Great arrangement.
King is a phenomenal songwriter, for sure!
I'm a big fan of the music of Goffin/King . Thanks for the video. I was unaware of the Carol King demo's album.
Just Once in My Life by the Righteous Brothers is an exceptional version.
😅😅
In tenth grade, my friend Renée and I were hanging out. She starts singing, "For Once in my life I don't have any homework..." 🎼
So, I chime in, "no test I have to study for..." 🎵
... and it went on from there! That was a long time ago; that song wasn't even that old yet! 🤣🤣🤣 But, I can't help but singing our "Weird Al if he was shitty" version.
Edit: The entire Tapestry album is pure poetry. It helped save my life once. (Long story.) But, it means a lot to me. "I feel the earth move under my feet, I feel the sky tumbling down..."
Great idea for a Capo Fetish video! The stuff Goffin and King wrote as Brill Building songwriters blows my mind (I have the 1993 4-CD box set, "The Brill Building Sound" -- on ERA/K-Tel Records! -- for a wider overview), and people who only know Carole King from "Tapestry" on might be surprised. I'd forgotten that she later covered Little Eva's version of her and Goffin's "The Loco-Motion" -- as did Grand Funk Railroad in 1974 and Kylie Minogue in 1988, not that it was one of my favorite Goffin-King songs. I was never much of a Herman's Hermits fan even as a kid (the novelty of that Hen-er-y the Eighth tune wore off fast), but there's one song from 1964 that I always liked -- and it sounds like it should have been a Monkees song, even though it predates the Pre-Fab Four by a couple of years: "(Something Tells Me") I'm Into Something Good." (You can easily imagine it with a Davey Jones vocal.) Definitely a cut or two above most HH material. Somebody should cover it again.
Carole's version of Crying In The Rain on the Dimension Dolls album. Wow,!
Saw the Broadway musical Beautiful in NYC. Well worth catching. More of these Tom, maybe Doc Pomus, Kristofferson, Willie Dixon, Allen Toussaint……
Up On The Roof , aprime example of the pure poetry of Gerry Goffin. Amasterpiece from The Drifters, a heartbreaker by Laura Nyro.
I like a Carol King song titled "A Road To Nowhere", which has a personal meaning for me, but I suspect was not co-written with Goffin, since it sounds like it was about their break-up. She recorded it as a demo (?), and the backing tracks were used by Buffy St. Marie.
@@simonagree4070 Sounds interesting…😉
Oh it is. "We're both on the road to nowhere..." When you hear Carol King sing that to you, you have to 'Stop, check, turn and double back'." Buffy St. Marie, not so much.
I didn’t know that "Don’t Bring Me Down" and "Pleasant Valley Sunday" were by Goffin & King! Cool !!!
"Don't Bring Me Down" is probably my fav Animals song. Ditto for the Monkees "Pleasant Valley Sunday."
Another cool topic, Tom. If I could add one more version of Up On The Roof, try listening to The Cryan’ Shames version. One of my all time favorites. Dan
Great topic! The Drifters cover of Up On the Roof is timeless songwriting magic. Goffin and King's lyrics alone changed the American songbook...the Crusaders jazz instrumental version of So Far Away also shows KIng's melodic depth.
@@FlyJohnny100 She wrote such incredible melodies. So Far Away is one of my faves.
a-ha’s version of Crying In The Rain from their 1990 album East of The Sun is epic - as good as the Everly Brothers. Dark and brooding Scandinavian pop at its finest
Some Of Your Lovin by Dusty is her best Goffin-King song.
I've really like Goin' Back by Dusty Springfield. Star Collector by the Monkees is a great album track. Good topic Thanks.
Fun topic! So many great writing teams in the sixties - Lieber and Stoller, Holland Dozier Holland, Bacharach and David, etc. In addition to Goffin and King. And then the great session players like The Wrecking Crew! Such great behind the scenes talent in the sixties music scene.
@@DavidSmith-ui7ub Indeed 😉
Original cut of Chains by the Everlys. You can tell it was written for them.
I don't know if you have it or have heard of it (you probably have heard of it) but right after Goffin and King's marriage broke down, and before she started her solo career, Carole started a band called The City which recorded one album call "Now that everythings been said." It is excellent, released about 68 and includes Carole's version of "Wasn't Born to Follow" which is excellent as well. I love Carole King and was so floored to find a album I had never seen (it was recently re-released) and it turns out to be equal to her classic stuff. If you haven't got it, look it up, it is worth the trouble.
Sounds fantastic. That will be my next purchase. 😉
The City's LP is better than her first solo album, by a wide margin! I bought both, hardly ever played the solo album, still listen to The City.
"Don't bring me down" is by far my favorite Animals song. In my monthly top 20 it was a #1 for me.
I'd like to mention the beautiful Monkees song from Head-As We Go Along.❤❤❤
My bad: As We Go Along isn't Goffin/King, it's Stern/King. Still a beautiful song...❤
"It Might as Well Rain Until September" sung by Carole for me. A demo that couldn't be bettered. And on my Dansette record player listening as a kid, it was just perfect.
Helen Shapiro did it better.
Helen sings it; Carole lives it! Just listen to that breaking voice in the intros 'miss you'
If I recall, "Goin' back" was shoved down The Byrds' gullet by the label. They disliked it and didn't want to record it, much less release it as a single. Or so I read.
