New Birth -

New Birth was an American soul-psych ensemble that released twelve albums between 1970 and 1982 and scored R&B hits with “It’s Impossible,” “I Can Understand It,” “It’s Been a Long Time,” and “Dream Merchant.” They formed through a merger of three entities: male vocal quartet The Now Sound, female vocal group The Mint Juleps, and Louisville instrumental combo The Nite-Liters.

Members: Tony Churchill (saxophone, vocals, 1970-82), James Baker (keyboards, drums, vocals, 1970-82), Charlie Herndon (guitar, 1970-82), Robert Jackson (trumpet, vocals, 1970-82), Austin Landers (saxophone, vocals, 1970-82), Leroy Taylor (bass, 1970-82), Allen Frey (vocals, 1970-82), Bobby Downs (vocals, 1970-82), Londee Loren (vocals, 1970-77, 1982), Butch McDonald (drums, 1970-74), Ron Coleman (vocals, 1970-71), Gary Young (vocals, 1970-71), Slim (vocals, 1970-71), Tanita Gaines (vocals, 1970-71), Janice Carter (vocals, 1970-71), Pam Swent (vocals, 1970-71), Melvin Wilson (vocals, 1972-77, 1994-present), Leslie Wilson (vocals, 1972-77, 1994-present), Ann Bogan (vocals, 1972-73), Robin Russell (drums, 1975-81), Carl McDaniel (guitar, 1975-77), Jerry Bell (vocals, 1978-79), Dawn Pree (vocals, 1979-81)

Background

New Birth assembled in 1969 through a partnership between Motown writer/arrangers Vernon Bullock and Harvey Fuqua. The deal merged instrumental funksters The Nite-Liters — saxophonists Tony Churchill and Austin Landers, keyboardist James Baker, guitarist Charlie Herndon, trumpeter Robert Jackson, bassist Leroy Taylor, and drummer Butch McDonald — with two unrecorded vocal groups: the all-male Now Sound (Ron Coleman, Bobby Downs, Allen Frey, Gary Young) and the all-female Mint Juleps (Tanita Gaines, Janice Carter, Pam Swent, Londee Wiggins).

The Night-Liters were formed in 1963 Louisville under the auspices of Fuqua, who recorded himself in the ’50s doo-wop combos The Moonglows and The Marquees (with a pre-fame Marvin Gaye). Prior to the merger, they cut one single as The Niteliters: “Coffee House Rendezvous” (b/w “Sounds of the Coffee House”), a limited pressing on Liza Records.

In 1969, New Birth premiered with the RCA single “It’s You or No One” (b/w “Pretty Words Don’t Mean a Thing (Lie to Me)”). Starting in 1970, they commenced with one-to-two albums per year while The Nite-Liters recorded concurrently as a autonomous unit.

The New Birth

New Birth released their self-titled debut album in 1970 on RCA Victor.

The album presents group soul and funk by singer Alan Frye with The Mint Juleps and The New Sound. The Nite-Liters form the instrumental unit behind the voice groups. New Birth contains six Fuqua- or Bullock-linked pieces and four outside titles.

“Unh Song” chants a clipped title syllable into group replies and hard brass punctuation. “All the Way” glides through smooth lead placement and close ensemble responses. “It’s All in the Game” slows around a rounded lead line and restrained backing voices. “Pretty Words Don’t Mean a Thing (Lie to Me)” quickens through firmer accents and a terse refrain. “Do the Funky Chicken” turns dance-command phrases into call-and-response motion. “One Way Bus” closes on harder accents and a break-heavy rhythmic bed.

