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Fantasy (Carole King album)

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Fantasy
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 1973
StudioA&M (Hollywood)[1]
GenreBlue-eyed soul, soft rock
Length40:33
LabelOde / A&M (Original Issue)
Ode / Epic (Re-issue)
ProducerLou Adler
Carole King chronology
Rhymes and Reasons
(1972)
Fantasy
(1973)
Wrap Around Joy
(1974)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [2]
Christgau's Record GuideB[3]
Rolling Stone(not favorable)[4]

Fantasy is the fifth album by American singer-songwriter Carole King, released in 1973. At the time of its release, it only reached number six on the US Billboard 200 album chart, but has remained highly regarded by her fans over the ensuing decades. Presented as a sort of song cycle, the album opens and closes with two versions of the title song and the songs on each side segue directly into one another.

The Spanish language track "Corazón" (the Spanish word for "heart", also used as a term of endearment, as in this song's lyrics) was a moderate hit single from the album, as was "Believe in Humanity". The flip side of the latter single, "You Light Up My Life" (not the Debby Boone hit), charted separately from its A-side.

Record World described "Corazón" as being "mostly instrumental and highly Latin flavored" and with an "outstanding rhythm track."[5] Allmusic critic Jason Elias said that "'Corazón' has Latin intonations and King certainly doesn't embarrass herself."[2]

Record World said of the single "Believe in Humanity"/"You Light Up My Life" that "'Believe' is a fine rocking tune with great orchestrations, while 'Light Up My Life' is a gently wistful ballad."[6] Elias regarded "Believe" as being the best song on the album, saying that "all of the elements coalesce and might make listeners wish they took the harder sound and well-meaning messages even further, even for the hell of it."[2]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Carole King

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Fantasy Beginning"1:02
2."You've Been Around Too Long"3:42
3."Being at War With Each Other"3:26
4."Directions"3:58
5."That's How Things Go Down"3:01
6."Weekdays"2:44
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Haywood"4:46
2."A Quiet Place to Live"1:55
3."Welfare Symphony"3:47
4."You Light Up My Life"3:13
5."Corazón"4:05
6."Believe in Humanity"3:19
7."Fantasy End"1:25
Total length:40:30

Personnel

  • Carole King - vocals, piano, backing vocals, string and horn arrangements
  • David T. Walker - guitar
  • Charles Larkey - bass guitar, double bass
  • Susan Ranney - double bass
  • Harvey Mason - drums, vibraphone
  • Ms. Bobbye Hall - congas, bongas
  • Eddie Kendricks - backing vocals
  • Tom Scott, Curtis Amy, Ernie Watts, Mike Altschul - saxophone
  • Chuck Findley, Ollie Mitchell, Al Aarons - trumpet, flugelhorn
  • George Bohanon - trombone, euphonium, trombone arrangements
  • Charles Loper, Dick "Slyde" Hyde - trombone
  • Ken Yerke, Barry Socher, Sheldon Sanov, Haim Shtrum, Kathleen Lenski, Miwako Watanabe, Glenn Dicterow, Polly Sweeney, Robert Lipsett, Gordon Marron - violin
  • Denyse Buffum, David Campbell, Alan DeVeritch, Paul Polivnick - viola
  • Jeffrey Solow, Judy Perett, Denis Brott, Dennis Karmazyn - cello
Technical

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification
United States (RIAA)[12] Gold

References

  1. ^ "A Natural Woman". Archived from the original on 2017-04-22.
  2. ^ a b c Elias, Jason. Fantasy at AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-02-07.
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: K". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 28, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. ^ Holden, Stephen (1973-08-02). "Carole King: Fantasy: Music Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2008-05-15.
  5. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 13, 1973. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  6. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. July 7, 1973. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  7. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 166/167. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. ^ Library and Archives Canada. Archived 2014-01-06 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2011-02-02
  9. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  10. ^ Allmusic - Carole King > Fantasy > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums
  11. ^ "Top Pop Albums of 1973". billboard.biz. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
  12. ^ "American album certifications – Carole King – Fantasy". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2012-02-07.