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So Far Away (Carole King song)

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"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
Genre
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. In addition to Taylor, and King on piano, instruments include Russ Kunkel on drums, Charles Larkey on bass guitar and Curtis Amy on flute.[3]

The lyrics express longing for a lover who is far away.[3] 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.[4] Rolling Stone stated King's "warm, earnest singing" on the song brought out the song's sadness.[5] 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."[6] Record World called it a "finely crafted cut".[7] In 2017, Paste ranked the song number four on their list of the 12 greatest Carole King songs,[8] and in 2022, American Songwriter ranked the song number two on their list of the 10 greatest Carole King songs.[9] It was performed at Amy Winehouse's funeral by friends and family as it was one of Winehouses's favorite songs.[10][11][12][13]

Personnel

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Notable covers

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Chart history

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Certifications

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Carole King original
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[23] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Best of Love: 16 Great Soft Rock Hits Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  2. ^ Moon, Tom (28 August 2008). "Carole King - Tapestry". 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die. Workman Publishing Company. pp. 426–427. ISBN 9-780761-139638.
  3. ^ a b Perone, J.D. (2006). The Words and Music of Carole King. Greenwood Publishing. p. 34. ISBN 9780275990275.
  4. ^ Janovitz, B. "So Far Away". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-04-17.
  5. ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Tapestry". Rolling Stone. 31 May 2009. Archived from the original on 2013-04-27. Retrieved 2014-04-13.
  6. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 21, 1971. p. 14. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  7. ^ "Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. August 21, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
  8. ^ Logsdon, Nate (April 14, 2017). "The 12 Best Carole King Songs". Paste. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  9. ^ "Top 10 Carole King Songs". American Songwriter. February 9, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  10. ^ "Amy Winehouse's favourite song of all time". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 2023-10-14. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  11. ^ Bose, Lilledeshan (2011-07-27). "Amy Winehouse's Funeral: Who Was There, What Was Said – OC Weekly". Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  12. ^ "Amy Winehouse: Five Facts You May Not Have Known". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  13. ^ Jonze, Tim (2012-07-23). "Amy Winehouse anniversary: songs in the key of life". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  14. ^ "Adult Contemporary Music Chart". Billboard. 1996-04-20. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  15. ^ a b RPM Magazine. Adult Contemporary - Volume 63, No. 4. Adult Contemporary - Volume 63, No. 4. March 11, 1996.
  16. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1971-10-09. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
  17. ^ a b Billboard Singles charts for singles from Tapestry on allmusic
  18. ^ "Cash Bow Top 100, February 11, 1982". cashbox.com. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  19. ^ "Record World Singles Chart, October 16, 1971" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 14, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  20. ^ "Adult Contemporary Music Chart". Billboard. 1996-04-20. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  21. ^ Billboard, December 25, 1971.
  22. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
  23. ^ "American single certifications – Carole King – So Far Away". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
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