A1. “What’ll I Do” (3:09) – Bullock / Fuqua / Wilson
A2. “UNH Song” (3:12) – Bullock / Fuqua
A3. “All the Way” (3:13) – Cahn / Van Heusen
A4. “It’s All in the Game” (2:49) – Dawes / Sigman
A5. “Pretty Words Don’t Mean a Thing (Lie to Me)” (2:34) – Fuqua / Hawkins / The Nite-Liters

B1. “Do the Funky Chicken” (4:00) – Thomas
B2. “Brand New Lover” (4:29) – Bullock / Fuqua
B3. “You Don’t Have to Be Alone” (3:18) – Bell / Hart
B4. “One Way Bus” (2:41) – Bullock / Fuqua
B5. “It’s You or No One” (3:01) – Cahn / Styne

Harvey Fuqua produced The New Birth in 1970 at RCA’s Mid-America Recording Center in Chicago with engineer John Janus. Fuqua and Vernon Bullock arranged the album, with John Sposato credited for the cover painting. The front cover places multicolored figure silhouettes around a central title panel.

RCA issued “Pretty Words Don’t Mean a Thing (Lie to Me)” as a 1969 single (b/w “It’s You or No One”). The label lifted “What’ll I Do” as a 1970 single (b/w “One Way Bus”).

Ain’t No Big Thing, But It’s Growing

New Birth released their second album, Ain’t No Big Thing, But It’s Growing, in 1971 on RCA Victor.

Growing blends ensemble soul with pop-song adaptations, comprised of three Fuqua-linked originals and six outside songs. The reduced New Birth lineup intersects with Love, Peace & Happiness on “Honeybee” and “It’s Impossible.” The Nite-Liters supply the instrumental frame, with Vernon Bullock and Harvey Fuqua joined by Tony Churchill, James Baker, and Robin Russell among the listed players.

“O-O-H Child” glides through softened reassurance phrases and a rounded chorus. “Never Can Say Goodbye” quickens behind a bright lead line and active replies. “How Good It Feels” sets Ann Bogan, Londee Loren, and Tanita Gaines into animated voice exchange. “It’s Impossible” slows around massed backing parts and sustained romantic phrasing. “Honeybee” gives Bogan the central lead over a break-marked track. “Let It Be Me” settles into a softer closing cadence.

A1. “O-O-H Child” (3:15) – Vincent
A2. “I Want to Make It With You” (2:53) – Gates
A3. “Never Can Say Goodbye” (3:21) – Davis
A4. “How Good It Feels” (3:35) – Fuqua
A5. “It’s Impossible” (3:50) – Manzanero / Wayne

B1. “Honeybee” (3:30) – Fuqua / Bogan / Edwards / Walker
B2. “Fire & Rain” (4:23) – Taylor
B3. “Oh, What a Feeling” (3:14) – Fuqua
B4. “Let It Be Me” (3:47) – Bécaud / Curtis / Delanoë

Harvey Fuqua produced Ain’t No Big Thing, But It’s Growing in 1971 at RCA’s Mid-America Center in Chicago. The front cover shows oversized white flowers rising from a brownstone stoop, with a small trumpeter seated inside the largest blossom.

RCA issued “Honeybee” as a 1971 single (b/w “It’s Impossible”). “It’s Impossible” became the charting side and reached No. 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 12 on Billboard R&B.

Ain’t No Big Thing, But It’s Growing reached No. 189 on the Billboard Top LPs and No. 50 on Billboard Top R&B Albums.

Coming Together

New Birth released their third album, Coming Together, in March 1972 on RCA Victor.

Together gathers New Birth with Love, Peace & Happiness across ten songs. The album includes five Fuqua- or Bullock-linked pieces, two Love, Peace & Happiness titles, and three outside songs.

“Oh, Baby, I Love the Way” lopes on a bass figure and repeated title phrase. “Yesterday I Heard the Rain” slows into plaintive lead placement and string-laden support. “African Cry” recasts “Indian Reservation” into altered text and chant-like group force. “I Don’t Want to Do Wrong” pleads through full-group replies and broad refrain movement. “All the Way” starts from a quiet intro and rises into a fuller arranged section. “Come Back Into My Life” returns to repeated plea phrases and broad ensemble replies.

