“Will you still love me tomorrow?” (1971)
When Flack released the cover of her Shirelles classic, Carole King (written the song with Gerry Goffin) had already done her own slowdown on her Megaselling LP “Tapestry.” But Flack's performance is still shocking, with her voice and the haunting display cabinet of her delicate and charming piano arrangements.
“Song of Freedom” (1971)
Flack performed at Independence Day in Ghana in 1971, with Ike and Tina Turner, staple singers, Wilson Pickett and Santana . She is the a cappella version of the spiritual “Oh Freedom”, a heart stopper, both a prayer of complaint and a taste of ecstasy. The soundtrack has long been obscure. It has never been released on CDs in the US and cannot be released on streaming services.
Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, “Where is Love” (1972)
Donny Hathaway is a talented singer and songwriter, one of Flack's most important collaborators, wrote early tracks and arranged songs on her second album. In 1972, they collaborated on the joint record “Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway”, a company that became the blueprint for the romantic souls of the 70s. “Where is Love”, the first R&B's ongoing radio spin, is a perfect duo, a story of losing romance that still feels like clumsy.
“Kill me gently with his song” (1973)
Another surprising song choice, the song is completely reshaped into a huge iconic hit. She met Lori Lieberman's folk original on the plane, then redesigned the chord structure and added a towering interlude that transformed the tune into a soulful odyssey. She tried it out at a concert with Quincy Jones, who told her, “Ro, stop singing until you record it,” Flak once recalled. The recording became her second place, and when Fugees remakes the track in 1996, the recording gained another boost.
“Feel like Makin'Love” (1974)
Flack has produced her sixth studio album for herself under the name of Rubina Flake and clearly expressed in this moving title track with a smooth touch, It's her third place. The album was delayed by months of recording sessions and was a relative failure when it was released in early 1975.
Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, “The closer I get to you” (1977)
The song is not written as a duo, but it still reunited Flack and Hathaway for another luxurious crossover hit that ranked No. 1 in the Hot 100 and No. 2 in the Hot 100. The following year was released as “Roberta Flack, which features Donny Hathaway.
