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Ain't No Big Thing, But It's Growing

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Allmusic [1]

Ain't No Big Thing, But It's Growing is the second album by the Louisville, Kentucky group New Birth. Released in 1971 on RCA Records. It was produced by mentor Harvey Fuqua and his assistant Vernon Bullock. Despite the title, the group was transitioning between the instrumental group The Nite-Liters, the female vocalists, The Mint Juleps (which featured Londee Loren (Wiggins), Tanita Gaines, Janice Carter and Pam Swent), male vocalists, The New Sounds (Bobby Downs, Ronald Coleman, Gary Martin Young and a gentleman known as "Slim") plus additional vocalist Allen Frey, who also doubled on percussion, and, a down-sized version consisting solely of The Nite-Liters, Londee Loren, Bobby Downs, Allen Frey and the group Love, Peace & Happiness, which featured Ann Bogan, formerly of The Marvelettes, Leslie Wilson (who would later lead on "I Can Understand It", "Wildflower" and "It's Been A Long Time") and his brother Melvin. Ann can be heard leading "Honeybee", vocally working out with Londee Loren (and Tanita Gaines) on the exciting "How Good It Feels" and the entire Love, Peace & Happiness" backs the scaled-down group on their classic take on Perry Como's "It's Impossible".

This album established their trademark covers of other people's hits, most notably, in addition to "It's Impossible", The Five Stairsteps' "Ooh Child", Bread's "Make It With You", The Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye" and James Taylor's "Fire And Rain". At this pont Londee's voice hadn't matured (or been challenged by Susaye Green's vocals on "Until It's Time For You To Go" under The New Birth name), so she perfectly captures Michael Jackson's sound when he was young. Despite their charting with "Impossible,' the group would not come into their own until their forth album, "Birth Day" in 1972.

Track listing

  1. "O-O-H Child" 3:15
  2. "Make It With You" 2:53
  3. "Never Can Say Goodbye" 3:21
  4. "How Good It Feels" 3:35
  5. "It's Impossible" 3:50
  6. "Honeybee" 3:30
  7. "Fire and Rain" 4:23
  8. "Oh What a Feeling" 3:14
  9. "Let It Be" 3:47

Charts

Chart (1971) Peak
position
Billboard Top LPs[2] 189
Billboard Top R&B Albums[2] 50

Singles

Year Single Chart positions[3]
US US
R&B
1971 "It's Impossible" 52 12

References

  1. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r67564/review
  2. ^ a b "New Birth US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
  3. ^ "New Birth US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
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