(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)
Roberta Flack - "Killing Me Softly with His Song"
Hit Number 1: February 24, 1973
Stay at Number 1: 5 Weeks
"Killing Me Softly" is actually based on someone's true experience. Lori Liebermann, a singer-songwriter who's managed to be an unknown figure all these years, attended a Don McLean show in late 1971. She was stricken by the songs he was singing, and was amazed at this young kid's own skills at writing songs. Liebermann wasn't drawn to the big McLean hit "American Pie", rather her strong connection came from an obscure McLean song called "Empty Chairs". She felt like he was singing to her, like he was singing about her own personal feelings. Immediately, she wanted to turn her experience into a song, and collaborated with fellow songwriters Charles Fox and Norman Gimble, who were her own personal career managers, to try to accomplish that. The three of them came up with "Killing Me Softly", and Liebermann took her song to the studio for recording.
In 1972, Liebermann released her version of the song, but it failed to chart. Helen Reddy, who just recently appeared in this blog, said that she was offered the song, but never did anything with it because she "didn't like the title." Roberta Flack only happened to hear the song while on an airplane, when Liebermann's original version was being played on the in-flight audio program. Flack said that the title of the song "smacked her in the face," but not in a bad way. More like she was impressed by the song, and something told her that she needed to make her own version of the song. She became obsessed with the song, playing it over and over again. When her plane landed she called Quincy Jones, a widely respected music producer, and asked how she could meet Charles Fox, one of the three original songwriters of "Killing Me Softly". Flack said that only two days later, she had the music for the song, and she was ready to start performing it for herself.
Flack hadn't yet bothered to record the song, but she thought it could be a fun one to play every once in a while at her live shows. At a show with Marvin Gaye at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles in 1972, Flack had just wrapped up performing her encore song she had prepared. Gaye advised Flack that she play another song, and though she was a bit hesitant, she told Gaye that there was a song she had been working on called "Killing Me Softly". Gaye told her "Do it, baby." Flack said after performing the song, the audience went crazy, and Gaye walked up to her, put his arm around her, and told her not to perform the song live again until it was recorded. She did just that, and the record went to #1 for five non-consecutive weeks, longer than any other record did in 1973.
Though Flack isn't singing about her own experiences, it almost seems like she is here. Her own personal song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", 1972's top-ranked single, didn't relay any sort of emotion. It was quiet, gentle, but very boring in my eyes. "Killing Me Softly" is a far superior song, and Flack's performance on it is far more memorable than the one on "The First Time". The intro is captivating, when all the instruments jump in and join Flack, it foreshadows a song that's going to stick with you. There's also a lovely mysterious feel to the song. Unless you, like me today, research the background on this song, you'd have no idea who this guy is that Flack is singing about, or what kinds of songs he was singing to make our narrator feel this way. Not only that, but "Killing Me Softly" is one of the few songs that actually acknowledge how powerful music is, and it makes the story of "Killing Me Softly" that much cooler. Liebermann decided to go to a show with a friend, was awe-struck by the man performing his songs, wrote a song about it, Flack happens to hear the song and feels the urge to record it herself, she performs it live with the crowd going crazy, and she finally records and releases it. The song has a 5-week reign at #1, and is still well-known today. You can't tell me things don't have their own weird way of working out.
Flack was not someone who performed what I would call "bangers," but she was capable of doing the smoothest, craftiest ballads. "Killing Me Softly" is extremely smooth, and everything about it gives off luscious vibes. Her voice and the mellow instrumentation work together beautifully. Charles Fox even admitted that Flack did stuff with the song that Liebermann's original version lacked. He said Flack's version was slightly more upbeat, and had a strong backbeat that wasn't in the Liebermann version he helped create. Once McLean found out the song was about him, he was humbled, saying that he was surprised to learn of it being about him, and that it was amazing a song that was performed so well could be inspired by him. Finally, there are other versions of "Killing Me Softly" out there floating around in the world, but none of those versions comes close to this one. I believe this song was meant to find Flack.
GRADE: 8/10
JUST MISSED:
Deodato's somewhat funky and intense instrumental "Also Sprach Zarathustra" peaked at #2 behind "Killing Me Softly with His Song". It's a 6.
10 ALERT!!!:
Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell's insanely fun bluegrass instrumental "Dueling Banjos" also peaked at #2 behind "Killing Me Softly with His Song". I'd be lying if I said this song didn't make my day. It's a 10.
ANOTHER 10 ALERT!!!:
John Denver's sweet Colorado serenade "Rocky Mountain High" peaked at #9 behind "Killing Me Softly with His Song". It walks in quiet solitude the forest and the trees, seeking grace in every step it takes. It's a 10.
(John Denver will eventually appear in this blog)
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