A1. “Two Kinds of People (I Am)” (3:09) – Bullock
A2. “Oh, Baby, I Love the Way” (3:59) – Fuqua
A3. “Yesterday I Heard the Rain” (2:40) – Manzanero / Lees
A4. “African Cry” (2:27) – Bogan / Fuqua / Leslie Wilson / Melvin Wilson
A5. “I Don’t Want to Do Wrong” (5:57) – Johnny Bristol / William Guest / Bubba Knight / Gladys Knight / Schaffner

B1. “Don’t Knock My Love” (4:28) – Shapiro / Pickett
B2. “If I Can’t Have You” (3:17) – Benton / James / Fuqua
B3. “All the Way” (2:45) – Cahn / Van Heusen
B4. “Unh Song” (3:10) – Fuqua / Bullock
B5. “Come Back Into My Life” (4:36) – Bullock

Harvey Fuqua produced Coming Together from recordings made between 1970 and 1971. Bert De Coteaux, Fuqua, and Bullock arranged the album, with engineer Jim Crotty tied to the sessions. Acy Lehman directed the cover package with design by Frank Mulvey and photography by George Adams. The front cover uses a sepia group portrait beneath red-orange title lettering.

RCA issued “Two Kinds of People (I Am)” as a 1972 single (b/w “Unh Song”). “Unh Song” reached No. 45 on Billboard R&B. Love, Peace & Happiness placed “I Don’t Want to Do Wrong” on RCA in 1972, and the song reached No. 41 on Billboard R&B.

Coming Together reached No. 40 on Billboard Best Selling Soul LPs.

Birth Day

New Birth released their fourth studio album, Birth Day, on December 12, 1972 on RCA Victor.

Birth Day presents group soul and funk by the expanded New Birth organization, with The Nite-Liters, Love, Peace & Happiness, Londee Loren Wiggins, Bobby Downs, and Allen Frye in the album formation. The album places New Birth material beside songs by Bobby Womack, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Thom Bell with Linda Creed, and Alan O’Day.

“I Can Understand It” surges through Leslie Wilson’s lead line, heavy percussion, and repeated group replies. “Until It’s Time for You to Go” slows around Susaye Greene’s lead placement and a sustained farewell cadence. “Got to Get a Knutt” chants crowd prompts, nonsense syllables, and slogan fragments over extended break motion.

“Theme from Buck & the Preacher” threads flute figures through a terse instrumental vamp. “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)” lingers on pleaded title commands and close answering lines. “Easy Evil” darkens around low-register accents and a clipped title cadence. “You Are What I’m All About” stacks doo-doo syllables and yeah replies in four-bar steps before the backbeat locks under the title line.

A1. “I Can Understand It” (6:15) – Womack
A2. “Until It’s Time for You to Go” (5:31) – Sainte-Marie
A3. “Got to Get a Knutt” (7:01) – New Birth

B1. “Theme from Buck and the Preacher” (4:41) – Bogan / Carter / Fuqua / Saunders
B2. “Stop, Look, Listen” (4:50) – Bell / Creed
B3. “Easy, Evil” (4:03) – O’Day
B4. “You Are What I’m All About” (3:50) – Fuqua / Wiggins

Harvey Fuqua produced Birth Day in 1972 at RCA Studios in New York City with engineer Jim Crotty. The front cover places glossy black eggs in cartons against a black field, with one cracked shell and yellow yolk at the lower edge.

RCA Victor lifted “I Can Understand It” as a 1973 single, which reached No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 on Billboard R&B. “Until It’s Time for You to Go” became the second charting single and reached No. 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 21 on Billboard R&B.

Birth Day reached No. 31 on Billboard Top LPs and No. 1 on Billboard Top Soul LPs.

It’s Been a Long Time

New Birth released their fifth studio album, It’s Been a Long Time, in October 1973 on RCA Victor.

The album blends ensemble soul with soundtrack-linked funk. James Baker and Melvin Wilson wrote the two opening pieces, while “Wild Flower” adapts the Doug Edwards and David Richardson song from the Skylark repertory. “Come On and Dream Some Paradise” also appeared in the Twentieth Century-Fox film Gordon’s War.

