Killing Me Softly with His Song
Encyclopedia
"Killing Me Softly with His Song" is a 1971 song composed by Charles Fox
and Norman Gimbel
. It has been covered by numerous artists, most notably by Roberta Flack
whose version topped the U.S. pop singles charts and won a Grammy Award
and The Fugees
whose rendition charted at number two, contributing to their Grammy Award-winning album, The Score
.
According to Lori Lieberman
, the artist who performed the original recording, the song was born of a poem she wrote after experiencing a strong reaction to the song Empty Chairs by Don McLean
. She related this to Gimbel, who took her feelings and put them into words. Then, Gimbel passed the words on to Fox, who set them to music.
was the first to record Fox and Gimbel's song, in 1971. It became a bigger hit when covered by Roberta Flack
in 1973. Her version won three Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Female Performer and it was number one on the Billboard Hot 100
for 4 weeks. It was replaced by "Love Train
" by The O'Jays
, then returned to the top of the U.S. charts for another week.
In 1999 Flack's version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It also ranked #360 on Rolling Stone
s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
and #82 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of all time.
group the Fugees covered the song in 1995 on their album The Score
, with Lauryn Hill
singing the lead vocals. Their version, titled "Killing Me Softly," became a hit, reaching number two on the U.S. airplay chart
, and had similar success in the UK
, reaching number one, becoming 1996's best selling single in the country. The version sampled the 1990 song "Bonita Applebum" by A Tribe Called Quest
from their debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
. ATCQ themselves had sampled the riff from the song "Memory Band" found on the self-titled album of 1960s psychedelic soul
Chicago
band called Rotary Connection
. The Fugees single was so successful that the track was 'deleted' and thus no longer supplied to retailers whilst the track was still in the Top 20 so that attention could be drawn to the next single 'Ready or Not'. Propelled by the success of the Fugees track, the version by Flack was remix
ed in 1996 and topped the Hot Dance Club Play
chart. In 2008, it was ranked number 25 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop and #44 on its list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s".
UK CD2
, Carly Simon
, Teresa Teng
, Cleo Laine
, Blossom Dearie
, Al B. Sure!
, Carole King
, Herb Alpert
, Engelbert Humperdinck
, Tori Amos
, Alison Moyet
, Eva Cassidy
, Perry Como
, Harry Connick, Jr.
, The Jackson 5
, Mina
, Anne Murray
, Sérgio Mendes
& Brasil '77, Luther Vandross
, Colbie Caillat
, Susan Boyle
, Toni Braxton
, Céline Dion
, Alicia Keys
, Anastacia
, Jaco Pastorius
, The Plain White T's
, The Youngblood Brass Band
, Shirley Bassey
, John Holt
, Vicki Lawrence
, Usha Uthup
, Gene Pitney
, Allison Iraheta
, Eva Avila
and the Singers Unlimited
, The Ventures, Milton Nascimento
, The Undisputed Truth
. Versions performed by male artists reverse the gender pronouns (with the exception of Luther Vandross).
In 1975, an instrumental version of "Killing Me Softly" served as the main musical theme of the film The Drowning Pool
, starring Paul Newman
. Charles Fox received credit as composer and conductor.
In April, 1976. This song covered by Teresa Teng in her album -- World of Love (愛之世界).
R&B artist Al B. Sure was the next to cover the song in 1988 on his debut album In Effect Mode... and experienced some success with it. He was voted the top new Male R&B solo artist in 1989.
A Eurodance
version was covered by Brazilian singer Regina Saraiva in 1996. This version went on to be a club hit across Europe.
A live instrumental version was recorded by Kermit Ruffins
and the Barbecue Swingers in 1998.
In 2009, Susan Boyle
, an amateur singer who quickly rose to fame on the internet and in the news media after her appearance on Britain's Got Talent
in 2009, used "all her savings" to pay for a professionally cut demo tape, which she later sent to record companies, radio talent competitions, local and national TV and which has now been released on the Internet. It consisted of "Cry Me a River" and her version of "Killing Me Softly with His Song". Boyle gave away a few copies to her close friends.
