Killing Me Softly with His Song

Last updated

"Killing Me Softly with His Song"
Lieberman - Killing Me Softly - 1972 single.jpg
Promotional 7-inch single, stereo version
Single by Lori Lieberman
from the album Lori Lieberman
Released1972
Recorded1971
Genre Folk
Length3:46
Label Capitol
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Fox and Gimbel
Audio
"Killing Me Softly With His Song – Lori Lieberman (1972)" on YouTube

"Killing Me Softly with His Song" is a song composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel. The lyrics were written in collaboration with Lori Lieberman after she was inspired by a Don McLean performance in late 1971. Denied writing credit by Fox and Gimbel, Lieberman released her version of the song in 1972, but it did not chart. The song has been covered by many other artists.

Contents

In 1973, it became a number-one hit in the United States, Australia and Canada for Roberta Flack, and also reached number six on the UK Singles Chart. In 1996, Fugees recorded the song with Lauryn Hill on lead vocals. Their version became a number-one hit in twenty countries; including Germany, where it became the first single to debut atop the chart. The version by Flack won the 1974 Grammy for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The version by Fugees won the 1997 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Propelled by the success of the Fugees track, the 1972 recording by Roberta Flack was remixed in 1996 by Jonathan Peters, with Flack adding some new vocal flourishes; this version topped the Hot Dance Club Play chart. [3]

Since then, Flack and Fugees have performed the song together. [4] The versions by Fugees and Roberta Flack were both placed on the 2021 revised list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. [5] According to Billboard , it is one of nearly a dozen songs to be Grammy nominated for Song of the Year that have had two versions reach the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. [6]

After decades of confirming Lieberman's contribution, Fox and Gimbel changed their story about the song's origins to downplay her role. Gimbel threatened McLean with a lawsuit in 2008, demanding he remove from his website an assertion that McLean was the inspiration for "Killing Me Softly", but McLean responded by showing Gimbel the latter's own words confirming the inspiration, published in 1973.

Lori Lieberman version

Aspiring musician Lori Lieberman was 19 years old in 1971 when she was introduced to veteran songwriter Norman Gimbel and composer Charles Fox; the two men signed her to a management contract in which they would write her songs and manage her career, and take 20% of her income. [1] The three shared a common Jewish heritage and Scorpio astrological signs, and they began to pool songwriting ideas. [2] Gimbel also began an affair with the 19-year-old Lieberman, even though he was 43 years old and married. The affair was kept secret for years. [1]

In November 1971, Lieberman, then 20, and her friend Michele Willens (daughter of millionaire Harold Willens) attended a Don McLean performance at the Troubadour nightclub in Los Angeles. [1] McLean's hit song "American Pie" was rising in the charts, but Lieberman was strongly affected by McLean singing another song: "Empty Chairs". [7] [8] This song spurred her to write poetic notes on a paper napkin while he was performing the song. [9] Willens has confirmed that Lieberman was "scribbling notes" on a napkin as soon as McLean began singing the song. After the concert, Lieberman phoned Gimbel to read him her napkin notes and share her experience of a singer reaching deep inside her world with his song. [1] Lieberman's description reminded Gimbel of a song title that was already in his idea notebook: "killing us softly with some blues". [10] The phrase had appeared five years earlier in the novel 'Hopscotch' by Julio Cortázar; "...and Ronald was left alone at the piano, with all the time in the world to woodshed some of his bop ideas or to kill us softly with some blues." Gimbel expanded on Lieberman's notes, fleshing them out into song lyrics. Gimbel said in 1973: "Her conversation fed me, inspired me, gave me some language and a choice of words." [1] Gimbel passed these lyrics to Fox, who set them to music. [2]

Lieberman recorded the song in late 1971 and released it as a single in 1972, produced by Gimbel and Fox. This version did not chart. Lieberman promoted the album by touring, and she always introduced the song "Killing Me Softly" by describing its origin in the McLean performance. Gimbel and Fox even wrote out for her this introduction of the song so that she could deliver it consistently at each performance. In 1973, in her first appearance on national television, Lieberman described this same origin story on The Mike Douglas Show after performing the song. [1] When Lieberman toured through Canada in 1974 to promote her second album, Billboard magazine carried a public relations piece from Capitol Records about the three-way "song-producing team" of Lieberman/Gimbel/Fox, including a description of the Don McLean performance inspiring the song "Killing Me Softly". Gimbel was quoted saying that he relied on Lieberman to inspire his songwriting creativity since he had passed the most creative days of his youth: "Now I need a reason to write, and Lori is one of the best reasons a lyricwriter could have." [2]

