“Where Is the Love” is a well-known song written by Ralph MacDonald and William Salter. It was performed by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway and released in 1972 as part of their album Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway. The song reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
“The Closer I Get to You” is a romantic ballad performed by singer-songwriter Roberta Flack and soul musician Donny Hathaway. The song was written by James Mtume and Reggie Lucas, who were members of Miles Davis’s band and also part of Flack’s band at the time. Created by Atlantic Records, the song was released on Flack’s 1977 album Blue Lights in the Basement and as a single in 1978.
“Someday We’ll All Be Free” is a 1973 song by Donny Hathaway from the album Extension of a Man. The song was released on the other side of the single “Love, Love, Love.” Even though it did not reach the top of the charts, it is considered a classic in the R&B music genre. Many artists have performed the song over the years.
Donny Edward Hathaway was born on October 1, 1945, and passed away on January 13, 1979. He was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, backing vocalist, and arranger. Rolling Stone called him a “soul legend.” His most popular songs include “The Ghetto,” “This Christmas,” “Someday We’ll All Be Free,” and “Little Ghetto Boy.” Hathaway is also well-known for performing “A Song for You,” “For All We Know,” “Jealous Guy,” and “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know.” He also performed “Where Is the Love” and “The Closer I Get to You,” which he recorded with Roberta Flack.
The album Love Songs includes songs from Nat “King” Cole’s time working with Capitol Records. He began his career as a pianist who played swing music and later became known for singing ballads. During the 1950s, he had a long and successful time on the charts.
American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole released 28 studio albums and 1 live album. His career lasted nearly three decades, during which he achieved success and recorded over 100 songs that became popular on the pop charts. Cole began his career as a jazz pianist in the late 1930s when he formed the King Cole Trio, which became the most popular group (and the only Black act) on Capitol Records in the 1940s.
“The Christmas Song,” also known as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” or originally titled “Merry Christmas to You,” was written in 1945 by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé. The Nat King Cole Trio first recorded the song in June 1946. At Cole’s request—but against the wishes of his record label, Capitol Records—a second version was recorded in August 1946 with a small group of string musicians.
“Nature Boy” is a song first recorded by American jazz singer Nat King Cole. It was released on March 29, 1948, as a single by Capitol Records and later included on the 1961 album The Nat King Cole Story. The song was written by eden ahbez as a tribute to Bill Pester, who followed the Naturmensch and Lebensreform philosophies that ahbez also practiced.
The song “Smile” was inspired by the theme song from the movie “Modern Times,” which was released in 1936. The theme song was part of the music from the film’s soundtrack.
“Too Young” is a well-known song with music composed by Sidney Lippman and lyrics written by Sylvia Dee. A recording of the song was released by Nat King Cole in 1951. It reached the top of the charts in the United States and became the most popular song of that year.