Quiet Fire is the third studio album by American singer Roberta Flack, released in November 1971 by Atlantic Records. It was recorded at Atlantic Recording Studios, Regent Studios, and The Hit Factory in New York City. The album peaked at number 18 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape, and its single "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" charted at number 76 on the Hot 100. At the 15th Annual Grammy Awards, the album secured Roberta Flack a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.
Critical reception
In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau gave Quiet Fire a C rating, writing that Flack occasionally "sounds kind, intelligent, and very likable, but she often exhibits the gratuitous gentility you'd expect of anyone who said 'between you and I'." In a retrospective review, The Rolling Stone Album Guide (1992) gave it two out of five stars and claimed it "barely sparks at all." AllMusic's Stephen Cook was more enthusiastic, giving it four-and-a-half out of five stars and calling it "one of Flack's best." He believed its "varied mix all comes off sounding seamless." while writing: "Forgoing the full-throttled delivery of, say, Aretha Franklin, Flack translates the pathos of gospel expression into measured intensity and sighing, elongated phrases."
Track listing All tracks produced by Joel Dorn.
Personnel Performers and musicians
Roberta Flack – piano, vocals Joshie Armstead – background vocals J.R. "Jim" Bailey – background vocals Seymour Barab – cello David Carey – vibraphone Ron Carter – bass guitar The Newark Boys Chorus – background vocals Joel Dorn – background vocals Joe Farrell – flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone Corky Hale – harp Hilda Harris – background vocals Cissy Houston – background vocals Ted Hoyle – cello Wally Kane – bassoon Hubert Laws – flute Buddy Lucas – harmonica Ralph MacDonald – percussion, congas Arif Mardin – background vocals, string arrangements, flute arrangement Les McCann – background vocals Hugh McCracken – guitar Gene McDaniels – background vocals Kermit Moore – cello Romeo Penque – flute, soprano saxophone Terry Plumeri – double bass Seldon Powell – tenor saxophone Bernard Purdie – drums Chuck Rainey – bass guitar, electric bass George Ricci – cello William Slapin – flute Grady Tate – percussion, drums Richard Tee – organ Tasha Thomas – background vocals Sammy Turner – background vocals
Technical
Rod Bristow – photography Deodato – horn arrangements, string arrangements Joel Dorn – producer William Eaton – horn arrangements, string arrangements Ira Friedlander – cover design Lewis Hahn – engineer Bruce Tergesen – engineer
Charts + Weekly chart performance for Quiet Fire Chart (1971) Peakposition
Certifications
References