Carole Bayer Sager was a frequent lyricist for either Burt Bacharach - whom she married in April 1982 - or Bruce Roberts but all three songwriters only collaborated on occasion: "Making Love" is the second and most successful of three charting collaborations for the Bacharach/ Roberts/ Bayer Sager songwriting team, subsequent to "Stronger Than Before" - #30 as recorded by Carole Bayer Sager in 1981 - and preceding the 1986 El DeBarge hit "Love Always" (#43).
In the late 1960s Burt Bacharach had regularly visited the Capitol Hill club Mr Henry's to hear a pre-stardom Roberta Flack sing, but "Making Love" marked the first time Flack had recorded a Bacharach composition: Flack's 1983 duet album with Peabo Bryson: Born to Love, would feature two Bacharach/ Bayer Sager songwriting/ producing collaborations: "Blame It On Me" and "Maybe". Flack would recall having had no preview of the song "Making Love" prior to recording it: (Roberta Flack quote:)"I just went into the studio, sight-read it, and I love the way it came out."[1]
The song's lyrics "There's more to love...than making love" were prominently displayed on the poster and also newspaper/magazine promo ads for the parent film Making Love, described as the first mainstream gay-themed Hollywood production:[2] commenting on singing the theme for a potentially controversial film Flack would state she "[could never be] afraid of singing a song about love...Love is universal, like music," adding: "I was so glad when that song charted." In fact the heavily hyped film proved to be a box office disappointment,[3] largely leaving Flack's single to fare on its own merit:[4] with no overt same-sex references in its lyrics Flack would allow that some fans of the song "did not know that the song was about love between two men" adding: "I would talk about it in my shows...about how love is love [whether] between a man and a woman, between two men, between two women."[5] Apparently Flack was unaware that the lyrics are about the love between the male and female protagonists of the film, celebrating, after their breakup due to the man's coming to terms with his homosexuality, their ability to still love each other (But now neither one of us is breaking/ There's more to love, I know/ Than making love).
Impactedit
Overviewedit
"Making Love" would return Flack - as a soloist - to the Top 20 of the "Billboard" Hot 100 for the first time since 1974: she had in 1978 reached #2 with the Donny Hathaway duet "The Closer I Get to You" and that same year reached #24 with the movie theme song "If Ever I See You Again" (not sung by Flack in its parent film). Another of Flack's more moderate single successes of the 1970s: her version of the Janis Ian composition "Jesse" which had reached #30 in 1973, served as the B-side of the "Making Love" single.[6] Eventually ranked at #46 on the Billboard Hot 100 tally for the year 1982,[7] "Making Love" was also a hit on Billboard magazine's Adult Contemporary chart (#7) and also on the magazine's R&B chart (#29).
Flack's followup single: "I'm the One", stalled at #42 on the Hot 100, leaving "Making Love" her sixth and final Top 40 hit although she would subsequently reach the Top 20 with two duets: "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" with Peabo Bryson (#16/ 1983) and "Set the Night to Music" with Maxi Priest (#6/ 1991) which, with her three Donny Hathaway duet hits from the 1970s, would make Flack's overall Top 40 tally eleven hits.
"Making Love" was not one of Flack's major international successes, charting low in both Australia (#63) and Canada (#43) (the track did reach #22 on the Adult Contemporary chart for Canada).[8][9]
Roberta Flack's recording of "Making Love" drew polarized critical opinion. The Washington Post music critic Geoffrey Himes considered that track's parent album: I'm the One, evinced "the mistaken notion that the slower and dreamier the song, the more profound it is", citing "Making Love" itself as the "worst example": "Flack whispers the maudlin lyrics [of "Making Love"] 'meaningfully' and the syrupy melody drags interminably."[19] However, Chuck Graham of the Tucson Citizen characterized the I'm the One album as "sweetly tempered [with] moods...done in pastels [i.e. subtly]", deeming the track "Making Love" "an expression of adult confidence that overcomes the hurt of infidelity [whose] lyric is several steps above the usual level of pop songs."[20] "Snicks" of the Logo TV site NewNowNext.com ranked Flack's "Making Love" at #12 on his 50 Movie Songs Of The 80s ranking, citing it as a "gorgeous ballad [that is] one of Roberta’s finest moments."[21]
Other versionsedit
The song has been covered by:
The Chi-Lites on their 1983 album Bottom's Up: the track served as B-side for the R&B chart single "Bad Motor Scooter" (#28).
