THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE, FEEL LIKE MAKIN’ LOVE – ROBERTA FLACKOct 08 '04 (Updated Oct 11 '04) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Roberta Flack was born 10 February 1939 in Black Mountain, NC near Asheville. She attended High School with her best friend “Donny Hathaway” who would also become a professional singer Roberta at a very young age sang and played piano in her Church where her father also played the organ. In 1968 she graduated Howard University in Washington, DC where she had received a scholarship and eventual degree in music. She began a teaching career by day and began singing in local clubs at night. “Les McCann” who was a singer and jazz keyboardist recording for “Atlantic” records spotted her one evening and arranges an audition with the label president “Ahmet Ertegun” and producer “Joel Dorn”. She is quickly signed to a long-term contract with “Atlantic”. In January 1970 she releases her debut album “First Take” that would enter and exit the charts several times until it eventually stayed in 1972 where it went to #3 on the Jazz chart and peaked at #1 on both the Pop and R&B charts. In October she releases her second album “Chapter Two” and it goes to #33 on the pop chart, to #4 on the R&B chart and to #2 on the jazz chart. On 12 June 1971 her single “You’ve Got A Friend” a duet with “Donny Hathaway” debuts on the charts peaking at #29 on the pop chart and peaking at #8 on the R&B chart. The song was composed by “Carole King” and debuted one week earlier for “James Taylor” who took it to #1 and had a gold record of it. On 23 October her 2nd single “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin”” another duet with Donny debuts on the charts and peaks at #71 on the pop chart and goes to #30 on the R&B chart. The song was originally a #1 hit in 1965 for “The Righteous Brothers” and went to #16 for “Dionne Warwick” in 1969. It would also be redone again in 1979 by “Long John Baldry & Kathi MacDonald” who had it peak at #89 for them. “Daryl Hall & John Oates” took the song to #12 in 1980. Roberta appeared in the Musical Documentary “Soul To Soul” in 1971 along with “Ike & Tina Turner”, “Wilson Pickett”, “Ed Harris”, “Les McCann” and “Santana”. She also composed music for the soundtrack of “Play Misty For Me” a Psychological Thriller starring “Clint Eastwood”, “Jessica Walter”, “Donna Mills” and others. In January 1972 her 3rd album “Quiet Fire” is released and it goes to #18 on the pop chart, to #5 on the jazz chart and to #4 on the R&B chart. Her 3rd consecutive cover song “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” makes its’ debut on 22 January and peaks at #76 on the pop singles chart and peaks at #38 on the R&B singles chart. It was a #1 hit in 1969 by the “Shirelles” then called “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”. It was also a #24 hit in 1968 by the “Four Seasons”. It was also covered by “Melanie” in 1973, by “Dana Valery” in 1976 and “Dave Mason” in 1978. On 4 March 1972 the song she provided for “Play Misty For Me” the previous year “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” makes its’ debut on the singles charts and peaks at #4 on the R&B chart. It would peak at #1 on both the Adult Contemporary chart and on the pop chart where it stays for 6 consecutive weeks and is her first gold record selling over 2 million copies. It became the longest running #1 hit by a Female artist since “Gogi Grant” had a #1 hit for 8 weeks in 1956 with “The Wayward Wind”. The writer of the song was Ewan MacColl and the first recordings date back to around 1962 when Kitty White recorded it, as well as MacColl's wife, Peggy Seeger. Others that have also recorded it include "Chad Mitchell", "The Highwaymen" and "Gordon Lightfoot" to name a few. On 29 April her debut album “First Take” from 1970 finally tops the pop album chart where it stays for 5 weeks and also is a gold seller. In June “Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway” debuts on the album charts peaking at #10 jazz, at #3 pop and peaking at #2 on the R&B chart and is her 2nd gold selling album. On 10 June “Where Is The Love” another duet with Hathaway debuts and it peaks at #5 pop and goes all the way to #1 on both the Adult Contemporary and the R&B singles charts and is her 2nd gold selling single and peaking at #29 in the UK. On 10 December Roberta and two members of her backing band bassist “Jerry Jemmott” and guitarist “Cornell Dupree” are involved in an auto accident. Jerry was driving the 3 in Roberta’s