Single Stories: Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, “You’ve Got a Friend”

45 years ago this week, Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 with their cover of a Carole King classic, one which – you may be surprised to learn – they recorded before James Taylor’s version had even been released as a single.

When Flack and Hathaway teamed up for their self-titled 1972 album of duets, it was in no way the first time the two had encountered each other: they’d actually gone to school together at Howard University and had remained friends ever since. They also weren’t neophytes in the studio, having both been pursuing solo careers for a fair while at that point. At the time, however, Hathaway was the bigger star, so when Atlantic Records bigwig Jerry Wexler suggested that the two might benefit from teaming up for an album’s worth of songs, it was definitely a big deal for Flack.

By the time their version of “You’ve Got a Friend” made it into stores, Taylor’s version had been released, and it ultimately climbed all the way to the top spot of the Hot 100, but it didn’t stop the version by Flack and Hathaway from making headway. It ultimately made it to #29 on the Hot 100 and provided the duo with a top-10 R&B hit, climbing to #8. If there’s a most notable accomplishment to their recording, though, it’s that it was Flack’s first-ever appearance on the Hot 100.

Like we said, it was definitely a big deal for her, and now you know just how big.