Roberta Flack -

Roberta Flack (February 10, 1937 – February 24, 2025) was an American soul singer and pianist who released twelve albums between 1969 and 1988 on Atlantic, including two joint efforts with singer Donny Hathaway. Her best-known songs include “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” and her hit duets with Hathaway (“Where Is the Love”) and Peabo Bryson (“Tonight, I Celebrate My Love”).

Background

She was born Roberta Cleopatra Flack on February 10, 1937, in Black Mountain, North Carolina; the daughter of church organist Irene (née Council) benefits administrator Laron Flack. Her family settled in Arlington, Virginia, where played piano from age nine. She played alongside hymnal choirs at the Lomax African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and also attended the nearby baptist church: an early source of contemporary gospel music (Sam Cooke, Mahalia Jackson).

At age fifteen, Roberta won a scholarship to Howard University in Washington DC, where (as one of the institution’s youngest-ever attendees) she majored in piano and vocals. She conducted Howard’s adaptation of Aida, an 1871 tragic opera by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. At nineteen, she graduated from Howard and pursued a teaching career, first in Farmville, North Carolina, and later in the DC area.

On weekends, Roberta played piano accompaniment to DC-area opera singer at Tivoli’s and the 1520 Club. Between sets, she performed solo piano/vocal numbers. Her vocal coach, Frederick “Wilkie” Wilkerson, encouraged her shift from classical music to soul and pop. With an updated setlist, she built a local audience. In 1968, she took a singing residency at Mr. Henry’s Restaurant on Capitol Hill.

At a DC engagement, Roberta impressed attendee Les McCann, who alerted producer Joel Dorn at Atlantic Records.

First Take

Roberta Flack released her debut album, First Take, on June 20, 1969, on Atlantic.

The album blends slow-burning jazz inflections with ruminative folk balladry and soul phrasing, structured around spare arrangements that foreground harmonic interplay. Guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and bassist Ron Carter form the harmonic core, offsetting Flack’s expressive piano voicings with lyrical counterpoint, while horn arrangements by William S. Fischer thread subdued brass textures through extended instrumental codas.

She opens with “Compared to What,” a Gene McDaniels piece first cut by Les McCann, revived here with a heightened political edge and extended solo exchanges. “Our Ages or Our Hearts” and “Tryin’ Times” stem from Donny Hathaway’s early writing partnership, recorded shortly before he began his solo career. “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” a 1950s standard, entered Flack’s set through live performance and was tracked without initial plans for single release. The traditional spiritual “I Told Jesus” and the Spanish-language lament “Angelitos Negros” further highlight the album’s thematic and tonal range. “Ballad of the Sad Young Men” closes the album with a seven-minute narrative of postwar disillusionment that aligns with Flack’s studied, introspective aesthetic.

A1. “Compared to What” (5:16) – Written by Gene McDaniels, this civil rights-era protest song gained wider prominence through Les McCann and Eddie Harris’s 1969 Montreux performance and has since been recorded by over 270 artists.
A2. “Angelitos Negros” (6:56) – Andrés Eloy Blanco, Manuel Álvarez Maciste
A3. “Our Ages or Our Hearts” (6:09) – Robert Ayers, Donny Hathaway
A4. “I Told Jesus” (6:09) – Traditional

B1. “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye” (4:08) – First recorded by Judy Collins in 1967, this Leonard Cohen ballad appeared a month later on his debut album Songs of Leonard Cohen.
B2. “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (5:22) – Originally written by Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger in 1957, this became Roberta Flack’s breakthrough hit in 1972 after Clint Eastwood featured her slowed-down version in Play Misty for Me.
B3. “Tryin’ Times” (5:08) – Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson
B4. “Ballad of the Sad Young Men” (7:00) – This 1958 Tommy Wolf–Fran Landesman song, written for the Beat-themed musical The Nervous Set, reflects on youthful disillusionment with imagery of barroom isolation.

First Take was recorded over three days—February 24 through 26, 1969—at Atlantic Studios in New York City, with production handled by Joel Dorn. William S. Fischer conducted the horn and string sections and arranged the orchestral passages. Atlantic engineer William Arlt oversaw the sessions, with Bob Liftin handling the remix. Stanislaw Zagórski designed the cover, which features a monochrome profile photo by Ken Heinen.

On August 14, 1969, Atlantic issued “Compared to What” backed with “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye” as the album’s first single. The A-side gained exposure in jazz and underground radio circles but did not chart at the time.

