More Than a New Discovery

More Than a New Discovery
Studio album by Laura Nyro
Released	January 1967
Recorded	New York City, 1966
Genre	R&B, Pop
Length	46:15
Label	Verve Folkways
Producer	Herb Bernstein, Milton Okun
Laura Nyro chronology
More Than a New Discovery (1967) Eli and the Thirteenth Confession (1968)
The First Songs
retitled re-release

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

More Than A New Discovery is the debut album by Bronx-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro. It was recorded during 1966 and released at the beginning of the following year on the Folkways imprint of the Verve label (this imprint was changed to Verve Forecast Records after Verve was threatened with legal action by Moses Asch who owned the Folkways label). The album was reissued, with a revised track order and with the song "Hands Off the Man" retitled to "Flim Flam Man", in 1973 by Columbia Records as The First Songs. It gave Nyro a chart entry at #97 on the Billboard 200, then known as the Pop Albums chart.

In 2008 Rev-Ola released a remastered version of the original album in the original running order.

The album included several songs that would become hits for other artists. Blood, Sweat & Tears scored with "And When I Die" (US #2), The 5th Dimension with "Wedding Bell Blues" (US #1) and "Blowin' Away" (US #21), and Barbra Streisand with "Stoney End" (US #6).

In 1999, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.^[2]

Background

Nyro signed to Verve Folkways (later Verve Forecast Records) after supplying Peter Paul and Mary with her song "And When I Die".

Production

The album was recorded 1966 with Herb Bernstein and Milton Okun at the helm. Bernstein arranged the songs, and there was some uncertainty about Nyro's ability to lead the musicians by playing piano, so a pianist, Stan Free, was hired, and Nyro was encouraged to play the guitar instead which she rejected.^[3]

Songs

"Wedding Bell Blues" was released as a single in September 1966 and remained on the "Bubbling Under" segment of the Hot 100 (then "Pop Singles") for 12 weeks, peaking at #103.

For the single version of "Stoney End," Nyro was forced to rework some of the lyrics that referred to the Bible because Verve felt it would cause too much controversy.^{[citation needed]}

Track listing

All songs written by Laura Nyro.

More Than a New Discovery (Original Album) running order:

1. "Goodbye Joe" – 2:38
2. "Billy's Blues" – 3:20
3. "And When I Die" – 2:40
4. "Stoney End" – 2:46
5. "Lazy Susan" – 3:53
6. "Hands Off the Man" (Flim Flam Man) – 2:29
7. "Wedding Bell Blues" – 2:44
8. "Buy and Sell" – 3:38
9. "He's a Runner" – 3:40
10. "Blowin' Away" – 2:23
11. "I Never Meant to Hurt You" – 2:52
12. "California Shoeshine Boys" – 2:45

"The First Songs" running order:

1. "Wedding Bell Blues" – 2:44
2. "Billy's Blues" – 3:20
3. "California Shoeshine Boys" – 2:45
4. "Blowin' Away" – 2:23
5. "Lazy Susan" – 3:53
6. "Goodbye Joe" – 2:38
7. "Flim Flam Man" – 2:29
8. "Stoney End" – 2:46
9. "I Never Meant to Hurt You" – 2:52
10. "He's a Runner" – 3:40
11. "Buy and Sell" – 3:38
12. "And When I Die" – 2:40

Personnel

• Herb Bernstein - arranger, conductor, flugelhorn
• Milton Okun - producer
• Laura Nyro - guitar, keyboards, vocals, songwriter
• Jay Berliner - guitar
• Stan Free - piano
• Bill Lavorgna - drums
• Buddy Lucas - harmonica
• Lou Mauro - bass
• James Sedlar - horn

References

1. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/hall-of-fame
3. ^ Michele Kort (2003). Soul Picnic:The Music and Passion of Laura Nyro. St. Martin's Press. p. 30. http://books.google.com/books?id=vE8IsMvxqe0C&dq. Retrieved 16 July 2011. 

Bibliography

• Michele Kort's biography Soul Picnic: The Music and Passion of Laura Nyro (ISBN 0-312-20941-X)

External links

• More Than a New Discovery at Allmusic
• The First Songs at Allmusic
• Laura Nyro web site