All original songs can be heard here

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The cover of Carole King’s album “Tapestry” from 1971.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical runs through July 3 at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn (read my review HERE). And while many audience members already know the songs well—most, but not all, were written or co-written by King—some may have missed a few or are simply too young to know them.

To help you prepare – or just enjoy timeless music – here is a collection of the original versions of the songs. In all cases, I used the version of the song that was highest-charting on Billboard magazine’s pop charts and added the author credits.

They are listed in the order in which they appear in the musical, excluding repeats and the musical’s Broadway medley (including excerpts from “Love Potion Number 9,” “Poison Ivy,” “Splish Splash,” “Stupid Cupid,” “There Goes My Baby,” and “Yakety Yak”).

Please!

“So far away”

Written by Carole King. A No. 14 hit for her in 1971.

“Oh! Carol”

Co-written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. A No. 9 hit for Sedaka in 1959.

“It might as well rain until September”

Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 22 hit for King in 1962.

“Be-Bop-A-Lula” – The song

Co-written by Gene Vincent, Donald Graves and Bill “Sheriff Tex” Davis. A No. 7 hit for Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps in 1956.

“Somehow wonderful”

Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 32 hit for The Drifters in 1962.

“Take good care of my baby”

Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 1 hit for Bobby Vee in 1961.

“Who put the bomp (in the bomp, bomp, bomp)?”

Co-written by Barry Mann and Gerry Goffin. A No. 7 hit for Mann in 1961.

“Will you love me tomorrow”

Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 1 hit for The Shirelles in 1961.

“He is definitely the boy I love”

Co-written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. A No. 11 hit for The Crystals (feat. Darlene Love) in 1963.

“Up on the roof”

Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 5 hit for The Drifters in 1963.

“On Broadway”

Co-written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. A No. 7 hit for George Benson in 1978 (after being a No. 9 hit for The Drifters in 1963).

“The locomotive”

Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 1 hit for Little Eva in 1962 (later also a No. 1 hit for Grand Funk Railroad).

“You have lost that feeling of love”

Co-written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and Phil Spector. A No. 1 hit for The Righteous Brothers in 1965.

“One fine day”

Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 5 hit for The Chiffons in 1963.

“Chains”

Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 17 hit for The Cookies in 1962.

“Walking in the rain”

Co-written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and Phil Spector. A #19 hit for Jay & the Americans in 1969 (previously a #23 hit for The Ronettes).

“Beautiful Sunday in the valley”

Co-written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. A No. 3 hit for The Monkees in 1967.

“We have to get out of here”

Co-written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. A hit for The Animals on November 13, 1965.

“Upper Town”

Co-written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. A No. 13 hit for The Crystals (featuring Barbara Alston) in 1962

“It is too late”

Co-written by Carole King and Toni Stern. A No. 1 hit when King released it as a double A-Single with “I Feel the Earth Move” in 1971.

“Nice”

Written by Carole King. Not released as a single.

“I feel the earth shaking”

Written by Carole King. A No. 1 hit when King released it as a double A-Single with “It’s Too Late” in 1971.