“It’s Been a Long Time” strides at a brisk 126-BPM clip, with the title phrase answered by group replies. “Keep on Doin’ It” charges through a clipped chant and open break section. “Wild Flower” slows around narrative verses, a wide refrain, and an extended closing plea. “Ain’t No Change” circles a low-end figure under terse repeated lines.

“I’d Spend My Whole Life Loving You” settles into softer pledge phrases and rounded chorus support. “Pains of Love” drives a minor-key lament through repeated pain calls and spoken-style warning lines. “Heaven Says” sways in a three-beat meter around guide-and-help text. “Come on and Dream Some Paradise” closes on dream commands and softened group response.

A1. “It’s Been a Long Time” (5:51) – Baker / Wilson
A2. “Keep On Doin’ It” (4:15) – Baker / Wilson
A3. “Wild Flower” (6:03) – Edwards / Richardson
A4. “Ain’t No Change” (4:42) – Wilson / Hearndon

B1. “I’d Spend My Whole Life Loving You” (3:29) – Greene / Fuqua / Green
B2. “Pains of Love” (5:15)
B3. “Heaven Says” (4:28) – Saunders / Wiggins / Jackson
B4. “Come On and Dream Some Paradise” (4:59) – Bedale / Elias

Fuqua III Productions produced It’s Been a Long Time at RCA’s New York and Hollywood studios. The technical crew paired Hank McGill and Jim Crotty with Pete Abbott on recording and remix work. Acy Lehman directed the cover package with photography by David B. Hecht. The front cover shows a dancer in a yellow-orange feathered costume inside a cracked black shell.

RCA Victor issued “It’s Been a Long Time” as a 1973 single (b/w “Keep On Doin’ It”), which reached No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 9 on Billboard R&B. “Wild Flower” became the second charting single and reached No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 17 on Billboard R&B.

It’s Been a Long Time reached No. 50 on Billboard Top LPs and No. 7 on Billboard Top R&B LPs.

Comin’ From All Ends

New Birth released their sixth studio album, Comin’ From All Ends, in 1974 on RCA Victor.

The album blends ensemble funk and soul across ten titles, framed by the short “End to End” and “Epilogue.” James Baker and Melvin Wilson each hold or share five writer credits, with “Do It Again” drawn from the Gloria Jones and Pam Sawyer songbook.

“Take This Train to Freedom” rides a clipped travel call through full-group answer patterns. “I Wash My Hands of the Whole Damn Deal” works the title refusal against get-away replies and breakbeat punctuation. “Lady Love” softens into rounded address phrases and close support. “Pretty Music” pares the arrangement to a shorter, phrase-centered song form.

“Patiently” stretches from an extended intro break into repeated waiting phrases. “Echoes of My Mind” slows to a 92-BPM midtempo course with inward title repetition. “Do It Again” turns the title line into a steady refrain cycle. “Comin’ from All Ends” extends the title chant into a full-ensemble workout with shifting lead entries and clavinet bite.

A1. “End to End” (1:07) – New Birth
A2. “Take This Train to Freedom” (5:07) – Hearndon
A3. “I Wash My Hands of the Whole Damn Deal” (6:00) – Baker / Frey
A4. “Lady Love” (5:00) – Wilson / Jackson / Churchill
A5. “Pretty Music” (3:31) – Jackson / Leslie Wilson / Melvin Wilson

B1. “Patiently” (6:55) – Baker / Melvin Wilson / Wiggins
B2. “Echoes of My Mind” (4:43) – Baker / McDaniel / Melvin Wilson
B3. “Do It Again” (5:40) – Jones / Sawyer
B4. “Comin’ From All Ends” (7:54) – Baker / Melvin Wilson
B5. “Epilogue” (1:25) – Baker

Harvey Fuqua produced Comin’ From All Ends at RCA’s Music Center of the World in Hollywood and RCA Studio C in New York with recording engineers Hank McGill and Jim Crotty. The front cover places a central group portrait inside a green cloud field with yellow-green light around the image.

RCA Victor lifted “I Wash My Hands of the Whole Damn Deal” as an August 1974 single, which reached No. 88 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 46 on Billboard R&B. “Comin’ From All Ends” became a November 1974 single (b/w “Patiently”) and reached No. 76 on Billboard R&B.

