Carole King's lost album

When THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS COMPLETE ANTHOLOGY was released, Michelle Phillips offered some sad news.  The four disc compilation (a UK product that was sold in the US and also offered as a premium during PBS pledge drives) contained everything her group had ever recorded.  The disc collected every track from the group's five studio albums as well as all 8 tracks from the live album recorded at the Monterey Pop concert.  In addition, the boxed set included ''Glad To Be Unhappy" which was never on a studio album and was from ABC's RODGERS AND HART TODAY which aired on ABC STAGE 67 and the guests -- along with Michelle, Cass, Denny and John -- also included Diana Ross and the Supremes, Count Basie and His Orchestra, Bobby Darin and Petula Clark.  The boxed set also featured "Here In My Arms" which is from that special (and appeared on the boxed set for the first time -- "Glad To Be Unhappy" had previously appeared on many greatest hits collections).  One more track that was new -- "Nowhere Man" performed on HULLABALOO during a 1966 appearance.



Now Michelle may not have been 100% right.  It was many years ago and memories can slip.  The group also appeared on SHINDIG!  and on their episode, besides singing their own songs ("I Call Your Name," "Somebody Groovy" and "California Dreamin'"), the group is supposed to have performed the following with Barry McGuire: "Yesterday," "Do You Believe In Magic," "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away," and, with Barry and The Grass Roots, "Hang On, Sloopy."

But, again, that's from a TV show.  The larger point Michelle made, on PBS stations, was that there was nothing else hidden away.  Everything that the group recorded in the studio had been released.

Lou Adler produced the group's first four albums.

Yes, we are getting to our point.  Lou also produced Carole King's TAPESTRY album. That is the bestselling album ever released by a woman.  (Soundtracks with various artists do not count as an album from one woman -- do not believe CRAPAPEDIA.) Carole was on Lou's ODE RECORDS label for seven of her first solo albums.  She left after THOROUGHBRED (1976) and before CAPITOL released SIMPLE THINGS (1977).

Simple enough?

No.

Carole King recorded SIMPLE THINGS with the group Navarro. She also recorded with them an album for ODE RECORDS before that.  And that album has never been released.  It remains in the vault.

Carole is a legend.  Ask PBS.

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She's a one of a kind legend.  She is a singer-songwriter.  She has written or co-written a ton of hit songs including "I Feel The Earth Move," "It's Too Late," "Sweet Seasons," "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," "The Locomotion," "Up On The Roof," "One Fine Day," "Been To Canaan," "Only Love Is Real," "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," "Take Good Care Of My Baby," "Jazzman," "Now And Forever," "Go Away Little Girl," "Pleasant Valley Sunday," "Wasn't Born To Follow," "So Far Away," "Corazon,'' "Hard Rock Cafe," "Believe In Humanity," "Chains," "Oh No, Not My Baby," "Hey Girl," "Goin' Back," "Crying In The Rain," "You've Got A Friend," "I'm Into Something Good," "Some Kind Of Wonderful," "Don't Bring Me Down," "Don't Say Nothing Bad About My Baby," "Nightingale," "It Might As Well Rain Until September," "It's Going To Take Some Time" . . .


Now let's talk about this missing album.

Grasp that it comes between THOROUGHBRED and SIMPLE THINGS.  Those were Carole's last two gold albums.  Between those beloved and popular albums exist a hidden one.  Release the album already.