White country boy I was, yet this was the first soul tune I fell in love with. I was 17, I had just joined the US Army during the Vietnam conflict, away from home, Drill Sergeants screaming at me, and no energy left at the end of a long soldier's day, yet Roberta singing and driving this tune deep in me, something to hold on to. She has haunted me with this tune ever since... A nice weeping blessed haunting of wonderful vocal mystery and also drama. Almost like she was setting the tone for many more trying times ahead of me. Thank You Roberta, even though you didn't know me, you were right on time. To be honest... Roberta nailed it!!! This is soul... like it has never been nor will be.
Lori Lieberman, one of the two lyricists for this song, went to a Don McLean (American Pie, Vincent) concert at the Troubadour. The notes she wrote down about his performance eventually became this song. Lori Lieberman recorded it first. Roberta Flack's version was recorded second a year later, and is the one that introduced the world to the song. The Fugees and Lauryn Hill did a version in the 90s.
Some time around 1971 I went to a Washington DC nightclub in DuPont Circle. We had a few drinks then Roberta Flack walked out under the spotlight, sat down at the piano accompanied by a guitar player and she sang this song. Tears began flowing from my eyes as the vibe Roberta gently handed out to us caused the room to become hushed. I have never had such an emotional response to a song. Ms. Flack. I will never forget this. I am now 70 years old and this song and her voice still move me. I am so lucky to have been there at that time.
Lori Leibermen in late '71 and released it in '72. Roberta's version was released in '73, though she did do a live version in late '72 when she opened for Marvin Gaye.
I agree. But good luck hearing them on the radio now. Radio stations now , only want 80's or newer music on the radio now. Give me 50's 60's and 70's music again. Sucks that you can't hear music like this, on the radio anymore.
Thank you for reminding me :D I knew it was about a folk singer of that era (and was born in 1972, so before my time). But couldn't put my finger on who it was about. Obviously, not Bob Dylan, nobody would think he was "Killing them softly", his voice is harsh. And couldn't be Harry Chapin, because he was slightly later. I forgot about Don McLean... Thank you again :D
If you look up Lori Lieberman she had origins to this song. It related to seeing Don McLean playing at the Troubadour. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-R16NEK8Gmsg.html
Loved her from the first time I heard this on my car radio. No hype, no pretense, just letting her big, gentle voice, and the song tell the story. Then I heard "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". And she had me cold.
1973 I was11 yrs. old. First time I ever went roller skating. The boy I had a crush on was there with another girl and broke my little heart. On the way home this song came on the radio and I felt and heard the pain of the song. I cried all the way home. Music makes an impact. It did on this 11 yr old girl.
I was 6 years old girl who had emotional impact connection to the song. Just not romantically , I was wishing my biological father was loving Dad who would be gentle and nice instead of emotional and physical abuser. During my childhood and adulthood , I have turn to music for calmness and peaceful oasis amongst stressful times.
I LOVED watching your reaction to Roberta's magical vocals, her incredible interpretation of a musical masterpiece. The Fugees have nothing on Roberta; she'll forever be the master of this song and many others. I just wish I could see her live! I've loved her since I was a lad of about eight.
This is one of the absolute greatest songs of all time, and she's one of the greatest singers of all time. We had this 45 when I was a kid & it first came out.
This was my father's favorite song. (RIP Dad, 1937-2012.) He was able to meet her once! I learned to play this on the piano when I was 9. It's a very deep and emotional lyric, with a beautifully cozy sound. The combination is dynamite. I love your reaction videos!
This song was number one in 1973. I stayed up late to hear it. I was 13 at the time and was so excited that she made it to number 1.!!!! Loved her voice ❤
The lyrics were written in collaboration with Lori Lieberman after she was inspired by a Don McLean performance in late 1971. Lieberman released her version of the song in 1972, but it did not chart. In 1973 it became a number-one hit in the United States, Australia and Canada for Roberta Flack, also reaching number six in the UK Singles Chart. In 1996, Fugees recorded the song with Lauryn Hill on lead vocals, their version became a number-one hit in twenty countries. The version by Flack won the 1974 Grammy for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and the version by Fugees won the 1997 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
My rough rugged hard rock oldest brother loved Roberta Flack and this song lol., I love it too. It makes me cry now. May he rest in peace😕 For more heart-felt songs maybe try some Carol King- she wrote and sang so many.
