"It's Going to Take Some Time" is a song written by Carole King and Toni Stern for King’s 1971 album, ''

Music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

''. It was redone by the Carpenters in 1972 for their fourth album, '' A Song for You''. According to Richard Carpenter, he had to choose which songs he wanted to remake, and there was a big pile of 7-inch singles he had to listen to. When he encountered "It's Going to Take Some Time", he knew it would be a hit, and recorded it. The song peaked at number 12 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Tim Weisberg Jules Timothy Weisberg (born January 1, 1943) is an American flutist, vocalist, and record producer. Career In school he wanted to play drums, but instruments were chosen in order of the students' last names, and when Weisberg got his chance, hi ...

played the bass flute, but the flute solo was played by Bob Messenger on a (standard) alto flute. King is quoted as saying that the duo's lush, string-laden cover, including a flute solo, made her own more sparse version sound "like a demo". According to musicologist James E. Perone, the lyrics describe someone recovering from a relationship that has ended. They contrast the current situation, where the singer sings that "it's going to take some time this time" with her future recovery from the sadness. Perone interprets the syncopations of much of the music as reflecting her recovery, but notes that the smoother, unsyncopated music at the end of each verse bring her back to the present day reality. Actress

Jessie Mueller Jessica Ruth Mueller (born February 20, 1983) is an American actress and singer. She started her acting career in Chicago and won two Joseph Jefferson Awards in 2008 and 2011 for her roles as Carrie Pipperidge in ''Carousel'' and Amalia Balash in ...

, who portrayed King in the

Broadway musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

'' Beautiful: The Carole King Musical'', regards "It's Going to Take Some Time" as one of her favorite King songs, adding that King "knows how to write a breakup song! She can encapsulate a feeling and mood so well, and with such depth and simplicity at the same time." Jazz organist

Richard "Groove" Holmes Richard Arnold "Groove" Holmes (May 2, 1931 – June 29, 1991) was an American jazz organist who performed in the hard bop and soul jazz genre. He is best known for his 1965 recording of " Misty". Career Holmes's first album, on Pacific ...

recorded an instrumental version on his 1973 album ''

Night Glider ''Night Glider'' is an album by the American jazz organist Groove Holmes recorded at New York City's Bell Sound Studios in 1973 and released on the Groove Merchant label.

''. The band

Dishwalla Dishwalla is an American alternative rock band from Santa Barbara, California. The band's name comes from a Hindi term for a person providing satellite TV to a neighborhood (" dish" + walla). In a '' Vox'' interview, lead guitarist Rodney Brow ...

covered the song on the 1994 tribute album, '' If I Were a Carpenter''.

Personnel

Karen Carpenter Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer, who formed half of the sibling duo the Carpenters alongside her older brother Richard. With a distinctive three-octave contralto range, she was prais ...

lead and backing vocals * Richard Carpenterbacking vocals,

Wurlitzer electronic piano The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is conceptua ...

, piano, orchestration * Joe Osbornbass guitar *

Hal Blaine Hal Blaine (born Harold Simon Belsky; February 5, 1929 – March 11, 2019) was an American drummer and session musician, thought to be among the most recorded studio drummers in the music industry, claiming over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles. ...

drums *Bob Messenger alto flute & solo *

bass flute

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links

* {{authority control 1971 songs 1972 singles Carole King songs The Carpenters songs Songs written by Carole King Songs written by Toni Stern A&M Records singles