Just Once In My life Carole King demo

Carole's demo of the song she wrote with Gerry Goffin for The Righteous Brothers as produced by Phil Spector.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Carole
• King
• Just
• Once
• In
• My
• life
• Gerry
• Goffin
• Phil
• Spector
• The
• Righteous
• Brothers
• Beach
• Boys

[nicodagger]

BEAUTIFIUL!!!!!!!! Did she write the words or the music or help with both? Was this made to show potential artists, like the RB? Thanks!! Where the hell did you get this???

[richardsnow]

@nicodagger I believe Carole did music and Gerry was the words man. This is from an acetate disc that I don't personally own! ( I wish) . Yes she used to do a demo version to show the artist how to sing it. This one I believe was written especially for The Righteous Bros.

[nicodagger]

@richardsnow Thanks!! Now I take back all the nasty thoughts I've had about "Tapestry"....CArol had a real genius for melody/harmony...I can hear how this was written for the RB...but why is Phil Spector listed, on some sites, as the co-writer? He produced it, did a great job...but did he also help write it? As a songwriter myself, this shows again that a great song can shine without any production or a lot.

[richardsnow]

@nicodagger From A book I read , I get the impression that Phill's input on the songs he recorded was less than Goffin/ king or Mann/weil or whoever he was writing with. Although of course he did write "To Know him is to love him" and "When I Saw you" on his own. I recall reading that on "River Deep" he was responsible for the middle 8 R&B flavoured section.

I'd take a guess that his input on the Goffin/king songs he produced was minimal. His contribution being providing his "hit sound"

[movingon4ever]

Another unique version of this song was the 1966 Album by Ex-Animal keyboard

player, Alan Price,"This Price is Right." I

have Righteous Bros power vocal version,

but favor Price's arrangement. Perhaps it is on YouTube, or some kind soul will ad

it. Give a listen, enjoy! Thank you.

[richardsnow]

@movingon4ever Would like to hear that, it's not on you tube

[MrKat65]

Fantastic! I love how she uses that bass line all the way through the song...genius!

[mbullo]

so good. i like the beach boys version too, although it's fade out is hasty.

[grammarita1]

As far as gender in songs goes, how about Joan Baez on "The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down," Cher on "You'd Better Sit down, Kids," and Joni Mitchell on "Free Man in Paris"? They all referred to themselves as males.

[grammarita1]

Bill Medley, after the Righteous Brothers did this one in concert, exclaimed that the show could end right then because this is such a great song.

[TheKunig]

Just Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful , Beautiful ,

[MIKECNW]

She must written this song especially for them since she says "girl" insteas od "boy."

[harvey1954]

As great as Soul and Inspiration and You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' are this tune is still the best thing the Righteous Bros. EVER did. The lyrics are what gives it the edge. A man who have one last chance that only this female listener can grant. Mixed with the vocal inflections by the Bros. makes it the winner.

[negriljerry]

@richardsnow - It smells like the deal back in the day when Elvis would automatically get co-writing credit on tunes, the big tradeoff: "If you want my boy to make your song a hit he gets to be cowriter". I've never heard this demo before, it's surprising how much of Brian Wilson's orchestration for the Beach Boys' version came directly from her piano arrangement