new car into Manhattan, New York where the men sustained fractured and broken bones and Roberta has to have surgery to her injured lips. On 27 January 1973 Roberta has her 3rd consecutive million selling single when “Killing Me Softly With His Song” makes its’ chart debut. It peaked at #2 on both the Adult Contemporary and R&B charts and went to #1 on the pop chart where it stayed for 5 consecutive weeks. On 3 March “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” wins best song and record of the year at the 15th Grammy awards. On 19 June she appears on TV for the very first time in her own ABC special “Roberta Flack…The First Time Ever” with a guest appearance by “Seals & Crofts”. On 22 September “Jesse” written by “Janis Ian” debuts on the singles charts peaking at #30 on the Pop chart, at #19 on the R&B chart and at #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In October “Killing Me Softly” debuts on the album charts peaking at #3 on the pop chart and at #2 on the R&B chart. In 1973 she appeared in the Musical Documentary “Save The Children” that was recorded the year before during Reverend “Jesse Jackson’s” Operation Push exposition in Chicago. Other performers included “Marvin Gaye”, “Quincy Jones”, “Curtis Mayfield”, “Nancy Wilson”, “Wilson Pickett”, “Jerry Butler”, “Sammy Davis Jr.”, “The Staple Singers”, “Bill Withers”, “Isaac Hayes”, “The Temptations”, “The Jackson 5” and many others. She also appeared this year in another Musical Documentary titled “Brothers & Sisters In Concert” with “Marvin Gaye”, “Gladys Knight”, “The Jackson 5” and “Isaac Hayes”. On 19 February 1974 she wins Favorite Soul/R&B Female Singer Of The Year award at the 1st annual American Music Awards. On 2 March “Killing Me Softly With His Song” wins record and song of the year at the 16th annual Grammys. On 22 June she has her 3rd #1 single hit with “Feel Like Makin’ Love” that tops the Pop, R&B and Adult Contemporary charts. In May 1975 “Feel Like Makin’ Love” the album produced by Roberta using the name of “Rubina Flake” makes its’ debut and peaks at #24 Pop, at #11 Jazz and at #5 on the R&B chart. “Feelin’ That Glow” debuts on 14 June and peaks at #76 on the pop singles chart and at #25 on the R&B singles chart. On 8 December she performs with “Bob Dylan” on the final day of his “The Rolling Thunder Revue” concert tour for the “Night Of The Hurricane” benefit show for boxer and convicted murderer “Rubin Hurricane Carter”. Roberta next decides to take a long and much needed break from recording and touring. She reemerges in February 1978 with “Blue Lights In The Basement” that peaks at #8 on the pop album chart and at #5 on the R&B album chart. On 18 February her 4th duet with Hathaway titled “The Closer I Get To You” debuts on the singles charts peaking at #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart, at #2 on the Pop chart and all the way to #1 on the R&B chart. This is followed up on 28 May with “If Ever I See You Again” title song from the Romantic Drama of the same name starring “Shelley Hack”, “Jimmy Breslin”, “George Plimpton” and others makes its’ singles debut. It would go to #37 on the R&B chart, to #24 on the Pop chart and top the Adult Contemporary chart. “Robert Flack” is released in October on the albums charts and peaks at #74 Pop and at #37 R&B. She also appears in the Avant-Garde Film directed by “Bob Dylan” titled “Renaldo & Clara” also starring “Bob Dylan”, “Sara Dylan”, “Joan Baez”, “Ronnie Hawkins” and many others. On 13 January 1979 tragedy strikes when long-time friend Hathaway dies after falling from a New York City hotel-room window. Roberta being stricken with grief remains out of the public eye for the remainder of the year. “You Are My Heaven” co-written with “Stevie Wonder” debuts on the singles charts on 16 February 1980 peaking at #47 on the Pop chart and at #8 on the R&B chart. On 17 May “Back Together Again” recorded in 1978 with Hathaway debuts on the charts peaking at #56 Pop, at #18 R&B and at #6 on the new Club Play singles chart. In June “Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway” is released and peaks at #25 Pop, at #9 Jazz and at #4 on the R&B album charts. On 1 September “Don’t Make Me Wait Too Long” debuts and goes to #67 on the R&B chart and to #44 in the UK on the album charts. In January 1981 “Live And More” a double album set that includes duets with “Peabo Bryson” debuts peaking at #52 Pop and at #10 on the R&B chart. In July the soundtrack album from the Comedy Movie “Bustin’ Loose” with many songs by Roberta on