Don McLean said in 1973 that he was surprised to find out that the song described his singing:

"I'm absolutely amazed. I've heard both Lori's and Roberta's version and I must say I'm very humbled about the whole thing. You can't help but feel that way about a song written and performed as well as this one is." [11]

Disputed origin

In the 1970s, both Gimbel and Fox were in agreement with Lieberman about the song's origin at a McLean concert. Sean Derek, who worked for Gimbel and Fox as an assistant in the 1970s, confirmed that the two men would tell the McLean origin story "all the time". [1] However, Gimbel and Fox changed their stories around 1997, to reduce or dismiss Lieberman's contribution.[ citation needed ]

In 1976, the Lieberman/Gimbel/Fox songwriting team turned sour. Gimbel had divorced his wife three years earlier, but Lieberman eventually stopped the sexual relationship she had with Gimbel because he "had become emotionally abusive, controlling and unfaithful". She asked to be freed of her contract. Gimbel and Fox directed their lawyers to demand US$27,000 from Lieberman to pay expenses (equivalent to $145,000in 2023), and to demand another US$250,000 of her future income (equivalent to $1,339,000in 2023), effectively killing her career. Lieberman's lawyer, Frederic Ansis, recalled later that Gimbel and Fox could have been "nice guys" like other managers in the industry who released their unsuccessful artists without onerous payments, but they chose the other route. [1]

By 1997, Lieberman had long severed her ties to Gimbel, but she reconnected with Fox, who attended a concert of hers. [1] Lieberman was interviewed by The New York Times about her recent songwriting work. In this interview she said that when she was young, Gimbel and Fox had been "very, very controlling. I felt like I was pushed on stage, and I was singing other people's material, although that material was based on my private diaries. I felt victimized for most of my early career." [12] Fox never spoke to her again after this revelation. [1]

In 2008, Gimbel demanded that McLean remove text from his website, the text saying that McLean was the inspiration for "Killing Me Softly". McLean did not remove the text; instead, McLean's lawyer sent Gimbel a copy of a 1973 New York Daily News article in which Gimbel is quoted and seems to agree with Lieberman's account. [13] In the article, Lieberman is asked how the song came about and what its inspiration was. [11]

Don McLean ... I saw him at the Troubadour in LA last year. I had heard about him from some friends but up to then all I knew about him really was what others had told me. But I was moved by his performance, by the way he developed his numbers, he got right through to me. [11]

Gimbel's contribution supports Lieberman's stance:

Lori is only 20 and she really is a very private person ... She told us about this strong experience she had listening to McLean ... I had a notion this might make a good song so the three of us discussed it. We talked it over several times, just as we did with the rest of the numbers we wrote for the album and we all felt it had possibilities. [11]

Lieberman then adds:

Norman had a phrase he liked, 'killing me softly with his blues' ... But I didn't feel the word "blues" was quite what the effect was. It wasn't contemporary enough, somehow. We talked about it a while and finally decided on the word "song" instead. It seemed right then when we did it. [11]

Fox published a memoir in 2010, Killing Me Softly, My Life in Music, which contained nothing about the McLean performance inspiring the song, and downplayed Lieberman's role in the songwriting team. [1] When Dan MacIntosh of Songfacts asked Fox in 2010 about the McLean origin story, Fox said: "I think it's called an urban legend. It really didn't happen that way." He described Gimbel and himself writing the song, then playing it for Lieberman later, who was reminded of McLean's singing. Fox said that "somehow the words got changed around so that we wrote it based on Don McLean..." [14]

Gimbel described in 2010 how he had been introduced to the Argentinian-born composer Lalo Schifrin (then of Mission: Impossible fame) and began writing songs to a number of Schifrin's films. [10] Both Gimbel and Schifrin made a suggestion to write a Broadway musical together, and Schifrin gave Gimbel an Argentinean novel— Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar—to read as a possible idea. The book was never made into a musical, but in chapter two, the narrator describes himself as sitting in a bar listening to an American pianist friend "kill us softly with some blues". [10] [15] Gimbel put the phrase in his notebook of song ideas for use at a future time. [16]

Lieberman released a song in 2011 called "Cup of Girl" with lyrics about being used by someone who would "rifle through her diary" to write songs about her, who was dishonest, promiscuous and took advantage of her. Lieberman says that Gimbel contacted her after the song was published, sending angry emails, but Lieberman deleted the emails instead of responding to them. [1] Gimbel died in 2018.