In 2002, Kimberly Caldwell
performed the song during the second season of American Idol
.
Urban jazz
/R&B bassist Marcus Miller
covered the song live on two of his albums, the first being The Ozell Tapes: The Official Bootleg (2003), and the second is Master of All Trades (2007) with special guest Roberta Flack.
In 2008, saxophonist Jazz Hamilton
cover the melody on the album My Soul as a Smooth Latin Jazz Ballad.
The song was covered by Paije Richardson during the first live show of the 2010 UK X Factor
, and by Misha B in the 2011 X Factor quarter final.
Charles Fox (composer)
Charles Ira Fox is an American composer for film and television. His most heard compositions are probably the "love themes" , and the dramatic theme music to ABC's Wide World of Sports and the original Monday Night Football.....
and Norman Gimbel
Norman Gimbel
Norman Gimbel is an American lyricist of popular songs, television and movie themes whose writing career includes such titles as "Sway", "Canadian Sunset", "Summer Samba", "The Girl from Ipanema", "Killing Me Softly With His Song", "Meditation" and "I Will Wait for You", along with an Oscar for...
. It has been covered by numerous artists, most notably by Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
whose version topped the U.S. pop singles charts and won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
and The Fugees
The Fugees
Fugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...
whose rendition charted at number two, contributing to their Grammy Award-winning album, The Score
The Score (album)
The Score is the second and final studio album by the hip hop trio Fugees, released worldwide February 13, 1996 on Columbia Records. The album features a wide range of samples and instrumentation, with many aspects of alternative hip hop that would come to dominate the hip hop music scene in the...
.
Origins
Norman Gimbel explains the genesis of the writing of the song "Killing Me Softly With His Song" as follows:- I came to California in the mid-sixties. I was introduced to the Argentinean born composer named Lalo Schifrin (then of Mission Impossible fame). I ended up writing songs to a number of his motion pictures. I suggested we write a Broadway Musical together. He gave me an Argentinean novel translated into English from the Spanish to read as a possible idea. Suffice it to say, we never made a musical from the book -- but in one of the chapters, the principal character describes himself as sitting alone in a bar drinking and listening to an American pianist "Killing me softly with his blues". I put it in my "idea" book for use at a future time with a parenthesis around the word "blues" and substituted the word "song" instead. Many years later, Lori Lieberman saw Don McLeanDon McLeanDonald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...
in concert. I then wrote the lyric and gave it to Charles Fox to set to music."
According to Lori Lieberman
Lori Lieberman
Lori Lieberman is an American singer. She was born in California and grew up in Switzerland, and signed a deal with Capitol Records in the early 1970s. Her self-titled debut album featured the tune "Killing Me Softly with His Song", written by composers Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel after...
, the artist who performed the original recording, the song was born of a poem she wrote after experiencing a strong reaction to the song Empty Chairs by Don McLean
Don McLean
Donald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...
. She related this to Gimbel, who took her feelings and put them into words. Then, Gimbel passed the words on to Fox, who set them to music.
Roberta Flack version
Lori LiebermanLori Lieberman
Lori Lieberman is an American singer. She was born in California and grew up in Switzerland, and signed a deal with Capitol Records in the early 1970s. Her self-titled debut album featured the tune "Killing Me Softly with His Song", written by composers Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel after...
was the first to record Fox and Gimbel's song, in 1971. It became a bigger hit when covered by Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
in 1973. Her version won three Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Female Performer and it was number one on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
for 4 weeks. It was replaced by "Love Train
Love Train
"Love Train" is a hit single by the O'Jays, written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Released in 1972, it reached number one on both the R&B Singles and the Hot 100, in February and March 1973 respectively, and was certified gold by the RIAA. It was The O'Jays' first and only number-one record on...
