The cover of Carole King’s 1971 album, “Tapestry.”
“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” runs through July 3 at The Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn (read my review HERE). And though many attendees will already be intimately acquainted with its songs — mostly, but not in all cases, written or co-written by King — some may have missed a few, or simply be too young to have been exposed to them.
So, to prepare yourself — or just to enjoy some timeless music — here is a collection of the original versions of the songs. I have used, in all cases, the highest-charting (on Billboard magazine’s pop chart) version of the song, and included the writing credits.
They are in the order in which they appear in the musical, with reprises and the musical’s Broadway medley (including excerpts from “Love Potion Number 9,” “Poison Ivy,” “Splish Splash,” “Stupid Cupid,” “There Goes My Baby” and “Yakety Yak”) excluded.
Here you go!
“So Far Away”
Written by Carole King. A No. 14 hit for her in 1971.
“Oh! Carol”
Co-written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. A No. 9 hit for Sedaka in 1959.
“It Might as Well Rain Until September”
Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 22 hit for King in 1962.
“Be-Bop-A-Lula”
Co-written by Gene Vincent, Donald Graves and Bill “Sheriff Tex” Davis. A No. 7 hit for Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps in 1956.
“Some Kind of Wonderful”
Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 32 hit for The Drifters in 1962.
“Take Good Care of My Baby”
Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 1 hit for Bobby Vee in 1961.
“Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)”
Co-written by Barry Mann and Gerry Goffin. A No. 7 hit for Mann in 1961.
“Will You Love Me Tomorrow”
Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 1 hit for The Shirelles in 1961.
“He’s Sure the Boy I Love”
Co-written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. A No. 11 hit for The Crystals (featuring Darlene Love) in 1963.
“Up on the Roof”
Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 5 hit for The Drifters in 1963.
“On Broadway”
Co-written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. A No. 7 hit for George Benson in 1978 (after being a No. 9 hit for The Drifters in 1963).
“The Loco-Motion”
Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 1 hit for Little Eva in 1962 (later a No. 1 hit for Grand Funk Railroad as well).
“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”
Co-written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and Phil Spector. A No. 1 hit for The Righteous Brothers in 1965.
“One Fine Day”
Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 5 hit for The Chiffons in 1963.
“Chains”
Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 17 hit for The Cookies in 1962.
“Walking in the Rain”
Co-written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and Phil Spector. A No. 19 hit for Jay & the Americans in 1969 (earlier a No. 23 hit for The Ronettes).
“Pleasant Valley Sunday”
Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 3 hit for The Monkees in 1967.
“We Gotta Get Out of This Place”
Co-written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. A Nov. 13 hit for The Animals in 1965.
“Uptown”
Co-written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. A No. 13 hit for The Crystals (featuring Barbara Alston) in 1962
“It’s Too Late”
Co-written by Carole King and Toni Stern. A No. 1 hit when released by King as a double A-side single with “I Feel the Earth Move” in 1971.
“Beautiful”
Written by Carole King. Not released as a single.
“I Feel the Earth Move”
Written by Carole King. A No. 1 hit when released by King as a double A-side single with “It’s Too Late” in 1971.
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