it debuts and it peaks at #161 on the Pop chart and at #48 on the R&B chart. The Movie starred “Richard Pryor”, “Cicely Tyson”, “Angel Ramirez”, “Kia Cooper” and others. On 6 March 1982 “Making Love” the title song from the Gay Drama debuts going to #29 on the R&B chart, to #13 on the Pop chart and to #7 on the Adult Contemporary singles chart. The Movie starred "Kate Jackson”, “Michael Ontkean”, “Harry Hamlin”, “Carole King” and others. On 24 July “I’m The One” debuts on the singles charts and it goes to #42 Pop, to #24 R&B and to #10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The album of the same name is released next in August and peaks at #59 Pop and at #16 on the R&B chart. In January 1983 her contract with “Atlantic” has expired and she resigned with “Capitol” records. Roberta and Bryson begin a tour together of the US, Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, Australia and South America. On 9 July they release they first single as a duet in “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” that goes to #16 Pop, to #5 R&B and to #4 on the Adult Contemporary chart and peaks at #2 in the UK. In September “Born To Love” that includes duets with Bryson is released and it peaks at #25 on the Pop album chart and peaks at #8 on the R&B album chart and peaks at #15 in the UK. She next moves into an apartment in the Dakota building in New York City on the same block that “John Lennon” was living before he was murdered on 8 December 1980. “You’re Looking Like Love To Me” her second duet single with Bryson debuts on 24 December and it peaks at #58 on the Pop chart and peaks at #41 on the R&B chart. In March she is honored with a hour long concert on the steps of the New York City Hall. On 6 April she appears for the first time on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” on NBC TV. The 22nd of April is declared “Roberta Flack” Day in Washington DC. In April a UK TV advertised compilation album titled “Roberta Flack’s Greatest Hits” peaks at #35 in the UK. On 4 February 1988 she appears on “Late Night With David Letterman” on NBC TV for the 6th anniversary special. Also in 1988 she re-signs a new contract with “Atlantic” records and on 14 May she performs at Madison Square Gardens in New York City at “Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary” concert. On 20 August she participates in a benefit concert in Nantucket, MA for the one and only health care facility on the small island “The Nantucket Cottage Hospital”. On 7 January “Oasis” debuts and goes to #1 on the R&B singles chart. The album of the same name also released this month co-produced by “Quincy Jones” and it peaks at #159 on the Pop chart and peaks at #24 on the R&B chart. She makes her 2nd appearance on “Late Night With David Letterman” on 22 June. In August she produces and sings on the newest album by “Nino Tempo” titled “Tenor Saxophone” that peaks at #12 on the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. On 7 February 1991 she performs at a benefit concert for “Howard King” at the Bottom Line in New York City. On 21 September “Set The Night To Music” a duet single with “Maxi Priest” debuts and it peaks at #6 on the Pop chart. She next appears on BBC TV’s “Wogan” along with “Maxi priest” on 11 October. She next participates at the Symphony Hall in Boston, MA at a concert benefit for Cohen Hillel Academy located in Marblehead, MA. The benefit was raising funds for families of critically ill children. On 7 December “Set The Night To Music” her first album in almost 7 years makes its’ debut featuring “Quincy Jones”, “Patti Austin”, “Greg Phillinganes” and others. It would peak at #45 on the R&B chart, peak at #6 on the Pop chart and go all the way to #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. On 8 March 1992 she performs at Free To Laugh: Comedy & Music For Amnesty International at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, CA. She next appears on Pay Per View TV on 25 September taking part in the Caring In Concert Aids benefit in Philadelphia, PA with “Dionne Warwick”, “Burt Bacharach” and comedienne “Elayne Boosler”. On 2 April 1993 she sings “Amazing Grace” at the funeral for “Trisha Alden McKenzie” on the soap opera “Loving” on ABC TV. From 14 through 19 December she partakes in The Colors Of Christmas tour with “Peabo Bryson”, “Patti Austin” and “Jeffrey Osborne” at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. On 19 February 1994 “Softly With These Songs – The Best Of Roberta Flack” is released in the UK only on “Atlantic” records