"Up on the Roof" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King
and recorded in 1962 by The Drifters. Released late that year, the
song became a major hit in early 1963, reaching #5 on the U.S. pop
singles chart and #4 on the U.S. R&B singles chart. King would
record the song in 1970 for her solo album Writer. James Taylor
plays acoustic guitar on the 1970 recording.
Gerry Goffin cited "Up on the Roof" as his all-time favorite of the
lyrics he had written. Carole King suggested that he write lyrics for
the tune, which had occurred to her while she was out driving; with
King suggesting "My Secret Place" as the title, Goffin kept King's
suggested focus of a haven, modifying it with his enthusiasm for
the movie musical West Side Story, which contained several
scenes set on the rooftops of Upper West Side tenements.
Writer is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter
Carole King, released in May 1970. In the 1960s, King and her first
husband, Gerry Goffin, composed over two dozen hit songs for various
artists, many of which remain standards. She transitioned to a solo
performing career in the 1970s with her debut album Writer followed by
the critically acclaimed Tapestry (1971), which topped the U.S. album
chart for 15 weeks and stayed on the charts for over six years.
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