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You Make Me Feel Brand New (Song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “You Make Me Feel Brand New” | |
|---|---|
| |
| Single by The Stylistics | |
| from the album Rockin’ Roll Baby, Let’s Put It All Together &The Best of The Stylistics | |
| B-side | “Only for the Children” |
| Released | May 5, 1974 |
| Studio | Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Genre | Philadelphia soul R&B |
| Length | 4:45 5:30 (long version) |
| Label | Avco |
| Songwriters | Thom Bell, Linda Creed |
| Producer | Thom Bell |
| The Stylistics singles chronology | |
| “Rockin’ Roll Baby“ (1973)”You Make Me Feel Brand New“ (1974)”Let’s Put It All Together” (1974) | |
“You Make Me Feel Brand New” is a 1974 single by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics. An R&B ballad, the song was written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed.
Background and composition
According to a Thom Bell interview for Record Collector :
“When Creed broke one of their golden songwriting rules by mentioning religion (“God bless you”) in You Make Me Feel Brand New, Bell tore a strip off her. He then felt like a heel when she told him that she had written the song about him, and the lyric stayed intact.”
Stylistics co-founder, baritone Airrion Love opens the song, then alternates with the falsetto of lead vocalist Russell Thompkins Jr. The song, in a longer five-minute version, had first appeared as a track on the Stylistics’ 1973 album, Rockin’ Roll Baby, though that version was not released as a single.
Chart performance
“You Make Me Feel Brand New” was the fifth track from their 1974 album, Let’s Put It All Together and was released as a single and reached No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, barred from the No. 1 spot by “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” by Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods. In addition, it climbed to No. 5 on the Billboard R&B chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 14 song for 1974.
“You Make Me Feel Brand New” also reached No. 2 (for one week) behind “When Will I See You Again by The Three Degrees on the UK Singles Chart in August 1974.
The Stylistics’ recording sold over one million copies in the US, earning the band a gold disc The award was presented by the RIAA on May 22, 1974. It was the band’s fifth gold disc.
Weekly charts
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 3 |
| Brazil (Brazilian Top 100) | 5 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles | 3 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 18 |
| New Zealand (Listener) | 11 |
| South Africa (Springbok) | 6 |
| UK | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary | 6 |
| US Billboard Hot Soul Singles | 5 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1974) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 27 |
| Brazil | 5 |
| Canada | 51 |
| UK | 19 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 14 |
Influence
Neil Sedaka used the song as inspiration to compose the melody of “The Hungry Years“, noting that it contained a three-semitone key change that he found particularly appealing and called a “drop-dead chord.”
Other versions
“You Make Me Feel Brand New” has been recorded by jazz and pop artists including:
- In 1975 by Vicky Leandros.
- In 1982 by The Salsoul Orchestra (vocals by Christine Wiltshire and Ray Stevens).
- In 1986 by Babyface.
- In 2003 by Simply Red (on their studio album Home). The Simply Red version reached number 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart.
- In 2004, the song was covered by Boyz II Men.
- Swedish singer Björn Skifs released Med varann’ (in English Together), a cover of the song in Swedish on his album Schiffz! in 1975 as a duet with ABBA member Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
- Jamaican reggae singer Jacob Miller of Inner Circle recorded the song with Augustus Pablo.
- Japanese musician Tatsuro Yamashita recorded his version in 1986, included on the album On the Street Corner 2.
- Italian singer Mina included the song on the album Rane supreme, in 1987.
- Roberta Flack recorded the song in 1992, reaching No. 50 on the U.S. R&B chart.
- In 2003, Lil Mo made her version of the song and named it, Brand Nu. The instruments had also been enhanced and the lyrics are completely different. This song was included in her second album, Meet the Girl Next Door.
- The song was recorded by Ronnie Milsap on his album Summer Number 17.
- Jazz guitarist Norman Brown recorded the song in 1999.
- Filipino R&B singer Jay R included the song from his 2008 album, Soul in Love.
- American pop singer Johnny Mathis covered the song on his 2008 album, A Night to Remember.
- Rod Stewart recorded it with Mary J. Blige on the former’s 2009 album Soulbook.
- Larry Carlton released a mostly instrumental version on his 2011 album Plays the Sounds of Philadelphia.
- Jazz harpist Brandee Younger and bassist Dezron Douglas played an instrumental version on the 2020 album Force Majeure.
- James Last
- Regina Belle
- The Geoff Love Singers
- B. J. Thomas
- Richard Elliot
- Cídia e Dan
Samples
- The song was sampled in American rapper Yung Joc‘s song “Brand New”, which featured Snoop Dogg and Rick Ross.