" by The O'Jays
The O'Jays
The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005...
, then returned to the top of the U.S. charts for another week.
In 1999 Flack's version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It also ranked #360 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
and #82 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of all time.
The Fugees version
Hip hopHip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group the Fugees covered the song in 1995 on their album The Score
The Score (album)
The Score is the second and final studio album by the hip hop trio Fugees, released worldwide February 13, 1996 on Columbia Records. The album features a wide range of samples and instrumentation, with many aspects of alternative hip hop that would come to dominate the hip hop music scene in the...
, with Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
singing the lead vocals. Their version, titled "Killing Me Softly," became a hit, reaching number two on the U.S. airplay chart
Hot 100 Airplay
The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...
, and had similar success in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, reaching number one, becoming 1996's best selling single in the country. The version sampled the 1990 song "Bonita Applebum" by A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
from their debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is the debut album by the alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released April 17, 1990 on Jive Records. Though the album was well-received critically, it had little mainstream appeal. The album did earn the band a devoted following,...
. ATCQ themselves had sampled the riff from the song "Memory Band" found on the self-titled album of 1960s psychedelic soul
Psychedelic soul
Psychedelic soul, sometimes called black rock, is a sub-genre of soul music, which mixes the characteristics of soul with psychedelic rock...
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
band called Rotary Connection
Rotary Connection
Rotary Connection was an American psychedelic soul band, formed in Chicago in 1966. The highly experimental band was the idea of Marshall Chess, son of Chess Records founder Leonard Chess. Marshall was the director behind a start-up label, Cadet Concept Records, and wanted to focus on music outside...
. The Fugees single was so successful that the track was 'deleted' and thus no longer supplied to retailers whilst the track was still in the Top 20 so that attention could be drawn to the next single 'Ready or Not'. Propelled by the success of the Fugees track, the version by Flack was remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed in 1996 and topped the Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart. In 2008, it was ranked number 25 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop and #44 on its list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s".
Tracklisting
UK CD1- "Killing Me Softly" (Album Version W/Out Intro) - 4:03
- "Killing Me Softly" (Album Instrumental) - 4:03
- "Cowboys" (Album Version) - 3:35
- "Nappy Heads" (Remix) - 3:49
UK CD2
- "Killing Me Softly" (Album Version With Intro) - 4:16
- "Fu-Gee-La" (Refugee Camp Global Mix) - 4:15
- "Vocab" (Refugees Hip Hop Mix) - 4:07
- "Vocab" (Salaam's Acoustic Remix) - 5:54
Other versions
Other major artists to cover the song include Johnny MathisJohnny Mathis
John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
, Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
, Teresa Teng
Teresa Teng
Teresa Teng , was an immensely popular and influential Chinese pop singer from Taiwan. Teresa Teng's voice and songs are instantly recognized throughout East Asia and in areas with large Asian populations...
, Cleo Laine
Cleo Laine
Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth, DBE is a jazz singer and an actress, noted for her scat singing and vocal range...
, Blossom Dearie
Blossom Dearie
Blossom Dearie was an American jazz singer and pianist, often performing in the bebop genre and remembered for her girlish voice.-Early career:...
, Al B. Sure!
Al B. Sure!
Albert Jason Brown III is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He grew up in Leonia, New Jersey and Mount Vernon, New York. During the late 1980s under the stage name Al B...
, Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
, Herb Alpert
Herb Alpert
Herbert "Herb" Alpert is an American musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, or TJB. He is also a recording industry executive — he is the "A" of A&M Records...
, Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)
Engelbert Humperdinck is a British pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me " and "After the Lovin'" as well as "The Last Waltz" .-Early life:...
, Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
, Alison Moyet
Alison Moyet
Alison Moyet , is an English singer, songwriter and performer noted for her bluesy voice.Her UK album sales have reached a certified 2.3 million, with 800,000 singles sold, all in the UK, where all seven of her studio albums and three compilation albums have charted in the Top 40 UK Album Chart,...