On January 24, 1972, Atlantic reissued “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” as a single with “Trade Winds” as its B-side, following its placement in Clint Eastwood’s Play Misty for Me. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and remained number one for six weeks. It became the year’s best-performing single on the Billboard Year-End chart. The exposure catapulted First Take to number one on both the Billboard 200 and the R&B Albums chart in mid-1972, more than three years after its initial release.

Chapter Two

Roberta Flack released her second album, Chapter Two, on August 12, 1970, on Atlantic.

The album expands her blend of soul phrasing and chamber-jazz voicing with refined orchestral arrangements and a greater role for guest collaborators. Guitarist Eric Gale trades space and phrasing with flutist Hubert Laws and arranger-pianist Donny Hathaway, while harpist Corky Hale and conductor-arranger Eumir Deodato interweave horn and string textures across the ballad-heavy set.

Gene McDaniels wrote “Reverend Lee” specifically for Flack after their previous collaboration on “Compared to What.” “Gone Away,” co-written by Hathaway with Leroy Hutson and Curtis Mayfield, was originally intended for the Mayfield-produced The Young Mods’ Forgotten Story by The Impressions but remained unrecorded by that group. “Business Goes on as Usual,” an antiwar ballad by folk writers Fred Hellerman and Fran Minkoff, first appeared in the stage revue Of a Song, Of a Catch, Of a Snap. Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Until It’s Time for You to Go” joins Bob Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman” and Jimmy Webb’s “Do What You Gotta Do” among the contemporary covers that Flack recontextualizes with extended pacing and textural depth.

A1. “Reverend Lee” (4:31) – Gene McDaniels
A2. “Do What You Gotta Do” (4:09) – Written by Jimmy Webb, this song first appeared on Johnny Rivers’ 1967 Rewind LP and became an R&B hit for Al Wilson and Nina Simone in 1968.
A3. “Just Like a Woman” (6:14) – Bob Dylan recorded this song for Blonde on Blonde (1966), possibly inspired by Edie Sedgwick or Joan Baez; it charted as a US single and stirred debate for its portrayal of feminine vulnerability.
A4. “Let It Be Me” (5:00) – Adapted from the 1955 French song “Je t’appartiens” by Gilbert Bécaud, this English version became a 1960 US Top Ten hit for the Everly Brothers and has since been widely covered.

B1. “Gone Away” (5:16) – Written by Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson, and Curtis Mayfield, this soul elegy first appeared on The Impressions’ 1968 single release.
B2. “Until It’s Time for You to Go” (4:57) – Buffy Sainte-Marie introduced this song on her 1965 album Many a Mile; it was later covered by Neil Diamond, Elvis Presley, and New Birth, charting in multiple versions through the early 1970s.
B3. “The Impossible Dream” (4:42) – Originally sung by Richard Kiley in the 1965 Broadway production of Man of La Mancha, this anthem of noble struggle is reprised throughout the musical and featured in its 1972 film adaptation.
B4. “Business Goes on as Usual” (3:30) – Fred Hellerman, Fran Minkoff

Flack recorded Chapter Two during two sets of sessions held at Atlantic Studios, first on December 8–9, 1969, and again between March and April 1970. Joel Dorn returned as producer alongside saxophonist King Curtis, who also contributed background vocals. Donny Hathaway arranged several tracks and played piano, while Eumir Deodato conducted the horn and string sections. Engineer Lew Hahn oversaw both recording and remixing.

Atlantic issued “Reverend Lee” backed with “Business Goes on as Usual” on August 9, 1970. Flack followed with “Do What You Gotta Do” backed with “Let It Be Me” on January 18, 1971. Neither single charted, but the album itself reached No. 33 on the Billboard 200 and No. 4 on the R&B Albums chart. It placed at No. 11 and No. 2 respectively on the 1971 Billboard year-end lists for those categories.

Soul to Soul

On March 6, 1971, Flack flew to Accra, Ghana, for an Independence Day concert that marked fourteen years of sovereignty for the once-British colony. American filmmaker Denis Sanders documented the event, headlined by Wilson Pickett with sets by Ike & Tina Turner, the Staple Singers, Santana, the Voices of East Harlem, and McCann with Eddie Harris.

Two songs from Roberta’s set (“Freedom Song” and “Tryin’ Times”) appear on the 1971 Atlantic concert document Soul to Soul. However, Flack later barred clips from her set from inclusion in commercial video releases of the concert.

Quiet Fire

Roberta Flack released her third album, Quiet Fire, in November 1971 on Atlantic.

The album deepens her blend of soul, gospel, and orchestral balladry with a denser instrumental framework and choral layering. Guitarist Hugh McCracken threads melodic phrases against the modulated comping of organist Richard Tee and flutist Hubert Laws, while Joe Farrell alternates reeds across shifting arrangements. Ralph MacDonald’s percussion work links the ensemble voicings, and Corky Hale’s harp accentuates the chamber elements embedded in Arif Mardin’s string charts.