Anita Meyer on her 1989 album Close to You - the most beautiful songs of Burt Bacharach.
making, love, song, making, love, 1982, song, written, burt, bacharach, bruce, roberts, carole, bayer, sager, serve, theme, song, film, same, name, which, recorded, roberta, flack, with, bacharach, bayer, sager, producing, played, under, closing, credits, sing. Making Love is a 1982 song written by Burt Bacharach Bruce Roberts and Carole Bayer Sager to serve as the theme song for the film of the same name in which as recorded by Roberta Flack with Bacharach Bayer Sager producing it played under the closing credits a Top 20 hit single for Flack who arranged the track Making Love was included on the singer s 1982 album release I m the One Making Love Single by Roberta Flackfrom the album I m the OneB side Jesse ReleasedFebruary 8 1982 1982 02 08 GenreSmooth soulLength3 43LabelAtlanticSongwriter s Burt Bacharach Bruce Roberts Carole Bayer SagerProducer s Burt Bacharach Carole Bayer SagerRoberta Flack singles chronology Lovin You Is Such an Easy Thang to Do 1981 Making Love 1982 I m the One 1982 Contents 1 Background 2 Impact 2 1 Overview 2 2 Chart history 2 2 1 Weekly charts 2 2 2 Year end charts 2 3 Critical reception 3 Other versions 4 References 5 External linksBackground editCarole Bayer Sager was a frequent lyricist for either Burt Bacharach whom she married in April 1982 or Bruce Roberts but all three songwriters only collaborated on occasion Making Love is the second and most successful of three charting collaborations for the Bacharach Roberts Bayer Sager songwriting team subsequent to Stronger Than Before 30 as recorded by Carole Bayer Sager in 1981 and preceding the 1986 El DeBarge hit Love Always 43 In the late 1960s Burt Bacharach had regularly visited the Capitol Hill club Mr Henry s to hear a pre stardom Roberta Flack sing but Making Love marked the first time Flack had recorded a Bacharach composition Flack s 1983 duet album with Peabo Bryson Born to Love would feature two Bacharach Bayer Sager songwriting producing collaborations Blame It On Me and Maybe Flack would recall having had no preview of the song Making Love prior to recording it Roberta Flack quote I just went into the studio sight read it and I love the way it came out 1 The song s lyrics There s more to love than making love were prominently displayed on the poster and also newspaper magazine promo ads for the parent film Making Love described as the first mainstream gay themed Hollywood production 2 commenting on singing the theme for a potentially controversial film Flack would state she could never be afraid of singing a song about love Love is universal like music adding I was so glad when that song charted In fact the heavily hyped film proved to be a box office disappointment 3 largely leaving Flack s single to fare on its own merit 4 with no overt same sex references in its lyrics Flack would allow that some fans of the song did not know that the song was about love between two men adding I would talk about it in my shows about how love is love whether between a man and a woman between two men between two women 5 Apparently Flack was unaware that the lyrics are about the love between the male and female protagonists of the film celebrating after their breakup due to the man s coming to terms with his homosexuality their ability to still love each other But now neither one of us is breaking There s more to love I know Than making love Impact editOverview edit Making Love would return Flack as a soloist to the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time since 1974 she had in 1978 reached 2 with the Donny Hathaway duet The Closer I Get to You and that same year reached 24 with the movie theme song If Ever I See You Again not sung by Flack in its parent film Another of Flack s more moderate single successes of the 1970s her version of the Janis Ian composition Jesse which had reached 30 in 1973 served as the B side of the Making Love single 6 Eventually ranked at 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 tally for the year 1982 7 Making Love was also a hit on Billboard magazine s Adult Contemporary chart 7 and also on the magazine s R amp B chart 29 Flack s followup single I m the One stalled at 42 on the Hot 100 leaving Making Love her sixth and final Top 40 hit although she would subsequently reach the Top 20 with two duets Tonight I Celebrate My Love with Peabo Bryson 16 1983 and Set the Night to Music with Maxi Priest 6 1991 which with her three Donny Hathaway duet hits from the 1970s would make Flack s overall Top 40 tally eleven hits Making Love was not one of Flack s major international successes charting low in both Australia 63 and Canada 43 the track did reach 22 on the Adult Contemporary chart for Canada 8 9 Chart history edit Weekly charts edit Chart 1982 PeakpositionAustralia Kent Music Report 63Canada RPM Top Singles 10 43Canada RPM Adult Contemporary 11 22US Billboard Hot 100 12 13US Billboard Adult Contemporary 13 7US Billboard R amp B 14 29US Cash Box Top 100 15 14 Year end charts edit Chart 1982 RankUS Billboard Hot 100 16 46US Billboard Adult Contemporary 17 20US Cash Box 18 87 Critical reception edit Roberta Flack s recording of Making Love drew polarized critical opinion The Washington Post music critic Geoffrey Himes considered that track s parent album I m the One evinced the mistaken notion that the slower and dreamier the song the more profound it is citing Making Love itself as the worst example Flack whispers the maudlin lyrics of Making Love meaningfully and the syrupy melody drags interminably 19 However Chuck Graham of the Tucson Citizen characterized the I m the One album as sweetly tempered with moods done in pastels i e subtly deeming the track Making Love an expression of adult confidence that overcomes the hurt of infidelity whose lyric is several steps above the usual level of pop songs 20 Snicks of the Logo TV site NewNowNext com ranked Flack s Making Love at 12 on his 50 Movie Songs Of The 80s ranking citing it as a gorgeous ballad that is one of Roberta s finest moments 21 Other versions editThe song has been covered by The Chi Lites on their 1983 album Bottom s Up the track served as B side for the R amp B chart single Bad Motor Scooter 28 Anita Meyer on her 1989 album Close to You the most beautiful songs of Burt Bacharach Jaya on her 2011 covers album of mostly smooth soul hits All Souled Out 22 References edit Hackensack Record 8 February 2008 Celebrating Her Love of Love Flack to pour her heart into Valentine s Day performance by Ian Spelling p 15 Alexander Ryll Essential Gay Themed Films To Watch Making Love Gay Essential Archived from the original on 2 April 2019 Retrieved 7 February 2015 Vancouver Province 2 May 1982 Films That Are Gay Simply Don t Pay by Ron Base p 8 The Magazine Scranton Tribune 31 July 1982 Jack O Brian s Broadway p 5 http www hotspotsmagazine com 2015 04 15 roberta flack comes to florida Roberta Flack Comes to Florida Hotspots Magazine 15 April 2015 Joel Whitburn s Top Pop Singles 1955 1990 ISBN 0 89820 089 X Top 100 Hits of 1982 Top 100 Songs of 1982 http www bac lac gc ca eng discover films videos sound recordings rpm Pages image aspx Image nlc008388 6542 amp URLjpg http 3a 2f 2fwww collectionscanada gc ca 2fobj 2f028020 2ff4 2fnlc008388 6542 gif amp Ecopy nlc008388 6542 RPM 50 Singles August 7 1982 http www bac lac gc ca eng discover films videos sound recordings rpm Pages image aspx Image nlc008388 6538 amp URLjpg http 3a 2f 2fwww collectionscanada gc ca 2fobj 2f028020 2ff4 2fnlc008388 6538 gif amp Ecopy nlc008388 6538 RPM Adult Contemporary July 17 1982 Item Display RPM Library and Archives Canada Collectionscanada gc ca a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty url help Item Display RPM Library and Archives Canada Collectionscanada gc ca a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty url help Joel Whitburn s Top Pop Singles 1955 1990 ISBN 0 89820 089 X Whitburn Joel 2002 Top Adult Contemporary 1961 2001 Record Research p 94 Whitburn Joel 2004 Top R amp B Hip Hop Singles 1942 2004 Record Research p 207 Cash Box Top 100 Singles June 26 1982 Archived from the original on June 3 2015 Retrieved June 20 2017 Musicoutfitters com Billboard vol 94 51 25 December 1982 Top Adult Contemporary Singles Talent in Action TIA Section p 36 Cash Box Year End Charts Top 100 Pop Singles December 25 1982 Archived from the original on July 11 2018 Retrieved June 20 2017 Himes Geoffrey 1982 07 01 Freeing the Songbirds Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Retrieved 2023 07 17 Tucson Citizen 18 September 1982 Album Reviews by Chuck Graham p 16 Briefs Finding Dory Chris Colfer s Enchantress and the Ten Hottest Doctor Who Companions Bruce Roberts Discogs External links editRoberta Flack Making Love on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Making Love song amp oldid 1183968375, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
