First Take (album)

First Take
Studio album by
Roberta Flack
ReleasedJune 20, 1969 (1969-06-20)
RecordedFebruary 24–26, 1969
StudioAtlantic, New York City
Genre
Length46:08
LabelAtlantic
ProducerJoel Dorn
Roberta Flack chronology
First Take
(1969) 		Chapter Two
(1970)
Singles from First Take
  1. "Compared to What" / "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye"
    Released: August 14, 1969
  2. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" / "Trade Winds"
    Released: January 24, 1972

First Take is the debut studio album by the American singer Roberta Flack. It was released on June 20, 1969, by Atlantic Records. In the 2020 edition of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, the album was ranked 451st.

Promotion

After a track from First Take, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", was included by Clint Eastwood in his 1971 film Play Misty for Me, and the song became a number-one hit in the United States, causing the album to reach number one on the Billboard albums chart and Billboard R&B album chart; furthermore, the single topped the chart for the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1972, possibly the only sleeper hit to accomplish this.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Pitchfork9.5/10[3]

First Take was released universal acclaim. In the 2020 edition of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, the album was ranked number 451.[4] AllMusic editor John Bush rated the album five out of five stars. He felt that First Take "introduced a singer who'd assimilated the powerful interpretive talents of Nina Simone and Sarah Vaughan, the earthy power of Aretha Franklin, and the crystal purity and emotional resonance of folksingers like Judy Collins. Indeed, the album often sounded more like vocal jazz or folk than soul [...] No soul artist had ever recorded an album like this, making First Take one of the most fascinating soul debuts of the era."[2]

Julius Lester, writing for Rolling Stone, found that First Take was "one of those rare albums that has the power to enlighten the emotional content of one's life. You feel the world differently after listening to it."[5] Pitchfork's Elizabeth Nelson wrote: "Recorded over a period of just 10 hours, the future star’s breakthrough 1969 debut captured her idiosyncratic mix of soul, jazz, and folk and her singular vision as a bandleader [...] Recorded in the violent blinding flash of a moment when absolutely nothing seemed certain. "And it would last 'til the end of time," she sang. So it has."[3]

Reissue

In 2019, Flack's website announced that First Take would be remastered and re-released as a limited deluxe edition of only 3,000 copies commemorating the album's fiftieth anniversary.[6] The set includes one vinyl LP and two compact discs: one CD is the remastered album and the other contains "rare and unreleased recordings". The set was released on July 24, 2020.[7]

Track listing

First Take track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Compared to What"Gene McDaniels5:16
2."Angelitos Negros"
6:56
3."Our Ages or Our Hearts"
6:09
4."I Told Jesus"Traditional6:09
5."Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye"Leonard Cohen4:08
6."The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"Ewan MacColl5:22
7."Tryin' Times"
5:08
8."Ballad of the Sad Young Men"
7:00
2020 anniversary edition – bonus tracks[7]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."Compared to What" (single edit)McDaniels4:37
10."The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (single edit)MacColl4:20
11."Trade Winds"
5:37
2020 anniversary edition – bonus disc[7]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."All the Way" (live)
8:39
2."This Could Be the Start of Something"Steve Allen1:23
3."Groove Me"King Floyd4:19
4."Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out"Jimmy Cox6:24
5."Hush-a-Bye"Traditional5:33
6."Afro Blue"
9:21
7."It's Way Past Suppertime"
3:53
8."Frankie and Johnny"Traditional7:15
9."On the Street Where You Live"
2:45
10."The House Song"
5:54
11."Ain't No Mountain High Enough"Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson3:25
12."The Song Is Love"
5:20
13."To Sir with Love"
8:27

Personnel

Performers and musicians

Technical

  • William Arlt – recording engineer
  • Bob Liftin – remixing engineer
  • Stanislaw Zagórski – design
  • Ken Heinen – photography

Charts

Weekly chart performance for First Take
Chart (1969) Peak
position
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[8] 17
UK Albums (OCC)[9] 47
US Billboard 200[10] 1
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[11] 3
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[12] 1

Certifications

Certifications for First Take
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[13] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[14] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ^ Breihan, Tom (February 25, 2019). "The Number Ones: Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 18, 2023. The album is a total stunner, a florid and lovely jazz-folk meditation...
  2. ^ a b Bush, John. First Take at AllMusic
  3. ^ a b Nelson, Elizabeth (26 December 2020). "Roberta Flack: First Take". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  4. ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  5. ^ Lester, Julius. "Roberta Flack: First Take : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2008-04-02. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  6. ^ "Roberta Flack - Singer, Songwriter, Musician". www.robertaflack.com. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c "First Take: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition". store.soulmusic.com. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2020.[title missing]
  8. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Roberta Flack – First Take". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  9. ^ "Roberta Flack | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  10. ^ "Roberta Flack Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  11. ^ "Roberta Flack Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  12. ^ "Roberta Flack Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  13. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Roberta Flack – First Take". Music Canada. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  14. ^ "American album certifications – Roberta Flack – First Take". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 23, 2022.