‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’ (1971)
By the time Flack released her cover of this Shirelles’ classic, in late 1971, Carole King (who wrote the song with Gerry Goffin) had already done her own slowed-down version on her megaselling LP “Tapestry.” But Flack’s performance is still striking, a haunting showcase for her voice as well as her delicate and entrancing piano arrangement.
‘Freedom Song’ (1971)
In 1971, Flack performed at an Independence Day festival in Ghana, along with Ike and Tina Turner, the Staple Singers, Wilson Pickett and Santana. Her a cappella version of the spiritual “Oh Freedom” is a heart stopper, both a moaning prayer and a taste of rapture. The soundtrack has long since fallen into obscurity; it was never released on CD in the United States and is unavailable on streaming services.
Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway, ‘Where Is the Love’ (1972)
Donny Hathaway, a gifted and troubled singer and songwriter, was one of Flack’s most important collaborators, writing early tracks and arranging the songs on her second album. In 1972 they collaborated on a joint LP, “Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway,” that became a blueprint for ’70s romantic soul. “Where Is the Love,” a No. 1 R&B hit that remains in constant radio rotation, is a perfect duet, a tale of romance lost that still feels like a bonbon.
‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’ (1973)
Another surprising song choice that Flack fully remade into a giant, signature hit. She encountered Lori Lieberman’s folky original while on a plane, then reworked the chord structure and added a soaring interlude, transforming the tune into a soulful odyssey. She tried it out at a concert with Quincy Jones, who told her, “Ro, don’t sing that daggone song no more until you record it,” as Flack once recalled. The recording became her second No. 1 hit, and got another boost when the Fugees remade the track in 1996.
‘Feel Like Makin’ Love’ (1974)
Flack produced her sixth studio album herself, under the name Rubina Flake, with a smooth touch that comes through clearly on this sensuous title track, her third No. 1 hit. The album was delayed by months of strained recording sessions, and was a relative flop upon its eventual release in early 1975.
Roberta Flack With Donny Hathaway, ‘The Closer I Get to You’ (1977)
Not written as a duet, this song nonetheless reunited Flack and Hathaway for another gauzy crossover hit, which went No. 1 R&B and No. 2 on the Hot 100. Before Hathaway’s death in 1979, the two had begun recording another duets LP, which was released the following year as “Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway.”