Tapestry is Carole King's second studio album that was released on February 10, 1971 by Ode Records.
The album is one of the best-selling albums of all time, with over 25 million copies sold worldwide and was certified diamond by the RIAA with more than 10 million copies sold in the United States.
=Tracklisting[]
- I Feel The Earth Move 2:57
- So Far Away 3:55
- It's Too Late 3:51
- Home Again 2:27
- Beautiful 3:05
- Way Over Yonder 4:42
- You've Got A Friend 5:07
- Where You Lead 3:18
- Will You Love Me Tomorrow? 4:10
- Smackwater Jack 3:39
- Tapestry 3:11
- (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman 3:47
Album Background[]
Carole King wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the album, several of which had already been hits for other artists such as Aretha Franklin's song "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and The Shirelles' song "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (in 1960).
Three songs were co-written with King's ex-husband Gerry Goffin. James Taylor, who encouraged King to sing her own songs and who also played on Tapestry, would later have a number one hit with "You've Got a Friend". Two songs were co-written with Toni Stern: "It's Too Late" and "Where You Lead".
"Tapestry" was recorded at Studio B, A&M Recording Studios during January 1971 with the support of Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, plus various experienced session musicians. Several of the musicians worked simultaneously on Taylor's "Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon" album.
The cover photograph for "Tapestry" was taken by A&M staff photographer Jim McCrary at King's Laurel Canyon home that shows her sitting in a window frame, holding a tapestry she hand-stitched herself, with her cat Telemachus at her feet.
Chart Performance[]
"Tapestry" was number one on the Billboard 200 for 15 consecutive weeks and held the record for most weeks at number one by a female solo artist for over 20 years until surpassed by Whitney Houston's "The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album" in 1993, which spent 20 weeks at number one.
The album still holds the record for most consecutive weeks at number one by a female solo artist.
The album was listed on the Billboard 200 for 318 weeks between 1971 and 2011 (302 weeks consecutively from April 10, 1971 to January 15, 1977), the longest by a female solo artist until Adele's "21" album surpassed it in 2017.
In terms of time on the charts, the album ranks fifth overall and in terms of length on the charts for solo musical acts it ranks second.
Of all the albums by female artists to be certified Diamond, it was the first released, although it was not the first being certified.
In Canada, the album was number one for 9 weeks beginning July 3, 1971.
Critical Reception[]
"Tapestry" was critically well-received by critics.
Village Voice critic Robert Christgau felt that her voice, free of "technical decorum", would liberate female singers.
Jon Landau in Rolling Stone felt that King was one of the most creative pop music figures and had created an album of "surpassing personal-intimacy and musical accomplishment."