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Tapestry 1971
Album · by Carole King ↗ View artist

Tapestry

When Carole King sat down to record Tapestry, she already had a solid career as a songwriter, creating hits for others since the early 60s. However, this album, released in February 1971, marked a before and after, consolidating her as an interpreter of her own material. The sound that defines Tapestry is an intimate and warm blend of folk and pop, recorded in January 1971 at A&M Studios in Hollywood. This album not only became a benchmark for the singer-songwriter genre but also proved to be a turning point in her career, achieving a deep connection with the public.

Year
1971
Songs
12
Duration
44 min 9 seg
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About the album

Tapestry, according to DoReSol

The impact of Tapestry was immediate and lasting. Songs like "I Feel the Earth Move" and "It's Too Late" topped the charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and the Easy Listening charts, remaining at the top for several weeks. The album was recognized with four Grammy Awards in 1972, including Album of the Year. Additionally, songs like "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", which had already been a hit for Aretha Franklin in 1967, and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?", a 1960 hit for The Shirelles, were included in Tapestry reinterpreted by King herself. The influence of James Taylor, who encouraged King to sing her compositions and participated in the recording, is felt on the album, especially in the inclusion of his own hit "You've Got a Friend".

The album cover, captured by photographer Jim McCrary in the living room of King's house in Laurel Canyon, California, shows her sitting barefoot, holding a tapestry she had sewn herself, with her cat nearby. This image encapsulates the personal and artisanal essence of the record. Tapestry not only stayed on the charts for almost six years but became one of the best-selling solo albums of all time, exceeding 10 million copies in the United States and an estimated 22 million worldwide by that time. Its legacy endures, serving as a testament to compositions that, according to critics, embrace reality with warmth and human closeness.