, Eva Cassidy
Eva Cassidy
Eva Marie Cassidy was an American vocalist known for her interpretations of jazz, blues, folk, gospel, country and pop classics. In 1992 she released her first album, The Other Side, a set of duets with go-go musician Chuck Brown, followed by a live solo album, Live at Blues Alley in 1996...
, Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
, Harry Connick, Jr.
Harry Connick, Jr.
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
, The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
, Mina
Mina (singer)
Anna Maria Quaini, Grand Officer , known as Mina, is an Italian pop singer. She was a staple of Italian television variety shows and a dominant figure in Italian pop music from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s known for her three-octave vocal range, the agility of her soprano voice, and her image as an...
, Anne Murray
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
, Sérgio Mendes
Sergio Mendes
Sérgio Santos Mendes is a Brazilian musician. He has released over thirty-five albums, and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk....
& Brasil '77, Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
, Colbie Caillat
Colbie Caillat
Colbie Marie Caillat is an American pop singer-songwriter and guitarist from Malibu, California. She debuted in 2007 with Coco, which included hit singles "Bubbly", "Realize", and "The Little Things". In 2008, she recorded a duet with Jason Mraz, "Lucky", which won a Grammy. Caillat released her...
, Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle
Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
, Toni Braxton
Toni Braxton
Toni Michelle Braxton is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Braxton has won six Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards and has sold over 60 million records worldwide...
, Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
, Anastacia
Anastacia
Anastacia is an American singer-songwriter. Anastacia has been highly successful in Europe, Asia, South Africa and South America, but has had only minor success in her native United States...
, Jaco Pastorius
Jaco Pastorius
John Francis Anthony Pastorius III , known as Jaco Pastorius, was an American jazz musician and composer widely acknowledged as a virtuoso electric bass player....
, The Plain White T's
Plain White T's
Plain White T's is an American Pop rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 1997 by high school friends Tom Higgenson and Ken Fletcher, the group had a mostly underground following in Chicago basements, clubs, and bars in its early years, and underwent numerous personnel changes.The band is best...
, The Youngblood Brass Band
Youngblood Brass Band
The Youngblood Brass Band is a brass band from Oregon, Wisconsin, United States that was started by students at Oregon High School in 1995 when they were known as the One Lard Biskit Brass Band with the name changed to the current name in 1998.-History:...
, Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
, John Holt
John Holt (singer)
John Holt is a reggae singer and songwriter.-Biography:Holt was born in Kingston in 1947. By the age of 12, he was a regular entrant in talent contests run at Jamaican theatres by Vere Johns...
, Vicki Lawrence
Vicki Lawrence
Vicki Lawrence is an American actress, comedienne, and Billboard Hot 100 #1 singer, who was frequently a game show panelist in the 1970s and 1980s...
, Usha Uthup
Usha Uthup
Usha Uthup is a popular Indian pop, jazz and playback singer. She is well known for popular hits in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.She started her Bollywood playback career, when she sang an English verse in hit song, "Dum maro dum"" in Hare Rama Hare Krishna, and went on work with music...
, Gene Pitney
Gene Pitney
Eugene Francis Alan Pitney, known as Gene Pitney , was an American singer-songwriter, musician and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the...
, Allison Iraheta
Allison Iraheta
Allison Iraheta is an American singer from Los Angeles, California, who was the fourth place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol. Prior to Idol, Iraheta won the Telemundo competition Quinceañera: Mamá Quiero Ser Artista. Following the conclusion of Idol, Iraheta was signed to a record...
, Eva Avila
Eva Avila
Eva Avila is a singer and songwriter. She won the fourth season of the CTV reality show Canadian Idol in 2006.-Early life:...
and the Singers Unlimited
The Singers Unlimited
The Singers Unlimited were a four part jazz vocal group formed in 1971 by Gene Puerling. Members of the group included Len Dresslar , Bonnie Herman, Don Shelton and Puerling himself....