and peaks at #7 there. Again this year from 21 to 23 December she performs in The Colors Of Christmas tour in Cerritos, CA with “Peabo Bryson”, “Sheena Easton” and “James Ingram”. On 3 March 1995 a New York City cab driver who had previously been arrested several times for stalking Roberta is arrested again this time for trying to force his way into her New York City apartment screaming “I’ll Kill Her, If I See Her”. She next appears on syndicated TV on the “Oprah Winfrey Show” on 20 March. On 3 December the annual Colors Of Christmas concert with Bryson, Ingram and “Melissa Manchester” sells out the Westbury Music Fair in Westbury, NY. On 22 February 1996 she plays herself in an episode of “New York Undercover” on the FOX Network. On 9 March 1996 the group called the “Fugees” release their version of “Killing Me Softly” and it peaks at #2 on the US pop chart and goes all the way to #1 in the UK. In May she opens for “Johnny Mathis” at New York City’s Radio Music Hall from the 10th through the 12th. On 21 September the group “Soul Solution” releases a mixed version of “Killing Me Softly” and it goes all the way to #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart. The Colors Of Christmas tour this year includes Flack, Bryson, Ingram, Manchester and “Aaron Neville” on 21 through 23 December once again in Cerritos, CA. On 14 February 1977 Roberta along with “Judy Collins” begin the Ladies Of Note concert tour in Miami, FL. On 24 December she next appears on syndicated TV on the “Rosie O’Donnell Show” with “Luther Vandross”, “Tony Bennett” and “Donny Osmond”. She also provides the singing for the theme song during the ending credits in the Animated Walt Disney Movie this year “Beauty & The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas”. In November 1998 she performs at the 3rd annual Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival on James Bond Beach in Oracabessa, Jamaica an event that will be showcased on the upcoming World Beat on CNN International. On 23 December she sings “Christmas Baby Please Come Home” with “Phoebe Snow”, “Cissy Houston” and “Darlene Love” on the “Late Show With David Letterman” on CBS TV. In 2001 she appeared in a made for TV 1-hour concert on BET Network, “Roberta Flack In Concert”. In 2004 her single and album “Oasis” are both re-released and this time the album peaks at #14 on the Pop chart and the single peaks at #14 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Also this year “Set The Night To Music” that was originally released in 1991 but failed to chart is re-released and this time it peaks at #14 on the US Pop album chart. The only CD I own by Roberta is ”SOFTLY WITH THESE SONGS: THE BEST OF ROBERTA FLACK” that was released on 22 June 1993 on “Atlantic” records. The songs on this CD are listed below in the order, as they appear followed by the length of each song and then my rating of each. 1. The First Time Ever I Saw You Face – 5:22 – 5 2. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow – 4:07 – 5 3. Where Is The Love? – 2:44 – 5 4. Killing Me Softly With His Song – 4:48 – 5 5. Feel Like Makin’ Love – 2:53 – 5 6. The Closer I Get To You – 4:42 – 5 7. More Than Everything – 4:02 – 3 8. Only Heaven Can Wait (For Love) – 5:47 – 3 9. Back Together Again – 4:51 – 4 10. Making Love – 3:44 – 5 11. Tonight I Celebrate My Love – 3:31 – 5 12. Oasis – 6:09 – 5 13. And So it Goes – 3:35 – 3 14. You Know What It’s Like – 4:45 – 3 15. Set The Night To Music – 5:24 – 4 16. My Foolish Heart – 4:41 – 4 17. Uh-Uh Ooh-Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes) – 5:13 – 4 TOTAL POINTS: 73 POINTS DIVIDED BY 17 SONGS = 4.29 or 4 1/4 STARS Rating Key: 5 –Great 4 – Very Good 3 – Good 2 – Fair 1 – Poor 0 – This song does not belong here! Billboard US Top 100 Pop Singles for the “ROBERTA FLACK” 1. You’ve Got A Friend – Debut 06/12/71, Peaked at #29 2. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ – Debut 10/23/71, Peaked at #71 3. