Chapter Two (50th Anniversary Edition) (2021 Remaster) Roberta Flack

• 1 Reverend Lee (2021 Remaster) 04:32
• 2 Do What You Gotta Do (2021 Remaster) 04:09
• 3 Just Like a Woman (2021 Remaster) 06:15
• 4 Let It Be Me (2021 Remaster) 04:59
• 5 Gone Away (2021 Remaster) 05:16
• 6 Until It's Time for You to Go (2021 Remaster) 04:58
• 7 The Impossible Dream (2021 Remaster) 04:41
• 8 Business Goes On as Usual (2021 Remaster) 03:29
• 9 Midnight Cowboy (2021 Remaster) 03:51
• Total Runtime 42:10

Info for Chapter Two (50th Anniversary Edition) (2021 Remaster)

50 years ago this month, Roberta Flack released her sophomore album, an LP which – despite failing to match the crazy commercial success of her debut, FIRST TAKE, with mainstream audiences – still packed a solid emotional punch and served to cement her superstar status on the R&B and jazz charts.

Mind you, at this point, FIRST TAKE hadn’t actually become a crazy commercial success. But we’ll get to that.

Produced by Joel Dorn, who’d also helmed Flack’s aforementioned debut album, CHAPTER TWO was – not entirely surprisingly – recorded in the same spot as FIRST TAKE: Atlantic Studios in New York City. The material selected for inclusion was stylistically diverse, including songs by Jimmy Webb (“Do What You Gotta Do”), Bob Dylan (“Just Like a Woman”), and Buffy Sainte-Marie (“Until It’s Time for You to Go”), as well as “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha.

Oh, and there was one more very important song in the mix that’s worth of specific note: “Gone Away,” a tune penned by Curtis Mayfield, Leroy Hutson, and a man who would prove to be very important in her life and career, Donny Hathaway.

Two tracks from CHAPTER TWO were released as singles – “Reverend Lee” and “Do What You Gotta Do” – and both failed to chart in any significant way, although the latter did manage to bubble under the Hot 100. Not exactly what you’d call a stellar chart performance, granted, but don’t worry: Flack’s fortunes were about to change in a dramatic way, thanks to the assistance of a fella by the name of Clint Eastwood.

Even though it’s post-CHAPTER TWO, we’ll still tell this quick story, just so you don’t feel bad about the fact that the album wasn’t originally a major success: in 1972, Eastwood was putting together the soundtrack for his film PLAY MISTY FOR ME, and he decided to utilize a song from FIRST TAKE, this ditty by Ewan MacColl called “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” Maybe you’ve heard of it? Well, after the film was released, so had everyone else: the song vaulted to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying there for a total of six weeks, and led to the album eventually going platinum.

Needless to say, there was a sudden rush by new Flack fans to pick up her albums, at which point CHAPTER TWO finally got its just desserts as well as the public appreciation it deserved in the first place.

Roberta Flack, vocals, piano
Eumir Deodato, conductor, horn arrangements, string arrangements
Joel Dorn, arranger, producer
Eric Gale, guitar
Donny Hathaway, piano, arranger, background vocals
Marshall Hawkins, bass
Terry Plumeri, bass
Chuck Rainey, bass
Ray Lucas, drums
Bernard Sweetney, drums
King Curtis, background vocals
Gene McDaniels, background vocals
Warren Smith, percussion
Chauncey Welsch, horns
Ernie Royal, horns
Frank Wess, horns
Garnett Brown, horns
George Marge, horns
John Frosk, horns
John Glasel, horns
Trevor Lawrence, horns
Hubert Laws, alto & bass flute
Joe Gentle, alto & bass flute
Corky Hale, harp
John Swallow, euphonium

December 8–9, 1969, March–April 1970 at Atlantic Studios, New York City
Produced by Joel Dorn

Digitally remastered

Internationally hailed as one of the greatest songstresses of our time, GRAMMY Award winning Roberta Flack remains unparalleled in her ability to tell a story through her music. Her songs bring insight into our lives, loves, culture and politics, while effortlessly traversing a broad musical landscape from pop to soul to folk to jazz.

Classically trained on the piano from an early age, Ms. Flack received a music scholarship at age 15 to attend Howard University. Discovered while singing at the Washington, DC nightclub Mr. Henry's by jazz musician Les McCann, she was promptly signed to Atlantic With a string of hits, including, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Where Is the Love (a duet with former Howard University classmate Donny Hathaway), Killing Me Softly With His Song, Feel Like Makin' Love, The Closer I Get to You, Tonight I Celebrate My Love, and Set the Night to Music, Ms. Flack has built a musical legacy. In 1999, she aptly received a Star on Hollywood's legendary Walk of Fame.

Roberta is currently involved with a very exciting studio venture — an interpretive album of Beatles' classics.

She regularly plays to appreciative audiences around the world, and had the pleasure of appearing recently with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC, conducted by Marvin Hamlisch. In February 2009, Ms. Flack performed with critically acclaimed orchestras in Australia, including the Melbourne, Queensland, Adelaide, Tasmanian, West Australian and Sydney Symphonies.

Very active as a humanitarian and mentor, Ms. Flack founded the Roberta Flack School of Music at the Hyde Leadership Charter School in the Bronx, providing an innovative and inspiring music education program to underprivileged students free of charge.

This album contains no booklet.