Writers: Carole King and Toni Stern
Producer: Lou Adler
Recorded: January 1971 at A&M Studios in Hollywood, California
Released: February 10, 1971
| Players: | Carole King — vocals, piano Danny Kortchmar — guitar, conga Charles Larkey — bass Ralph Shuckett — electric piano Joel O'Brien — drums Curtis Amy — soprano saxophone |
| Album: | Tapestry (Ode, 1971) |
Carole King was born Carol Klein in Brooklyn, New York. She dated Neil Sedaka in high school before meeting songwriting partner and future husband Gerry Goffin at New York's Queens College.
Together King and Goffin–who divorced in 1968–wrote hits for the Shirelles (“Will You Love Me Tomorrow”), Little Eva (“The Loco-Motion”), the Drifters (“Up On The Roof”), Herman's Hermits (“I'm Into Something Good”), Aretha Franklin (“(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”), and others before King launched her own recording career in 1969, first with a group called the City and then on her own.
“It's Too Late,” which was backed with “I Feel The Earth Move,” reached Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1971 and stayed there for five weeks.
The song hit Number Six on the British pop chart.
“It's Too Late” won a Grammy Award for record of the year, while the Tapestry album earned King Grammys for album of the year and best pop vocal performance, female. Another Tapestry song, “You've Got A Friend,” won song of the year.
The Tapestry album was Number One for 15 weeks on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for a staggering 302 weeks. It's sold more than 20 million copies since its release.
Tapestry also reached Number Four on the U.K. chart.
