"So Far Away"
Single by Carole King
from the album Tapestry
A-side"Smackwater Jack"
ReleasedMarch 1971
April 22, 2008 (Legacy)
RecordedJanuary 1971
StudioA&M, Hollywood
GenreSoft rock[1]
Length3:55
LabelOde/A&M Records
Epic/SME Records
Songwriter(s)Carole King
Producer(s)Lou Adler
Carole King singles chronology
"It's Too Late" / "I Feel the Earth Move"
(1971)		 "So Far Away" / "Smackwater Jack"
(1971)		 "Sweet Seasons"
(1971)

“So Far Away” is a song written by Carole King, which appeared on her 1971 album Tapestry. The recording features James Taylor on acoustic guitar.

The lyrics express longing for a lover who is far away.[2] But Allmusic critic Bill Janovitz notes that while the lyrics start by focusing on the physical distance between the lovers, the lyrics use that as a jumping-off point to explore emotional distance between lovers as well.[3] Rolling Stone stated King's "warm, earnest singing" on the song brought out the song's sadness.[4] Cash Box said of it that "Carole weaves a magnificent ballad spun of soft, melodic phrasing and soothing piano accompaniment topped off with the superb Lou Adler production touch."[5] Record World called it a "finely crafted cut".[6] In 2017, Paste ranked the song number four on their list of the 12 greatest Carole King songs,[7] and in 2022, American Songwriter ranked the song number two on their list of the 10 greatest Carole King songs.[8]

In addition to Taylor, and King on piano, instruments include Russ Kunkel on drums, Charles Larkey on bass guitar and Curtis Amy on flute.[2]

Personnel

Additional musicians

Notable covers

Chart history

References

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Best of Love: 16 Great Soft Rock Hits Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Perone, J.D. (2006). The Words and Music of Carole King. Greenwood Publishing. p. 34. ISBN 9780275990275.
  3. ↑ Janovitz, B. "So Far Away". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-04-17.
  4. ↑ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Tapestry". Rolling Stone. 31 May 2009. Archived from the original on 2013-04-27. Retrieved 2014-04-13.
  5. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 21, 1971. p. 14. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  6. ↑ "Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. August 21, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
  7. ↑ Logsdon, Nate (April 14, 2017). "The 12 Best Carole King Songs". Paste. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Top 10 Carole King Songs". American Songwriter. February 9, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Adult Contemporary Music Chart". Billboard. 1996-04-20. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  10. 1 2 RPM Magazine. Adult Contemporary - Volume 63, No. 4. Adult Contemporary - Volume 63, No. 4. March 11, 1996.
  11. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1971-10-09. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
  12. 1 2 Billboard Singles charts for singles from Tapestry on allmusic
  13. ↑ "Cash Bow Top 100, February 11, 1982". cashbox.com. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  14. ↑ "Record World Singles Chart, October 16, 1971" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 14, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Adult Contemporary Music Chart". Billboard. 1996-04-20. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  16. ↑ Billboard, December 25, 1971.
  17. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
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