Roberta Flak Song ID (American Idol)

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I was watching American Idol last night and one of the contestants performed a Roberta Flak song which I recognized. I was wondering what the song was and who has covered it. Because I am familiar with the song from a cover version. Help out if you can. I would tell you the tune but I have loud music playing right now, so my thinking is impaired...BTW, does the band playing crappy keyboard renditions of pop favourites on American Idol ruin every song, or is it just me? And if that is what America idolizes I'm glad I'm Canadian. (A couple of the singers are kind of hot, though)...I'll try to post some half-remembered lyrics soon...listening to MBV 'isn't anyone,' just got it about half an hour ago, wow this album is good. anyway...

― Jaromil (Jaromil), Thursday, 11 March 2004 07:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't see the show, but I'll guess it was "Killing Me Softly".
I think Idol band is pretty decent. The songs are ruined 100 X worse by crappy singing than by muzak playing.
Apparently you have found a "lost" MBV album that none of us have heard of ... :)

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 11 March 2004 08:43 (twenty-two years ago)

hehe. thanks Barry. I mean 'isn't anywhere' I guess. Unless I have found a 'lost' album. hehehe. The song started: 'The first time ever I saw your face.' It wasn't 'Killing Me Softly,' though. Thanks again.

― Jaromil (Jaromil), Thursday, 11 March 2004 17:44 (twenty-two years ago)

it's called, er, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 11 March 2004 17:45 (twenty-two years ago)

and it's one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever recorded.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 11 March 2004 17:46 (twenty-two years ago)

And if that is what America idolizes I'm glad I'm Canadian.

Thanks, Jar!

http://www.tvguide.ca/images-people/b/ben_mulroney3.jpg

― Ben Mul. (Horace Mann), Thursday, 11 March 2004 17:47 (twenty-two years ago)

"Isn't AnyTHING", maybe?

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Thursday, 11 March 2004 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks y'all. But who of the indie variety has covered this song. Was it Nick Cave, Or am I, once again, having delusions?...It is indeed a very beautiful song.
As for American Idol, I'm going for Jennifer, the well-endowed African American young lady. She has the best voice, and is the least cheesy. And she's cute. The male performer who isn't George (I think George is overated) should be shot. Only my opnion.

― Jaromil (Jaromil), Thursday, 11 March 2004 17:52 (twenty-two years ago)

OK that's the title of the MBV album. I just bought it, ok. It is really good. I like Cupid Come the best so far. I'm pretty new to MBV.

― Jaromil (Jaromil), Thursday, 11 March 2004 17:54 (twenty-two years ago)

"Isn't AnyTHING", maybe?

perhaps he means "isn't anyway, anyhow, anywhere," the great lost classic in which mbv pays tribute to the who.

"the first time ever i saw your face" is by ewan maccoll, most famously covered by roberta flack.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Thursday, 11 March 2004 17:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Of course fact checking cuz (what about the voice of Geddy Lee?). I like MBV's cover album of Stones tunes 'The Times they are a Loveless.'

― Jaromil (Jaromil), Thursday, 11 March 2004 17:57 (twenty-two years ago)

.. And wasn't it originally in "Play Misty for Me" - almost as a nonseqitur. Sandra Locke?

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 11 March 2004 17:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry, turns out it was Donna Mills. Still, I don't remember it as being very integral to the story.

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 11 March 2004 18:02 (twenty-two years ago)

isn't anytime anyplace anywhere- Carter USM does MBV

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Thursday, 11 March 2004 18:06 (twenty-two years ago)

sorry if I sounded snippy :)

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Thursday, 11 March 2004 18:09 (twenty-two years ago)

isn't say anything - featuring mbv's new singer, john cusack

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Thursday, 11 March 2004 18:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I believe the song was written by British folkie guy Ewan McColl, of all people, and it is a lovely tune. I especially like Ol' Dirty Bastard's version.

― Lee G (Lee G), Thursday, 11 March 2004 20:52 (twenty-two years ago)

The in queston is indeed "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (which was pretty much butched by the contestant-- all R&B blowin-the-roof-off-the-dump, not slow burnin' senusality)

Covers of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", from our firends at All Music Guide:

(I'm guessing out of this list you're looking for the Stereophonics or Johnny Cash cover, but I could be totally wrong.)