, The Ventures, Milton Nascimento
Milton Nascimento
-Biography:Nascimento's mother was the maid Maria Nascimento. As a baby, Milton Nascimento was adopted by his mother's former employers: the couple Josino Brito Campos, a banker employee, mathematics teacher and electronic technician; and Lília Silva Campos, a music teacher and choir singer...
, The Undisputed Truth
The Undisputed Truth
The Undisputed Truth was a 1970s Motown recording act, assembled by record producer Norman Whitfield as a means for being able to experiment with his psychedelic soul production techniques...
. Versions performed by male artists reverse the gender pronouns (with the exception of Luther Vandross).
In 1975, an instrumental version of "Killing Me Softly" served as the main musical theme of the film The Drowning Pool
The Drowning Pool (film)
The Drowning Pool is a 1975 American thriller film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, and based upon Ross Macdonald's novel The Drowning Pool. The film stars Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Anthony Franciosa, and is a sequel to Harper...
, starring Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
. Charles Fox received credit as composer and conductor.
In April, 1976. This song covered by Teresa Teng in her album -- World of Love (愛之世界).
R&B artist Al B. Sure was the next to cover the song in 1988 on his debut album In Effect Mode... and experienced some success with it. He was voted the top new Male R&B solo artist in 1989.
A Eurodance
Eurodance
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
version was covered by Brazilian singer Regina Saraiva in 1996. This version went on to be a club hit across Europe.
A live instrumental version was recorded by Kermit Ruffins
Kermit Ruffins
Kermit Ruffins is a jazz trumpeter, singer and composer from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. He has been heavily influenced by Louis Armstrong, Louis Jordan and Eddy Jefferson. Ruffins accompanies a large portion of his songs with his own vocals, and he says that the highest note he can hit...
and the Barbecue Swingers in 1998.
In 2009, Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle
Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
, an amateur singer who quickly rose to fame on the internet and in the news media after her appearance on Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
in 2009, used "all her savings" to pay for a professionally cut demo tape, which she later sent to record companies, radio talent competitions, local and national TV and which has now been released on the Internet. It consisted of "Cry Me a River" and her version of "Killing Me Softly with His Song". Boyle gave away a few copies to her close friends.
In 2002, Kimberly Caldwell
Kimberly Caldwell
Kimberly Ann Caldwell is an American singer, actress, and television hostess, from Katy, Texas who was the seventh place finalist on the second season of American Idol. She used to work as an entertainment correspondent and hosted various shows on the TV Guide Network...
performed the song during the second season of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
.
Urban jazz
Urban jazz
Urban jazz is the fusion of smooth jazz and R&B/hip-hop music. Urban jazz usually contains strong R&B percussion and bass lines. A few of the better known urban jazz artists are Boney James, Ronny Jordan, Nick Colionne, Wayman Tisdale, Najee, and Paul Jackson, Jr.Some of the more successful...
/R&B bassist Marcus Miller
Marcus Miller
Marcus Miller is an American jazz composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Miller is best known as a bassist, working with trumpeter Miles Davis, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonist David Sanborn, as well as maintaining a prolific solo career...
covered the song live on two of his albums, the first being The Ozell Tapes: The Official Bootleg (2003), and the second is Master of All Trades (2007) with special guest Roberta Flack.
In 2008, saxophonist Jazz Hamilton
Jazz Hamilton
Jazz Hamilton is a Puerto Rican saxophonist, recording artist, musical director, and composer. Known for his recordings on jazz, Latin jazz, smooth jazz and salsa genres, he also recorded two classical musical pieces in his album My Soul released in 2008, the classical piece Wolfgang Jacobi Sonata...
cover the melody on the album My Soul as a Smooth Latin Jazz Ballad.
