I was treated to some fine singing while doing a skit for “The Colbert Report.” None other than Carole King was the lady at the piano, and it was a treat to hear her perform some tunes from her venerable songbook. “Tapestry” was album of the year in 1971 and was awarded three other Grammys that same year. “You’ve Got a Friend” was song of the year.
I was immediately struck by the fact that the years have accumulated so quickly. It really did not seem like 37 years have passed by with such speed, but here we are. After the show I got a chance to talk to Carole for a few minutes and had a fun time strolling down memory lane; back when I got traded to the Lakers from Milwaukee, I had the pleasure of sharing dinner with Carole and some mutual friends.
Carole has moved from Southern California to Idaho but still has an intense passion for the issues that she supports. She was very pleased to see how Herbie Hancock’s disc “River” was album of the year this year at the Grammys. We both agreed that Herbie had escaped a “label dungeon” that sometime limits a recording’s reach because of the way it is labeled and marketed. We both hope a day will come when no label can interfere with a recording’s success.