ROBERTA FLACK - Killing Me Softly With His Song | FIRST TIME HEARING REACTION

[@flubblert]

This was her huge hit back in the 70s. "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" also a huge hit of hers. Beautiful!

[@ls1959]

Often reactors choose a live version, but I think the original is superior, and what we all grew up with.

[@bernardwright2264]

👍.Roberta is great .check out.The first time I ever saw your face,live video is fantastic ✌️🙏

[@cocoboobenstein]

That is absolutely gorgeous. Incredible talent.

[@MrScoop156]

The 1970s were a golden cornucopia of musical goodness

[@subwaygoddess1]

Aaahhh, I love Roberta Flack!! She is amazing!!! Try "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" next. It is magic!! ✌️🎶

[@rodjohnson2632]

Yes, but it needs to be the full studio album version, not the shortened live performance that many react to.

[@muriel2267]

The first time ever I saw your face is in my humble opinion the best love song ever recorded. If and when you listen to it please please do the studio!

[@CapnBob2010]

This song was written about hearing Don McLean for the first time.

[@jamesbondbond8388]

By Lory Lieberman ???????

[@jthomann71]

​@@jamesbondbond8388yep, and she sings it better. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3jPeH2maK6UqLMsi=pKctWCUTn6HJEhaa

[@MoMoMyPup10]

@@jamesbondbond8388 that would be YES! They totally screwed her out of all of the royalties.

[@johno1765]

Specifically, it was upon Lori Lieberman hearing McLean's song "Empty Chairs."

[@kennethroy2911]

Hear her sing first time ever after your face Roberta Flack

[@hongfang2348]

This version was a big hit.

[@womanonthinice1276]

Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack singing " The Closer I Get To You" sexy as can be!

[@rbodee]

Roberta Flack is outstanding. Doesn't get enough love and credit for her voice

[@louisdellavalle2159]

Please, please react to First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (studio version)

[@famat161]

I'm sure everyone else has suggested "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"

[@Phillphine]

Try some of her duets with Donny Hathaway. 'Back together again", " the closer I get to you", " where is the love? ", or " you are my heaven".

[@PriestessOfNothing]

Another vote for "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"!

[@31carrier]

I just Subscribed 13.2K 100 likes 235 views posted 1 hour ago you bring positive engey

[@AirDOGGe]

This one always pierces my soul. She put her heart into this one. You can hear it in her voice.

[@marcelotto6825]

One of my favourite performances by any musician during the past 60 years.

[@tedcole9936]

Wow. I remember first hearing this on a quiet Saturday morning in my college dorm room on the AM radio. My roomie & I just froze, and listened. It was magical.

[@tarafied7322]

This song was written about Don McLean. You've checked him out before. I'll definitely pile onto the bandwagon for The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. Amazing song.

[@EC-dz3fb]

I'd always heard it was about James Taylor! No?!

[@luvutons411]

Always been killing me softly with her song definitely...fantastic hit 🎶🎤

[@CardiacCat]

Roberta Flack had such a beautiful voice. Powerful, clear and at times so gentle.

[@jimfrederick3907]

Grammy winner

[@MoMoMyPup10]

This was a cover that was a huge hit that came with a lot of controversy. Lori Lieberman went to this Don McLean show and was totally blown away. She wrote down these lyrics immediately and presented them to her record label, but since she was a 'nobody' she didn't have control over what they would do with them. They have SOLE writing credits on her original recording, the one that Roberta Flack heard on an airplane flight sometime later. Her label rearranged some musical melodies and it became a huge hit. Lori got shut out on all royalties, and she's still a nobody.

[@leannmiller7153]

It’s absolutely shameful what they did.

[@EC-dz3fb]

I thought it was about James Taylor! 😮

[@johnthegreek5836]

She was awesome, she received a Grammy for this song and another song the previous year, this is what we called Soul music in the 70’s

[@loisrogers9042]

I saw her in the late 70's (Peabo Bryson opened!). Such a beautiful voice❤

[@pattymckitrick7436]

Lori Leiberman definitely deserves way more credit than she ever got for creating this song. With that being said...THIS version, with Roberta Flack is my absolute favorite. Her voice is perfection. Soulful and smooth.

[@BearClanMan1970]

Miss Roberta is from nearby Black Mountain, NC. I think of her most times when I pass through. The 70s was so much better for her monumental contributions.

[@markmurphy558]

Wrong. It was written by a woman after hearing Don McLean. Lisa Loeb maybe. Maybe not.

[@BearClanMan1970]

@@markmurphy558 I stand corrected! Lori Liebermann and Charles Fox are the songwriters. I was misinformed decades ago about the origins of the song. Thanks for sharing the truth.

[@MisterWondrous]

Love me some Black Mountain...home of the best artists in America. She could take any song and make it great, and she made this one great. The writers should be grateful to have such a master, and North Carolinian, breathe life into a work.

[@ScottPothan]

I still have the piano sheet music for this! Roberta on the cover in full Afro. Yes in those days you bought the sheet music! This is HER song

[@threekidzmom04]

I so loved her voice!!!!

[@jamesferris4573]

You should check out "Empty Chairs" by Don McMcClean. That is the song that he was playing that originally inspired Lori Lieberman, a folk singer, to write down some words on a napkin that was later turned in "Killing Me Softly" and was recorded as a folk song by Lieberman.

[@oldmanghost219]

ROBERTA FLACK - Killing Me Softly With His Song !!! This is the one I know and love.

[@SWLinPHX]

The original songwriter wrote this song when she went to hear Don McLean ("American Pie", "Vincent", "Crying") sing. She was so moved and so related to his lyrics and style that she felt almost as if her privacy had been violated by how personal and intimate it all felt -- as if she had been uncomfortably exposed. I was like five years old when this was a hit and I loved it then too.