The song was covered by Paije Richardson during the first live show of the 2010 UK X Factor
The X Factor (UK series 7)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
, and by Misha B in the 2011 X Factor quarter final.
In popular culture
- The song was prominently featured in the 2002 film About a BoyAbout a Boy (film)About a Boy is a 2002 comedy-drama film directed by brothers Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, based on the novel of the same name by Nick Hornby. The film stars Golden Globe winner Hugh Grant as Will, Nicholas Hoult as Marcus, Academy Award nominee Toni Collette as Fiona, and Academy Award winner Rachel...
in which the boy of the title, Marcus, is ridiculed by classmates for singing the song, a favourite of his mother's, at his school talent show because of its feminine associations and its romantic, emotional lyrics. This particular scene in the feature sets a very emotional structure for the film.
Cover versions in other languages
| Country | Artist | Title | Translated title | Lyrics by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
Lill Lindfors Lill Lindfors Lillemor "Lill" Lindfors is a Finland-Swedish/Swedish singer. Born in Helsinki, Finland she has been performing in Scandinavia with minor and major success since the 1960s. She debuted as a revue actress in Uddevalla in 1960 and the following year as a recording artist... (1973), Lotta Engberg Lotta Engberg -External links:* *... (1997) |
"Sången han sjöng var min egen" | "The song he sang was my own" | |
| Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
Inger Lise Rypdal Inger Lise Rypdal Inger Lise Rypdal is a Norwegian singer and actress in many different genres: pop, rock, theater, film, and musical.-History:Inger Lise Rypdal has been an artist since 1968... (1973), Penthouse Playboys (1996) |
"Sangen han sang var min egen" | "The song he sang was my own" | |
| Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
Sanne Salomonsen Sanne Salomonsen Sanne Salomonsen is a notable Danish singer. She has been performing since 1975, and various songs by her band Sneakers were on the charts continuously from 1979 to 1985... |
"Søgte mit indre" | "Sought my innermost" | |
| Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
Clemens Clemens Clemens is a Late Latin masculine name meaning "merciful". Clemens may refer to:People - family name* Andrew Clemens , American folk artist* Barry Clemens , American basketball player... |
"Flammende Oprør" (Rap containing samples from Sanne Salomonsen "Søgte mit indre") | "Flaming rebellion" | |
| Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Marcella Bella Marcella Bella Giuseppa Marcella Bella , professionally known as Marcella Bella, is an Italian singer. Her brothers Antonio and Salvatore Bella are famous musicians, and her brother Gianni Bella is another popular singer-songwriter who has composed several songs for her.In 1972, she took part in Festival di... (1973), Lara Saint Paul Lara Saint Paul Silvana Savorelli , professionally known as Lara Saint Paul, is an Italian singer, entertainer, impresario and record producer.-Sanremo Music Festival:... (1973), Ornella Vanoni Ornella Vanoni Ornella Vanoni, OMRI is one of the most credited pop singers of Italy. She is known for her sophisticated pop style.-Artistic career:... (1973) |
"Mi fa morire cantando" | "He kills me singing" | |
| Estonia Estonia Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies... |
Els Himma (1974) | "Millest sa elad ja hingad" | "Of what you live and breathe" | Vally Ojavere |
| Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
Joanna (1991) | "Morrendo de amor" | "Dying of love" | |
| Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
Zezé Di Camargo (1986) | "Faz eu perder o juízo" | "Makes me lose my mind" | Alf Soares |
| Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
Pandora Pandora (musical group) Pandora is a female Mexican singing trio.The original line-up consisted of sisters Isabel Lascurain and Mayte Lascurain and their cousin Fernanda Meade... |
"Mátame muy suavemente" | "Kill me very softly" | |
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
