Sweet Seasons

"Sweet Seasons"
Single by Carole King
from the album Carole King Music
B-side"Pocket Money"
ReleasedJanuary 1972
GenreFolk rock, soft rock, blue-eyed soul
Length3:14
LabelOde Records
A&M Records
Sony/BMG
Songwriter(s)Toni Stern, Carole King
Producer(s)Lou Adler
Carole King singles chronology
"So Far Away"
(1971) 		"Sweet Seasons"
(1972) 		"Been to Canaan"
(1972)

“Sweet Seasons” is a song written by Carole King and Toni Stern which appeared on King's 1971 album Carole King Music. It was the only charting single from the album, and was her second of four Top 10 hits in the US.

Background

E! News reporter Josh Grossberg described it as one of King's biggest hits.[1] Cash Box described it as a "piano pumper-thumper" that is "bright and breezy."[2] Record World called it a "worthy choice" as the first single from Music.[3]

Musicologist James Perone describes Stern's lyrics as being less personal than the lyrics Stern and King wrote for songs on King's earlier album Tapestry.[4] However, there is one line which Perone does regard as personal, when King sings about having kids and building a life in the country.[4] Perone feels that this line refers to King's daughters and her move to Idaho.[4] According to New Jersey Star-Ledger reporter Tris McCall, the lyrics portray the singer in a manner that King often portrays her songs' protagonists, as 'sharp-witted and adorable, but also diffident and reflexively self-deferential'.[5]

Perone describes the song as 'Top 40, pop-oriented' but also hears elements in the arrangement that anticipate Steely Dan's sound as well as Rickie Lee Jones' horn arrangement in "Chuck E.'s in Love".[4] Perone rates the song as 'an ideal AM radio, top-40 pop song... that stands up as well as any of Carole King's hit compositions'.[4] But Tim Crouse of Rolling Stone describes the song as a disappointing throwaway.[6] Actress Jessie Mueller, who portrayed King in the Broadway musical Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, regards "Sweet Seasons" as one of her favorite King songs.[7]

Personnel

Credits adapted from The Words and Music of Carole King.[4]

Chart performance

"Sweet Seasons" reached No. 9 in the United States and No. 12 in Canada. It was also an Adult Contemporary hit in both nations, reaching numbers 2 and 21, respectively. The song was also popular in Germany, particularly among younger people.[8]

Covers

"Sweet Seasons" has been covered by several musicians, including The Isley Brothers (1972), Frances Yip (1973) and Micky Dolenz (2010).[18]

References

  1. ^ Grossberg, Josh (May 17, 2013). "Carole King to Receive Gershwin Prize From President Obama at the White House". E! News.
  2. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. January 22, 1971. p. 22. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  3. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. January 22, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Perone, James E. (2006). The Words and Music of Carole King. Praeger. pp. 45–46. ISBN 0275990273.
  5. ^ McCall, Tris (January 14, 2014). "'Beautiful: The Carole King Musical' a celebration of songwriting". nj.com. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
  6. ^ Crouse, Tim (1972-01-20). "Carole King: Music: Music Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2008-08-07.
  7. ^ Taras, Rebecca (June 24, 2014). "Tony Award-Winning Jessie Mueller On Playing Carole King". Refinery29. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
  8. ^ Brinktrine, Ralf; Kastner, Berthold (2013). "Das "Sweet Seasons"". Fallsammlung zum Verwaltungsrecht. Springer-Verlag. p. 31. ISBN 9783662071861.
  9. ^ "Australian Chart Book". Austchartbook.com.au. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
  10. ^ "RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada. March 4, 1972.
  11. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
  12. ^ "Carole King Chart History: Adult Contemporary". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
  13. ^ "Carole King Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
  14. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 3/04/72". Tropicalglen.com. 1972-03-04. Archived from the original on 2016-11-19. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
  15. ^ Steffen Hung. "Forum - Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1980s (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
  16. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
  17. ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1972". Tropicalglen.com. 1972-12-30. Archived from the original on 2018-09-28. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
  18. ^ "Cover versions of Sweet Seasons by Carole King". SecondHandSongs.com. Retrieved 2016-11-19.