Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
Encyclopedia
The 1971 Atlantic
release Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway is a duet album by Roberta Flack
and Donny Hathaway
produced by Joel Dorn
and Arif Mardin
.
Flack and Hathaway were both solo artists on the Atlantic roster who'd enjoyed critical acclaim but - particularly for Flack - limited commercial success. Both graduates of Howard University
although Flack's attendance there pre-dated Hathaway's, the two singers' careers had overlapped: Flack had included Hathaway compositions on her First Take
and Chapter Two
albums with the latter also featuring Hathaway as pianist, arranger and background vocalist. It was Jerry Wexler
who suggested a joint venture might consolidate Flack and Hathaway's popularity.
The first single from Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway was a version of "You've Got a Friend
" recorded before the single release of the James Taylor
version: both tracks debuted on the Hot 100 dated 29 May 1971 - marking Flack's first chart appearance - and although Taylor's version reached #1 the Flack/Hathaway duet ascended as high as #29 and was a Top Ten R&B hit at #8. (The B-side "Gone Away" was a Chapter Two track written by Hathaway.)
The second single from the duets album was a remake of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
" which was a #30 R&B hit peaking on the Hot 100 at #71.
It was the album's third single "Where Is the Love" - released April 1972 almost a year after the album itself - which would be the smash hit, largely due to Flack having had her solo career breakthrough with "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
".
Although Hathaway had enjoyed more solo success than had Flack prior to their teaming up his subsequent solo career was desultory with no high-profile success prior to his re-teaming with Flack for "The Closer I Get to You" in 1978. Hathaway had recorded two songs for a second duet album with Flack - which became the Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway
album - at the time of his death on 13 January 1979.
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
release Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway is a duet album by Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
and Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
produced by Joel Dorn
Joel Dorn
Joel Dorn was an American jazz and R&B music producer and record label entrepreneur. He worked at Atlantic Records, and later founded the 32 Jazz, Label M, and Hyena Records labels...
and Arif Mardin
Arif Mardin
Arif Mardin was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco, and country...
.
Flack and Hathaway were both solo artists on the Atlantic roster who'd enjoyed critical acclaim but - particularly for Flack - limited commercial success. Both graduates of Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
although Flack's attendance there pre-dated Hathaway's, the two singers' careers had overlapped: Flack had included Hathaway compositions on her First Take
First Take (album)
First Take is the debut album by the Jazz singer Roberta Flack. It was released in 1969 on Atlantic Records. After a track from this album, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was included by Clint Eastwood in his 1971 film Play Misty for Me with the song becoming a #1 hit in the United States,...
and Chapter Two
Chapter Two (Roberta Flack album)
Chapter Two is the second album by the Jazz singer Roberta Flack. It was released in 1970 on Atlantic Records.-Track listing:#"Reverend Lee" 4:31#"Do What You Gotta Do" 4:09#"Just Like a Woman" 6:14...
albums with the latter also featuring Hathaway as pianist, arranger and background vocalist. It was Jerry Wexler
Jerry Wexler
Gerald "Jerry" Wexler was a music journalist turned music producer, and was regarded as one of the major record industry players behind music from the 1950s through the 1980s...
who suggested a joint venture might consolidate Flack and Hathaway's popularity.
The first single from Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway was a version of "You've Got a Friend
You've Got a Friend
"You've Got a Friend" is a song from 1971, originally written and performed by Carole King. It was included in her album Tapestry of 1971, but was made famous by James Taylor's cover version the same year...
" recorded before the single release of the James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
version: both tracks debuted on the Hot 100 dated 29 May 1971 - marking Flack's first chart appearance - and although Taylor's version reached #1 the Flack/Hathaway duet ascended as high as #29 and was a Top Ten R&B hit at #8. (The B-side "Gone Away" was a Chapter Two track written by Hathaway.)
The second single from the duets album was a remake of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin" is a 1964 song by The Righteous Brothers which became a number-one hit single in the United States and the United Kingdom the following year. In 1999, the performing-rights organization Broadcast Music, Inc. ranked the song as having had more radio and television...
" which was a #30 R&B hit peaking on the Hot 100 at #71.
It was the album's third single "Where Is the Love" - released April 1972 almost a year after the album itself - which would be the smash hit, largely due to Flack having had her solo career breakthrough with "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a 1957 folk song written by British political singer/songwriter Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger, who was later to become his wife. At the time the couple were lovers, although MacColl was married to someone else. MacColl and Seeger included the song in their...
".
Although Hathaway had enjoyed more solo success than had Flack prior to their teaming up his subsequent solo career was desultory with no high-profile success prior to his re-teaming with Flack for "The Closer I Get to You" in 1978. Hathaway had recorded two songs for a second duet album with Flack - which became the Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway
Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway
Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway is Roberta Flack's ninth album. It was intended as the second duets album to feature Donny Hathaway and her. Hathaway only recorded two songs for this album before his suicide...
album - at the time of his death on 13 January 1979.
Track listing
- "I (Who Have Nothing)" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Carlo Donida) (5:00)
- "You've Got a FriendYou've Got a Friend"You've Got a Friend" is a song from 1971, originally written and performed by Carole King. It was included in her album Tapestry of 1971, but was made famous by James Taylor's cover version the same year...
" (Carole KingCarole KingCarole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
) (2:34) - "Baby I Love You" (3:24)
- "Be Real Black for Me" (3:30)
- "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin" is a 1964 song by The Righteous Brothers which became a number-one hit single in the United States and the United Kingdom the following year. In 1999, the performing-rights organization Broadcast Music, Inc. ranked the song as having had more radio and television...
" (Barry MannBarry MannBarry Mann is an American songwriter, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil.-Career:...
, Phil SpectorPhil SpectorPhillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
, Cynthia WeilCynthia WeilCynthia Weil is a prominent American songwriter. She is famous for having written many songs together with her husband Barry Mann....
) (6:36) - "For All We KnowFor All We Know (1934 song)"For All We Know" is a popular song published in 1934. The music was written by J. Fred Coots and the lyrics by Sam M. Lewis.The first charting versions in 1934 were by Hal Kemp and Isham Jones . A version by Dinah Washington reached #88 on the chart in 1962...
" (J. Fred CootsJ. Fred CootsJohn Frederick Coots was an American songwriter. He wrote over 700 songs.He is most famous for the song "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", a song that became one of the biggest best sellers in American music history....
, Sam M. LewisSam M. LewisSam M. Lewis was a Jewish-American singer and lyricist, born in New York City, New York as Samuel Levine-Biography:...
) (3:38) - "Where Is the Love" (2:43)
- "When Love Has Grown" (Ralph MacDonald, William Salter) (3:31)
- "Come Ye Disconsolate" (4:50)
- "Mood" (7:00)