Roberta was a classically trained musician and singer. I was in the backseat of a friend's car on our way to class. We were seniors in college and I was soon to leave for the Peace Corps upon graduation. This song came for the first time on the radio. I was stunned at the absolute beauty of it and couldn't get it out of my head for years. Only recently did i come across he original video of this, which is even better than this one as she wasn't quite as famous. I was transported back and pleased to know that this is an amazing performer and amazing song.
The height of 70s sophistication and soul. this is the first song I ever remember hearing on the radio--I was in preschool... and even then I could feel the emotion. Whitney Houston sings Roberta Flack in the movie Waiting to Exhale. You can't get a better tribute than that. Respect!
I remember hearing this around the same time you did. It was raining very hard one morning and I was in tears because I didn't want to go to school. I wanted to stay warm and dry in the house with my mom. :( That memory kept me from loving this song as much as it deserved.
I had the honor of not only meeting but singing with Roberta in 1971 when she was in her early 30's and I was 18. She met with our HS glee club and sang songs with us. We all then went to her local performance that night. What an incredible talent and a beautiful woman who was incredibly sweet and kind to us all. Two years later, everyone knew who she was.
In literature, killing has a sexual connotation. I think it's the idea that the calm following sex is similar to death. Whether this idea applies here might bee a tad sketchy, I don't know.
This is when songs and musicians were a total class act. I was in Junior High School when this aired on radio stations. Love Roberta Flack and her music, especially her songs she did with Donny Hathaway. Guarantee you won't hear music like this on the radio today.
I love the time I grew up... We had music from the 50's, 60's and my era 1970's... With all styles of music from jazz, R&B, Rock, soft Rock, Folk, ballads,...etc... We got to listen to real talented musicians/singers/songwriters...
It's just another tool. Technologically changing voices has been going on since the 60's. The electric guitar was seen as an abomination back in the 50's by purists, ditto the electric keyboard, the drum machine in the 60's 70's 80's etc. There are still artists that sing pitch perfect just as there are still artists that play the piano and play the drums and acoustic guitar. Just because others don't it doesn't mean the music is any less good or lost.
@@chrisbarlow2131 Well thank you for your well written explanation, I'll be sure to to take your detailed comments into consideration. Or I might just ignore it. Probably the latter.
I will reply Steve.... I totally agree that auto-tune has destroyed music. It is a totally false comparative, with electric guitars and keyboards. Too many people who can't carry a tune in a bucket are making money because of auto-tune. Very few people can rely on electronics in the same way with any other instrument.
This song time stamped my senior year in high school- can't think of a better one for that. Beautiful composition, by a beautiful lady- she was created to sing this song.
I was four when this came out, and remember sitting in the back seat of the car absolutely weeping whenever it came on the radio. Later, I realized it was due to the absolute beauty of the chords and their progression. It still brings a tear to this day. AMAZING!!!
MrJapanApan - No one really knows what exactly she contributed except that it is most likely inspired by her experience of seeing Don McLean performing. She gave them some words she had written but their claims are not the same as theirs... The lyricist credited says he came up with all his lyrics... A newspaper article from the early 70s seems to back up at least some of her version, especially the part about seeing McClean in concert and being inspired by it... Which the credited writers had denied... Its complicated and the lesson should be to document and make sure your name is on the sheet music if you contributed in a legal way to the composition. General ideas are not necessarily copyrightable.
A singer/songwriter called Lori Lieberman went to see Don Mclean at the L.A Troubadour. This song came out of his singing 'Empty Chairs'. She was so moved by the words that she went back to her publicists Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox and conveyed her feelings. Together they wrote 'Killing me softly with his song'. Lori Lieberman released it as a single, but wasnt successful. Roberta Flack heard it while flying home and the rest is history
My oldest son took me to Roberta's concert in 2002 on Mother's Day when she was much older (like me). I swear her voice was smoother and richer. Great concert! He got a kick out of me swaying and dancin'.
