Roberta Flack/Video Collection

A wonderful title that gives a bird’s-eye view of the history of the talented Roberta Flack! Roberta Flack studied music at Howard University and was discovered by pianist Les McCann (he was so into her that he even had her include the song “Roberta” on his album “Much Less”), and released her debut album “First Take” in 1969 on Atlantic Records. Les said, “Roberta’s voice touches, shakes, captures, and drives all my emotions.” Roberta Flack’s gentle, enveloping singing voice, classical music background, and unique musical style that combines soul, jazz, and folk have continued to fascinate not only Les but everyone. This is a collection of professional shots of her. First of all, the logo will be in the middle, but it’s a super amazing video, the unprecedented hit in jazz history, Les McCann’s performance of “Compared To What” at the Montreux Jazz Festival. This song was included in First Take and was written by Eugene McDaniels, who also wrote Roberta’s hit song “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” “What cause are you trying to justify this for?” Roberta asks, singing the song to stop the war. In 1971, Clint Eastwood’s psychological thriller “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face” from First Take was used, and in 1972 it became number one on the Billboard charts, changing the situation dramatically. In 1973, she won the Best Record Award, and in 1974, “Killing Me Softly With His Song” also became number one, and she achieved the feat of winning the Best Record Award two years in a row (the only other band to do so was U2). Roberta was making such progress, but around the same time, she also produced and released a wonderful album with her favorite Donny Hathaway. “Double Exposure” is a live video from that time. First, there’s “Baby I Love You,” a cover of Aretha Franklin’s song, written by her husband Ronnie Shannon, and covered by Chaka Khan in collaboration with Prince. It’s included in “Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway.” And then there’s “Somewhere” from “West Side Story.” In her breakthrough song “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” Roberta sings beautifully with piano, backed by Donny Hathaway’s band, “When I first saw your face, I felt like you decorated my world with the morning sun, the moon and the stars, even though I had been living in a world of nothing but darkness.” And then there’s the jam of Donny’s overly funky “The Ghetto.” It means that their moving images in “Live!” are imprinted on the album. “Reverend Lee,” which is also included in Eugene McDaniels’ new soul masterpiece “Outlaw,” is included in Roberta’s second album “Chapter Two.” In 1972, she divorced jazz bassist Steve Novosel (although she did not have any children with him, she did adopt Bernard Wright, who later recorded with Bobby Brown and Miles Davis). On the Flip Wilson Show in 1972 (logo in the middle), it is shocking to hear Roberta already singing “Mr. Magic,” written by Ralph McDonald and written for Grover Washington Jr. in 1975, which became a big hit. She also performed Leonard Cohen’s cover of “Suzanne,” which was included on “Killing Me Softly” in 1973, before it was released. And on the Mike Douglas Show, she also recorded a moving performance of the traditional song “Freedom.” The music video for “When We Grew Up” by Roberta Flack and Michael Jackson from the feminist-themed children’s TV special “Free To Be… You And Me” in 1974 is also included. “I like the way I look, and you’re small and pretty. There’s no need to change.” He teaches us to value individuality. It really shows Roberta’s kindness and Michael’s purity. Behind Roberta’s success in the mid-70s, there was a young man suffering from illness. That was the genius Donny Hathaway. However, he made a comeback with “The Closer I Get To You” from Roberta’s Blue Lights In The Basement in 1977, and with that momentum, they began working on their second album under their own name. On January 13, 1979, Danny had a recording session with producers and musicians Eric Mercury and James Mtume. They said that Hathaway’s singing was great, but he was acting irrationally and seemed paranoid and delusional. According to Mtume, Danny said that white people were trying to kill him and had connected machines to his brain in order to steal his music and voice. Considering Danny’s behavior, Mercury decided that he could not continue the recording session, stopped the session, and all the musicians went home for the time being. A few hours later, Danny was found dead on the sidewalk below the window of his 15th floor room at the Essex House Hotel in New York. It was reported that he had jumped from the balcony. The hotel room door had been locked from the inside, the window glass had been carefully removed, and there were no signs of a struggle, leading investigators to conclude that Danny’s death was a suicide. However, Danny’s wife and friends later said it was an accident. Roberta was devastated by Danny’s death, but the following year, in 1980, they recorded two duets that the two had completed together on Roberta Flack feat. Donny Hathaway. Mercury said that Danny’s last recording was “You Are My Heaven,” which he co-wrote with Stevie Wonder. There is