Mariko Takahashi Mariko Takahashi (singer) is a Japanese female singer. She is known for her ballad pop songs. She began her singing career in 1973 singing covers, but soon progressed to writing her own songs... , AI AI (singer) Ai , born November 2, 1981 as , is a Japanese R&B singer and rapper. She is currently under EMI Music Japan.-Early life:... , Misato Watanabe Misato Watanabe is a female Japanese popular music artist.- Singles :* 'I'm Free' * 'Growin' Up' * 'Shinderu mitai ni Ikitaku nai ' * 'My Revolution'... , Saori Minami |
"Yasashiku Utatte" | "Sing to me tenderly" | |
| Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
Sergio Denis | "Matándome suavemente" | "Killing me softly" | |
| Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
Tino Casal | "Tal como soy" | "The way I am" | |
| Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
Pitingo | "Suavemente me matas con tu canción" | "You kill me softly with your song" | |
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Manuela | "Etwas in mir wurde traurig" | "Something inside me became sad" | |
| Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest.... |
Helena Vondráčková Helena Vondrácková Helena Vondráčková is a Czech singer whose career has spanned five decades.- Early life/career :Vondráčková spent her childhood years in the town of Slatinany. She took piano lessons from an early age... (1974) |
"Dvě malá křídla tu nejsou" | "Two little wings are not here" | Zdeněk Borovec |
| Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
Päivi Paunu (1973) | "Jokainen päivä on liikaa" | "Every day is too much" | |
| Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
Anna Jantar Anna Jantar Anna Jantar-Kukulska was a popular Polish singer and mother of Natalia Kukulska.Born in Poznań as Anna Maria Szmeterling, she graduated from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. She began her career in 1968 with the song Po ten kwiat czerwony. A year later she became the lead vocalist of the band... |
"Zabijasz mnie swoją piosenką" | "You're killing me with your song" | |
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Gilbert Montagné Gilbert Montagné Gilbert Montagné is a French musician, both a pianist and organist, as well as a singer. Blind from birth, he is best remembered for his international hit "The Fool", which was a number 1 single across Europe in 1971... |
"Elle chantait ma vie en musique" | "She was singing my life in music" | |
| Cuba Cuba The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city... |
Omara Portuondo Omara Portuondo Omara Portuondo Peláez is a Cuban singer and dancer whose career has spanned over half a century. She was one of the original members of the Cuarteto d'Aida, and has performed with Ignacio Piñeiro, Orquesta Anacaona, Orquesta Aragón, Nat King Cole, Adalberto Álvarez, Los Van Van, the Buena Vista... (2006) |
"Matándome suavemente" | "Killing me softly" | |
| Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –... |
Khánh Hà , Thùy Hương | "Nỗi Đau Dịu Dàng" | "Soft pain" | |
| Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –... |
Thuy Chi ft. Vuong Khang | "Lac Loi" | "Lost Along The Way" | |
| Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
Marina Adamopoulou (1974), Aleka Kannelidou (1981) | "Τ' Αγόρι" (1974), "Πόσο γλυκά με σκοτώνεις" (1981) | "The Boy", "How sweetly you kill me" | Dimitris Iatropoulos |
| Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
Yordanka Hristova (1973) | "Всичко започна през юни" | "It all started in June" | Hr. Platov |
| Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
De Foetsies (1996) | "Hij maakte me gek (...met z'n vingers)" | "He made me crazy (...with his fingers)" |
See also
- List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1970s
- List of number-one singles in 1973 (New Zealand)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1973 (U.S.)
- List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1990s
- List of number-one hits of 1996 (Austria)
- List of Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 1996
- List of European number-one hits of 1996
- List of number-one hits of 1996 (France)
- List of number-one singles of 1996 (Ireland)
- List of number-one singles in 1996 (New Zealand)
- List of number-one singles from the 1990s (UK)
- List of number-one dance singles of 1996 (U.S.)
- List of Mainstream Top 40 number-one hits of 1996 (U.S.)
- List of Rhythmic Top 40 number-one singles of 1996 (U.S.)