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow – Debut 01/22/72, Peaked at #76 4. THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE- Debut 03/04/72, Peaked at #1 for 6 weeks (GOLD) 5. Where Is The Love – Debut 06/10/72, Peaked at #5 (GOLD) 6. KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH HIS SONG- Debut 01/27/73, Peaked at #1 for 5 weeks (GOLD) 7. Jesse – Debut 09/22/73, Peaked at #30 8. FEEL LIKE MAKIN’ LOVE- Debut 06/22/74, Peaked at #1 (GOLD) 9. Feelin’ That Glow – Debut 06/14/75, Peaked at #76 10. The Closer I Get To You – Debut 02/18/78, Peaked at #2 for 2 weeks (GOLD) 11. If Ever I See You Again – Debut 05/20/78, Peaked at #24 12. You Are My Heaven – Debut 02/16/80, Peaked at #47 13. Back Together Again – Debut 05/17/80, Peaked at #56 14. Making Love – Debut 03/06/82, Peaked at #13 15. I’m The One – Debut 07/24/82, Peaked at #42 16. Tonight, I Celebrate My Love – Debut 07/09/83, Peaked at #16 17. You’re Looking Like Love To me – Debut 12/24/83, Peaked at #58 18. Set The Night To Music – debut 09/21/91, peaked at #6 SOME SONG LYRICS FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE The first time ever I saw your face I thought the sun rose in your eyes And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave To the dark and the empty skies, my love, To the dark and the empty skies. The first time ever I kissed your mouth And felt your heart beat close to mine Like the trembling heart of a captive bird That was there at my command, my love That was there at my command. And the first time ever I lay with you I felt your heart so close to mine And I knew our joy would fill the earth And last till the end of time my love It would last till the end of time my love KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH HIS SONG Strumming my pain with his fingers, singing my life with his words, killing me softly with his song, killing me softly with his song, telling my whole life with his words, killing me softly with his song I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style. And so I came to see him to listen for a while. And there he was this young boy, a stranger to my eyes. I felt all flushed with fever, embarrassed by the crowd, I felt he found my letters and read each one out loud. I prayed that he would finish but he just kept right on. He sang as if he knew me in all my dark despair and then he looked right through me as if I wasn't there. But he just came to singing, singing clear and strong WHERE IS THE LOVE Where is the love Where is the love Where is the love Where is the love Where is the love Where is the love Where is the love Where is the love You said you'd give to me soon as you were free will it ever be Where is the love? You told me that you didn't love him, and you were gonna say goodbye but if you really didn't mean it, why did you have to lie? Where is the love, you said was mine all mine, till the end of time was it just a lie where is the love If you had had a sudden change of heart I wish that you would tell me so don't leave me hangin on the promises you've got to let me know Oh how I wish I never met you I guess it must have been my fate to fall in love with someone else's love all I can do is wait JAGUARDOG’S FINAL THOUGHTS This great young lady singer has been called classy, reserved, smooth and sophisticated. She did have her share of great smooth-jazz hit records. Her music was calm, gentle, intimate, lush, mellow, peaceful, poignant, refined, reserved, romantic, sensual, sentimental, sexy, soothing, sophisticated, stylish, sweet and warm. I must admit that I really enjoyed her music for many years and even though I only owned 3 of her singles at one time this is the only album/CD I have ever owned by her that I purchased in December of last year. I also must admit that this CD is missing a few of her better known hits and I would have liked to have “Jesse” and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” on it as well. That’s all I have for this week and I hope you enjoyed it some? Thanks for reading and rating and leaving a comment if you have time. Up next Friday I will be covering a very well known and very popular group that formed as a British blues band in 1967 and only had one #1 hit with the song “Dreams” and that is “Fleetwood Mac”. I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful weekend and God Bless you all. PROPOSED UPCOMING REVIEWS 15 OCTOBER – FLEETWOOD MAC - #198 22 OCTOBER – DAN FOGELBERG - #199 29 OCTOBER – FOREIGER - #200 SOME SOURCES INCLUDE ed_grover pmills1210 Thank you both very much Also: http://www.allmovie.com/ http://www.allmusic.com/ http://www.amazon.com/ http://www.ask.com/ http://www.billboard.com/ http://www.bizrate.com/ http://www.icebergradio.com/artist/514/roberta_flack.html http://www.leoslyrics.com/ http://www.lyrics.com/ http://www.lyricsconnection.com/ http://www.lyricsfind.com/ http://www.lyricsworld.com/ http://movies.go.com/ http://www.mtv.com http://robertaflack.com/rfbio.html http://www.rollingstone.com/ http://www.tvguide.com/ http://www.tvtome.com/ http://www.vh1.com/  |
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