# The iconic 1971 Carole King solo that was recorded in one take: “Right off the floor”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-iconic-1971-carole-king-solo-that-was-recorded-in-one-take-right-off-the-floor/
- Published: 2026-10-28T22:27:13+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-29T03:12:08+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/iconic-carole-king-solo-recorded-in-one-take/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- ‘It’s Too Late’ became Carole King’s first number one single.
- Danny Kortchmar recorded its guitar solo in one take.
- The song was first released as a B-side.

## Summary

Carole King’s 1971 album *Tapestry* established her as a solo artist, despite her reluctance to perform and her struggles with stage fright. Its song ‘It’s Too Late’ became her first number one single, helping cement the album’s place in the rise of the singer-songwriter era.

The song was written by Toni Stern and was initially released as the B-side to ‘I Feel the Earth Move’. Radio stations played it more often, prompting King to give it the spotlight. Guitarist Danny Kortchmar recalled that he recorded the solo in one take, live during the session rather than as an overdub.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.