The First Minute of a New Day

Infobox Album
Name = The First Minute of a New Day
Type = studio
Longtype =
Artist = Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson


Released = February 1975
Recorded = June–July 1974
D&B Sound
(Silver Springs, Maryland)
Genre = Soul, jazz poetry, proto-rap
Length = 47:52
Label = Arista
A-4030
Producer = Gil Scott-Heron
Brian Jackson
Jose Williams
Reviews =
*Allmusic rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dxfixqu5ldfe link]
*Robert Christgau (B) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=3662&name=Gil+Scott-Heron%2C+Brian+Jackson+and+the+Midnight+Band link]
*"Houston Press" (favorable) [http://www.houstonpress.com/1998-09-03/music/catching-up-with-gil/print link]
*"Rolling Stone" (favorable) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/gilscottheron/albums/album/120197/review/5943929/the_first_minute_of_a_new_day link]
Last album = "Winter in America" (1974)
This album = "The First Minute of a New Day"
(1975)
Next album = "From South Africa to South Carolina"
(1976)

"The First Minute of a New Day" is an album by soul musician Gil Scott-Heron and keyboardist Brian Jackson, released in 1975 on Arista Records.cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dxfixqu5ldfe |title=allmusic ((( The First Minute of a New Day > Overview ))) |publisher=All Media Guide, LLC. |accessdate=2008-07-25] Recording sessions for the album took place in the summer of 1974 at D&B Sound in Silver Springs, Maryland.cite web |url=http://www.discogs.com/release/648391 |title=Discogs.com - Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - Midnight Band: The First Minute Of A New Day (1998 Reissue) |publisher=Discogs |accessdate=2008-07-25] It was the follow-up to Scott-Heron's and Jackson's critically acclaimed collaboration effort "Winter in America". "The First Minute of a New Day" was the first album to feature "Winter in America", the title track of Scott-Heron's previous album which was not featured on its original LP release.cite web |url=http://www.gilscottheron.com/lnwinter.htm |title="Winter in America" liner notes |publisher=Inwinter |accessdate=2008-07-08] The album was reissued on compact disc by Scott-Heron's label Rumal-Gia Records in 1998.cite web |url=http://www.houstonpress.com/1998-09-03/music/catching-up-with-gil/print |title=Catching Up with Gil - Music - Houston Press |publisher=Village Voice Media |accessdate=2008-07-25]

Music

"The First Minute of a New Day" served as Jackson's and Scott-Heron's debut for the Arista label and featured the eight-piece Midnight Band. With the Midnight Band and better financial support from Arista, the album benefited from a larger supporting cast and slicker production, in contrast to the sparse production on "Winter in America". The Midnight Band would later be featured on following Scott-Heron albums, assisting in production and back-up instrumentation.

The songs on "The First Minute of a New Day", which feature themes ranging from spirituality ("Offering") to revolution ("The Liberation Song") and oppression ("Winter in America"), contain free jazz melodies by the Midnight Band and funk influences.cite web |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/gilscottheron/albums/album/120197/review/5943929/the_first_minute_of_a_new_day |title=Gil Scott-Heron: The First Minute Of A New Day : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone |publisher=Rolling Stone |accessdate=2008-07-29] "Winter in America" featured themes of struggle and had Scott-Heron singing of social, geographical and environmental oppression. The album's only spoken word cut, also a live take, "Pardon Our Analyis" was a sequel to "Winter in America"'s "H20 Gate Blues" as a criticism of President Richard Nixon's pardon and featured a cool jazz backing by the Midnight Band.

Reception

Following the little commercial success experienced by Scott-Heron's previous LP's, the album had multi-chart success, which seemed promising for their new record label.cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dxfixqu5ldfe~T3 |title=allmusic { The First Minute of a New Day > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums } |publisher=All Media Guide, LLC. |accessdate=2008-07-25] Even though Scott-Heron's previous albums, in specific "Pieces of a Man" and "Winter in America", featured singles, they did not chart. However, no singles were released for "The First Minute of a New Day", off the album or for promotion.

