Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

3. Carole KingTapestry

When I was alone in London trying to make it and really lonely, a friend of mine came from Detroit, a guy I’d known for years, and he brought this cassette with him. It was this and Neil Young: the two albums together. And I got acquainted with Tapestry and I used to say there’s not a bad track on it. Mickie Most always used to say that if he had that voice in the studio he would run away and that always stuck in my head. Not run away with joy, I mean run away with it. She’s a wonderful songwriter and she’s been through a lot herself. It all comes out in her songs. She’s just a big talent. I’m a big fan. She did something totally different: she went against the norm. Songwriter becomes star in her own right; that was totally unheard of.

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