Season 3 Episode 5

Carole King

To Be Home Again

Forest Ecosystem Preservation

Carole King at the 1972 Grammys

Our guest today is one of the most successful female songwriters of the latter half of the 20th century, writing or co-writing 118 pop hits in Billboard's top 100 in the US and 61 hits that charted in the UK, making her the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts for 43 years starting in 1962.

What happens when you redirect the energy, hustle and persistence it takes to make it as a songwriter into a worthy cause?

Song Chronicles is proud to present this conversation between Carole and podcast host and producer, her daughter Louise in an informative exploration that delves into King's remarkable journey from being renowned for her iconic songs to becoming a passionate advocate for environmental protection, specifically through her work on the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA). Despite her initial lack of expertise in environmental matters, King's love for nature, cultivated since her childhood, sparked her interest in ecosystem protection.

photo by Elissa Kline

Forest Ecosystem Preservation

In 1989, King's involvement in environmental advocacy began when she encountered a bill proposed by scientists from Montana, which laid out a comprehensive approach to protecting the Northern Rockies ecosystem. This bill, based on the concept of preserving habitat for keystone species like grizzly bears, resonated deeply with King, leading her to take action by lobbying in Congress.

Over the years, King faced both rewarding and challenging experiences as a volunteer advocate for NREPA. Despite the bill's continuous presence in Congress since 1992, it has yet to become law. However, King remains steadfast in her commitment to keeping the bill alive, recognizing its significance as a crucial climate solution, especially in the face of growing environmental challenges like climate change.

Carole King testifying in Congress

Through her advocacy efforts, King emphasizes the importance of recognizing the interconnectedness of ecosystems and the urgent need for conservation measures. Her dedication to NREPA reflects her belief in creating a sustainable future for generations to come, highlighting the vital role of grassroots activism in addressing environmental issues.

clockwise left to right:

Sherry Goffin Kondor, Carole King, and Louise Goffin

Laurel Canyon

Overall, Carole King's journey from music legend to environmental advocate serves as an inspiring example of using one's platform and passion to drive positive change in the world, reminding us of the power of persistence and determination in the face of daunting challenges.

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 4 of Song Chronicles. Our guest today is Dave Davies, co-founder and lead guitarist for The Kinks, one of the most influential and quintessentially English rock bands. 

Dave has recently released his autobiography and an album that goes with it, which are both called Living On A Thin Line. He has much to share in this conversation about the creative process, how a sense of humor can drive good storytelling home, the emotional comfort of melancholia in songs and poetry, and what it was like writing the song 21st Century with my dad, Gerry Goffin. 

In addition to his brother and later bandmate Raymond, Dave was raised with six older sisters. We talk about growing up in this house of girls helped him understand how important it is for a healthy life to develop both a masculine and feminine side.

Dave was inspired by the working class storytelling of American music such as Hank Williams, Frank Sinatra, Fats Domino and even Rogers and Hammerstein songs, having heard songs from South Pacific and Oklahoma that his sisters used to play him when he was a boy. Getting thrown out of school set his musical learning on a path he credits with driving him to experiment more. We talk about how imagination is drawing new connections between things you've been exposed to. 

Dave with his Harmony Meteor in 1964

The Kinks, Dave's band with his brother Ray, were one of the most successful and influential bands of the 60s. The Kinks scored 12 consecutive Top 20 singles in the UK before making themselves known in the US in the late 60s and then inspired countless other bands with their working class stories, humor, and androgynous theatrical image. 

In the late 60s, Dave embarked on a solo career and continued to tour until 2018. He remains active to this day.

In 1992, Dave wrote "21st Century" with Gerry Goffin in an LA coffee shop. This hidden gem went unreleased for 30 years until it was released as a 7" vinyl in 2022. We talk about their relationship and Gerry's lyrical intuition.

Thank you Dave for being generous with your time and stories.

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 3 of Song Chronicles. Our guest today is singer and songwriter Billy Valentine, who just released a new album called "a masterclass in soul interpretation" by Record Collector. Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth was chosen as the first record for the relaunch of Flying Dutchman, the iconic imprint known for releases by Duke Ellington, Gil-Scott Heron, and Leon Thomas.

Billy was born in West Virginia as one of thirteen children and later moved to Columbus, Ohio where his parents owned a nightclub. His brother Alvin introduced him to the path of professional entertainer. At 15 years old, Billy booked his first paying gig after sitting in with his brother Alvin during a performance at Leon’s Cocktail Lounge in Patterson, NJ. After a stint in the original touring company of The Wiz, Billy and his brother John formed The Valentine Brothers. Together they recorded four albums and had a breakout Reagan-era protest single "Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)."

The Valentine Brothers

After the duo split, Billy began a songwriting collaboration with Bob Thiele, Jr and Phil Roy. The trio’s songs were recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Pops and Mavis Staples, The Neville Brothers, and his hero Ray Charles. We talk about the "pinch me" moment of hearing Ray’s recording of his song, the title track of the album My World.

Ray Charles's 1993 album My World

Billy’s incredible vocal interpretations made him a sought-after demo singer for songwriting greats like Burt Bacharach & Hal David and Gerry Goffin. Bob Thiele, Jr. says it was Billy’s voice that made the songs they wrote together irresistible, making Billy "the secret weapon of nearly every songwriter in LA." We talk about how Billy came to sing on the soundtrack of Boston Legal.

Burt Bacharach and Billy Valentine

Recording during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 brought Billy back to the '60s, being brought up in Ohio during the Kent State and Vietnam War protests. He chose to reinterpret iconic protest songs by Gil-Scott Heron, Curtis Mayfield, and Stevie Wonder for his new record Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth. We talk about the permanence of protest songs in our cultural landscape.

After many decades in the business, Billy says he is finally feeling good in his own skin and proud of how he made these songs sound. We talk about how hard artists are on themselves and how pleasing yourself is the hardest part. He has an ageless quality about him and describes himself as having a "young heart."

Enjoy this conversation with a storied interpreter of songs.