“Go Up Moses” developed in tandem with Jesse Jackson’s Operation Breadbasket campaign and incorporates lines from Jackson’s own oratory, woven into a gospel structure devised in the studio. “Sunday and Sister Jones” marks another collaboration between Flack and Gene McDaniels, who contributed both background vocals and new material tailored to her vocal dynamics. “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” originally cut by The Shirelles, had recently re-emerged through Carole King’s Tapestry and was newly arranged here to highlight its lyrical ambiguity. Van McCoy, best known as a composer and arranger, contributed “Sweet Bitter Love,” previously recorded by Aretha Franklin during her Columbia period.

A1. “Go Up Moses” (5:20) – Roberta Flack, Jesse Jackson, Joel Dorn
A2. “Bridge over Troubled Water” (7:13) – Written by Paul Simon for Simon & Garfunkel’s 1970 swan song, this hymn-like ballad became one of the duo’s signature recordings and a US chart-topper.
A3. “Sunday and Sister Jones” (4:48) – Gene McDaniels
A4. “See You Then” (3:40) – A Jimmy Webb composition first recorded in 1970 by Revelation and later covered by Ray Charles before Flack’s 1971 version.

B1. “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” (3:59) – Originally cut by the Shirelles in 1960 as the first No. 1 single by a girl group, this Gerry Goffin–Carole King ballad was later revived by King on Tapestry.
B2. “To Love Somebody” (6:41) – Written by Barry and Robin Gibb, this 1967 Bee Gees ballad became a US Top 20 hit and an enduring staple of their early international era.
B3. “Let Them Talk” (3:50) – A Sonny Thompson song first recorded in 1959 by Little Willie John and later interpreted by multiple soul and R&B artists through the 1960s.
B4. “Sweet Bitter Love” (6:06) – First recorded by Aretha Franklin in 1965, this Van McCoy-penned ballad was later revived by reggae singer Marcia Griffiths and soul vocalist Paulette Reaves.

Flack tracked Quiet Fire at multiple New York studios—Atlantic, Regent Sound, and The Hit Factory—across mid to late 1971. Joel Dorn returned as producer, joined by arrangers Arif Mardin, Eumir Deodato, and William Eaton, who alternated on horn and string charts. Sessions featured prominent jazz and R&B players, including Bernard Purdie, Ron Carter, Chuck Rainey, and Grady Tate, with backing vocals from Cissy Houston, Gene McDaniels, and Joshie Armstead. Engineer Lew Hahn handled the primary mixes.

On December 7, 1971, Atlantic issued “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” backed with “Go Up Moses.” The single reached No. 76 on the Billboard Hot 100, and helped drive Quiet Fire to No. 18 on the Billboard 200, No. 4 on the R&B Albums chart, and No. 5 on the Jazz Albums chart. The album earned Flack a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, at the 15th Annual Grammy Awards.

Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway

Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway released their first collaborative album in April 1972 on Atlantic.

The album pairs Flack and Hathaway in a stripped, piano-driven soul setting that combines orchestrated balladry with soft rhythmic undercurrents. It features eight vocal duets and two Flack solo performances, framed by arrangements that reflect both artists’ roots in gospel and jazz while emphasizing Flack’s distinctive phrasing and pianism.

Flack sings and plays electric piano, acoustic piano, and organ. Hathaway sings and plays both acoustic and electric piano, and arranges strings and horns on selected tracks. Guitarists Eric Gale and David Spinozza play across the album alongside bassist Chuck Rainey, drummers Bernard Purdie and Billy Cobham, percussionist Ralph MacDonald, vibraphonist Jack Jennings, flautists Joe Gentle and Hubert Laws, and soprano saxophonist Joe Farrell.

Flack and Hathaway co-wrote “Be Real Black for Me” with Charles Mann, and Hathaway penned “When Love Has Grown” with Eugene McDaniels. “Where Is the Love” was written by percussionist Ralph MacDonald with bassist William Salter. The pair also cover earlier recordings by Ben E. King (“I [Who Have Nothing]”), Carole King (“You’ve Got a Friend”), Aretha Franklin (“Baby I Love You”), the Righteous Brothers (“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”), Billie Holiday (“Come Ye Disconsolate”), and Hal Kemp (“For All We Know”).