In 2020, Lieberman said she was not seeking money or official songwriting credit, she just wanted the world to know the correct origin of the song. [1]

Roberta Flack version

"Killing Me Softly with His Song"
Killing Me Softly with His Song by Roberta Flack US vinyl.png
One of A-side labels of U.S. vinyl single
Single by Roberta Flack
from the album Killing Me Softly
B-side "Just Like a Woman"
ReleasedJanuary 22, 1973 [17]
RecordedNovember 17, 1972
Studio Atlantic, New York City [18]
Genre
Length4:46
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Joel Dorn
Roberta Flack singles chronology
"Where Is the Love"
(1972)		"Killing Me Softly with His Song"
(1973)		"Jesse"
(1973)
Alternative release
Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly with His Song.jpg
West German single picture sleeve

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [48] Gold30,000‡
United States (RIAA) [49] Gold1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Fugees version

"Killing Me Softly"
Kmsoftlyfugees.jpg
Single by Fugees
from the album The Score
ReleasedMay 27, 1996 (1996-05-27)
Genre
Length
  • 4:58(album version)
  • 4:16 (radio edit)
  • 4:00 (radio edit without intro)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Fugees
Fugees singles chronology
"Fu-Gee-La"
(1996)		"Killing Me Softly"
(1996)		"Ready or Not"
(1996)
Music video
"Killing Me Softly" on YouTube

American hip hop group Fugees released their version of the song (titled "Killing Me Softly") on their second album, The Score (1996), with Lauryn Hill singing the lead vocals. Fugees' version, released in 1996 by Ruffhouse and Columbia, became an international hit. In the United States, it did not appear on the Billboard Hot 100 because it was not released as a commercial single there, which was a rule at the time. It instead reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and number one on the Hot R&B Airplay chart. The song has been certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales and streaming figues of approximately three million units in the US.

In the United Kingdom, "Killing Me Softly" broke the record at the time for the most radio plays in a single week. [50] Additionally, it was the United Kingdom's best-selling single of 1996, and remains the country's biggest hip hop song by a group, [51] and one of the best-selling singles of all time in the United Kingdom. In Germany, it became the first single to debut at number one, [52] was the best-selling single of the year, and remains one of the best selling singles of all time. It was also the best-selling single of 1996 in Belgium, Iceland, and the Netherlands. "Killing Me Softly" was also among the best-selling songs in France, during the 1990s.

This version sampled the 1990 song "Bonita Applebum" by A Tribe Called Quest, which itself samples the riff from the song "Memory Band" by Rotary Connection. The Fugees' single was so successful that the track was pulled from retailers while it was still in the top 20, in an effort to draw attention to the Fugees' next single "Ready or Not". The Fugees' version won the 1997 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, [53] and their music video, directed by Aswad Ayinde, won the MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video. [54]

Background

"Killing Me Softly" was the last song Fugees recorded for The Score, after member Pras made the suggestion to cover it. They wanted to "see how we can create break beats. And of course, we all love A Tribe Called Quest and we went in like 'Okay, let's cut that sample.'" They then added a bass reggae drop. [55] Initially, Fugees wanted to change the lyrics of the song to make it anti-drugs and anti-poverty but the songwriters, Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox, refused. [56]

Composition

Fugees' version features "percussive rhythms" with "a synth sitar sound, Wyclef's blurted chants, Hill's vocal melisma on the scatted bridge, and a bombastic drum-loop track". [57]

Critical reception

J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun felt that Lauryn Hill's rendition of "Killing Me Softly" "is so convincing, you'd think it was a sample." [58] Celebrating the album's 20th anniversary in February 2016, Kenneth Partridge from Billboard said, "It's a lovely cover that maintains the spirit of the original while taking the material in new directions." [59] Upon the release, the magazine's Larry Flick viewed it as a "crafty cover". [60] Peter Miro from Cash Box stated that the trio's reworking of the Roberta Flack standard "succeeds wildly." He explained, "Basically they dropped a new rasta engine in the ballad for the diddly-bopping, head-nodding masses. Bet this will be the only version they think exists." [61] Another Cash Box editor, Gil L. Robertson IV, named it a "standout track" of The Score album. [62] Simon Price from Melody Maker felt that Hill is "sweet like Candi Staton", "singing a gorgeous a cappella version". [63]

Alan Jones from Music Week deemed it "a sensational update", adding that it "touches myriad musical bases, appealing equally to pop, R&B, easy listening and dance fans. Stripped to its bare bones, it is beautifully sung, with just enough rapping to set it apart from the original. The whole thing is superbly underlined by a bumping bass and percussion. Simple, refreshing and a huge hit." [64] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update noted it as a "plaintive girl and muttering chaps' sparse bass bumped and sitar plinked but still tenderly crooned remake". [65] In January 1997, Spin described the song as "an instant classic, pumped out of every passing car from coast to coast, with Lauryn Hill's timeless voice never losing its poignant kick". [66]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Killing Me Softly", directed by Aswad Ayinde [67] and based on Lauryn Hill's ideas, won an MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video. [68] The video depicts the trio watching a movie in a cinema. It also features a cameo of Roberta Flack. [57] [69]

Impact and legacy

"Killing Me Softly" was hailed as one of the most essential hip hop songs in history by XXL. [70] In autumn 2008, VH1 placed it at No. 25 on their list of the "100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs". In 2021, Rolling Stone included it in their revised list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. [71] The song experienced a resurgence in popularity on the social networking app TikTok, during the early 2020s. [72] [73] Their version has been sampled by French Montana, [74] Baby Keem, [75] and Mariah Carey. [76] In October 2023, Billboard ranked "Killing Me Softly" among the "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time". [77]

Bounty Killer remix

Fugees recorded a dancehall version with Bounty Killer rapping, and Hill singing a rewritten chorus. However, they did not receive permission to release it on The Score. [4]

Track listing

  1. "Killing Me Softly" (Album Version W/Out Intro)– 4:03
  2. "Killing Me Softly" (Album Instrumental)– 4:03
  3. "Cowboys" (Album Version)– 3:35
  4. "Nappy Heads" (Remix)– 3:49
  1. "Killing Me Softly" (Album Version With Intro)– 4:16
  2. "Fu-Gee-La" (Refugee Camp Global Mix)– 4:15
  3. "Vocab" (Refugees Hip Hop Mix)– 4:07
  4. "Vocab" (Salaam's Acoustic Remix)– 5:54

Charts

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [115] 3× Platinum210,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria) [140] Platinum50,000*
Belgium (BEA) [141] Platinum50,000*
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [142] Gold45,000‡
France (SNEP) [143] Platinum650,000 [144]
Germany (BVMI) [145] 2× Platinum1,000,000^
Italy (FIMI) [146] Platinum100,000‡
Netherlands (NVPI) [147] 2× Platinum150,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [148] Platinum10,000*
Norway (IFPI Norway) [149] Platinum 
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [150] Gold30,000‡
Sweden (GLF) [151] Platinum50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [152] Gold25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [153] 3× Platinum1,800,000‡
United States (RIAA) [154] 3× Platinum3,000,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United StatesApril 23, 1996 Contemporary hit radio [155]
United KingdomMay 27, 1996
  • CD
  • cassette
 [156]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don McLean</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1945)

Donald McLean III is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, known to fans as the "American Troubadour" or "King of the Trail". He is best known for his 1971 hit "American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minute folk rock song that has been referred to as a "cultural touchstone". His other hit singles include "Vincent", "Dreidel", "Castles in the Air", and "Wonderful Baby", as well as renditions of Roy Orbison's "Crying" and the Skyliners' "Since I Don't Have You".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roberta Flack</span> American singer (born 1937)

Roberta Cleopatra Flack is a retired American singer who topped the Billboard charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", and "Feel Like Makin' Love".

<i>The Score</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Fugees

The Score is the second studio album by the hip hop trio Fugees, released worldwide on February 13, 1996, on Columbia Records. The album features a wide range of samples and instrumentation, with many aspects of alternative hip hop that would come to dominate the hip-hop music scene in the mid- to late-1990s. Primarily, The Score's production was handled by the Fugees themselves, Jerry Duplessis and Warren Riker, with additional production from Salaam Remi, John Forté, Diamond D, and Shawn King. The album's guest verses are from Outsidaz members Rah Digga, Young Zee, and Pacewon, as well as John Forté, and Diamond D. Most versions of the album feature four bonus tracks, including three remixes of "Fu-Gee-La", and a short acoustic Wyclef Jean solo track entitled "Mista Mista".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Woman, No Cry</span> 1974 song by Bob Marley and the Wailers

"No Woman, No Cry" is a reggae song performed by Bob Marley and the Wailers. The song was recorded in 1974 and released on the studio album Natty Dread.

