cover of a cover

June 7, 2018 11:10 PM

The 'Killing Me Softly' Story - made a worldwide hit by Lauryn Hill and the Fugees, it starts with a Don McLean concert in Los Angeles ...

...which was attended by a young singer-songwriter named Lori Lieberman, who told ....
Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel about the feeling ....
.... then is picked up by Roberta Flack ....
and then covered by The Fugees, with Lauryn Hill's vocals - and they never made another album.

"This week we are going to look at the art of covering in popular music, and how that art marked the conversion from a classical model of musical aesthetics to a contemporary one. Popular music in the modern era is metaphysically complex due to the fact that its listeners make very fine-grained judgments about artistic merit and quality."

Five Good Covers - Killing Me Softly

posted by the man of twists and turns (12 comments total)

I still prefer Roberta Flack’s version. Timeless, smooth and poignant.
posted by darkstar at 11:17 PM on June 7, 2018 [12 favorites]

For a deeper dive, this story was, erm, covered (and expanded on) in February by the philosophy podcast Hi-Phi Nation: Cover Me Softly.

EDIT: sorry, missed that main link, duh.
posted by progosk at 11:56 PM on June 7, 2018

I knew Lauren Hill and I knew Roberta Flack, but I did not know Lori Lieberman.

And I love love love that Omara Portuondo cover in the links. It is my new favorite thing.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 2:13 AM on June 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

When I first heard Lauren Hill sing "Killing Me Softly", I thought she was going to be one of the biggest artists of the next ten years. It's still a song that can bring me right back to the time it came out. I think I lump her in with Kurt Cobain in the sense that I'm grateful for what I got to hear, but can't help but be sad for the explosive potential that went unfulfilled. That feeling may sum up the nineties for me.
posted by xammerboy at 3:17 AM on June 8, 2018 [5 favorites]

The rumours (and lawsuits) claim Lauryn Hill is a nightmare to work with.
posted by Lanark at 3:29 AM on June 8, 2018

Is she into Scientology by any chance? Chick Corea used to do that kind of stuff too.
posted by thelonius at 4:08 AM on June 8, 2018

Hey thanks so much for the link guys! I love making these music and philosophy episodes more than any of the others. I had another one from Season One about mashups that I think you would like too. Of course, there are 18 other episode, including the latest one about addiction and free will that is making the headlines.
posted by HiPhiNation at 4:22 AM on June 8, 2018 [10 favorites]

I still regularly listen to The Score, fantastic album.

My father was a big fan of the Roberta Flack version. I still remember his reaction to hearing the start of the Fugees version (oh, wow...) and then when the hip hop kicks in (WTF?! They've ruined it). They didn't ruin it but it might not have been for him.
posted by deadwax at 4:22 AM on June 8, 2018 [3 favorites]

> Is she into Scientology by any chance? Chick Corea used to do that kind of stuff too.

Buddy Rich and Jerry Lewis were also known for haranguing and dressing-down their sidemen after each show, and neither of them were Scientologists. I'd assume it's a personality trait. Or drugs.
posted by ardgedee at 5:54 AM on June 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

Buddy Rich and Jerry Lewis were also known for haranguing and dressing-down their sidemen after each show, and neither of them were Scientologists. I'd assume it's a personality trait. Or drugs.

Yeah, you are probably right.

Corea wanted the band to fill out charts criticizing their performance after each night. I mean, he wanted to make Stanley Clarke and Lenny White and Al Di Meola do this.

"Don't lay that Scientology shit on me, man" - Joe Farrell to Corea.
posted by thelonius at 6:23 AM on June 8, 2018

deadwax, I agree with your father. Some cover versions, no matter how well-crafted they may be, just come across as novelties or parodies to me. This one, Sonic Youth's Superstar and the Cowboy Junkies' Sweet Jane always fell into that category. Again, to me. I know people (generally younger) who heard the cover versions first and swear that they are the more authentic, "real" versions.
posted by yhbc at 7:03 AM on June 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

I prefer the movie version in About a Boy /s
posted by ShakeyJake at 9:17 AM on June 8, 2018