Comin’ From All Ends reached No. 56 on Billboard Top LPs and No. 20 on Billboard Top R&B Albums.

New Birth released their seventh studio album, Blind Baby, on April 12, 1975 on Buddah Records.

The album presents ensemble soul and funk by the expanded New Birth unit, with singers Alan Frey, Londee Wiggins, Leslie Wilson, and Melvin Wilson. The lineup includes drummer Robin Russell, guitarists Charlie Hearndon, Leroy Taylor, and Carl McDaniel, keyboardist James Baker, reedists Austin Lander and Tony Churchill, and trumpeter Robert Jackson.

“Blind Baby” presses clipped title calls against terse group answers and brassy punctuation. “Dream Merchant” slows around a broad lead plea and massed backing lines. “Forever” stretches the same large-ensemble scale across a steadier romantic refrain. “Granddaddy” tightens into hard low-end motion and repeated command phrases. “I Remember Well” rides a supple midtempo bed under memory-text repetition. “Blind Man” coils around an undulating bass line and delayed accents. “Why Did I” lifts the refrain into a fuller chorus rise.

A1. “Blind Baby” (4:30) – McDaniel / Baker / M. Wilson
A2. “Dream Merchant” (4:20) – Ross / Weiss
A3. “Forever” (4:45) – Hearndon / M. Wilson / Jackson
A4. “Granddaddy” (3:55) – Baker / M. Wilson / Churchill

B1. “I Remember Well” (5:21) – McDaniel / Baker / M. Wilson
B2. “Blind Man” (4:45) – L. Wilson / M. Wilson / Churchill
B3. “Why Did I” (4:30) – Baker / Wiggins / M. Wilson
B4. “Epilogue” (2:37) – Baker

James Baker and Melvin Wilson produced Blind Baby for Basement Productions, Inc. at Sunwest Recording Studios in Hollywood. The crew mixed the album at Wally Heider Studios in California with engineer F. Byron Clark. Blind Baby appeared in a gatefold package with art direction by Milton Sincoff, illustration by William S. Harvey, and photography by Ed Caraeff.

Buddah lifted “Granddaddy” as an April 1975 single, which reached No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 28 on Billboard R&B. “Dream Merchant” became a June 1975 single (b/w “Why Did I”) and reached No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on Billboard R&B.

Blind Baby reached No. 57 on the Billboard 200 and No. 17 on Billboard Top R&B Albums.

Reincarnation

New Birth released their eighth studio album, Reincarnation, on March 21, 1976 on RCA Victor.

The album returned the group to RCA for a nine-song set produced by Harvey Fuqua and Vernon Bullock.

“Love Is Stronger Far Than We (Plus Fort Que Nous)” lingers on extended romantic phrasing and full-ensemble backing. “The Sunshine Song” brightens around short title phrases and lighter response patterns. “What Can You Do” tightens through urgent melodic turns and compressed group support. “You’ve Got to Be the One for Me” works direct address lines against compact answer phrases. “Just to Be Somebody” clips its aspiration text into a shorter ensemble number.

“Don’t Take Your Love From Me” stretches the plea over a longer arranged course. “Don’t Blame the Young Folks (For the Drug Society)” turns its warning text into blunt, phrase-centered motion. “Yesterday I Heard the Rain” sets the lead against string arrangement and heavier ensemble backing. “Unborn Child” closes with broad arranged support and a solemn title refrain.

A1. “Love Is Stronger Far Than We (Plus Fort Que Nous)” (5:40)
A2. “The Sunshine Song” (3:30)
A3. “What Can You Do” (3:37)
A4. “You’ve Got to Be the One for Me” (3:52)
A5. “Just to Be Somebody” (3:18)

B1. “Don’t Take Your Love From Me” (6:00)
B2. “Don’t Blame the Young Folks (For the Drug Society)” (3:20)
B3. “Yesterday I Heard the Rain” (2:37)
B4. “Unborn Child” (4:55)

Harvey Fuqua produced Reincarnation, with Vernon Bullock tied to the album through secondary credit listings. Michael Dent assisted with musical, voice, and production work. Fuqua worked in sequence on titles by Sylvester, Yvonne Fair, and Water & Power.

