who does the best "Killing me softly (with his song)?"

[short bus president]

Roberta Flack? The Fugees? Anne Murray? Petula Clark? Er, um, Englebert Humperdinck?

My vote's for the original - Roberta rocks.

[dolo amber]

1. I saw her about 2 years ago

in a small theater with fantastic acoustics...she sang that song acapella and it was one of the most unearthly beautiful things I've ever heard in my LIFE. God, I'm getting chills now just thinking about it. Her voice is utter PERFECTION.

[short bus president]

3. that must've been fantastic!

Although I can't even imagine the song without that 70s-sound electric-organ thing going on. Yep - that voice just about brings me to my knees.

[Abe Linkman]

4. How would you compare her to Eva Cassidy?

What do you think of Eva's talent?

[Maudlin]

18. No offense to Roberta,

but Eva's the woman of my life. Nothing gives me goosebumps, but when she sings Fields of Gold... End of competition, right there.

[newyawker99]

27. Congrats Maudlin!! 300 posts

:toast:

[ibegurpard]

33. LOVE that song.

She owns that song, IMHO...better than Sting.

[davidinalameda]

2. I still prefer the Fugees' version

no reason but I do

[ForrestGump]

5. Nobody

:P

[ILeft]

6. Roberta Flack's version was released within a week of...

...the signing of the peace agreement (Paris agreement) to end the war in Vietnam. It's one of those "memory" songs that brings that time back...

http://www.historychannel.com/speeches/ra_archive/speech_208.ram

[Brazosboomer]

7. Roberta!

It's haunting. It moves your insides. It was written about Don McLean by two guys who never wrote anything else worth listening to.

I don't know that I like it better than First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. First Time actually kills me softly. It was written about Pete Seeger's sister, who by the way, was really no looker. Maybe that makes the story even better.

[SOteric]

8. Roberta's. Fer sure.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

9. I do a pretty damn good guitar chord melody of it

:D

[short bus president]

11. PM me some tablature?

I'm so proud - I taught myself a new song today. Figuring out how to hear (only) the guitar part has been tough for me.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

21. I would really

except I am SO damn lazy about doing charts and once I learn a song I play it different every other time ( I do my own arrangements so I am not stuck in a rut)

[short bus president]

35. I think

I can find it in my heart to let you off the hook, NSMA. ;-)

I probably wouldn't be able to play it, anyway.

[arwalden]

10. Roberta Flack... Lauryn Hill Was Best As "Rita Louise Watson"...

... in Sister Act 2. Now she's got attitude. She ain't all that!

And Lauryn Hill does that trendy vocal acrobatic warbling thingy (like she's trying to find a note to settle in on) which drives me absolutely crazy.

-- Allen

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. Did you read my mind or something?

I suddenly started thinking about that tune last night, and couldn't get it outta my head. I had to start singing it. And my version's not too shabby either :devilgrin:

...but it's not as good as Roberta's.

[short bus president]

13. Last night

I pulled that song out for the first time in well over a decade. So yeah, maybe we've got a mind-meld going. Wait a minute - you're not supposed to be able to sing! You're a musician!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

16. Mind melt is more like it...

It's August in DC! :D

[inthecorneroverhere]

14. Fugees!!!!

Loved the pauses in their version!!!!

Anne Murray should be burned!!! Fugees rock!!!!

[KeepItReal]

19. Yeah, Fugees rocked it... Roberta is the purest, tho

<EOM>

[leftofthedial]

15. Roberta Flack

no contest


GREAT song.

[Twillig]

17. Hugh Grant!

Heh Heh.

[sujan]

20. fugees

[WillParkinson]

22. My friend Robert!

Of course he does his own words....

"Killing me softly with his schlong..."

[LWolf]

23. Roberta.

No contenders come close.

[supernova]

24. Roberta of course

That voice... just makes me melt. While there are instances where artists don't do justice to their own material, this definitely isn't one of them. RF makes the most out of the textures in the song.

Do have to give props to Lauryn Hill, though. It's a decent cover.

[NightTrain]

25. The Fugees, baby!

Though Ms. Flack's original is nothing to sneeze at, either.

[tjdee]

26. Al B. Sure!!

I must say that his was the first version of the song I'd ever heard.

And I'm being sarcastic, because compared to Roberta's version.....ewww....

[newyawker99]

28. Roberta Flack........

Hands down!! :D

[XanaDUer]

29. Roberta F.

n/t.

[Ramsey]

30. Hugh Grant

In the movie "About a Boy". Really! :-)

[ScreamingMeemie]

31. Me, so says my husband..

;-)

[ibegurpard]

32. Roberta Flack

I liked the Fugees' version too, though.

[northofdenali]

34. Roberta Flack. Period.

:toast:

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

36. Lauryn Hill and the Fugees

Just has a bit more edge than the rest. Flack's is pretty good too.

[noiretextatique]

37. Roberta Flack, of course

no other version comes close