<i>Killing Me Softly</i> (Roberta Flack album) 1973 studio album by Roberta Flack

Killing Me Softly is a studio album by American singer-songwriter Roberta Flack, released on August 1, 1973, by Atlantic Records. She recorded the album with producer Joel Dorn for 18 months. The album was dedicated to Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

Norman Gimbel was an American lyricist and songwriter of popular songs and themes to television shows and films. He wrote the lyrics for songs including "Ready to Take a Chance Again" and "Canadian Sunset". He also co-wrote "Killing Me Softly With His Song". He wrote English-language lyrics for many international hits, including "Sway", "Summer Samba", "The Girl from Ipanema", "How Insensitive", "Drinking-Water", "Meditation", "I Will Wait for You" and "Watch What Happens". Of the movie themes he co-wrote, five were nominated for Academy Awards and/or Golden Globe Awards, including "It Goes Like It Goes", from the film Norma Rae, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for 1979. Gimbel was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face</span> 1957 folk song, became 1972 US hit

"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 later became his third wife. At the time, the couple were lovers, although MacColl was still married to his second wife, Jean Newlove. Seeger sang the song when the duo performed in folk clubs around Britain. During the 1960s, it was recorded by various folk singers and became a major international hit for Roberta Flack in 1972, winning Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Billboard ranked it as the number-one Hot 100 single of the year for 1972.

Charles Ira Fox is an American composer for film and television. His compositions include the sunshine pop musical backgrounds which accompanied every episode of the 1970s ABC-TV show Love, American Style; the theme song for the late 1970s ABC series The Love Boat; and the dramatic theme music to ABC's Wide World of Sports and the original Monday Night Football; as well as the Grammy-winning hit song "Killing Me Softly with His Song", written in collaboration with Fox's longtime writing partner, Norman Gimbel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ready or Not (Fugees song)</span> 1996 single by Fugees

"Ready or Not" is a song by American hip-hop group Fugees, from their second studio album, The Score (1996). The song contains a sample of "Boadicea" (1987) by Irish singer Enya, and its chorus is based on "Ready or Not Here I Come " by the Delfonics.

"Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" is a romantic ballad written by lyricist Gerry Goffin with Michael Masser and recorded by Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack for their 1983 album of duets, Born to Love, issued as the lead single. The track—produced by Masser—became a million-selling international hit.

<i>Top of the World</i> (Lynn Anderson album) 1973 studio album by Lynn Anderson

Top of the World is a studio album released through Columbia Records by country singer Lynn Anderson in 1973. The album was produced by Anderson's husband Glenn Sutton.

Lori Lieberman is an American singer-songwriter who accompanies herself on guitar and piano. She co-wrote and recorded the first version of "Killing Me Softly with His Song", which became a hit single for Roberta Flack in 1973, and again in 1996 with a new arrangement by the Fugees. Lieberman's writing partners and management team of Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel did not assign her credit for helping to write the song, so she did not receive millions of dollars worth of royalties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Song Sung Blue</span> 1972 single by Neil Diamond

"Song Sung Blue" is a 1972 hit song written and recorded by Neil Diamond, inspired by the second movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto #21. It was released on Diamond's album Moods, and later appeared on many of Diamond's live and compilation albums. The song was a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States for one week, the week of July 1, and it spent twelve weeks in the Top 40. It also reached #14 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Closer I Get to You</span> 1978 romantic ballad by Donnie Hathaway and Roberta Flack

"The Closer I Get to You" is a romantic ballad performed by singer-songwriter Roberta Flack and soul musician Donny Hathaway. The song was written by James Mtume and Reggie Lucas, two former members of Miles Davis's band, who were members of Flack's band at the time. Produced by Atlantic Records, the song was released on Flack's 1977 album Blue Lights in the Basement, and as a single in 1978. It became a major crossover hit, becoming Flack's biggest commercial hit after her success with her 1973 solo single, "Killing Me Softly with His Song". Originally set as a solo single, Flack's manager, David Franklin, suggested a duet with Hathaway, which resulted in the finished work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feel Like Makin' Love (Roberta Flack song)</span> 1974 single by Roberta Flack

"Feel Like Makin' Love" is a song composed by singer-songwriter and producer Eugene McDaniels, and recorded originally by soul singer-songwriter Roberta Flack. The song has been covered by R&B and jazz artists including D’Angelo, Roy Ayers, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Lou Rawls, Isaac Hays, George Benson, Jeffrey Osborne, Larry Coryell, Johnny Mathis, and Marlena Shaw.

"Danny's Song" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins, as a gift for his brother Danny for the birth of his son, Colin. It first appeared on an album by Gator Creek and a year later on the album Sittin' In, the debut album by Loggins and Messina. The song is well remembered for both the Loggins and Messina original, as well as for Anne Murray's 1972 top-ten-charting cover.

<i>And I Love You So</i> (Perry Como album) 1973 studio album by Perry Como

And I Love You So is the 21st long-play album by Perry Como, released by RCA Records in 1973.

