The New Birth (1972) Until It's Time For You To Go - LOST 70s GEMS

American Funk Group The New Birth's 1972 LP Birth Day is an extraordinary effort, and one of many albums released one after the other in the early 70s when they pumped out a great deal of product featuring all flawless layers of funkified harmonies in vocal and horn work.

Their cover of Buffy Sainte-Marie' Until It's Time For You To Go is spectacular with it's mesmerising opening of a delicate conversation between lovers whilst backed by a backing chorus and trembling electric pianos and restless tambourine and rolls. The upbeat Isaac Hayes styled number, Got To Get A Knutt, is full of funk hallmarks such as blasting horns, raw backing singers, sweeping wah wah guitars, but the bridge section of hi-hats and moaning is a supreme addition as it imitates lovemaking in a classy way. The pumped up tempo and pumping horns are carnivalesque with the layers upon layers of hype drumming and the distinct African rhythms and fever pitch vibes.There are various vocal spots all over with each member of the band vamping on Mary had a Little Lamb and plenty of vocal theatrics and animated non-sequitur. Just a tip it's all plays on the sexual pun of the title; it's about sex not food.. Theme From "Buck & The Preacher" is another Isaac Hayes/Bar Kays type of Comic book cinematic soul theme song, but the following track Stop, Look, Listen opens with alluring horns seeping in their most memorable tune. The whole lethargic mood form the sleepy singers singing in a drawling baritone letting each word roll out effortlessly in a nice contrast to the excitable electricity of prior tracks. Though the drumming remains uncontrolled in the background and the horns do return in full voice and fine form, the secret weapon is the tremelo-ed electric guitar in it's partial lines playing in the background creating a thin watery base for the upfront lead vocals. The wonder of this group is how they mixed soothing vocals and gospel singers with such powerful salvos of large horn section alongside thin rhythms of chiming electric pianos and watery jazz guitar and some of the tightest drumming you've ever heard.

It's like vast symphonies of gospel funk, though the playing is perfect it does lack more memorable songs and melodies over say the choice of covers they work on.
The front cover features a full rack of black snooker balls with one cracked in half revealing yellow yoak inside fitting the New born theme and title of the album and their name as well as the erotic percussion at the root of all the tracks.