A1. “I (Who Have Nothing)” (5:00) — English adaptation of the 1961 Italian song “Uno dei Tanti,” first recorded in English by Ben E. King in 1963; lyrics by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
A2. “You’ve Got a Friend” (3:24) — Written by Carole King for her 1971 album Tapestry; arranged here as a piano-centered vocal duet.
A3. “Baby I Love You” (3:24) — Originally recorded in 1967 by Aretha Franklin; written by Ronnie Shannon.
A4. “Be Real Black for Me” (3:30) — Written by Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, and Charles Mann.
A5. “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (6:36) — Written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, and Phil Spector; first recorded by the Righteous Brothers in 1964.

B1. “For All We Know” (3:38) — A standard introduced in 1934 by Hal Kemp.
B2. “Where Is the Love” (2:43) — Written by Ralph MacDonald and William Salter.
B3. “When Love Has Grown” (3:31) — Written by Donny Hathaway and Eugene McDaniels.
B4. “Come Ye Disconsolate” (4:50) — Written by Thomas Moore and Samuel Webbe Sr., later popularized by Mahalia Jackson.
B5. “Mood” (7:00) — Written and performed by Roberta Flack.

Sessions took place at Regent Sound and Atlantic Studios in New York with production by Arif Mardin and Joel Dorn. Jimmy Douglass, Lew Hahn, and Gene Paul served as engineers. Mardin handled string and woodwind arrangements.

Atlantic released “You’ve Got a Friend” backed with “Gone Away” in May 1971; the single reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 8 R&B. “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” followed in September (b/w “Be Real Black for Me”) and reached No. 71 on the Hot 100 and No. 30 R&B.

“Where Is the Love” appeared in April 1972 (b/w “Mood”), peaking at No. 5 on the Hot 100 and topping both the R&B and Easy Listening charts. It won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 1973 ceremony.

Killing Me Softly

Roberta Flack released her fourth solo album, Killing Me Softly, in August 1973 on Atlantic.

The album centers around long-form ballads shaped by layered textures and dynamic restraint, with chamber and jazz elements woven through extended harmonic arcs. Guitarist Eric Gale trades soft figures with keyboardist Richard Tee and percussionist Ralph MacDonald, while arranger Don Sebesky adds orchestral weight under Flack’s rhythmic piano phrasing and voice-led dynamics.

Flack first encountered “Killing Me Softly with His Song” while flying, hearing the original version by Lori Lieberman on an in-flight audio program. She transcribed the melody mid-flight and contacted composer Charles Fox soon after landing. After rehearsing the piece with her band in Kingston, Jamaica, Flack delayed release until she resolved dissatisfaction with the vocal layering. She finally introduced the song during a Quincy Jones concert at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in September 1972, where Jones urged her to record it immediately after witnessing the crowd’s reaction. “No Tears (In the End)” and “When You Smile” came from the team of Ralph MacDonald and William Salter, longtime collaborators of Flack through the Atlantic/CTI network. Gene McDaniels supplied “River,” continuing his ongoing writing relationship with Flack. The album closes with a nine-minute setting of Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne,” built on sustained tension and long instrumental passages.

A1. “Killing Me Softly with His Song” (4:49) – Written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel in collaboration with Lori Lieberman after she attended a Don McLean concert; Lieberman issued the original version on her 1972 debut album.
A2. “Jesse” (4:03) – A Janis Ian composition first recorded and released by Flack in August 1973; later covered by Dottie West and Ian herself on her 1974 album Stars.
A3. “No Tears (In the End)” (4:56) – Originally recorded in 1972 by The Main Ingredient under the title “No Tears,” this song was co-written by Ralph MacDonald and William Salter.
A4. “I’m the Girl” (4:55)– Written by James Shelton and first recorded in 1955 by Sylvia Syms; also interpreted by Sarah Vaughan and Patti Page before Flack’s version.

B1. “River” (5:03)– A Gene McDaniels composition first recorded by Universal Jones in 1972 and later interpreted by Joe Simon and McDaniels himself.
B2. “Conversation Love” (3:43) – Terry Plumeri, Bill Seighman
B3. “When You Smile” (3:44) – MacDonald, Salter
B4. “Suzanne” (9:44) – Written by Leonard Cohen and first recorded by Judy Collins in 1966; Cohen issued his own version the following year on Songs of Leonard Cohen.

Flack recorded Killing Me Softly over an 18-month period at Regent Sound, Atlantic Studios, and other locations in New York. Joel Dorn produced the sessions, working alongside a team of arrangers including Eumir Deodato, Pee Wee Ellis, William Eaton, and Don Sebesky. Gene Paul and Bob Liftin handled engineering and remixing. Flack arranged her own rhythm tracks and performed piano on most songs, supported by Ron Carter on bass, Grady Tate on drums, and Ralph MacDonald on percussion. The album was dedicated to the late Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

Atlantic released “Killing Me Softly with His Song” on January 21, 1973, more than six months before the album. It spent five non-consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the biggest US hit of Flack’s career. The song won three Grammys at the 1974 ceremony, including Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. On November 8, 1973, Atlantic followed with “Jesse,” which reached number 30 on the Hot 100. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and number two on the R&B Albums chart, with RIAA certification for double platinum sales.