Following heavy promotion by Arista, the album entered the Top Jazz Albums chart at #17 on February 8, 1975.cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/searchResult.jsp?exp=y&No=0&Ntt=The+First+Minute+of+a+New+Day&Ntk=Keyword&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&nor=10&an=bbcom&N=36&Ns=FORMATTED_DATE|0 |title=Billboard Music Charts - The First Minute of a New Day - Search Results |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |accessdate=2008-07-29] It later peaked at #5 before falling off the charts on July 19, 1975, 24 weeks after its original appearance. "The First Minute of a New Day" also peaked at #8 on the Black Albums chart and #30 on the Pop Albums chart. While not as critically acclaimed as Jackson's and Scott-Heron's previous effort "Winter in America", "The First Minute of a New Day" gave Scott-Heron wider recognition among fans and critics, due in part to its heavy promotion. Tim Sheridan of Allmusic.com called it "solid, decidedly left-of-center jazz-R&B" and went on to write:

Music critic Neil Tesser described Scott-Heron's singing voice for the album as "mahogany, sunshine, and tears."cite web |url=http://www.amazon.com/First-Minute-New-Day/dp/B000005ZD1 |title=Amazon.com: The First Minute of a New Day: Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson: Music |publisher=Amazon.com, Inc. |accessdate=2008-07-29] The contributions by the Midnight Band were also praised by critics. Robert Christgau of the Village Voice noted that "the free-jazz-gone-populist band generates so much rhythmic energy that it carries over the weak spots".cite web |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=3662&name=Gil+Scott-Heron%2C+Brian+Jackson+and+the+Midnight+Band |title=Robert Christgau; CG: Gil Scott-Heron, Brian Jackson and the Midnight Band |publisher=Village Voice |accessdate=2008-07-29]

Track listing

"All songs written by Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson, except where noted." [cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=102601&aid=41358 |title=Billboard.com - Discography - Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - The First Minute of a New Day |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |accessdate=2008-07-25]

ide one

# "Offering" – 3:34
# "The Liberation Song (Red, Black and Green)" – 6:18
# "Must Be Something" (Jackson, Bowens, Scott-Heron, Adams) – 5:16
# "Ain't No Such Thing As Superman" (Scott-Heron) – 4:13
# "Pardon Our Analysis (We Beg Your Pardon)" – 8:01

ide two

# "Guerilla" (Scott-Heron) – 7:49
# "Winter in America" (Scott-Heron) – 6:09
# "Western Sunrise" (Ali) – 5:16
# "Alluswe" – 5:04

Reisse bonus tracks

"All bonus cuts were managed and produced by Malcolm Cecil."
# "A Talk: Bluesology / Black History / Jaws / The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (Live at The Wax Museum 1982)" – 10:41
# "Winter in America (1978 Solo Version)" – 6:26

Charts

Billboard Music Charts (North America) – "The First Minute of a New Day"
*1975: Jazz Albums – #5
*1975: Black Albums – #8
*1975: Pop Albums – #30

Personnel

Musicians

*Gil Scott-Heron – vocals, piano, electric piano, guitar
*Brian Jackson – synthesizer, keyboards, flute, vocals
*Bilal Sunni Ali – flute, harmonica, saxophone
*Danny Bowens – bass
*Eddie Knowles percussion, conga
*Barnett Williams - percussion
*Victor Brown – percussion, vocals
*Charlie Saunders – congas, drums
*Bob Adams – drums
*Victor Bowens – tamborine, vocals, bells

Additional personnel

*Perpis-Fall Music, Inc. – producer
*Jose Williams – engineer, production assistance
*David Lau – artwork
*Vera Savcic, Adam Shore – reissue exec. producer
*Malcolm Cecil – remastering, reissue engineer

References

*cite book| title = Winter in America album liner notes by Gil Scott-Heron | year = 1998 | publisher = Ruma-Gia Ltd./TVT Records, 23 E. 4th Street, New York, NY 10003

Notes