Scene Notes
Carole King Will Still Be Loved
Posted on 10/30/2019
The story of Carole King, one of the most celebrated and iconic women in music history, is coming to State Theatre New Jersey this fall. Broadway’s Beautiful—The Carole King Musical highlights Carole King’s career from songwriter to performer and features beloved chart-topping hits. These include “You’ve Got a Friend,” “One Fine Day,” “Up on the Roof,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” and “Natural Woman.”
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King’s successful 1961 hit “Will You (Still) Love Me Tomorrow?,” written by her and her late husband Gerry Goffin, tells the story of vulnerable women who struggle with their confidence and their insecurities. Performed by The Shirelles, this song was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks straight. Discovered by Florence Greenberg—owner of both Tiara and Scepter Records—The Shirelles, a girl band out of New Jersey, produced several hits including “Tonight’s the Night” and “Mama Said.” King’s piece, however, helped to mark two momentous occasions—it was the first song in history to hit #1 by an all-girl group and it was the first major success for the King and Goffin writing duo.
In 1971, 10 years after the release of “Will You (Still) Love Me Tomorrow?,” King created her own album, Tapestry. She soon realized the 1961 hit would be a good addition to her work. In an effort to evolve the song further, King slowed the tempo and added backup vocals—provided by Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. These developments extended the rawness within the song that portrays the desperation of a woman who has been hurt before. Tapestry, embodying everything she had worked her entire life toward, solidified King’s spot as an icon in both songwriting and performing. She won the Grammys® for Album of the Year and for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1972 thanks to this album. Plus, it was on Billboard’s 200 as the #1 song for 15 straight weeks in 1971.
Today, there stands close to 300 cover songs based on King’s and Goffin’s “Will You (Still) Love Me Tomorrow?.” Some of the most famous covers include The Four Seasons (1965), Bryan Ferry (1993), The Bee Gees (1995), Amy Winehouse (2004), and Leslie Grace (2012). Get ready for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at State Theatre New Jersey on Friday, November 8 at 8pm, Saturday, November 9 at 2pm and 8pm, and Sunday, November 10 at 2pm.
