The Styrous® Viewfinder: 20,000 vinyl LPs 381: Roberta Flack

February 24, 2025

20,000 vinyl LPs 381: Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly

photo of album cover by Styrous®

Today, singer, song-writer Roberta Flack died. The news brought back a flood of memories for me and they triggered the Killing Me Softly album; it was not her first one but the first one I owned by her. I was in my early thirties, into very long songs and at almost 10 minutes, Suzanne fit that need nicely for me. Her cover was WAY longer than the Leonard Cohen version. I LOVED both versions!

Roberta Flack ~ Killing Me Softly

vinyl LP back cover

back cover photo by Burt Goldblatt

photo of album cover by Styrous®

As with every album I love I have favorite cuts; second to Suzanne is Killing Me Softly with His Song. The laid-back, dreamy and sensual tone of this song gets me every time I listen to it. It was featured in the 1971 Clint Eastwood film, Play Misty for Me, which made the song a number-one hit in the United States, Australia and Canada for Roberta Flack, and also reached number six on the UK Singles Chart.

The album has a wonderful fold out dye-cut cover by Queens Lithographing Corp. established in 1950 by Jack Hecht, Martin Kaltman and Max Verebay in Long Island City.

Roberta Flack ~ Killing Me Softly

vinyl LP dye-cut front cover

back cover photo by Burt Goldblatt

photo of album cover by Styrous®

Roberta Flack ~ Killing Me Softly

vinyl LP side 1

photo by Styrous®

Roberta Flack ~ Killing Me Softly

vinyl LP side 2

photo by Styrous®

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - Killing Me Softly With His Song, arranged by Roberta Flack, written by Charles Fox, Norman Gimbel - 4:46

A2 - Jesse, arranged by [Strings] – Eumir Deodato, written by Janis Ian - 4:00

A3 - No Tears (In The End), arranged by [Horns] – Alfred Ellis*, written by Ralph MacDonald, William Salter - 4:56, written by James Shelton* - 4:52

Side 2:

B1 - River, arranged by [Horns] – William Eaton, written by Eugene McDaniels - 5:00

B2 - Conversation Love, arranged by [Strings & Horns] – Don Sebesky, written by Bill Seighman, Terry Plumeri - 3:38

B3 - When You Smile, arranged by [Horns] – William Eaton, written by Ralph MacDonald, William Salter - 3:42

B4 - Suzanne, arranged by [Strings] – Eumir Deodato, written by Leonard Cohen - 9:45

Companies, etc.

    Manufactured By – Atlantic Recording Corporation
    Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Atlantic Recording Corporation
    Copyright © – Atlantic Recording Corporation
    Pressed By – Presswell
    Published By – Fox-Gimbel Productions
    Published By – Frank Music Corp.
    Published By – Antisia Music
    Published By – Chappell Music
    Published By – Lonport Music
    Published By – Black Sapphire
    Published By – Project Seven Music
    Recorded At – Regent Sound Studios, New York City
    Recorded At – Atlantic Studios
    Lacquer Cut At – Atlantic Studios
    Printed By – Queens Litho

Credits:

    Arranged By [Rhythm Tracks], Piano, Vocals – Roberta Flack
    Design – Rod Dyer, Inc.
    Design Concept [Package] – Shorewood Graphics
    Engineer [Recording & Re-mix Engineer] – Bob Liftin (tracks: A2 to B4), Gene Paul (tracks: A1)
    Lacquer Cut By – GP*
    Photography By [Backliner] – Burt Goldblatt
    Photography By [Inside] – David Redfern
    Producer – Joel Dorn

Notes:

Released in a die-cut fold-out sleeve.
"PR" in label matrix denotes a Presswell pressing.

Album is dedicated to Rahsaan Roland Kirk

Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Rights Society (Tracks A1, B1, B4): BMI
    Rights Society (Tracks A2 to A4, B2, B3): ASCAP
    Price Code (Spine): 0598
    Other (Inner sleeve part number): Rock-3
    Matrix / Runout (Side A label): ST-A-732915 PR
    Matrix / Runout (Side B label): ST-A-732916 PR
    Pressing Plant ID (On labels and runouts): PR
    Matrix / Runout (Side A runout etched - Variant 1): ST-A-732915-A AT PR
    Matrix / Runout (Side B runout etched - Variant 1): STA-732916D ATGP PR
    Matrix / Runout (Side A runout etched - Variant 2): ST-A-732915-A AT PR
    Matrix / Runout (Side B runout etched - Variant 2): ST-A-732916-J PR

Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly
Label: Atlantic – SD 7271
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, PR - Presswell Pressing, Die-Cut Sleeve
Country: US
Released: 1973
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Soul

Viewfinder links:

Eumir Deodato

Clint Eastwood

Roberta Flack

Ralph MacDonald

Net links:

AP News ~ Roberta Flack, singer with an intimate style, dies at 88

Billboard ~ Roberta Flack | Biography, Music & News

CNN ~ Roberta Flack, Grammy Award-winning singer, dead at 88

Roberta Flack website

LA Times ~ Roberta Flack, timeless R&B singer, dies at 88

NBC News ~ Roberta Flack, Killing Me Softly With His Song, singer dies at 88