CAFFE` LATTE` TOP 2000 TRACKS

THE TOP 100

#70 WHERE IS THE LOVE

ROBERTA FLACK & DONNY HATHAWAY

(1972)

Writers: Ralph MacDonald & William Salter

Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway had been in the same class at Washington's Howard University. Atlantic Records were keen to see the duo achieve success on the charts. After various attempts, the label's faith in Flack and Hathaway was rewarded. The song that finally put the duo on the map was "Where Is The Love". Its writers, Ralph MacDonald and William Salter, had attended the same university as the 2 R&B singers.
"Where Is The Love" had been written with The Fifth Dimension in mind. Pitching it to the group proved difficult, so MacDonald offered the ballad to Atlantic Records and it was selected for the duo. Both Flack and Hathaway share lead vocals with the latter also performing electric piano on the track. MacDonald himself contributed percussion. Joel Dorn and Arif Mardin co-produced. The song was included on the 'Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway' album. Released as a single in 1972, the duet reached #1 on both the R&B and Adult Contemporary charts in the US. The disc peaked at #5 Pop. 
Both Flack and Hathaway also enjoyed solo success concurrently. Flack recorded 2 of the best selling soul ballads of the early 1970s: "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". Hathaway's commercial success was not as impressive, but he remains critically lauded for his vocal style on beautiful recordings such as "The Ghetto" and "Someday We'll All Be Free".
Despite his rising profile, Hathaway suffered depression which hindered his chances of capitalizing on the success of "Where Is The Love".  He later required hospitalization. In 1977, he re-united with Flack for "The Closer I Get to You". This led to sessions for a 2nd duets album. While work was progressing on this LP, Hathaway was found dead in January 1979. investigators ruled it a suicide. Flack was left shattered. The 2 completed tracks were included on the 1980 release 'Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway'. 

This is a list made up of the songs I enjoy the most, ranked in order of preference: the higher we go, the more I cherish them. Some were released as singles, others as album tracks. Some are obscure; others were worldwide hits or have universal appeal. They aren't always the most famous or popular, but simply a personal choice. I have excluded songs from the last few years in order to get a better idea of a song's lasting impression. I hope you find some new tracks to love, or re-discover some past favourites.

A new song from the remaining Top 100 is added each weekday, while another 2 are also included from positions 1501-2000 daily. Check back here every 12 hours for an update of the 2000.