Acapelicans
David Alexander
Appendix Out
Augustine, Joe
Ball, Michael
Ballroom Band
Bassey, Shirley
Belafonte, Harry
Bennett, Easther
Bilk, Acker
Boston Pops Orchest
Callaway, Ann Hampt
Carreras, Jose
Cash, Johnny
Castor, Jimmy
Chapdelaine, Michael
Checkfield
Chi-Lites
Cindytalk
Coniff, Ray
Coulter, Phil
Countdown Singers
Craven, Van
Dion, Celine
Dobson, Bonnie
Doonican, Val
Eastwood After Hour
Faith Burns
Faith, Percy
Faithfull, Marianne
Ferrante & Teicher
Flack, Roberta
Freeman, Von
Furey, Finbar and E
Gaines, Jeffrey
Giltrap, Gordon
Gordon, Dexter
Gosdin Brothers
Gosdin, Vern
Gratz, Wayne
Griffith, Marcia
Grossman, Stefan
Harris, Sam
Harrison, Michael
Hartman, Johnny
Hayes, Isaac
Hayes, Sharon
Hayman, Richard
Herdman, Priscilla
Highwaymen [Folk]
Hit Crew
Holland, Jools
Houston, Thelma
Humperdinck, Engelb
Jackson, Nicole
Jane Pow
Jansch, Bert
Joe & Eddie
Jones, Joe [1] "Boo
Kingston Trio
Kingston Trio
Lavelle, Caroline
Light, Enoch
Lightfoot, Gordon
London Symphony Orc
MacColl, Ewan
Mancini, Henry
Mantovani
Martell, Lena
Mathis, Johnny [1]
McDonald, Jane
McNair, Sylvia
Melloti, Joey
Michael, George
Mitchell, Chad
Mitchell, Chad Trio
Moore, Christy
Mottola, Tony
Mounsey, Paul
Mouskouri, Nana
Moyet, Alison
Nabors, Jim
Nero, Peter
Neville, Aaron
Nievera, Martin
Northstar Orchestra
Oler, Newell
Pandolfi, Emile
Pearson, Dunn
Pentangle
Peter, Paul & Mary
Portmann, Mark
Presley, Elvis
Price, Ronnie
Purcell, Stephanie
Scales, Ricardo
Seeger, Peggy
Sherwood, Kerri
Sinclaire, Denzal
Snuggs, Stephanie
Spectrum
Stanfield, Jana
Starsound Orchestra
Stereophonics
Tabor, June
Temptations
The London Symphony
Thielemans, Toots
Thomas, Timmy
Torme, Mel
Travers, Mary
Turner, Sonny
Twilight Orchestra
Velasquez, Regine
Vinton, Bobby
Walker, Chris
Wiegand, Roy
Williams, Andy [1]
Wilson, David [5]
Zamfir
Zydiac, Marc

― Randy Reiss (undeadsinatra), Thursday, 11 March 2004 21:22 (twenty-two years ago)

written by British folkie guy Ewan McColl

Father of Kirsty McColl.

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Thursday, 11 March 2004 23:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Holy sh!!. Thanks Randy Reiss. It was Johnny Cash. The Stereophonics are a bit yucky.

― Jaromil (Jaromil), Friday, 12 March 2004 02:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Zamfir

*shudder*

― m.e.a. (m.e.a.), Friday, 12 March 2004 03:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Who the FUCK let the StereoFUCKINGphonics near that breathtaking song? I've never heard their cover but I can just inagine Kelly's horrible rasping vocals murdering it. Guh.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Friday, 12 March 2004 11:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Joanna Law did a fine cover of 'First Time..'. Picked up by all the dancey people, it was sampled by Way Out West on 'The Gift', and dropped in the middle of Coldcut's 70 Minutes Of Madness thing. It worked an all.

― Buffalo Stan (Buffalo Stan), Friday, 12 March 2004 11:15 (twenty-two years ago)

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