In 1974, Flack sang lead on “Freedom,” a Sherman Brothers composition featured in the opening and closing sequences of the film Huckleberry Finn.

Feel Like Makin’ Love

Roberta Flack released her fifth solo album, Feel Like Makin’ Love, in March 1975 on Atlantic.

The album extends her chamber-soul style into a denser and more layered palette shaped by long-form arrangements, modal textures, and extensive instrumentation. Guitarists Hugh McCracken and David Spinozza trade sparse phrases across acoustic and electric lines, while keyboardists Leon Pendarvis, Richard Tee, and Bob James share space with arranger Stuart Scharf and percussionist Ralph MacDonald, whose congas and layered textures anchor much of the album’s harmonic motion.

Flack recorded the album’s title track in early 1974, co-producing the session with songwriter Eugene McDaniels under her pseudonym Rubina Flake. The single’s success prompted Atlantic to renegotiate her contract and sparked the decision to self-produce a full album, which proved unusually difficult. Flack initially brought in McDaniels as a co-producer but after creative disagreements and the withdrawal of her longtime producer Joel Dorn, she completed the album alone over a fourteen-month stretch. Stevie Wonder contributed “I Can See the Sun in Late December,” a previously unreleased piece that extends nearly thirteen minutes and anchors the album’s second side. Ralph MacDonald and William Salter supplied “Mister Magic,” an alternate arrangement of the Grover Washington Jr. instrumental, and two additional tracks. McDaniels also submitted the closing track “Old Heartbreak Top Ten” along with the title cut.

A1. “Feelin’ That Glow” (5:48) – Bob Fusco, Sister Charlotte Laws, Gene McDaniels, Maurice McKinley, Leon Pendarvis
A2. “I Wanted It Too” (2:51) – Written by Ralph MacDonald and William Salter; Flack’s version was the first recording, followed by interpretations from Phil Upchurch & Tennyson Stephens and Ayako Hosokawa.
A3. “I Can See the Sun in Late December” (12:48) – A Stevie Wonder composition first recorded and released by Flack in 1974; later covered by Lucifer and Stephanie De-Sykes in 1975.
A4. “Some Gospel According to Matthew” (2:37) –

B1. “Feel Like Makin’ Love” (2:55) – McDaniels, also recorded by jazz-funk keyboardist Bob James on his 1974 album One.
B2. “Mister Magic” (3:55) – Originated as the title track on Grover Washington Jr.’s 1975 album, recorded in November 1974; later covered by Esther Phillips, Ralph MacDonald, and others.
B3. “Early Ev’ry Midnite” (5:54) – MacDonald, Pendarvis
B4. “Old Heartbreak Top Ten” (4:22) – McDaniels
B5. “She’s Not Blind” (5:24) – Stuart Scharf

Flack recorded the album at three studios across New York City—Hit Factory, Bell Sound, and Soundtek—during sessions that stretched from late 1973 through early 1975. She oversaw production and vocal arrangements while relying on a wide range of arrangers including Leon Pendarvis, Ralph MacDonald, William Salter, Stuart Scharf, and Arthur Jenkins. The sessions featured an expanded cast of instrumentalists and backing vocalists, including Bob James on keyboards, Anthony Jackson on bass, Idris Muhammad and Alphonse Mouzon on drums, and Deniece Williams, Patti Austin, and Maeretha Stewart among the chorus.

Atlantic released “Feel Like Makin’ Love” as a single on May 11, 1974, nine months ahead of the album. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Soul Singles, and Easy Listening charts, and topped the RPM charts in Canada. It earned Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. On May 17, 1975, Atlantic followed with “Feelin’ That Glow” backed with “Some Gospel According to Matthew.”

Feel Like Makin’ Love peaked at number five on the Billboard R&B Albums chart, number eleven on the Jazz Albums chart, and number twenty-four on the Billboard 200.

Blue Lights in the Basement

Roberta Flack released her sixth solo album, Blue Lights in the Basement, on December 13, 1977, on Atlantic.

The album expands her ambient chamber-soul palette into a more polished, modern framework, built on interplay between synthesizer textures and subtly layered rhythm parts. Guitarists Hugh McCracken and Reggie Lucas alternate expressive fills and harmonic counterpoint alongside keyboardists Don Grolnick and Leon Pendarvis, while percussionist James Mtume and bassist Anthony Jackson inject sustained tension into the slow-build arrangements.

