“I revere excellence”: the musician Carole King was honoured to play with
You could say everything about Carole King revolves around the idea of revering excellence. It seems a bit at odds with everything we know about her to hear her say it about someone else.
Yet equally, looking back into the finer details of King’s career, the one thing that stands out is the fact that her years of music have been built on a bedrock of other artists standing beside her. That obviously means her stint as a songwriter, mastering hits for The Shirelles to The Animals, but also just the inherent way she functioned as a musician.
Take the example of King’s iconic album Tapestry, which featured backing vocals from a range of different artists. Joni Mitchell appeared in the background of the album’s version of ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?’, while her call-and-response relationship to James Taylor made for some of the most seismic hits of the era.
Indeed, it was most clearly in this latter example where King found her closest kindred spirit. Taylor proved that a loving relationship between a man and a woman did not always have to veer into romantic territory, but built on a purely platonic foundation of deep respect and admiration for each other, there’s no denying that they absolutely love their counterpart.
“There are two things about James that maybe people don’t know as well as I do. One is James’ generosity. He’s the most generous of performers, which you do see onstage. But he also has an awareness of what every person in the audience is going to be hearing and seeing. I don’t have that level of awareness,” King once said, ironically being full of self-awareness at the same time.
But as you dive deeper into her feelings towards Taylor, the thing that reveals itself is how closely she has watched him over the years. “He always looks for ways to improve the experience for every single member of the audience,” she explained. “The other thing [is] the level of professionalism James puts into everything he does… Every single step of the way, he brings his great knowledge to bear.”
It might seem simple, but the value of that level of insight is something not to be baulked at in a current music industry increasingly swamped by insularity and self-protection. It was in this context that King said, “I revere excellence. I can be moved to tears at a product a person makes if it’s been made with excellence,” and in Taylor’s case, her assessment evidently isn’t wrong.
In a career that has seen the pair working together on every level, from the studio to being on the road, Taylor’s specific work ethic is something that King has had more than enough time to realise over the years. It’s also an undeniable testament to her own spirit and view on the world that she can pick up on it and deliver it back in tribute to her friend.
In a lot of ways, that contextualises the message that stands behind ‘Fire and Rain’ and ‘You’ve Got A Friend’. At the time, Taylor was searching in the darkness for company and companionship, and through the simple act of reaching out her hand, both literally and sonically, King proved that their relationship could withstand anything. Because of this, anything she has ever done with him is always going to be her highest honour.
