Goffin & King: A Gerry Goffin and Carole King Song Collection 1961-1967

by Gerry Goffin

Overview

Like songwriter team-oriented compilations that Ace has produced for Doc Pomus-Mort Shuman and Jerry Leiber-Mike Stoller, this anthology of 26 tracks penned by Gerry Goffin and Carole King mixes a few famous hits with a bunch of items that are much more off the beaten path. It's a mixed, if overall worthwhile, blessing. For it's not the place to start if you want the best and most famous work in the Goffin-King catalog, missing the biggest covers of their compositions by the Shirelles, Little Eva, Bobby Vee, Herman's Hermits, Manfred Mann, the Chiffons, the Everly Brothers, and others. On the other hand, for those who already have those hits several times over in their collections, it's a good place to pick up '60s recordings of many of their lesser-known songs, with a few smashes (particularly Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and the Animals' "Don't Bring Me Down") sprinkled in. The downside is that most of the songs, with some exceptions like the aforementioned pair, simply aren't as good or memorable as Goffin-King's most famous classics. But there are some very good tunes here, including a few that were small hits, like Tony Orlando's "Halfway to Paradise," Betty Everett's rousing soul-popper "I Can't Hear You," and the Tokens' "He's in Town" (which the Rockin' Berries made a much bigger hit in Britain). Also of note are oddities like the Crickets' "Don't Ever Change," a hit only in the U.K. (where the Beatles covered it in 1963 on the BBC), Bobby Vee's rare "The Idol" (a theme song for a 1962 TV documentary), and Dusty Springfield's version of "Wasn't Born to Follow" (a song much more renowned as done by the Byrds). Skeeter Davis' wonderful "Let Me Get Close to You" sounds like it should have been a big hit, but to be honest, most of the relatively unfamiliar tracks here simply aren't in the same league, though many have excellent period '60s pop/rock production. That's even the case when stars like the Drifters, the Chiffons, Lenny Welch, Bobby Rydell, the Righteous Brothers, and the Everly Brothers take a crack at something, though Jackie DeShannon's girl group-flavored "Heaven Is Being with You" and P.J. Proby's Righteous Brothers-like "I Can't Make It Alone" are well worth hearing. Still, the CD's a smartly chosen sampling of material for those who want to hear more Goffin-King compositions than what's most commonly available, with excellent liner notes covering both the composers' early careers and these specific recordings. ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	10/30/2007
Label:	Ace
UPC:	0029667029827

Tracks

1. He's in Town  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King  -  Tokens
2. Let Me Get Close to You  - Skeeter Davis  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King
3. Halfway to Paradise  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King  - Tony Orlando
4. The Idol  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King  - Bobby Vee
5. The First and Last  -  Chiffons  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King
6. Vrand New Man  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King  - Richard Wylie
7. Another Night with the Boys  -  Drifters  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King
8. Heaven Is Being with You  - Jackie DeShannon  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King
9. I Didn't Have Any Summer Romance  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King  -  Satisfactions
10. Love Eyes  - Bertell Dache  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King
11. Don; T Ever Change  -  Crickets  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King
12. I'll Love You for a While  - Gerry Goffin  - Jill Jackson  - Carole King
13. I Was There  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King  - Lenny Welch
14. I Just Can't Say Goodbye  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King  - Bobby Rydell
15. I Can't Hear You  - Betty Everett  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King
16. Just a Little Girl  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King  - Donna Loren
17. You; Re Just What I Was Looking for Today  -  Everly Brothers  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King
18. Hey Everybody  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King  - Ramona King
19. I Can't Make It Alone  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King  - P.J. Proby
20. Some of Your Lovin'  - Gerry Goffin  -  Honeybees  - Carole King
21. A Man Without a Dream  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King  -  Righteous Brothers
22. Don; T Bring Me Down  -  Animals  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King
23. Wasn't Born to Follow  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King  - Dusty Springfield
24. So Much Love  - Gerry Goffin  - Ben E. King  - Carole King
25. Yours Until Tomorrow  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King  - Dee Dee Warwick
26. (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman  - Aretha Franklin  - Gerry Goffin  - Carole King

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Gerry Goffin   Primary Artist
Jill Jackson   Primary Artist
Ramona King   Primary Artist
Richard Wylie   Primary Artist
The Righteous Brothers   Primary Artist
Donna Loren   Primary Artist
Skeeter Davis   Primary Artist
The Animals   Primary Artist
The Crickets   Primary Artist
The Satisfactions   Primary Artist
The Tokens   Primary Artist
Aretha Franklin   Primary Artist
Bertell Dache   Primary Artist
The Honeybees   Primary Artist
P.J. Proby   Primary Artist
Tony Orlando   Primary Artist
The Everly Brothers   Primary Artist
The Chiffons   Primary Artist
Betty Everett   Primary Artist
Bobby Rydell   Primary Artist
Bobby Vee   Primary Artist
The Drifters   Primary Artist
Jackie DeShannon   Primary Artist
Dusty Springfield   Primary Artist
Ben E. King   Primary Artist
Lenny Welch   Primary Artist
Dee Dee Warwick   Primary Artist
Sammy Lowe   Conductor
Ralph Burns   String Conductor
Jimmy Horowitz   Music Direction
Alan Lorber   Conductor
Bill Justis   Conductor
Ernie Freeman   Conductor
Chuck Sagle   Conductor
Bill Baker   Conductor

Technical Credits

Dick Glasser   Producer
Carole King   Composer
Sammy Lowe   Arranger
Jerry Leiber   Producer
Jerry Wexler   Producer
Jimmy Bowen   Producer
Nick Robbins   Mastering
Mike Stoller   Producer
Alan Lorber   Arranger
Arif Mardin   Producer
Tom Catalano   Producer
Al Capps   Arranger
Al Kasha   Producer
David Axelrod   Producer
Gerry Goffin   Composer,Producer
Calvin Carter   Producer
Rob Shread   Audio Restoration
Bill Justis   Arranger
Jack Keller   Producer
Don Costa   Producer
Ernie Freeman   Arranger
John Franz   Producer
Jim Economides   Producer
Tom Dowd   Producer
Tom Wilson   Producer
Tommy "Snuff" Garrett   Producer
Frank Day   Producer
Neil Dell   Package Design
Garry Sherman   Arranger
Bill Baker   Arranger
Jerry Ross   Producer
Teddy Randazzo   Arranger
Mick Patrick   Liner Notes
Bill Medley   Producer
Chet Atkins   Producer
Jack Nitzsche   Arranger,Producer
Jimmy Wisner   Arranger
Dusty Springfield   Producer
Joe Saraceno   Producer
Jerry Riopelle   Producer