The 1972 Atlantic release Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway is a million-selli… Read Full Bio ↴The 1972 Atlantic release Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway is a million-selling duet album by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway produced by Joel Dorn and Arif Mardin.
Flack and Hathaway were both solo artists on the Atlantic roster who'd enjoyed critical acclaim, but Flack had enjoyed limited commercial success. Both had attended Howard University, although Flack's attendance there pre-dated Hathaway's. The singers' careers had overlapped, however: Flack had included Hathaway compositions on her First Take and Chapter Two albums, with the latter also featuring Hathaway as pianist, arranger and background vocalist. It was Jerry Wexler who suggested that a joint venture might consolidate Flack and Hathaway's popularity.
The first single from Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway was a version of "You've Got a Friend" recorded before the single release of the James Taylor version: both tracks debuted on the Hot 100 dated May 29, 1971 — marking Flack's first chart appearance — and, although Taylor's version reached #1, the Flack/Hathaway duet ascended as high as #29 and was a top ten R&B hit at #8. (The B-side, "Gone Away," was a Chapter Two track written by Hathaway.)
The second single from the duets album was a remake of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" that became a #30 R&B hit, peaking on the Hot 100 at #71.
It was the album's third single "Where Is the Love" — released in April 1972, almost a year after the album itself — that would be the smash hit, largely due to Flack having had her solo career breakthrough with "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face".
Although Hathaway had enjoyed more solo success than had Flack prior to their teaming up, his subsequent solo career was desultory, with no high-profile success prior to his re-teaming with Flack for "The Closer I Get to You" in 1978. Hathaway had recorded two songs for a second duet album with Flack — that became the Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway album — at the time of his death on January 13, 1979.
Flack and Hathaway were both solo artists on the Atlantic roster who'd enjoyed critical acclaim, but Flack had enjoyed limited commercial success. Both had attended Howard University, although Flack's attendance there pre-dated Hathaway's. The singers' careers had overlapped, however: Flack had included Hathaway compositions on her First Take and Chapter Two albums, with the latter also featuring Hathaway as pianist, arranger and background vocalist. It was Jerry Wexler who suggested that a joint venture might consolidate Flack and Hathaway's popularity.
The first single from Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway was a version of "You've Got a Friend" recorded before the single release of the James Taylor version: both tracks debuted on the Hot 100 dated May 29, 1971 — marking Flack's first chart appearance — and, although Taylor's version reached #1, the Flack/Hathaway duet ascended as high as #29 and was a top ten R&B hit at #8. (The B-side, "Gone Away," was a Chapter Two track written by Hathaway.)
The second single from the duets album was a remake of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" that became a #30 R&B hit, peaking on the Hot 100 at #71.
It was the album's third single "Where Is the Love" — released in April 1972, almost a year after the album itself — that would be the smash hit, largely due to Flack having had her solo career breakthrough with "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face".
Although Hathaway had enjoyed more solo success than had Flack prior to their teaming up, his subsequent solo career was desultory, with no high-profile success prior to his re-teaming with Flack for "The Closer I Get to You" in 1978. Hathaway had recorded two songs for a second duet album with Flack — that became the Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway album — at the time of his death on January 13, 1979.
Mood
Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway Lyrics
Instrumental
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Nonkululeko Matsipa
My mom used to listen to this whole album and would even cry because she felt it deep in her soul. Now it is mine and my younger brother's favourite. The other day I was playing it in the car and heard my son singing along. I love this album and it brings me a lot of good memories
Nancy A. Locke
I love this piece, love this album. For All We Know and Mood makes me cry every time. Underrated covers it. Thank you for posting this. Truly.
Richard Dustrude
so haunting, so beautiful, so unforgettable although I feel sad that it is not very well known. but you honored this music very well with this vid. Thank you.
David Boyd
I am transported to a different place when I hear this. 'Mood' encapsulates this piece, as I cannot pinpoint one particular mood that this evokes, but rather a litany of emotions that flurry through me; send chills throughout my body.
Lidiane Camelo
Mt linda.Qdo começo ou ir ñ consigo parar. Quero ouvir mais e mais e mais.
Richard Holman
I have not heard this for years even though I have the album but someone managed to score a deep scratch through this track. Thank you for uploading it.
Zpierre Pierre
this is sooooo beautiful. I use to listen to this all the time and I just love this. It gets into my soul.
MLH7
One of my first Piano Solos.🤜💥🤛 Awesome brings back beginnings of my journey. 👍
John Cattanach
Such an underrated piece. Nice one.
Tawnicia Rowan
Thank you! Does anyone know where to find the sheet music for this piece?