@@GeraldM_inNC Yes, Crosby was not crazy about the track..
they wrote so many good tunes... I wasn't aware they wrote "So Goes Love"... which I imagine is the great song The Turtles sang.
This is her demo of it.
ua-cam.com/video/iByKE9hSKmQ/v-deo.html
"I Can't Make It Alone" by Maria McKee is lesser known but a great song.
Originally recorded by P J Proby, as I explained. But here is Carole's original demo.
ua-cam.com/video/62JOmDxb5sk/v-deo.html
spot on with pleasant valley sunday. never knew this was written by goffin after king wanted him to buy a house in the suburbs. i guess he wasn’t convinced 😂
Some other great ones: “I cant stay mad at you”; “Don’t say nothin’ bad about my baby”; “Some kind of wonderful”; “I’m into something good”
I loved the Beatles’ version of Chains - when my sister went off to college I would go into her room and play that same album over and over. I think my favorite Drifters cover is “Some Kind of Wonderful” while my favorite version of “Up on the Roof” is James Taylor’s poignant version “Flag.” Speaking of poignant, Tammy Wynette’s version of “Crying in the Rain” is heartbreaking. Linda Ronstadt’s version of “Oh No, Not my Baby” is exquisite and certainly as perfect as Maxine Brown’s. Brinsley Schwarz’s cover of “Don’t Ever Change” is superb and, going back to the bands my sister loved, Herman’s Hermits’ “I’m Into Something Good” was a terrific record.
James Taylor’s poignant version ON his album “Flag.”
"As We Go Along" is another King-Stern song from the Head album. It’s also the B-side to the "Porpoise Song" single. Maybe as close to a Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane level single the Monkees ever came to. Beautiful vocal by Dolenz.
In my comment, I posted The Everly Brothers' original but then unreleased version of Chains.
Can't argue with any of these. What, no "Locomotion"? Little Eva, or Grand Funk Railroad?
I like Sylvie Vartan's French version of Locomotion
You mentioned Howard Greenfield. He was most notable for being the lyricist for Neil Sedaka. But he wrote lyrics for other famous songs, too. Look him up on Wikipedia and you may be surprised.
@@stevenkaminsky Will do 😉
The Cryan Shames do a a pretty nice version of Up On The Roof.
@@garagespace1 I’ll have to check it out.
What a fantastic video Tom have a great day also Monday was my friend birthday ❤😊
@@aminahmed2220 Happy Belated Birthday. Have a great day. 😊
Strangely enough, the Carol King song that I've always loved and always stops me in "my tracks" is her version of "Snow Queen". Just a great wonderful version of her song! The Best! Listen to it sometime. This version...ua-cam.com/video/Vb_7I2fwjXE/v-deo.html
@@alanartme1 Sounds great. The arrangement sort of reminds me of Laura Nyro.
Other great Goffin/King songs,
Ben E King - Tell Daddy
Ben E King - Brace Yourself
Ben E King - So Much Love
Everly Brothers - Just Can't Say Goodbye (superior to the Bobby Vee version)
Carole King - Road To Nowhere (stand-alone 1966 single)
Electric Prunes - I Happen To Love You (best version)
P J Proby - I Can't Make It Alone (he was good just for once when he made this really incredible piece of Spectoresque) Check out Carole's demo.
ua-cam.com/video/62JOmDxb5sk/v-deo.html
Check out The Everly Brothers original, but then unreleased version of Chains. You may think The Beatles based their version on this, but they could not possibly have heard this version then. Here it is in stereo, without the overdubbed chains sound effect.
ua-cam.com/video/Emrq9bebbqo/v-deo.html
Check Carole King's original 1966 demo of Goin' Back, not to be confused with her two much later versions, one each on her 1970 album Writer, and her 1980 album Pearls, the latter of which contained entirely her own versions of songs she originally pitched, including Wasn't Born To Follow.
ua-cam.com/video/5yx2f0SScTk/v-deo.html
Here is Dusty's earlier take with a very different intro.
ua-cam.com/video/E4oNRNkpBkY/v-deo.html
Carole does have a CD in the UK on the Jasmine label which collects more of her early demos of songs of which some she eventually pitched, such as Go Away Little Girl, plus both sides of her early singles up to 1962.
I also have a double CD of hers which may be a dubious release, Brill Building Legends, which includes loads of her demos, some of which were her originals demos of songs she eventually pitched, such as Take Good Care Of My Baby, and Walking With My Angel. Maybe, they are playable on UA-cam.
Dusty's version of Going Back was apparently never on a single in the States, only on her Golden Hits album, ironically.
Check out Carole's demo of The Porpoise Song.
ua-cam.com/video/wbJrUYz1T78/v-deo.html
@@paulgoldstein2569 Really cool version of Porpoise Song. 😉
"Take a giant step" (also G&K) > "Pleasant Valley Sunday"
@@GeraldM_inNC Take A Giant Step is awesome.
If you want to watch a happy, rocking Carole King video on UA-cam, I like her singing "Chains." She belts it out in a poodle skirt. ua-cam.com/video/thGvCTwGZX4/v-deo.html
@@stevenkaminsky Very cool! 👍
Nils Lofgren version of Goin back is also great. You missed something good by Herman's Hermits!