[@kmach1000]

I only know Johnny Mathis version and this one. Love Roberta Flack. Her version was a huge hit my time.

[@jamesbondbond8388]

Original by Lory Lieberman

[@kmach1000]

@@jamesbondbond8388 Thank you!

[@jessicalee7119]

Check out, "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", by her too ~ ~ ~

[@Tonidolls]

This is from my era..and nobody can sing this like Roberta Flack !!!

[@MisterWondrous]

My fellow North Carolinian sure does have a pretty voice. The first time ever I heard her voice, I felt the earth move, so close to my heart, and I knew our love would fill the earth, and it would last till the end of time..to paraphrase the Queen. Thanks for this timeless classic.

[@anthonyblakely399]

This song was playing in the background when I met partner in the 70's after he had performed in the pub in L.A. and our eyes met. It became our theme song until he died of A.I.D.S. in 1986 ....and every time it plays i think of Marty James!!!

[@michelefaucher4180]

Love both versions ❤❤❤

[@sukie584]

The original is By Lori Lieberman who wrote this after seeing Don McClean in concert.

[@dagmar.6954]

Roberta Flack has such a beautiful voice. Roberta had a lot of great hits in the 70's such as "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" which was used in the 1971 Clint Eastwood film "Play Misty For Me". She also did "Feel Like Makin' Love" & some great duets with Donny Hathaway "Where Is The Love" & "The Closer I Get To You".

[@mikemiller3069]

I didn't really care for the hip hop beat they added in the cover version. This will always be my favorite version.

[@jamesbondbond8388]

Great , great and amazing cover !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@clifton8929]

Such a heartfelt and fantastic song - Roberta is smooth as silk on this tune. I was in my mid-20s when this came out 51 years ago, and it's still fresh and beautiful today. I love this song. Thanks, Shawn. It is a great song, and as always, your commentary compliments it perfectly.

[@danevans5823]

Roberta was one of our greatest female vocalists.Many great songs on this album; Suzanne,River, Conversation Love,Jesse.You can check out many albums that she has many hits

[@markgallemore8856]

Roberta Flack the first Time ever I saw your face the song was used in the Clint Eastwood film play Misty for me

[@doloresschultz6804]

A completely different singer but great: kd Lang: crying, All I need is the air that I breathe, Hallelujah (many awards - a Canadian). Linda Ronsteadt - Blue Bayou, ❤ I don’t remember how many awards but a duet she sang with the great Aaron Neville was one Grammy. Ella Fitzgerald singing Misty, Sara Vaughn singing Broken Hearted Melody Bobby Darin singing Happy, Mac the Knife. Jim croche Singing Bad bad Leroy brown, Operator GOOD luck!

[@katiem9644]

This song is so beautiful.

[@rubroken]

I've seen videos of her doing this live and she's just as incredible as in the studio

[@DannyD714]

there are original versions,and there are definitive versions. this is absolutely the latter.

[@MrScoop156]

The 1970s were a golden cornucopia of musical goodness

[@jerryb1439]

You definitely need to listen to "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." However, I recommend you make sure to listen to the same version that was used in the movie, "Play Misty For Me." I believe it is the album version. It is slower, but so beautiful. There is an excellent live version by her (she is always excellent), but she picks up the tempo a little in that version and it just hits differently.

[@shaneortega2894]

This is the only version of this song that matters - love Roberta Flack.

[@damonwiggins4035]

This is not a love song. It is about Don McLean recording American Pie. Read the lyrics and it all makes sense. Two great songs.

[@RandyHall324]

Inspired by a performance by Don.

[@damonwiggins4035]

Missed you saying that! After reading my comment I realize it may have come across as me being rude. That was not the tone I was going for. Love your channel. Keep bringing the joy!

[@richdiddens4059]

I'd heard it was a reaction to Vincent.

[@ptournas]

Actually Lori Lieberman was inspired by seeing him sing "Empty Chairs" at the Troubador. She wrote most of the song before she left the club. She tells the story here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4TWd3mKrqyfgKMsi=D5uh7LjAO9u9tZQ2 She doesn't mention that the two producers who helped her finish the song were Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox, or that they listed themselves as the songwriters on the label and left her name off. She had to sue them later to get her share of the songwriting royalties.

[@jodyjackson5475]

Beauty song ❤

[@rq3733]

My favorite version

[@wallsvang]

Bobby Vinton also did this song very well, 70s I think.

[@325diane]

Love that the song was inspired by a performance by Don McLean. Makes it just a little more special, if that's even possible.

[@librarylady13]

💖💖💖

[@Penn57]

Lauren Hill with the Fugis

[@EC-dz3fb]

Awesome cover of this!

[@EC-dz3fb]

Fugees

[@Grizazzle]

You're thinking of The Fugees w/ Lauren Hill. Thank you for listening to the original. It very much irritates me when a modern artist gets recognition for covers of other artists work without making it very clear who truly deserves credit for the song.

[@MikeOstrowski-iq8wf]

This is the better version ❤️ #donmclean Love Lauren Hill #thefugees

[@anthonyblakely399]

Written about Tom McLean, songwriter of "Bye Bye Miss American Pie. "

[@danabe3220]

Written by Charles Fox. The composer of the Love Boat theme among many other classics.

[@kestrelle5345]

I don't see this as a sad song. Hopeful perhaps.

[@musicaficionado2974]

How can anything compare to the divine Roberta Flack? Yes, Lauren Hill is good, but not on this song. Thanks!