also a theory that he died after another song, “Back Together Again.” This is a live performance following that album. Danny is watching from heaven. Peabo Brison, who would go on to have a string of hits with women, is playing Roberta’s partner. Luther Vandross, who was a soloist before his debut, was one of the backing vocalists. The live performances and songs performed are all from that album, which can truly be said to be dedicated to Danny. All of the songs are masterpieces and many of them can only be heard here, so this video recording can be said to be the highlight of this DVDR. The first song is a fusion of gospel and rock, “God Don’t Like Ugly,” written by Gwen Guthrie, who has been a backing vocalist for Aretha Franklin and Madonna. It is a preemptive punch to men, singing that the man she loves is actually married, and that God intends to solve his treatment with money. Then there is the masterpiece “Only Heaven Can Wait.” “Love will never come true even if you wait, your heart will not heal until love ends, but only heaven will wait for love.” Gwen Guthrie is probably on the chorus. “Disguise,” written by Stewart Scharf, who produced Spanky and Our Gang and is honestly not well known, is also a hidden masterpiece, which is a delight to hear. “Killing Me Softly With His Song” was a big hit after Roberta happened to hear Lori Lieberman’s original song, which was released in 1972 but was not a hit, on an airplane. Roberta’s song literally made listeners fall in love with his song, and Roberta made them fall in love with her. In the lyrics, “he” is the one playing the guitar, but Roberta did not change the lyrics, and in her heart, she sang it thinking that “he” was the one playing the piano. “Will you love me tomorrow?”, the reply to the famous song with Danny, “Will you love me tomorrow?”, “You Are My Heaven” could be said to be. “An angel whispered to me when I wake up in the morning, that I’ll find heaven nearby. So it’s you, morning heaven, right angel? You playing in my arms and in my life. If you’re by my side, no one can change this decision I made. My lover, my heaven, now let me sing it cheesily, you are mine alone.” “If an angel whispered that to you every morning, that would be so rare. To wake you up and always know that you love me forever. I carry your love, your pain.” Written by Stevie Wonder, there are few songs as dreamy as this one. Peabo Braison, who sings in place of Danny, makes a few mistakes, but he is a master of duets, and it’s wonderful. “When I see lovers making out in the dark, as winter turns to spring, I feel like making out.” “Feel Like Makin’ Love” written by Eugene McDaniels. Luther Vandross occasionally joins in behind him (especially during the guitar solo) with vocals saying, “When that happens, I feel like making out.” It’s a bit annoying, but it’s a very valuable live version. The lyrics were written by Carol King’s ex-husband, Gerry Goffin, and the music was composed by Michael Masser, the duo behind Whitney Houston’s “Saving All My Love For You,” and the song “Stay With Me” was recorded as an absolute masterpiece. “Just one more day with me. It will stay with me forever.” It must have been produced with Roberta’s feelings in mind. “Why Don’t You Move In With Me,” which sings, “Would you like to move in with me? I’m sure we’ll be happy,” is included in “Blue Lights In The Basement.” “I’ve been waiting patiently, missing you. I missed you too.” “Back Together Again” is an exciting urban dance tune written by Reggie Lucas and Mtume. In the studio, Danny’s vocals are dynamic and invincible, but Peabo, who takes his place, is also singing hard. Roberta then takes the lead, tightening up the entire live performance and leading it to a close. Peabo reaches out from behind to support Roberta, but Roberta, feeling it, leaves the stage with dignity. At Solid Rock in 1981, they performed a dream duet with Dionne Warwick, “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” and at the Arsenio Hall Show in 1993, they performed a medley of their greatest hits, as well as a cover of the Stylistics’ “You Make Me Feel Brand New” from the album “Set The Night To Music.” Compared To What Voice Of America/Radio Program Groovy Girl! (1970) intro Baby I Love You (Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway) Somewhere (Roberta Flack) The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack) The Ghetto (Donny Hathaway) Reverend Lee (Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway)Double Exposure (1972) Mr. Magic Flip Wilson Show (1972) Freedom The Mike Douglas Show (1972) When We Grew Up (w/Michael Jackson) Free To Be… You And Me (1974) God Don’t Like Angry Only Heaven Can Wait Disguises Killing Me Softly With His Song You Are My Heaven Feel Like Makin’ Love The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face Stay With Me Why Don’t You Move In With Me Back Together Again Roberta Flack Live (1980) Feat. Peabo Bryson & Luther Vandross Killing Me Softly With His Song (w/Dionne Warwick) Solid Rock (1981) Killing Me Softly With His Song Feel Like Makin’ Love Tonight I Celebrate My Love The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face Where Is The Love Making Love You Make Me Feel Brand New The Arsenio Hall Show (1993) Pro-Shot 109min.