How Clint Eastwood Turned a 1969 Song Into a 1972 Hit
- Roberta Flack recorded “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” for her 1969 album First Take, but it initially failed to chart.
- Clint Eastwood featured the song in his 1971 directorial debut Play Misty for Me, using it as a recurring romantic theme.
- The film’s popularity drove the song to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972, three years after its original release.