CC Briefs: "Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway" by Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway

Artist: Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
Album: Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
Label: Atlantic

It’s hard to imagine me growing up without hearing a peep from this historic masterpiece. Though the album is mostly covers of previously released pop hits, Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway team up together to give these songs such unique soulful styling that it pretty much overshadows the originals. Add to the equation that both Donny and Roberta play electric piano and organ and you have a brilliant masterpiece. Tackling songs such as “Where Is The Love” (becoming an adult contemporary standard and R&B hit and earned them a Grammy), Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend”, Ronnie Shannon’s “Baby I Love You” (made popular by Aretha Franklin) and the Righteous Brothers’ 60s classic “You’ve Lost That Loving Feelin’” was bold attempts, even for black artists, but became excellent hits for the both of them. And make no mistake about it, the two even join up for a spiritual gospel brunch on their joint arrangement of “Come Ye Disconsolate”. Though this was pretty much a duet album, “For All We Know” showcased Hathaway’s rich vocals all by himself and styled in the form of Hathaway’s infamous “A Song For You”, while “Mood” is a dramatic, seven minute long instrumental track featuring Roberta Flack on piano; which reveals gleaming piano overtures with fine gloomy expressions. And even though this closing track has no lyrics, it is a song that delights jazz lovers, along as those individuals with a classical backbone. Only one original track (“Be Real Black For Me”) made it to this LP and it became an important symbolic representation of mid 70's black pride. Both Flack and Hathaway joined up years later for “The Closer I Get To You” and began working together on a second duet album, until Hathaway drastically committed suicide during the process in 1979. But if you are looking for the definite duet album of the two, look no further.


CC USA SCORE: 9.20
MUSIC STYLE: Soul, R&B
RELEASE DATE: April, 1972

SONG SELECTION:
1. I (Who Have Nothing) (5:03)
2. You've Got A Friend (3:25)
3. Baby I Love You (3:27)
4. Be Real Black For Me (3:33)
5. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling (6:38)
6. For All We Know (3:39)
7. Where Is The Love (2:46)
8. When Love Has Grown (3:26)
9. Come Ye Disconsolate (4:52)
10. Mood (7:02)