"One to One" by Carole King

Song#:  0962
Date:  03/27/1982
Debut:  86
Peak:  45
Weeks:  10
Genre:  Pop



Pop Bits:  By this time, King's solo work was being met with a more nostalgic ear than as something current and hip, as demonstrated by her 1980 reworking of "One Fine Day" which reached #12. Getting back to her singer/songwriter "Tapestry" roots, King moved to the Atlantic label for her "One to One" LP. This title track got her on the pop chart, but it couldn't get into the Top 40. It fared better at AC reaching #20. The single didn't do much to promote the album and at that time it became the lowest peaking one of her solo career. Although this single would be her last to reach the pop chart, King would go on to write songs that would appear on albums by major artists like Mariah Carey and Celine Dion.

ReduxReview:  King revives her early 70s singer/songwriter sound and adds elements of her 60s pop for this tune. The overall sound is nice, but it was so far away (pun intended) from what was happening in pop music at the time. For long-standing artists like King, it's not easy to try and keep up with current musical sounds and trends. And sometimes you don't want to. As an artist, you are who you are. Very few can adapt over decades and remain relevant. Plus, it's not for everyone. King didn't really need to update/change her sound as she will always have fans, but there is usually a time when the hits stop and an artist has to transition to late-career projects and appearances. This single marked the beginning of that transition for King. It's far from being among her best, but it's not a bad song to go out on.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  King met Gerry Goffin while in college and they married when she was 17. They left college for regular jobs and wrote songs in the evenings. One of their co-written tunes, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" got recorded by The Shirelles and in 1960 it became Goffin and King's first #1 as writers. The success allowed them to quit their day jobs and focus on writing music full-time. Many hits followed with King's solo career blossoming with 1971's classic "Tapestry" album.

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