The cover package pairs a cracked black egg above a city silhouette with a back-panel pencil-ray title treatment.

Love Potion

New Birth released their ninth studio album, Love Potion, on July 1, 1976 on Warner Bros. Records.

The album blends ensemble soul and ballad material by a large New Birth lineup, led by Allen Frey, Leslie Wilson, Londee Wiggins, and Melvin Wilson. They sing four Baker–Wilson originals, two pop-song adaptations, and “Sure Thing.”

Love Potion features two players each on guitar (Carl McDaniel, Charles Hearndon), bass (Leroy Taylor, Steve Neil), and congas (Donald Wilson, H. Love), drums (James Baker, Nathaniel Nebblitt, Robin Russell), and keyboards (Earl McDaniel, Robert Jackson), the last two third-manned by James Baker, who also lines the horn section with McDaniel, Austin Lander, and Tony Churchill.

“Fallin’ in Love” glides on Leslie Wilson’s lead line, rounded backing parts, and unhurried midtempo motion. “We Are All God’s Children” stretches Melvin Wilson’s lead across a longer call-and-answer design. “I Never Felt This Way Before” settles into sustained pledge phrases and close group support. “Hurry Hurry” quickens the title command through clipped replies. “Slow Driving” lopes through relaxed road-text phrasing and low-slung motion. “The Long and Winding Road” pares the arrangement around a direct lead line and restrained ensemble response. “Sure Thing” closes on steady assurance phrases and a broad answered refrain.

A1. “Fallin’ In Love” (5:24) – Hamilton / Hamilton
A2. “We Are All God’s Children” (7:11) – Baker / M. Wilson
A3. “I Never Felt This Way Before” (5:15) – Baker / M. Wilson

B1. “Hurry Hurry” (3:39) – Baker / M. Wilson
B2. “Slow Driving” (4:50) – Baker / M. Wilson
B3. “The Long and Winding Road” (3:30) – Lennon / McCartney
B4. “Sure Thing” (5:15) – Schroeder / Weiss / Ragovoy

James Baker and Melvin Wilson produced Love Potion. The gatefold package carries art direction by Robert Lockart, design and photography by Norman Seeff, photography by Gary Heery, and typography by John Van Hamersveld.

Warner Bros. issued “The Long and Winding Road” in July 1976 (b/w “Hurry Hurry”), which reached No. 91 on Billboard R&B. “Fallin’ In Love (Part I)” became a September 1976 single and reached No. 51 on Billboard R&B. “We Are All God’s Children” followed as a December 1976 single with “Part 1” and “Part 2.”

Love Potion reached No. 168 on the Billboard 200 and No. 22 on Billboard Top R&B Albums.

Behold the Mighty Army

New Birth released their tenth studio album, Behold the Mighty Army, on August 2, 1977 on Warner Bros. Records.

The album presents ensemble soul and funk under the billed name New Birth featuring Leslie Wilson. Frank Wilson produced the eight-song program, with B. Miller, R. Burke, and Wilson dividing horn and rhythm arrangements across the sides. Michael J. Boddicker adds Polymoog and synthesizer programming to the album credits.

“The Mighty Army” marches through massed title calls, handclap accents, and full-group answers. “Your Love Is” lingers on repeated devotion phrases, slow lead extensions, and close replies. “Deeper” surges through low-end drive, rising refrain lines, and a saxophone break. “Up Against the Wall” tightens around clipped chant figures and hard ensemble accents. “Ain’t It Something” cuts through short group calls and breakbeat punctuation. “Squeezing Too Much Living” opens on a percussion break before the crowded-life text bears down on the refrain.

