Ain't No Big Thing, But It's Growing

Ain't No Big Thing, But It's Growing
Studio album by New Birth
Released	1971
Recorded	1971 at RCA's Mid-America Center, Chicago, Illinois
Genre	Soul/Funk
Label	RCA
Producer	Harvey Fuqua
New Birth chronology
The New Birth (1970)The New Birth 1970 Ain't No Big Thing, But It's Growing (1971) Coming Together (1972)Coming Together 1972

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic

Ain't No Big Thing, But It's Growing is the second album by the Louisville, Kentucky group New Birth. Released in 1971 on RCA Records. It was produced by mentor Harvey Fuqua and his assistant Vernon Bullock. Despite the title, the group was transitioning between the instrumental group The Nite-Liters, the female vocalists, The Mint Juleps (which featured Londee Loren (Wiggins), Tanita Gaines, Janice Carter and Pam Swent), male vocalists, The New Sounds (Bobby Downs, Ronald Coleman, Gary Martin Young and a gentleman known as "Slim") plus additional vocalist Allen Frey, who also doubled on percussion, and, a down-sized version consisting solely of The Nite-Liters, Londee Loren, Bobby Downs, Allen Frey and the group Love, Peace & Happiness, which featured Ann Bogan, formerly of The Marvelettes, Leslie Wilson (who would later lead on "I Can Understand It", "Wildflower" and "It's Been A Long Time") and his brother Melvin. Ann can be heard leading "Honeybee", vocally working out with Londee Loren (and Tanita Gaines) on the exciting "How Good It Feels" and the entire Love, Peace & Happiness" backs the scaled-down group on their classic take on Perry Como's "It's Impossible".

This album established their trademark covers of other people's hits, most notably, in addition to "It's Impossible", The Five Stairsteps' "Ooh Child", Bread's "Make It With You", The Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye" and James Taylor's "Fire And Rain". At this point Londee's voice hadn't matured (or been challenged by Susaye Green's vocals on "Until It's Time For You To Go" under The New Birth name), so she perfectly captures Michael Jackson's sound when he was young. Despite their charting with "Impossible,' the group would not come into their own until their fourth album, "Birth Day" in 1972.

Track listing

1. "O-O-H Child" 3:15
2. "Make It With You" 2:53
3. "Never Can Say Goodbye" 3:21
4. "How Good It Feels" 3:35
5. "It's Impossible" 3:50
6. "Honeybee" 3:30
7. "Fire and Rain" 4:23
8. "Oh What a Feeling" 3:14
9. "Let It Be" 3:47

Charts

Chart (1971)	Peak position
Billboard Top LPs	189
Billboard Top R&B Albums	50

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions
		US	US R&B
1971	"It's Impossible"	52	12

External links

• New Birth-Ain't No Big Thing, But It's Growing at Discogs