- In January 2014, South Korean rappers Verbal Jint, San E, Bumkey, Swings, Phantom and Kanto, all from the Brand New Music agency, released “You Make Me Feel Brand New (Brand New Year 2013)”, which contains a sample of this song.
- Mystique used a sample of this song for their 2014 song, “Brand New”.
Popular culture
- It was also used in TV commercials for Woolite in the mid 1980s and in TV advertisements for Australian department store Myer in the late 1980s.
- In Britain, a version was used to advertise BioTex stain removing powder.
Rockin’ Roll Baby (Album)
| Rockin’ Roll Baby | |
|---|---|
| |
| Studio album by The Stylistics | |
| Released | November 1973 |
| Studio | Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Genre | R&B, soul |
| Length | 42:36 |
| Label | Avco |
| Producer | Thom Bell |
| The Stylistics chronology | |
| Round 2 (1972)Rockin’ Roll Baby (1973)Let’s Put It All Together (1974) | |
| Singles from Rockin’ Roll Baby | |
| “Rockin’ Roll Baby“ Released: 1973″Only for the Children” Released: 1974 | |
Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Christgau’s Record Guide | C+ |
Rockin’ Roll Baby is the third studio album recorded by American R&B group The Stylistics, released in November 1973 on the Avco label. It was produced by Thom Bell and recorded at Sigma Sound Studio North in Philadelphia. This was the group’s last album produced by Bell.
Lead vocals are by Russell Thompkins, Jr.
Background
While on Avco, they began working with producer/songwriter Thom Bell, and along with songwriter Linda Creed created a bunch of hit singles that used lavish production backing the lead vocals of Russell Thompkins, Jr. Every single that Bell produced was a hit. The album includes the original full version of the song, “You Make Me Feel Brand New“.
Chart performance
The album reached No. 66 on the Billboard LPs chart and No. 5 on the R&B albums chart. The title track reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 3 on the R&B singles chart, and No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed, except where noted.
Side one
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Only for the Children” | 4:38 |
| 2. | “Could This Be the End?” | Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons | 4:09 |
|---|
| 3. | “Let Them Work It Out” | 3:58 |
|---|
| 4. | “Make It Last” | 2:59 |
|---|
| 5. | “Pay Back Is a Dog” | Thom Bell, Kenneth Gamble | 4:31 |
|---|
Side two
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | “Love Comes Easy” | 4:58 |
| 7. | “There’s No Reason” | Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes | 3:58 |
|---|
| 8. | “Rockin’ Roll Baby“ | 4:27 |
|---|
| 9. | “You Make Me Feel Brand New” (long version, not the 1974 hit single version) | 5:30 |
|---|
| 10. | “I Won’t Give You Up” | Charles Simmons, Bruce Hawes, Joseph B. Jefferson | 3:38 |
|---|
Personnel
- Russell Thompkins Jr. – lead vocals, backing vocals
- Airrion Love – backing vocals, lead vocals on “You Make Me Feel Brand New”
- James Smith, Herb Murrell, James Dunn – backing vocals
- Linda Creed, Barbara Ingram, Evette Benton, Carla Benson – additional backing vocals
- Norman Harris, Bobby Eli – guitar
- Ronnie Baker – bass
- Earl Young – drums
- Larry Washington – timbales, congas, bongos
- Vince Montana – percussion
- Thom Bell – keyboards
- Joseph DeAngelis, Milton Fipps – French horn
- Jack Faith – alto saxophone, flute
- John Davis – tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
- Bobby Hartzell, Rocco Bene – trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet
- Freddy Joiner, Bobby Moore – tenor trombone
- Richard Genevese – bass trombone
- Walter File – harp
- Don Renaldo and His Swinging Strings – strings
Charts
| Chart (1973–74) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 43 |
| U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 66 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 5 |
| UK Albums Chart | 42 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US A/C | UK | ||
| 1973 | “Rockin’ Roll Baby“ | 14 | 3 | 44 | 6 |
Let’s Put It All Together (Album)
| Let’s Put It All Together | |
|---|---|
| |
| Studio album by The Stylistics | |
| Released | May 1974 |
| Studio | Mediasound, New York City |
| Genre | R&B |
| Length | 37:42 |
| Label | Avco |
| Producer | Hugo & Luigi, Thom Bell |
| The Stylistics chronology | |
| Rockin’ Roll Baby (1973)Let’s Put It All Together (1974)Heavy (1974) | |
| Singles from Let’s Put It All Together | |
| “You Make Me Feel Brand New“ Released: May 5, 1974″Let’s Put It All Together” Released: 1974″We Can Make It Happen Again” Released: 1974 (Brazil)”Love is the Answer“ Released: 1974 (South Africa) | |
Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
Let’s Put It All Together is the fourth studio album recorded by American R&B group The Stylistics, released in May 1974 on the Avco label. It was produced by Hugo & Luigi and recorded at Mediasound Studios in New York City. This was the group’s first album recorded outside of Philadelphia.