Gene McDaniels supplied three songs, including the opener “Why Don’t You Move in with Me” and the seasonal track “25th of Last December.” “The Closer I Get to You,” written by Mtume and Reggie Lucas while on tour with Flack, was originally intended as a solo piece until her manager suggested reworking it as a duet with Donny Hathaway. Hathaway, who was experiencing severe depression at the time, recorded his part remotely from Chicago after Flack completed her vocal and guide harmonies in New York. “After You,” originally recorded by Diana Ross, marks Flack’s first collaboration with Michael Masser. She later cited it as one of her most personal performances. Haras Fyre and Gwen Guthrie contributed “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter,” which Flack recorded during earlier sessions and retained for inclusion here. “Fine, Fine Day” and “Love Is the Healing” came from lesser-known writers within her studio circle.

A1. “Why Don’t You Move in with Me” (4:51) – Gene McDaniels
A2. “The Closer I Get to You” (4:39)
A3. “Fine, Fine Day” (4:49) – First released by Roberta Flack in 1977; later covered in 1979 by reggae artist Nana McLean.
A4. “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter” (4:23) – Written by Gwen Guthrie and Haras Fyre, first issued in 1975 by Martha Reeves; Flack’s 1973–74 recording features Guthrie on backing vocals and predates the more widely known 1978 version by Angela Bofill.
A5. “25th of Last December” (4:31) – McDaniels

B1. “After You” (3:55) – Originally released by Diana Ross in 1976; composed by Michael Masser and Ron Miller, with Flack’s version appearing a year later.
B2. “I’d Like to Be Baby to You” (4:27) – Morgan Ames
B3. “Soul Deep” (2:22) – First recorded by Robbie Lane and the Disciples in 1966, this Wayne Carson song became a 1969 Top 10 hit for The Box Tops and was later covered by Eddy Arnold and Clarence Carter.
B4. “Love Is the Healing” (3:42) – McDaniels
B5. “Where I’ll Find You” (3:10) – David McHugh

Flack recorded Blue Lights in the Basement at studios in New York, Los Angeles, Burbank, and Chicago across a wide span of sessions. She co-produced the album under her Rubina Flake pseudonym alongside Gene McDaniels and Joe Ferla, who also engineered and mixed the record. Executive producer Ahmet Ertegun oversaw the project for Atlantic. Michael Kamen arranged the orchestral textures, including an oboe solo on the final track. Instrumentation came from a wide cast of studio regulars, including Steve Gadd, Idris Muhammad, Will Lee, and Gary King, with background vocals by Deniece Williams, Gwen Guthrie, Jim Gilstrap, and others.

On December 12, 1977, Atlantic released “25th of Last December” backed with “Why Don’t You Move in with Me” as the first single. On February 4, 1978, they followed with “The Closer I Get to You” backed with “Love Is the Healing.” The duet reached number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining in the Top 10 for multiple weeks. It also reached number one in Canada and number ten in France. In May 1978, the single earned gold certification from the RIAA. Flack later dedicated the track to Hathaway’s memory and directed a posthumous video to accompany its release.

Blue Lights in the Basement peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200 and number five on the R&B Albums chart. It received RIAA gold certification on February 27, 1978.

Roberta Flack

Roberta Flack released her self-titled seventh solo album on August 7, 1978, on Atlantic.

The album integrates light orchestral pop and polished mid-tempo soul, built around ballad-centered arrangements with a reduced emphasis on improvisation. Guitarists Hiram Bullock and Reggie Lucas alternate discreet rhythm passages beneath keyboardists Monty Alexander and Rob Mounsey, while percussionists Larry Alexander and Mtume create understated tension between sections.

Atlantic president Jerry Greenberg prompted Flack to record a new album to fulfill her contract just months after Blue Lights in the Basement, motivated by the upcoming Joe Brooks film If Ever I See You Again. Flack recorded the title song—along with “Come Share My Love” and “When It’s Over”—during April 1978 sessions at A&R Studios, with Brooks producing. Despite her personal dislike for the title track, Flack accepted the project under a favorable legal agreement. She completed the remainder of the album with Joe Ferla and her Rubina Flake production alias in May 1978. “You Are Everything” revisits the 1971 Stylistics ballad, while “What a Woman Really Means” and “Independent Man” reflect contributions from her regular collaborators Ralph MacDonald, William Salter, and Michael Masser. Larry Alexander contributed two new songs, including the album’s closing track.

