Roberta Flack ~ Don't Make Me Wait Too Long 1979 Disco Purrfection Version

Did you know that songwriters of "Where Is The Love" that Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway recorded had been written for supergroup The Fifth Dimension? Percussionist Ralph McDonald and bassist William Salter never were able to present the song to their intended recipients. When one more song was needed to complete the Roberta and Donny album of duets, McDonald gave them "Where Is the Love".

Flack had complete confidence in Hathaway and said "He was one of the greatest artists I've ever met in my life". He collaborated with her, first providing songs and then as musician, arranger and background vocalist. They released their duet of "You've Got A Friend" at the same time James Taylor did and it was nearly forgotten since Taylor had the #1 Hot100 hit but the duo did reach a respectable #29 pop and #8 R&B. Hathaway had begun his career in earnest when he was signed to Curtis Mayfield's influential Curtom Records. He married in 1967 and had two daughters, but life was getting ready to throw him a curveball.

Around this time he began experiencing severe depressions and he was correctly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Appropriate medications were prescribed, but Hathaway was unable to commit to taking his medication regularly, resulting in his mental decline and lengthy hospital stays. His comportment put distance between him and everyone he knew, but Flack hung in there using him where she could. She picked him to record the classic "The Closer I Get To You" with her in 1978 and was rewarded with a song that spent two weeks #1 R&B and peaked at #2 for two weeks on the Hot100.

In 1979, Roberta was ready to go back into the studio with Hathaway and producer Mtume, who was hot off the success of Stephanie Mills' "Put Your Body In It". His soulful touches to music were the perfect match for the honey smooth harmonies of Flack and Hathaway.

On January 13, 1979 Hathaway was in the studio with the producers and began to exhibit bizarre behavior and it continued enough that they sent the musicians and him home for the day and terminated the session. A few hours later, Hathaway's lifeless body was found on the sidewalk below his 15th floor suite at New York's Essex Hotel. Authorities found the window neatly removed from its frame and with no signs of struggle and ruled the death a suicide.

The shocking news was tempered with the subsequent release entitled Roberta Flack featuring Donny Hathaway and included my personal favorite "Back Together Again" coming out in May of 1980."Don't Make Me Wait (Too Long)" is my song of the day today and was written by Stevie Wonder. Flack recorded the song without Hathaway, but was ably supported by the likes of Gwen Guthrie, Luther Vandross, Brenda White, Merle Miller, Jocelyn Shaw, Yvonne Lewis, Eric Mercury and "Revelation".

The rest of the music on the album is very upbeat and positive save for "God Don't Like Ugly" with its darkly funky warning to nasty people. It closes out the set with a lovely understated vocal performance by Flack, "Stay With Me". It is one of those albums that I listen to entirely. Of course "Back Together Again" is here in its 9:45 glory. Touching and again a touchstone to May of 1980.