The First Minute of a New Day

The First Minute of a New Day
Studio album by Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson
Released	January 1975
Recorded	June–July 1974 D&B Sound (Silver Spring, Maryland)
Genre	[blues], jazz,
Length	47:52
Label	Arista A-4030
Producer	Gil Scott-Heron, Brian Jackson
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson chronology
Winter in America (1974) The First Minute of a New Day (1975) From South Africa to South Carolina (1976)

The First Minute of a New Day is an album by American jazz vocalist Gil Scott-Heron and keyboardist Brian Jackson, released in January 1975 on Arista Records.^[1] Recording sessions for the album took place in the summer of 1974 at D&B Sound in Silver Spring, Maryland.^[2] 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.^[3] The album was reissued on compact disc by Scott-Heron's label Rumal-Gia Records in 1998.^[4]

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.^[4] 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.^[4] 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.^[4][5] "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, though this time the track did not feature a musical backing of any kind.^[6]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[7]
Robert Christgau	B[8]
Houston Press	(favorable)[9]
Rolling Stone	(favorable)[10]

Following the little commercial success experienced by Scott-Heron's previous LPs, the album had multi-chart success, which seemed promising for their new record label.^[11] 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.^[11]

Following heavy promotion by Arista,^[5] the album entered the Top Jazz Albums chart at #17 on February 8, 1975.^[12] It later peaked at #5 before falling off the charts on July 19, 1975, 24 weeks after its original appearance.^[12] The First Minute of a New Day also peaked at #8 on the Black Albums chart and #30 on the Pop Albums chart.^[11] 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.^[5] Tim Sheridan of Allmusic called it "solid, decidedly left-of-center jazz-R&B" and went on to write:

This output, with the opening meditation of "Offering" and the right-on "Ain't No Such Thing as Superman," solidifies Heron's place in the pantheon of jazz poets.^[6]

— Tim Sheridan

Music critic Neil Tesser described Scott-Heron's singing voice for the album as "mahogany, sunshine, and tears."^[13] The contributions by the Midnight Band were also praised by critics.^[13] 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".^[14]

Track listing

All songs written by Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson, except where noted.^[15]

Side one

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

Side two

1. "Guerilla" (Scott-Heron) – 7:49
2. "Winter in America" (Scott-Heron) – 6:09
3. "Western Sunrise" (Ali) – 5:16
4. "Alluswe" – 5:04

Bonus tracks

All bonus cuts for the CD reissue were managed and produced by Malcolm Cecil.^[2]

1. "A Talk: Bluesology / Black History / Jaws / The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" - Live at The Wax Museum 1982 – 10:41
2. "Winter in America" - 1978 Solo Version – 6:26

Charts

Billboard Music Charts (North America) – The First Minute of a New Day^[11]

• 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 – tambourine, 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

Notes

References

• Winter in America album liner notes by Gil Scott-Heron. Ruma-Gia Ltd./TVT Records, 23 E. 4th Street, New York, NY 10003. 1998.