(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)
Carole King - "It's Too Late"
Hit Number 1: June 19, 1971
Stay at Number 1: 5 Weeks
The obscure songwriter Toni Stern had broken up with her boyfriend, James Taylor. Supposedly it wasn't a very nasty breakup, because the result of it was a song Stern had written in a single day called "It's Too Late". This song takes an unfamiliar approach to a breakup song, because the narrator isn't mad at the guy she's breaking up with. It's like they both know they're not right for each other, and it's best that they split up. In a day and age where there are many horrific, nasty breakup songs that gives you the sense the narrator wants their ex dead, it's refreshing to see a song like this. There are many amicable breakups in existence, but there are hardly any songs about those amicable breakups. "It's Too Late" is an exception, and right off the bat that's a reason why I like the song. (By the way, yes that is the same James Taylor that went on to have a greatly successful career. He'll even appear in this blog very soon)
No matter how well a song is written, you need the right musician to record it. Someone that can take the song, put their own twist on it, but still create a finished product that helps deliver that message even better. Well, Carole King certainly fits that bill. King had been in the music industry for almost a decade by the time "It's Too Late" was released, and she'd written several songs with her first husband Gerry Goffin. Some of those songs have appeared in this blog in the past. (Get this, she wrote the song "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" when she was only 18 years old. She couldn't legally drink alcohol, but she could write great music) King, to this point, didn't have tons of chart success as a musician though, and most of her fame was accredited to her songwriting career. Then there was Tapestry.
Tapestry was King's second solo album, but it's the first one to have singles released from it. The album was a lot different from material King had written in the past. Tapestry is full of soft, jazzy rock. It's the kind of music you'd expect to hear in a coffee lounge. Also in my opinion, it's some of the earliest traces of a genre that would become greatly popular after disco died down: yacht rock. For some reason people like to make fun of yacht rock, but it's one of my favorite genres of music. Anyway, we'll discuss that more when we get to that era of music. For now, let's get back to talking about "It's Too Late", a song released from the majestic soft rock wonderland that is Tapestry.
We already know the message of "It's Too Late" and what it's about, but what kind of approach would King take to try to deliver the song's message appropriately? Well, she took one in the biggest Tapestry ways possible. I could sip my coffee (if I liked coffee) and study for my exams to this music. It's soft, and it's oh so smooth. King, who is a largely underrated piano player in her own right, gently plays her piano; the riffs fluttering around soft and jazzy guitar licks. She also hits a wide range of vocal notes, with her kind of muttering to herself in the verses, before picking up steam in the chorus. The chorus acts as a jolt to the listener's eardrums, and it's the kind of chorus that has some hang time. I will remember that chorus. There's also a saxophone solo, but even that doesn't reach for anything bigger. It also blends into those guitar licks and King's piano riffs, ultimately creating something that's gentle on the ears, and perfect for a late night of relaxation.
But those relaxing vibes somehow make the message of "It's Too Late" even more sad. Remember, this is still a pretty sad song, and there is a breakup taking place. The image I get of "It's Too Late" is two lovers breaking up in a deserted café, and it's raining outside. It's not the kind of sad that brings tears to your eyes, it's the kind of sad that makes you feel lonely, looking out your window wondering what could have happened differently. The narrator tells the boy that while she feels it's best that they break up, she's still glad about everything they had together. But even though they've tried time and time again to make this thing work, it's too late. That stuff just hits harder than your average breakup song. Maybe this is what Greg Kihn was talking about when he said "they don't write em' like that anymore."
"It's Too Late" is one of those #1 hits that shared the A-side with another song. In this case, that song is the bouncy, upbeat "I Feel the Earth Move", which really sticks out on an album like Tapestry. (It's a 7) Tapestry gave us one other released single, "So Far Away", which unlike "It's Too Late" could very well be the kind of sad song that brings tears to your eyes. ("So Far Away" made it to #14. It's also a 7) But the gem of the album will forever be "It's Too Late". As for King, she won't appear in this blog again as an artist, but she'll appear in here again as a songwriter very soon. In fact, she will at the same time as James Taylor.
GRADE: 9/10
JUST MISSED:
The Carpenters' somber, but very relatable "Rainy Days and Mondays" peaked at #2 behind "It's Too Late" / "I Feel the Earth Move". It's a 6.
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