100 Greatest Songs of the 70’s #17 Carole King – It’s Too Late

Released: 1971

Carole King’s first life was as a $50 a time Brill Building cubicle dweller, co-writing songs like The Locomotion and Up On The Roof with her then husband Gerry Goffin, then latterly more sophisticated numbers such as The Byrds’ Goin’ Back and The Monkees’ Pleasant Valley Sunday. She’d even had modest success as a performer in 1962 with It Might As Well Rain Until September, but it was the move from New York to LA six years later that her ambitions began to turn.

Even then there was still time to hand out a favours few others would’ve been capable of, including the gift of You’ve Got A Friend, James Taylor’s mellow masterpiece which acted as a catalyst for the singer-songwriter movement. This loose collective had gravitated to the Laurel Canyon neighbourhood of the city’s sprawl and called places like The Troubadour it’s spiritual home.

Having paved the way so often for the accomplishments of others, even King failed to anticipate the success of Tapestry, her second solo album which would go on to sell 18 million copies. With familiar virtues, the set up was rudimentary with minimal accompaniment as producer Lou Adler strove to recreate the vibe of the original demo material. It’s Too Late mined soul, jazz and gentlest hint of Bossa, the singer’s voice floating from hippie melancholy to self assurance: even in this laid back world of sunshine and seasons, it was a velvet kiss goodbye. Unashamedly grown up, Tapestry offered it’s listeners a refuge from the turmoil on the front page of every paper, and now a star in her own right, the woman on the cover knew just what to do.