Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly - Blu-Ray Audio Disc

2024 release

“Killing Me Softly With His Song” was originally written for and recorded by Lori Lieberman in 1972. Roberta Flack first heard the song on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City (where Lori Lieberman’s version was featured on the in-flight audio program). The soul singer said the song "smacked me in the face" when she first heard it on an airplane, when the Lori Lieberman original was played as part of the in-flight audio program. "I immediately pulled out some scratch paper, made musical staves then played the song at least eight to ten times jotting down the melody that I heard" Flack remembered.

In September of 1972, Roberta was opening up for Marvin Gaye at the Greek Theater. After she performed the encore song she prepared, Marvin advised her to sing another song.

According to Roberta:

    I said well, I got this song I’ve been working on called ‘Killing Me Softly’ and he [Marvin Gaye*] said ‘Do it, baby’ And I did and the audience went crazy, and he walked over to me and put his arm around me and said, ‘Baby, don’t ever do that song again live until you record it.’“

Roberta’s version of “Killing Me Softly” was released in January of 1973. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in February of 1973 and later for a week in March of 1973.

She won two Grammy Awards in 1973 for “Record of the Year” and “Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.”

* according to another story it was Quincy Jones, not Marvin. Who knows ?

Transferred From The Original Half-Inch Four-Channel Masters
Blu-ray With 192/24 Resolution Quadraphonic And Hi-Res Stereo Mixes

9 tracks

Quadraphonic sound, or 4.0 surround sound, utilizes four audio channels connected to four speakers positioned at the corners of a listening space. The multi-tracked audio is mixed dimensional, immersing the listener in an expansive soundscape.