A1. “The Mighty Army” (6:46) – F. Wilson / Wieder / M. Wilson
A2. “Your Love Is” (5:05) – F. Wilson / Wieder / M. Wilson
A3. “Deeper” (6:02) – F. Wilson / Footman / Wieder
A4. “Up Against the Wall” (4:31) – F. Wilson / Poree

B1. “Your Love Is in My Veins” (4:08) – McMurray
B2. “How Will I Live” (4:45) – Footman / Wieder
B3. “Ain’t It Something” (4:27) – Footman / Wieder / Watts
B4. “Squeezing Too Much Living” (5:40) – Baker

Frank Wilson produced Behold the Mighty Army for Spec-O-Lite Productions. Kevin Bemish recorded the album, Jeff Sanders mixed the album, and Kendun Recorders handled the mastering. Eric Chan and Gribbitt! designed the package from a cover concept by Melvin Wilson, Pete Peterson, and John Cabalka, with Cabalka also credited for art direction and Gary Heery for photography. The front cover shows costumed riders on white horses inside a torch-lit interior, with comic-book lettering and a Leslie Wilson starburst.

Warner Bros. lifted “Deeper” as a July 1977 single, which reached No. 65 on Billboard R&B. “The Mighty Army” became a December 1977 single and reached No. 49 on Billboard R&B, followed by “Squeezing Too Much Living” in February 1978.

Behold the Mighty Army reached No. 164 on the Billboard 200 and No. 28 on Billboard Top R&B Albums.

Platinum City

New Birth released their eleventh studio album, Platinum City, on July 31, 1979 on Ariola America.

Platinum City presents ensemble soul and disco-era material, including “I Love You,” the album’s R&B-charting single by James Baker and Lalomie Washburn.

“Platinum City” and “Hit Record” carry the album’s dancefloor side through repeated title chants and bright ensemble refrains. “Somebody’s in Your You” and “You (Gave Me Love)” place the lead lines in softer settings with smoother group replies. “Spank Sperm” breaks from the cleaner song material with odd rhythmic turns and off-center changes.

A1. “Platinum City” (4:16)
A2. “California Bound” (3:15)
A3. “Fastest Gun” (3:42)
A4. “You Keep Me (At a Distance)” (3:31)
A5. “I Love You” (4:20) – Baker / Washburn

B1. “Hit Record” (6:26)
B2. “Somebody’s in Your You” (3:05)
B3. “You (Gave Me Love)” (3:31)
B4. “Spank Sperm” (5:10)

James Baker and Bright Light Productions produced Platinum City. Sessions occurred at One Step Up Recording Studios in Los Angeles, with mixing at Wally Heider’s in Hollywood and mastering at Allen Zentz in Hollywood. The front cover uses chrome-lettered group text above a space-age city platform, with green and orange beams over a dark, rocky ground plane.

Ariola America issued “I Love You” as an August 1979 single, which reached No. 28 on Billboard R&B.

I’m Back

New Birth released their twelfth studio album, I’m Back, on September 1, 1982 on RCA Victor.

The album returns the group to RCA for an eight-song set produced by James Baker. The title track carries a seven-writer credit, with Allen Frey, R. Downs, Baker, A. Lander, Charles Brown, J. Parent, and R. Griffith named on the composition.

“I’m Back” returns with heavy ensemble backing and a direct title refrain. “Never Say Goodbye” eases around a softer lead line. “Kute Girls” clips party chants through vocoder treatment. “Hangin’ Out” rides a bright dancefloor setting. “Second Hand Love” uses a clean, lighter refrain. “Why Can’t I” closes with restrained lead phrasing and a subdued finish.

A1. “I’m Back” (6:05) – Frey / Downs / Baker / Lander / Brown / Parent / Griffith
A2. “Never Say Goodbye” (3:40)
A3. “Kute Girls” (3:07)
A4. “I Come (To Get Your Loving)” (5:08)

B1. “Time Is” (5:52)
B2. “Hangin’ Out” (3:39)
B3. “Second Hand Love” (5:28)
B4. “Why Can’t I” (3:52)

RCA Victor issued I’m Back in the United States as AFL1-4411. The label lifted “Kute Girls” as an August 1982 single.

Discography: