"Beautiful" | |
---|---|
![]() Scandinavian single with "You've Got a Friend" on the A-side | |
Song by Carole King | |
from the album Tapestry | |
Released | February 10, 1971 |
Genre | Pop [1] |
Length | 3:08 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) | Carole King |
Producer(s) | Lou Adler |
"Beautiful" is a song written by Carole King that was first released on her 1971 award-winning album Tapestry . It has also been covered by other artists, such as Barbra Streisand and Richard Marx, and included on several of King's live albums. It was also used as the title song of the 2014 Broadway musical Beautiful: The Carole King Musical .
According to King, she did not consciously attempt to write "Beautiful" but it came to her spontaneously. [2] It stemmed from her realization while riding the New York City Subway that the way she perceived others reflected how she herself felt. [2] She has also stated that because it came to her spontaneously, she initially didn't realize some of the professional details of the song, such as the lack of rhyme in the refrain, which if she was writing the song consciously she would have included. [2]
Rolling Stone Magazine critic Jon Landau describes "Beautiful" as an "uptempo song." [3] The lyrics reflect themes present throughout the Tapestry album, such as the importance of self-esteem and positive outlook. [4] Within the song, beauty is defined not as an attractive outward appearance but as inner beauty. [4] In the verses of the song, the singer sings about the unhappy people she sees around her. [4] The message is emphasized by setting the verses in a minor key and to a straightforward rhythm and singing at a relatively low pitch. [3] [4] The refrain, describes the need for optimism and self-esteem to be successful, and is reinforced by being set in a major key and to a syncopated rhythm and at a higher pitch. [3] [4]
Instrumentation for "Beautiful" includes King playing piano and synthesizer, Charles Larkey on bass guitar, Joel O'Brien on drums and Danny Kortchmar on conga drums. [4] Author James Perone praises the song as "great sleeper track" but criticizes the use of the synthesizer, which although not prominent he believes sounds synthetic, detracting from the song's emphasis on being real. [4] Rolling Stone Album Guide critic Mark Coleman states that King's performance "rescues 'Beautiful' from the sentimental deep end." [5]
A live version of "Beautiful" was included on King's 1994 album In Concert . [6] Another live version, recorded on June 18, 1971, at Carnegie Hall, was released on King's 1996 album Carnegie Hall Concert: June 18, 1971 . [7] Another live version was included on the 2007 album Welcome to My Living Room. [8] The studio version was also included on the 2007 compilation album The Best of Carole King. [9]
Barbra Streisand covered "Beautiful" as the opening track of her 1971 album Barbra Joan Streisand . [10] Anne Murray recorded "Beautiful" for her 1972 album release Annie . Richard Marx covered "Beautiful" on the 1995 tribute album Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King . [11] Allmusic critic William Ruhlmann described Marx's version as one of the best covers on the album. [11] "Beautiful" has also been covered by Julie Conant and by The Overtures. [12] [13] And, more recently, by Jonathan Rayson on his 2006 album "Shiny and New".
"Beautiful" is part of the cast recording for the Broadway musical Beautiful: The Carole King Musical . [14] It is sung in Act 2 by the actress portraying Carole King. [14] On its opening night on Broadway, it was sung by Jessie Mueller. [14] The song is also included on the Broadway Cast Album of the musical. [15] [16]
Carole King Klein is an American singer-songwriter and musician. One of the most successful songwriters in American history, she wrote or co-wrote 118 pop hits appearing on the Billboard Hot 100 over the latter half of the 20th century. King also wrote 61 hits that charted in the UK, making her the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts between 1962 and 2005.
Tapestry is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Carole King. Produced by Lou Adler, it was released on February 10, 1971, by Ode Records. The album's lead singles, "It's Too Late" and "I Feel the Earth Move", spent five weeks at number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts.
"You've Got a Friend" is a 1971 song written by American singer-songwriter Carole King. It was first recorded by King and included on her second studio album, Tapestry (1971). Another well-known version is by James Taylor from his album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. His was released as a single in 1971, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the UK Singles Chart. The two versions were recorded simultaneously in 1971 with shared musicians.
Daniel "Danny Kootch" Kortchmar is an American guitarist, session musician, producer and songwriter. His work with singer-songwriters such as Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, David Crosby, Carole King, David Cassidy, Graham Nash, Neil Young, Steve Perry, and Carly Simon helped define the signature sound of the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s. Jackson Browne and Don Henley have recorded many songs written or co-written by Kortchmar, and Kortchmar was Henley's songwriting and producing partner in the 1980s.
Writer is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Carole King, released in May 1970. King already had a successful career as a songwriter, and been a part of The City, a short-lived group she formed after moving to Los Angeles in 1968. Tracks on the album include "Up on the Roof" which was a number 4 hit for the Drifters in 1962, and "Child of Mine", which has been recorded by Billy Joe Royal, among others. The album did not receive much attention upon its release, though it entered the chart following the success of King's next album, Tapestry, in 1971. It was produced by John Fischbach, the co-founder of Crystal Sound studio, in Hollywood, California, where the album was recorded.
Carole King Music is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Carole King. The album was released in December 1971.
"It's Too Late" is a song from American singer-songwriter Carole King's second studio album, Tapestry (1971). Toni Stern wrote the lyrics and King wrote the music. It was released as a single in April 1971 and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts. Sales were later platinum-certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Billboard ranked "It's Too Late" and its fellow A-side, "I Feel the Earth Move", as the No. 3 record for 1971.
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow", sometimes known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It was first recorded in 1960 by the Shirelles; released as a single that November, it became the first song by an African-American girl group to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It has since been recorded by many other artists, including King on her 1971 album Tapestry.
"I Feel the Earth Move" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Carole King, for her second studio album Tapestry. Additionally, the song is one half of the double A-sided single, the flip side of which was "It's Too Late". Together, both "I Feel the Earth Move" and "It's Too Late" became among the biggest mainstream pop hits of 1971.
Barbra Joan Streisand is the thirteenth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released in August 1971 on Columbia Records. It was her second consecutive album produced by Richard Perry and features backing work by members of the female band Fanny. Like the two previous studio albums, the singer continued to opt for a more contemporary repertoire, this time choosing three songs by Carole King, two by John Lennon, two by Burt Bacharach and Hal David in medley form, one each by Laura Nyro and the trio Michel LeGrand, Marilyn Bergman and Alan Bergman, and one by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, who would go on to form Steely Dan.
The Way We Were is the fifteenth studio album recorded by American singer Barbra Streisand. The album was released in January 1974, preceded by the commercial success of its lead single "The Way We Were" first released in September 1973.
Stoney End is the twelfth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand. Released in 1971 and produced by Richard Perry, it was a conscious change in direction for Streisand, having a more upbeat, contemporary pop/rock sound. It included cover versions of several songs by contemporary singer-songwriters, including Laura Nyro, Randy Newman and Joni Mitchell.
“So Far Away” is a song written by Carole King, which appeared on her 1971 album Tapestry. The recording features James Taylor on acoustic guitar. In addition to Taylor, and King on piano, instruments include Russ Kunkel on drums, Charles Larkey on bass guitar and Curtis Amy on flute.
Live Concert at the Forum is the second live album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released physically on October 1, 1972, by Columbia Records. Produced by long-time collaborator Richard Perry, it was recorded at The Forum in Inglewood, part of Greater Los Angeles, on April 15, 1972, during Four for McGovern, a concert held in benefit for George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign. A CD version of Live Concert at the Forum was released on September 6, 1989.
Till I Loved You is the twenty-fifth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released on October 25, 1988, on Columbia Records. The album was notable for both its thematic structure and its high-budget production, with many guest writers, producers, and musicians: Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager offered three brand new songs to the album, Quincy Jones produced "The Places You Find Love", with Luther Vandross and Dionne Warwick adding backing vocals.
"Where You Lead" is a song written in 1970 by Carole King with lyricist Toni Stern, introduced on King's iconic 1971 album Tapestry. A Top 40 hit for Barbra Streisand in both a studio and a live version—the latter in a medley titled "Sweet Inspiration/ Where You Lead"—the song has also served as the main theme song for The WB dramedy series Gilmore Girls in a lyrically revised version recorded by King and Louise Goffin.
Just for the Record... is a box set by American singer Barbra Streisand. It was released by Columbia Records on September 24, 1991. Just for the Record... includes a variety of performances throughout Streisand's career, including a song taken from her first studio recording session in 1955: a cover of "You'll Never Know". Other tracks were compiled from various live performances, TV specials, and previous albums from her back catalog.
“Sweet Seasons” is a song written by Carole King and Toni Stern which appeared on King's 1971 album Carole King Music. It was the only charting single from the album, and was her second of four Top 10 hits in the US.
"Smackwater Jack" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It was first released on King's 1971 album Tapestry and then on the second single from that album, along with "So Far Away", charting at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was subsequently covered by many artists, most famously by Quincy Jones as the title song of his 1971 album Smackwater Jack.
"Wasn't Born to Follow", also known as "I Wasn't Born to Follow", is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Goffin wrote the lyrics and King provided the music. The song was first recorded by the Byrds on their 1968 album, The Notorious Byrd Brothers. King's short-lived band the City also recorded the song for their 1968 album, Now That Everything's Been Said. It has also been covered by many other artists, including the Monkees, the Lemon Pipers, Dusty Springfield, and as a solo recording by King. The Byrds recording was featured in the 1969 film Easy Rider and was released as a single in the UK and Germany in the same year as a result.