The Essential Carole King CD Set is now available from Ode/Epic/Legacy, a division of SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT.  If you were a kid in the 70s  like I was, the music of Carole King is ingrained in your childhood memories. Carole King’s album “Tapestry” was released in 1971 and quickly became a cornerstone of ’70s pop, an industry phenomenon, and introduced us to songs we’ve heard over and over again ever since- “It’s Too Late”, “I Feel the Earth Move,” “So Far Away”,“Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” “(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman,” “You’ve Got A Friend”.

At the 14th annual Grammy Awards ceremonies in March 1972, Carole King became the first woman to win the “grand slam” – Record Of the Year (“It’s Too Late”), Album Of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal (both for Tapestry), and Song Of the Year (James Taylor’s version of “You’ve Got a Friend,” for which he won Best Male Pop Vocal). She held that record until 1995 when Alanis Morrisette became the second woman to win all of those honors in one year.

When asked to comment about the impact of Tapestry, Carole King said, “I feel honored that Tapestry has made a difference in small ways and large ways in people’s lives around the world. It’s been a major part of my life, too,” she adds. “As a songwriter, I’m so happy that the songs have held up for all of these years. As a performer, I’m still enjoying playing them live, most recently on my Living Room Tour.”

What many people, even Carole King fans, might not know is that in addition to writing her own music, King wrote some of the most famous pop songs on the charts, like Little Eva’s “The Loco-Motion” and The Chiffons’ “One Fine Day”.  Disc One of The Essential Carole King is King singing her own songs, and Disc Two is some of the songs King wrote for others.  I’m trying to educate my kids on these classic songs that have been part of American culture for so long!

You can learn more about Carole King and what she’s doing now (including her Reunion Tour with James Taylor!) on her personal website http://www.caroleking.com and on her Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/CaroleKing. And if you’ve ever heard your Mom listening to Carole King songs, buy her The Essential Carole King CD Set for Mother’s Day. She’ll love it!

DISC ONE/THE SINGER
1. It Might As Well Rain Until September
2. Child Of Mine
3. I Feel The Earth
4. So Far Away
5. It’s Too Late
6. You’ve Got A Friend
7. Sweet Seasons
8. Been To Canaan
9. Corazón
10. Jazzman
11. Nightingale
12. Only Love Is Real
13. Medley w/James Taylor: Will You Love Tomorrow/Some Kind Of Wonderful/Up On The Roof
14. Really Rosie
15. Pierre
16. You Can Do Anything w/Babyface
17. The Reason w/Celine Dion
18. Now And Forever

DISC TWO/THE SONGWRITER
1. Will You Love Me Tomorrow – The Shirelles
2. Take Good Care Of My Baby – Bobby Vee
3. Every Breath I Take – Gene Pitney
4. Crying In the Rain – Everly Brothers
5. The Loco-Motion – Little Eva
6. Up On the Roof – The Drifters
7. Chains – The Cookies
8. One Fine Day – The Chiffons
9. Oh No Not My Baby – Maxine Brown
10. Just Once In My Life – The Righteous Brothers
11. Pleasant Valley Sunday – The Monkees
12. (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman – Aretha Franklin
13. No Easy Way Down – Dusty Springfield
14. Wasn’t Born To Follow – The Byrds
15. Hey Girl – Billy Joel