Essential Songs by Roberta Flack
At 88, one of the greatest voices of the 1970s passed away, mastering the art of revealing reinterpretation.
In 1997, while performing in New York, Roberta Flack described her voice as a “blessed instrument.” From the 1970s onward, it had become a fascinating force of nature for listeners, that often shimmered in the same song and could be icy, luxurious, or swell with provocative fire.
The passing on Monday of Roberta Flack, at 88, who in her career trained as a teacher with her strong roots in Black church singing and classical music, renewed her presence as one of the great voices of the 1970s. Flack rose to interpretive-pop-soul fame with a string of successes ranked No. 1 that resonated so well with critics and radio listeners as to leave them awestruck.
Her expertise lay in revealing the world’s many transformations. Her first single was inspired by the folk ballad “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Ewan MacColl. It is a classic example of the early folk revival with Peggy Seeger singing the breezy songbird-way of 1957, with arpeggiated acoustic guitar accented by a magic touch of moodiness. With a controlled manipulation of the dynamism of her vocal from whisper-soft to a kind of power that feels to grab on to a memory and hang on till the last note, her style works an intimate smoldering sexiness.
In 1973, Roberta Flack again turned her gift to The First Time Ever into wondrous sorrows with Killing Me Softly With His Song, a folkish-weight heartbreak song first sung by Lori Lieberman. Two decades later, she, together with Lauryn Hill and the Fugees, reshaped it spicier.
With Grammy award-winning “First Time” in 1973 and “Killing Me Softly” in 1974, Flack became the first singer to have consecutive record-of-the-year wins in history.
Her collaborations with other icons like Donny Hathaway and Peabo Bryson, together with trails into jazz standards, are only part of the reason these two songs alone could bookend Flack’s storied career. These are 11 of her landmark songs.
“I’ve Never Seen Your Face Before” (1969)
Ewan MacColl’s folk ballad becomes Flack’s meditation and love song as she uses restraint to allow her voice to pass from whispered murmurs to yelling, laying bare her overwhelming emotion. The transformation earned her a top-five ranking in 1971 after several years of being virtually unknown hit.
“Compared to What: (1969)
Flack made a protest song her first. With lyrics like “The president, he’s got his war/Folks don’t know just what it’s for,” “Compared to What” was written by Gene McDaniels, who had also recorded it with Les McCann, the jazz pianist who discovered Flack and brought her to Atlantic Records. It has a brilliant soul-jazz beat. Flack’s rhapsodic vocal flights reveal her genius.
“Let It Be Me” (1970)
This is another demonstration of her rare interpretive genius and place in the late 20th century creating a fresh pop songbook. She translates this contemporary song, famous through the Everly Brothers’ lachrymose tenderness, using soft blue notes and a multitude of finely-calibrated dynamic utterances.
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (1971)
Carole King, who co-wrote it with Gerry Goffin, had already laid down a slow version for her monster album Tapestry by the time Flack’s version of this Shirelles classic dropped in late 1971. But Flack’s performance stands out, a poignant display of her voice and very fragile and alluringly captivating piano backing.
“Freedom Song” (1971)
Flack sang, in 1971, alongside Wilson Pickett, Santana, Ike and Tina Turner, and The Staple Singers in Ghanaian Independence Day celebrations. In addition to being a heartbreaking prayer, her a cappella rendition of the classic “Oh Freedom” also gives a taste of rapture. Since it has never appeared on CD in the U.S. or any streaming platforms for years, the sound track has faded into obscurity.
Where Is The Love? (1972) ROBERTA FLACK and DONNY HATHAWAY
Without a doubt, Donny Hathaway was one of Flack’s most important collaborators. He wrote early songs and arranged the songs on her second album. “Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway,” their 1972 joint album, was a template for romantic soul in the 1970s. The No. 1 R&B single “Where Is the Love,” constantly played today, is a beautiful duet and a tale of a romance gone stale that will still make you smile.
His Song” Killing Me Softly”(1973)
Another unexpected selection given to Flack that somehow became a massive hit. While in flight, she ran into the folkloric original of Lori Lieberman. Then she altered the chord progression and added a dramatic soaring interlude, taking the work on a heartfelt journey. While performing with Quincy Jones, Flack gave it a test run and recounted, “He told me, ‘Ro, don’t sing that daggone song no more until you record it. On the Fugees’ rewrite in 1996, the song got an even bigger boost, sailing to become her second Number One.
“I Feel Like Makin’ Love” (1974).
Flack recorded her third Number One hit with a delicate touch all over this sensuous title track, which is also the soft touch on Flack’s sixth studio album called Rubina Flake. After months of tense recording, it finally hit the streets in early 1975, and though the album sank relatively, Flack, himself, stood tall.
The song was not intended as a duet but did bring Flack and Hathaway together for yet another gauzy crossover smash peaking at No. 1 R&B and No. 2 on the Hot 100. Just before his death in 1979, the two began recording for a second duets album; it was released the following year under the title “Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway.”
Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson, “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” (1983)
Peabo Bryson became Flack’s new partner in love duets. His smooth baritone was nothing short of gold on the radio but was deemed a bit too squeaky-clean by many reviewers, especially when he was seen on Disney soundtracks. The lead single from the Goffin-Michael Masser collaborative album “Born to Love,” “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love,” peaked at number 20.
“Angel Eyes” (1994)
On the jazz and soul standards album “Roberta,” Flack lent her own unconventional and captivating meaning to “Angel Eyes.” A drunken tale of lost love traditionally linked with Ella Fitzgerald, though heavy on blue notes, finds Flack relishing the melody and sufficiently bending the lyrics for the faithful to smile while trudging through the slow jazz accompaniment.