A1. “What a Woman Really Means” (4:46) – First released by Roberta Flack in 1978; written by Ralph MacDonald and William Salter, later recorded instrumentally by Richard Tee in 1980.
A2. “You Are Everything” (4:32) – Originally a 1971 gold-certified hit for The Stylistics, written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed; covered in 1974 by Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye.
A3. “Independent Man” (4:52) – Gerry Goffin, Michael Masser
A4. “If Ever I See You Again” (3:34) – Theme from the 1978 Joe Brooks film of the same name; Flack’s version peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart.
A5. “And the Feeling’s Good” (3:06) – First recorded by Lori Lieberman in 1972; co-written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, and later covered by José Feliciano and Marlena Shaw before Flack’s 1978 version.

B1. “Knowing That We’re Made for Each Other” (3:32) – Originally recorded in 1974 by Monty Alexander under the title “Knowing That We Were Meant for Each Other”; written by Larry Alexander.
B2. “Come Share My Love” (3:42) – Joe Brooks
B3. “Baby I Love You So” (4:50) – Larry Alexander
B4. “When It’s Over” (3:28) – Written by Joe Brooks and first recorded by Jamie Carr for the 1978 If Ever I See You Again soundtrack; also covered that year by Debby Boone and The Joe Brooks Group.

Flack tracked the album at several New York studios, including Atlantic, A&R, Sound Ideas, The Hit Factory, and RCA. Joe Ferla produced and engineered the bulk of the sessions with assistance from Rubina Flake and Joe Lopes, while Brooks oversaw the three film-associated tracks. Recording featured a broad cast including guitarists Hugh McCracken, David Spinozza, and Jeff Mironov, with Steve Gadd and Steve Ferrone alternating on drums. Backing vocals came from Lani Groves, Gwen Guthrie, Luther Vandross, and Brenda White.

On April 21, 1978, Atlantic issued “If Ever I See You Again” backed with “I’d Like to Be Baby to You.” Despite the film’s failure, the single reached number one on the Adult Contemporary chart, peaked at number 24 on the Hot 100, and entered the R&B chart at number 37.

Following the album’s release, Atlantic issued “When It’s Over” backed with “Come Share My Love” on October 20, 1978, but the single stalled at number 82 R&B. A third single, “You Are Everything” backed with “Knowing That We’re Made for Each Other,” appeared on April 8, 1979, and reached number 98 R&B. The album peaked at number 74 on the Billboard 200 and number 37 on the R&B Albums chart.

Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway

Roberta Flack released her second album co-billed to Donny Hathaway on Atlantic in March 1980, fourteen months after Hathaway’s death.

The album balances smooth R&B ballads and slow-building mid-tempo tracks with orchestral textures and extended arrangements. Guitarists Reggie Lucas and John Tropea exchange clipped figures over synthesizer textures by Hubert Eaves III and Paul Griffin, while Stevie Wonder contributes layered keyboard, drum, and vocal elements on “Don’t Make Me Wait Too Long.”

Flack and Hathaway entered Atlantic Studios together on January 13, 1979, and completed two duets: “Back Together Again,” written by Mtume and Lucas, and “You Are My Heaven,” co-written by Stevie Wonder and album co-producer Eric Mercury. That evening, Hathaway returned to his room at Essex House, where he died later that night. Flack retained both recordings and built the remainder of the album around them during sessions throughout 1979. Wonder also supplied “Don’t Make Me Wait Too Long,” contributing his own instrumentation and vocal intro. Flack co-wrote “Only Heaven Can Wait (For Love)” with Mercury, and selected additional material from longtime contributors, including Michael Masser (“Stay with Me”), Gwen Guthrie (“God Don’t Like Ugly”), and Stuart Scharf (“Disguises”).

A1. “Only Heaven Can Wait (For Love)” (4:03) – Roberta Flack, Eric Mercury
A2. “God Don’t Like Ugly” (4:34) – Written by Gwen Guthrie, who cut her own version on her 1982 album.
A3. “You Are My Heaven” (4:10) – Eric Mercury, Stevie Wonder
A4. “Disguises” (2:24) – Stuart Scharf

B1. “Don’t Make Me Wait Too Long” (7:45) – Stevie Wonder
B2. “Back Together Again” (9:45) – Reggie Lucas, James Mtume
B3. “Stay with Me” (3:47) – Written by Gerry Goffin and Michael Masser; first recorded in 1978 by Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.

Flack recorded the album at multiple locations including Atlantic, Hit Factory, and Power Station in New York; Le Studio in Quebec; and Crystal Sound in Hollywood. She co-produced the sessions with Eric Mercury, with additional input from Arif Mardin and Joe Ferla. Mtume and Paul Riser contributed key arrangement work, while backup vocals were arranged by Gwen Guthrie and Luther Vandross. Instrumentation featured Nathan Watts on bass, Howard King on drums, and percussion by Errol “Crusher” Bennett.