Was only about 7 or 8yrs old when l first heard this beautiful tune. My mum use to play it on vinyl record. Years later it became no1 hit, even one of her songs becoming theme to James Bond 007 movie👍
Roberta Flack had two straight #1 songs on US Billboard pop chart early in her career with First Time Ever I Saw (1972) and this one in 1973. I actually remember this song as an instrumental several years later listening to my mom's easy listening radio station 😂
No one even tried to touch this song for so long, such a classic, such emotion, so deep, so beautiful. Robert Flack is a legend. Until the Fugees put their spin on it, Lauren Hill, who is a legend in her own right.
Aerioudly know of Roberta Flack...but you introduced me today to her glorious voice really for the first time...what a glorious pure voice! Thankx girl!@
Roberta Flack and Dusty Springfield were two of the most beautiful voices and most under appreciated performers of a generation. This song still gives me chills when I hear her sing it...thanks, India, for including this track
I had a crush on my third grade teacher and this song reminded me of her. For the longest time I felt what I took to be embarrassment when I heard this song. As I got older, I figured out it wasn't embarrassment but that I was too young to process the depth of expression of the song and of my own immature feelings.This song still gives chills to this day.
India, you might like Phorbe Snow. Especially the songs "Poetry Man'" and "Harpo's Blues". I do get a kick out of younger folk discovering and appreciating the music I have loved for years. Enjoy.
I went to see a Jackson Brown concert, Phoebe was his opening act. Nobody knew who she was. She came out in this Mexican dress that looked like a mou mou with embroidery o it. I had a couple of those myself living down here in Tucson. You could tell Phoebe was very uncomfortable on stage. But when she opened her mouth that whole music hall was stunned. Phoebe stole that concert from Jackson Brown. He sounded so boring and repetitive. I never played his album again. But I did run out and buy Phoebee’s album when it dropped. She had a 5 octive voice. 🥰 R.I.P. Phoebe.
I actually lost a relationship over this song. The guy was a musician and said that this is a weak song whereas I think It's amazing. Never, ever trust a man that can't appreciate this song!!! 🤣
This was written by the songwriting team of Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, and first recorded by Lori Lieberman in 1972. The story goes that the song was inspired by Don McLean, singer/songwriter famous for his hit "American Pie' and 'Vincent'. The Fugees also covered it.
Now that you discovered Roberta Flack, would be nice to see your reactions to "The closer i get to you" and "Where is the love" ( both duets with Donny Hathaway) mand "I´d like to be Baby to you". Love them both.
This song means do much to me!! My x. Was a DJ AND musician in the 80's I'm crying now! He died in 2013 of lung cancer!! MY FAVORITE MISTAKE! I HAVE HIS DAUGHTER AND HE STILL BREAKS MY HEART# FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE
your hair is so cute up like that- I remember this being on the radio when I was 14 -Everybody and I mean everybody fell in love with her voice--so beautiful
@@stevealdrup9359 I agree. The Fugess version was okay for Lauryn Hill's generation. Roberta's version (although not the first) had a lot of sensual feelings.
"Killing Me Softly with His Song" composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel. The lyrics were written in collaboration with Lori Lieberman after she was inspired by a Don McLean performance in late 1971. Lieberman released her version of the song in 1972, but it did not chart. In 1973 it became a number-one hit in the United States and Canada for Roberta Flack. After decades of confirming Lieberman's contribution, Fox and Gimbel changed their story about the song's origins to downplay her role. Gimbel threatened McLean with a lawsuit in 2008, demanding he remove from his website an assertion that McLean was the inspiration for "Killing Me Softly," but McLean responded by showing Gimbel his own words confirming the inspiration, published in 1973.
I think you still a twinkle in your Dad's eye when she recorded this . When these songs are played today they sound great and bring back wonderful memories to guys my age . I have vinyls going back to early day big bands and recent releases . Great music never ages .
