Claim: Carole King is a songwriter.

Writer is the debut album by Carole King and was released in 1970 . King already had a successful career as a songwriter , and been a part of The City , a short-lived group she formed after moving to Los Angeles in 1968 . Tracks on the album include `` Up on the Roof '' which was a number 4 hit for the Drifters in 1962 , and `` Child of Mine '' , which has been recorded by Billy Joe Royal , among others . The album did not receive much attention upon its release , though it entered the chart following the success of King 's next album , Tapestry , in 1971 .   Reviewers rate it positively if not as highly as Tapestry , one noting that it was the `` most underrated of all -LSB- her -RSB- original albums '' . And , in a review that also covered Tapestry in Rolling Stone , Jon Landau wrote , `` Writer was a blessing despite its faults '' and that though the `` production was poor '' , King herself made the album `` very worthwhile '' .