Tapestry turns 50. One of the finest albums ever

Carole King co-wrote the soundtrack of the early 1960s, but none of us knew her name. With then husband, Gerry Goffin, Carole wrote dozens of hit records for The Shirelles, The Crystals, Beatles, Monkees, Aretha Franklin and many more.

Carole was a gifted musician too shy to perform her own songs. Other acts turned them into hits. But around 1970, in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles, James Taylor persuaded and cajoled her into performing. She was a hit on the LA live scene, and her second album, Tapestry, took off like a rocket.

It sold 10 million copies on first release, and many millions more since. Four Grammy awards, a long list of achievements and honours. It was the first big album success of the then new singer-songwriter era. Tapestry, and its creator, deserved all these honours, and more.

Writing pop and rock tunes is a strange craft, marrying urgent love haikus to riffs and melodies, surfing teenage emotions as they grow into adult ambitions and deep, yearning dreams. The best songsmiths make it look easy. Carole King is one of the greats - and Tapestry is a deep well of love, joy, and musical adventure.

Listen to my tribute to Tapestry