The New Birth: "The New Birth"

The record that started it all for Harvey Fuqua’s New Birth dynasty.  Merging multiple groups that he had been writing and producing for in various settings, including the relentlessly funky instrumental unit The Nite-Liters, Fuqua essentially created a sort of funky soul orchestra, albeit with different pieces than any traditional orchestra.  The unique and exhilarating New Birth formula is firmly in place on this first LP, with large vocal arrangements cozying up to lightly funky grooves from The Nite-Liters, creating a huge sound that’s not quite sweet soul, not quite heavy funk, not quite deep soul, but incorporates strands of each medium.  My favorite tunes are the joyous “UNH Song,” the righteous “Brand New Lover,” and the funk burner “Pretty Words Don’t Mean A Thing (Lie To Me).”  The group even tries their hand at a sizzling version of the Rufus Thomas classic “Do The Funky Chicken,” taken at breakneck speed while containing delectable saxophone breaks, a thumping, sample-worthy drum-break, and obligatory chicken sound effects.  Fuqua and The New Birth must have been over the moon at this new combination they’d developed, and sure enough, it wouldn’t be long until they cultivated their musical ethic into a chart-topping, million-selling, hit-making soul machine.