Atlantic issued “You Are My Heaven” backed with “I’ll Love You Forever and Ever” on November 15, 1979. On February 17, 1980, they followed with “Back Together Again” backed with “God Don’t Like Ugly.” Both duets reached the R&B Top Ten, with “Back Together Again” peaking at number three in the UK. On July 13, 1980, Atlantic issued “Don’t Make Me Wait Too Long” with “Only Heaven Can Wait (For Love)” on the B-side. The 12-inch format reached number six on the disco chart, becoming Flack’s first charting release in that category.

Live & More

In December 1980, Atlantic issued Live & More, a live double-album co-billed to Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson.

The album presents a dynamic blend of romantic soul and orchestrated balladry shaped by the interplay between two full bands led respectively by Flack and Bryson. Guitarist Georg Wadenius exchanges subtle rhythmic accents with keyboardist Barry Miles and bassist Marcus Miller, while Bryson’s group, anchored by Dwight Watkins and Jim Boling, adds brass and vocal counterlines across ensemble climaxes.

Flack and Bryson developed the project after Bryson joined Flack’s tour as opening act in 1979. They recorded Live & More primarily at the Holiday Star Theater in Merrillville, Indiana, during a shared performance in 1980, supplemented with studio tracks captured at the Hit Factory and Record Plant in New York. The set includes selections from each artist’s catalog, with Bryson reprising his earlier singles “Reachin’ for the Sky” and “Feel the Fire,” while Flack reinterprets “Killing Me Softly with His Song” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.”

Four newly recorded studio tracks—“Make the World Stand Still,” “If Only for One Night,” “Love Is a Waiting Game,” and “More Than Everything”—were co-written or arranged by the pair specifically for the release. “Only Heaven Can Wait (For Love)” and “You Are My Heaven,” originally recorded with Donny Hathaway, open the set as a medley.

A1. “Only Heaven Can Wait (For Love)” / “You Are My Heaven” (9:30)
A2. “Make the World Stand Still” (5:46) – Bryson, Flack
A3. “Feel the Fire” (8:30)

B1. “God Don’t Like Ugly” (4:58)
B2. “If Only for One Night” (5:53) – Brenda Russell
B3. “Love Is a Waiting Game” (7:24) – Bryson, Flack

C1. “Reachin’ for the Sky” (7:39)
C2. “Killing Me Softly with His Song” (5:48)
C3. “More Than Everything” (4:02) – Bryson, Flack
C4. “Feel Like Makin’ Love” (5:48)

D1. “When Will I Learn” (4:37)
D2. “Don’t Make Me Wait Too Long” (9:07)
D3. “Back Together Again” (6:21)
D4. “Love in Every Season / I Believe in You” (12:24)

Flack and Bryson co-produced the album and shared arrangement duties on the studio tracks. The live show captured the full ensemble of both touring bands, with brass parts handled by Thaddeus Johnson, Ron Dover, and Daniel Dillard, and vocal arrangements by Luther Vandross. Barry Miles conducted Flack’s band and provided Moog and acoustic keyboard parts. Remote recording was overseen by David Hewitt using the Record Plant mobile unit, with engineering by Howie Lindeman and Chris Tergesen.

Atlantic released “Make the World Stand Still” as the first single, backed with a live cut, on January 5, 1981. It reached number 13 on the R&B chart. “Love Is a Waiting Game” followed later in 1981 and peaked at number 46. The album reached number ten on the Billboard Soul LPs chart and peaked at number 52 on the main Billboard 200. Flack and Bryson later reteamed for a full studio album, Born to Love, released in 1983.

Bustin’ Loose (OST)

On June 5, 1981, Roberta Flack released Bustin’ Loose, the MCA soundtrack to the road comedy starring Richard Pryor and Cicely Tyson.

I’m the One

Roberta Flack released her eighth solo studio album, I’m the One, in May 1982 on Atlantic.

Born to Love (w/ Peabo Bryson)

On July 22, 1983, Capitol Records issued Born to Love, an album of duets by Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson.

Discography:

First Take (1969)
Chapter Two (1970)
Quiet Fire (1971)
Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway (1972 • Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway)
Killing Me Softly (1973)
Feel Like Makin’ Love (1975)
Blue Lights in the Basement (1977)
Roberta Flack (1978)
Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway (1980 • Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway)
Bustin’ Loose (OST, 1981)
I’m the One (1982)
Born to Love (1983 • Peabo Bryson / Roberta Flack)
Oasis (1988)