The discography of the Fugees, an American hip hop trio consisting of rapper/singer Lauryn Hill and rappers Pras Michel and Wyclef Jean, consists of two studio albums, three compilation albums, one remix album and nine singles and nine music videos. After the group formed in the 1980s under the name Tranzlator Crew, they signed to Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records in 1993; they then changed their name to Fugees – an abbreviation of "refugees", also a reference to Haitian immigrants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Making Love (song)</span> 1982 single by Roberta Flack

"Making Love" is a 1982 song written by Burt Bacharach, Bruce Roberts, and Carole Bayer Sager to serve as the theme song for the film of the same name in which, as recorded by Roberta Flack with Bacharach and Bayer Sager producing, it played under the closing credits: a Top 20 hit single for Flack, "Making Love" was included on the singer's 1982 album release I'm the One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Set the Night to Music</span>

"Set the Night to Music" is a song written by Diane Warren and recorded by Starship for their LP, No Protection (1987). It became a major hit for Roberta Flack in 1991. Starship's original version became a Top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, reaching number nine in the spring of 1988, and also charted minorly in Canada. The song appeared at the end credits of the 1988 fantasy-comedy film Vice Versa starring Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Edgers, Geoff (January 24, 2020). "She sang 'Killing Me Softly' before Roberta Flack. Now she just wants you to hear her side of the story". The Washington Post.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Lori Lieberman Team". Billboard. June 22, 1974. p. 53.
  3. ↑ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. October 21, 2000.
  4. 1 2 Various Mojo Magazine (November 1, 2007). The Mojo Collection: 4th Edition. Canongate Books. p. 626. ISBN   9781847676436 . Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  5. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  6. ↑ Grein, Paul (May 23, 2023). "'Fast Car,' 'Fever' & More Grammy Nominees for Song of the Year That Made the Top 10 Twice". Billboard. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  7. ↑ "The "Killing Me Softly" Story". Don-mclean.com. January 21, 2009. Archived from the original on October 16, 2016. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  8. ↑ Lori Lieberman – Killing Me Softly (The Story Behind) on YouTube
  9. ↑ "Classic Albums – Don McLean: American Pie". BBC iPlayer . Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 Davis, Sheila (1984). The Craft of Lyric Writing. Writers Digest Books. p. 13. ISBN   0-89879-149-9 . Retrieved September 22, 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 O'Haire, Patricia (April 5, 1973). "A Killer of a Song". Daily News . New York. p. 6. Archived from the original on May 14, 2013.
  12. ↑ Pond, Steve (June 8, 1997). "Living in the Shadow of a Famous Song". The New York Times. p. 34.
  13. ↑ "Archived copy". www.don-mclean.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ↑ Songfacts. "Charles Fox : Songwriter Interviews". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  15. ↑ Cortázar, Julio (1966). Hopscotch . Pantheon Books. p.  15. ISBN   0-394-75284-8.
  16. ↑ "The "Killing Me Softly" Story". Don-mclean.com. January 21, 2009. Archived from the original on May 19, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly with His Song".
  18. ↑ "Killing Me Softly With His Song – Roberta Flack – Recording". www.pfunkportal.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  19. ↑ Molanphy, Chris (March 25, 2022). "Killing Me Softly Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate . Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  20. ↑ Breihan, Tom (March 22, 2019). "The Number Ones: Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song"". Stereogum . Retrieved June 18, 2023. She changed up the whole arrangement, and turned it into soft, lilting soul-jazz.
  21. ↑ Cad, Saint (July 31, 2012). "Top 10 Famous Songs With Unknown Originals". listverse.com. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  22. ↑ Reddy, Helen (2006). The Woman I Am . New York: Penguin. p.  158. ISBN   1-58542-489-7.
  23. ↑ Fox, Charles (2010). Killing Me Softly: My Life In Music. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. X. ISBN   978-0-8108-6991-2.
  24. ↑ Holloway, Danny (April 28, 1973). "Roberta Flack And All That Jazz" . New Musical Express . Retrieved January 28, 2023. Hosted by Rock's Back Pages.
  25. ↑ "The Origin of Roberta Flack's Hit "Killing Me Softly With His Song". pbs.org. December 19, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  26. ↑ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1973
  27. ↑ Daeida February 2012. p. 11
  28. ↑ Cresswell, Toby (2005). 1001 Songs. Pahran, Aus.: Hardie Grant Books. p. 388. ISBN   978-1-74066-458-5.
  29. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974–2003. Record Research. p. 100.
  30. ↑ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame". GRAMMY.org. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  31. ↑ Archived December 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  32. ↑ "Killing Me Softly – Roberta Flack : Credits". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  33. ↑ "Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly With His Song – hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Cash Box – International Best Sellers" (PDF). worldradiohistory.com. Cash Box. July 7, 1973. p. 44.
  35. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  36. ↑ "Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly with His Song" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  37. ↑ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. April 14, 1973. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  38. ↑ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. March 24, 1973. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  39. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Roberta Flack" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  40. ↑ "Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly with His Song". VG-lista.
  41. ↑ "Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly with His Song". Swiss Singles Chart.
  42. ↑ "Killing Me Softly With His Song". Official UK Charts Co. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  43. ↑ "Roberta Flack Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  44. 1 2 Purple Rain > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles at AllMusic . Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  45. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly with His Song" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 27, 2019. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Roberta Flack"
  46. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1973/Top 100 Songs of 1973". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  47. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  48. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly with His Song". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  49. ↑ "American single certifications – Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly with His Song". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  50. ↑ Billboard. July 6, 1996.
  51. ↑ "The Official Top 100 biggest Hip-Hop Songs of all time". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  52. ↑ Warner, Jay (2008). Notable Moments of Women in Music. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN   978-1-4234-2951-7.
  53. ↑ "39th Annual GRAMMY Awards (1996)". The Recording Academy . Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  54. ↑ "The Year in Music – Band of the Year". Spin . Camouflage Associates. January 1997. p. 54.
  55. ↑ "Fugees Producer Jerry Wonder Talks About The 16th Anniversary of "The Score"". Complex . February 14, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  56. ↑ Iandoli, Kathy (February 22, 2016). "Inside Fugees' The Score, 20 Years Later, With Its Collaborators". Pitchfork . Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  57. 1 2 Weisbard, Eric (2007). Listen Again: A Momentary History of Pop Music. Duke University Press. p. 194. ISBN   978-0822390558 . Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  58. ↑ Considine, J.D. (March 22, 1996). "Music: Reviews". The Baltimore Sun . p. 8. Retrieved January 8, 2023– via Eugene Register-Guard.
  59. ↑ Partridge, Kenneth (February 13, 2016). "Fugees' 'The Score' at 20: Classic Track-by-Track Album Review". Billboard . Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  60. ↑ Flick, Larry (June 15, 1996). "Dance Trax: That Kid Chris: More Than Another Fresh Face" (PDF). Billboard . p. 40. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  61. ↑ Miro, Peter (May 11, 1996). "Urban: Rap Single Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box . p. 13. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  62. ↑ Robertson IV, Gil L. (March 30, 1996). "Urban" (PDF). Cash Box . p. 11. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  63. ↑ Price, Simon (March 2, 1996). "Albums". Melody Maker . p. 36. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  64. ↑ Jones, Alan (June 1, 1996). "Talking Music" (PDF). Music Week . p. 10. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  65. ↑ Hamilton, James (June 1, 1996). "DJ Directory" (PDF). Music Week . p. 11. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  66. ↑ "The Year in Music – Band of the Year". Spin . January 1997. p. 54. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  67. ↑ Tardio, Andres (July 29, 2013). "The Fugees' "Killing Me Softly" Video Director Sentenced To 50 Years In Prison For Sexual Assault". HipHopDX . Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  68. ↑ Coleman, Brian (March 12, 2009). Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies. New York: Random House Publishing Group. p. 218. ISBN   9780307494429 . Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  69. ↑ Fox, Charles (2010). Killing Me Softly: My Life in Music. Scarecrow Press. p. x. ISBN   9780810869912 . Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  70. ↑ Staff (January 9, 2014). "XXL Lists The Best Hip-Hop Songs And Albums Of The Last 40 Years – XXL Issue 152 – XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  71. ↑ "500 Best Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone . September 15, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  72. ↑ "Fleetwood Mac TikTok". Washington Post.
  73. ↑ "How to do the Sofia Richie walk trend". nomysh.com. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  74. ↑ "French Montana Samples The Fugees On "Whipp'n It Slowly"". www.hotnewhiphop.com. October 14, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  75. ↑ "Baby Keem Thanks Lauryn Hill For Clearing Fugees Sample". HipHopDX. October 28, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  76. ↑ "Mariah Carey Flips Lauryn Hill's Vocals From A Fugees Classic On "Save The Day"". genius.com. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  77. ↑ "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard . October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  78. ↑ "Fugees – Killing Me Softly". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  79. ↑ "Fugees – Killing Me Softly" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  80. ↑ "Fugees – Killing Me Softly" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  81. ↑ "Fugees – Killing Me Softly" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  82. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3027." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  83. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 9681." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  84. ↑ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2978." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  85. ↑ "Top 40 Radio North-West (28.06-96 petak u 20 h)" (in Croatian). Library.foi.hr. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  86. ↑ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 13, no. 31. August 3, 1996. p. 17. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  87. ↑ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. July 27, 1996. p. 14. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  88. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 29. July 20, 1996. p. 13. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  89. ↑ "Fugees: Killing Me Softly" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  90. ↑ "Fugees – Killing Me Softly (With His Song)" (in French). Les classement single.
  91. ↑ "Fugees – Killing Me Softly (With His Song)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  92. ↑ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 37. September 14, 1996. p. 18. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  93. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Nr. 165: Vikuna 13.4. – 19.4. '965". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). April 13, 1996. p. 38. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  94. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Killing Me Softly". Irish Singles Chart.
  95. ↑ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 31. August 3, 1996. p. 17. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  96. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 27, 1996" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  97. ↑ "Fugees – Killing Me Softly" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  98. ↑ "Fugees – Killing Me Softly". Top 40 Singles.
  99. ↑ "Fugees – Killing Me Softly". VG-lista.
  100. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  101. ↑ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 13, no. 32. August 10, 1996. p. 11. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  102. ↑ "Fugees – Killing Me Softly (With His Song)". Singles Top 100.
  103. 1 2 "Årslistor > Year End Charts > Swedish Dance Chart 1996" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 11. March 15, 1997. p. 30. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  104. ↑ "Fugees – Killing Me Softly". Swiss Singles Chart.
  105. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  106. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  107. ↑ "Fugees Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard.
  108. ↑ "Fugees Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  109. ↑ "Fugees Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  110. ↑ "Fugees Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  111. ↑ "Fugees Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  112. ↑ "Fugees Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  113. ↑ "Fugees Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard.
  114. ↑
    • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  115. 1 2 "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1996". Australian Recording Industry Association. 1997. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  116. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1996" (in German). Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  117. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1996" (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  118. ↑ "Rapports annuels 1996" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  119. ↑ "RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  120. ↑ "RPM Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  121. ↑ "RPM Year End Dance Top 50". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  122. ↑ "1996 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 51/52. December 21, 1996. p. 12. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  123. ↑ "Tops de L'année | Top Singles 1996" (in French). SNEP . Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  124. ↑ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1996" (in German). GfK Entertainment . Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  125. ↑ "Árslistinn 1996". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 2, 1997. p. 25. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  126. ↑ "Chart Watch – Top Selling Singles of 1996". Billboard . Vol. 109, no. 24. June 14, 1997. p. 58. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  127. ↑ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1996". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  128. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1996" (in Dutch). MegaCharts . Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  129. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1996". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  130. ↑ "Årslista Singlar, 1996" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  131. ↑ "Swiss Year-End Charts 1996" (in German). Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  132. ↑ "Top 100 Singles 1996". Music Week . January 18, 1997. p. 25.
  133. ↑ "The Year in Music: Hot 100 Singles Airplay". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-36.
  134. ↑ "The Year in Music: Hot R&B Singles Airplay". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-41.
  135. ↑ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1996" (PDF). Airplay Monitor . Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 30. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  136. ↑ "Most Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 1996" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 32. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  137. ↑ "Ultratop Nineties 500: 1–50" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  138. ↑ Kutner, Jon; Leigh, Spencer (2005). 1,000 UK Number One Hits (E-book) (2013 ed.). London, England: Omnibus Press. p. 1096. ISBN   978-0-85712-360-2.
  139. ↑ "The UK's biggest selling singles of all time". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on June 24, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  140. ↑ "Austrian single certifications – Fugees – Killing Me Softly" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  141. ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 1996". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  142. ↑ "Danish single certifications – The Fugees – Killing Me Softly with His Song". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  143. ↑ "French single certifications – Fugees – Killing Me Softly" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  144. ↑ "Scoring in France". Billboard. November 23, 1996. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  145. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Fugees; 'Killing Me Softly')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  146. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Fugees – Killing Me Softly" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  147. ↑ "Dutch single certifications – Fugees – Killing Me Softly" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers . Retrieved December 15, 2018.Enter Killing Me Softly in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1996 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  148. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Fugees – Killing Me Softly". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  149. ↑ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  150. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – Fugees – Killing Me Softly". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  151. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 17, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  152. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Killing Me Softly')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  153. ↑ "British single certifications – Fugees – Killing Me Softly". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  154. ↑ "American single certifications – Fugees – Killing Me Softly with His Song". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  155. ↑ "Selected New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records . No. 1142. April 19, 1996. p. 27. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  156. ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. May 25, 1996. p. 31. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.