So Far Away - Carole King (1971) 3/23/21

Although Carole King had long been known for her exceptional songwriting, 1971's "Tapestry" album (one of the "Greatest Albums of the '70s") was a revelation.

The introspection of her new material was groundbreaking, and it opened the door for more personal songs to become hits, not just for Carole...but for countless other artists, both male and female.

The first remarkable single from the album was "It's Too Late," which we highlighted back on 6/13/20. You can read about it here: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelCuuuk/posts/185999392873516

The follow-up was no less remarkable. On the surface, "So Far Away" seemed to be about lovers separated by physical distance...but if you listened a bit closer, you began to realize that it applied to emotional distance as well.

Rolling Stone Magazine pointed out that Carole's "warm, earnest singing" made the song even sadder.

Chart-wise, it was a major success in the US: #3 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart and #14 on the Hot 100. In Canada, the matching chart numbers were 12 & 17.

TRIVIA: Carole played piano on the song, and her backup musicians included James Taylor on rhythm guitar.

In 1995, "Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King" was released, and Rod Stewart's heartfelt cover of "So Far Away" actually did slightly better than Carole's version on the charts: #2 on Billboard's AC Chart and #4 on Canada's Top 40.

"So Far Away:" A beautiful piece of "Tapestry" by Carole King, woven into "Great Songs" of 1971 and 1995.

Carole King:

Rod Stewart: