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The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

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The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a 1957 folk song written by British political singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger, who later became his third wife. At that time, MacColl was still married to his second wife, Jean Newlove. During the 1960s, it was recorded by various singers, and became a major international hit for Roberta Flack in 1972, winning Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Billboard ranked it as the number-one Hot 100 single of the year for 1972. Celine Dion enjoyed a UK chart hit with the song in 2000, and Leona Lewis also charted with it in 2007.

Infobox

B-side
"Trade Winds"
Released
March 7, 1972 (1972-03-07)
Recorded
February 1969
Studio
Atlantic (New York)
Genre
Soul vocal jazz
Length
5:22 (album version) 4:29 (radio edit)
Label
Atlantic
Songwriter
Ewan MacColl
Producer
Joel Dorn

Tables

· Roberta Flack version
"It's a perfect song. Second only to 'Amazing Grace', I think.... It's the kind of song that has two unique and distinct qualities: it tells a story, and it has lyrics that mean something... of [its meaningful lyrics] the [song] can be interpreted by a lot of people in a lot of different ways: the love of a mother for a child, for example,
"It's a perfect song. Second only to 'Amazing Grace', I think.... It's the kind of song that has two unique and distinct qualities: it tells a story, and it has lyrics that mean something... of [its meaningful lyrics] the [song] can be interpreted by a lot of people in a lot of different ways: the love of a mother for a child, for example,
Roberta Flack on "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"
"It's a perfect song. Second only to 'Amazing Grace', I think.... It's the kind of song that has two unique and distinct qualities: it tells a story, and it has lyrics that mean something... of [its meaningful lyrics] the [song] can be interpreted by a lot of people in a lot of different ways: the love of a mother for a child, for example,
1972 weekly chart performance · Roberta Flack version › Charts › Weekly charts
Australia (Go-Set)
Australia (Go-Set)
Chart (1972)
Australia (Go-Set)
Peak position
1
Canada Top Singles (RPM)
Canada Top Singles (RPM)
Chart (1972)
Canada Top Singles (RPM)
Peak position
1
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)
Chart (1972)
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)
Peak position
1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
Chart (1972)
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
Peak position
9
Netherlands (Single Top 100)
Netherlands (Single Top 100)
Chart (1972)
Netherlands (Single Top 100)
Peak position
6
New Zealand (Listener)
New Zealand (Listener)
Chart (1972)
New Zealand (Listener)
Peak position
17
South Africa (Springbok)
South Africa (Springbok)
Chart (1972)
South Africa (Springbok)
Peak position
2
UK Singles (OCC)
UK Singles (OCC)
Chart (1972)
UK Singles (OCC)
Peak position
14
US Billboard Hot 100
US Billboard Hot 100
Chart (1972)
US Billboard Hot 100
Peak position
1
US Best Selling Soul Singles (Billboard)
US Best Selling Soul Singles (Billboard)
Chart (1972)
US Best Selling Soul Singles (Billboard)
Peak position
4
US Easy Listening (Billboard)
US Easy Listening (Billboard)
Chart (1972)
US Easy Listening (Billboard)
Peak position
1
US Cashbox Top 100 Singles
US Cashbox Top 100 Singles
Chart (1972)
US Cashbox Top 100 Singles
Peak position
1
Chart (1972)
Peak position
Australia (Go-Set)
1
Canada Top Singles (RPM)
1
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)
1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
9
Netherlands (Single Top 100)
6
New Zealand (Listener)
17
South Africa (Springbok)
2
UK Singles (OCC)
14
US Billboard Hot 100
1
US Best Selling Soul Singles (Billboard)
4
US Easy Listening (Billboard)
1
US Cashbox Top 100 Singles
1
2025 weekly chart performance · Roberta Flack version › Charts › Weekly charts
US R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales (Billboard)
US R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales (Billboard)
Chart (2025)
US R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales (Billboard)
Peak position
4
Chart (2025)
Peak position
US R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales (Billboard)
4
Year-end chart performance · Roberta Flack version › Charts › Year-end charts
Canada Top Singles (RPM)
Canada Top Singles (RPM)
Chart (1972)
Canada Top Singles (RPM)
Position
16
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
Chart (1972)
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
Position
96
Netherlands (Single Top 100)
Netherlands (Single Top 100)
Chart (1972)
Netherlands (Single Top 100)
Position
75
South Africa
South Africa
Chart (1972)
South Africa
Position
17
US Billboard Hot 100
US Billboard Hot 100
Chart (1972)
US Billboard Hot 100
Position
1
US Top Easy Listening Singles (Billboard)
US Top Easy Listening Singles (Billboard)
Chart (1972)
US Top Easy Listening Singles (Billboard)
Position
5
US Top Soul Singles (Billboard)
US Top Soul Singles (Billboard)
Chart (1972)
US Top Soul Singles (Billboard)
Position
44
US Cashbox Pop Singles
US Cashbox Pop Singles
Chart (1972)
US Cashbox Pop Singles
Position
19
Chart (1972)
Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)
16
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
96
Netherlands (Single Top 100)
75
South Africa
17
US Billboard Hot 100
1
US Top Easy Listening Singles (Billboard)
5
US Top Soul Singles (Billboard)
44
US Cashbox Pop Singles
19
All-time chart performance · Roberta Flack version › Charts › All-time charts
US Billboard Hot 100
US Billboard Hot 100
Chart (1958–2018)
US Billboard Hot 100
Position
140
Chart (1958–2018)
Position
US Billboard Hot 100
140

References

  1. Bush, John. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face at AllMusic
    https://www.allmusic.com/album/r7338
  2. "Record of the Year - The 15th Annual Grammy Awards (1972)"
    https://www.grammy.com/artists/roberta-flack/11487
  3. Musicoutfitters
    https://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1972.htm
  4. Cigar Box Banjo
    https://archive.org/details/cigarboxbanjonot0000quar
  5. This is Love
    https://thisislovepodcast.com/episode-91-you-cant-promise-to-love-forever
  6. Lives of the great songs
  7. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/may/15/musician-peggy-seeger-questions
  8. The British Folk Revival, 1944–2002
  9. The Daily Telegraph
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopmusic/11717262/Roberta-Flack-Nows-a-good-time-to-love-music.html
  10. The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) 11 November 1983 "Blues pops singer Roberta Flack should be right at home in
  11. Superseventies
    https://www.superseventies.com/1972_8singles.html
  12. Wisconsin Gazette
    https://www.wisconsingazette.com/entertainment/roberta-flack-takes-on-the-beatles-canon/article_ff42790a-0b52-5ad8-8aa2-0a33a65e97fb.html
  13. Tampa Bay Times
    https://www.tampabay.com/features/music/feel-the-love-with-roberta-flack/1212632
  14. The Daytona Beach News-Journal
    http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20120120/roberta-flack-serenades-daytona
  15. Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001
  16. Officialcharts
    https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/the-first-time-ever-i-saw-your-face/
  17. Collectionscanada
    https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.7717&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.7717.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.7717
  18. Nasa
    https://history.nasa.gov/wakeup%20calls.pdf
  19. Go-Set
    http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1972/19720715.html
  20. "Top RPM Singles: Image 7717". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
    https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.7717&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.7717.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.7717
Image
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