History
The album reached #14 on the Billboard 200, their highest ever position on that chart, and #4 on the R&B albums chart. “You Make Me Feel Brand New“, which originally appeared in a five-minute version on their previous album, Rockin’ Roll Baby, was included in an edited version. This version was released as a single and became a huge hit, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. It also peaked at #5 on the R&B singles chart and #6 on the Easy Listening chart. The title track was also successful, peaking at number #18 on the Billboard Hot 100, their last big hit on that chart, #8 on the R&B singles chart, and #9 on the UK Singles chart. The Hugo & Luigi tracks were arranged and conducted by Van McCoy.
The song “Love Is the Answer” was sampled in E-40‘s song “Show Me What You Workin’ Wit” featuring Too Short, taken from his 2010 album Revenue Retrievin’: Night Shift and also received disco treatment as an eight minute instrumental by Van McCoy on a 12-inch record paired with “That Old Black Magic” by The Softones.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Hugo & Luigi and George David Weiss, except where noted.
Side one
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Let’s Put It All Together” | 3:25 |
| 2. | “I Got a Letter” | 3:33 |
|---|
| 3. | “We Can Make It Happen Again” | 3:43 |
|---|
| 4. | “Keeping My Fingers Cross” | Van McCoy | 3:28 |
|---|
Side two
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | “I Got Time on My Hands” | 4:50 |
| 7. | “Doin’ the Streets” | 3:49 |
|---|
| 8. | “I Take It Out on You” | 3:32 |
|---|
| 9. | “Love Is the Answer” (vocal) | 3:00 |
|---|
| 10. | “Love Is the Answer” (instrumental) | 3:37 |
|---|
Personnel
- Russell Thompkins, Jr. – lead vocals
- Airrion Love – backing vocals, co-lead vocals on “We Can Make It Happen”, “You Make Me Feel Brand New” and “Doin’ the Streets”
- James Smith, Herb Murrell, James Dunn – backing vocals
- Van McCoy – arranger, conductor
Charts
| Chart (1974) | Peak |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 63 |
| UK Albums Chart | 26 |
| US Billboard Top LPs | 14 |
| US Billboard Top Soul LPs | 4 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US A/C | AUS | CAN | UK [3] | ||
| 1974 | “You Make Me Feel Brand New“ | 2 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| “Let’s Put It All Together” | 18 | 8 | 26 | 80 | 18 | 9 | |
The Best of The Stylistics (Album)
| The Best of the Stylistics | |
|---|---|
| |
| Compilation album by The Stylistics | |
| Released | February 1975 |
| Studio | Sigma Sound, PhiladelphiaMediasound, New York City |
| Genre | R&B |
| Length | 36:19 |
| Label | Avco AV 69005 |
| Producer | Thom Bell, Hugo & Luigi |
| The Stylistics chronology | |
| Heavy (1974)The Best of the Stylistics (1975)Thank You Baby (1975) | |
Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  |
| Christgau’s Record Guide | A− |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | B+ () |
The Best of The Stylistics is a compilation album released by the American soul group The Stylistics.
Released in 1975, the album became a big success in the UK when it reached No.1. Hitting the pinnacle three times during the year, the album remained at No.1 for 9 weeks in total. Helped largely by TV advertising, it became the biggest album of the group’s career and the UK’s top seller of 1975. It also reached No.41 in the US – although their popularity was beginning to decline there.
Following its success, several albums entered the charts including their latest, Thank You Baby, which reached No.5 at the same time the compilation was No.1.
Another version of the album (The Very Best of The Stylistics) with a similar cover but with an alternate track listing was released by H & L Records (Phonogram) in 1983. The album has since been released on CD as a compilation of this and Volume two.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed, except where noted.
Side one
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “You Make Me Feel Brand New“ | 4:45 |
| 2. | “Betcha by Golly, Wow“ | 3:17 |
|---|
| 3. | “Rockin’ Roll Baby” | 3:15 |
|---|
| 4. | “Break Up to Make Up“ | Thom Bell, Creed, Kenneth Gamble | 4:00 |
|---|
| 5. | “You’re a Big Girl Now” | Marty Bryant, Robert Douglas | 3:14 |
|---|
Side two
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | “I’m Stone in Love with You“ | Thom Bell, Creed, Anthony Bell | 3:12 |
| 7. | “Heavy Fallin’ Out” | Hugo & Luigi, George David Weiss | 5:18 |
|---|
| 8. | “Let’s Put It All Together” | Hugo & Luigi, George David Weiss | 2:55 |
|---|
| 9. | “You Are Everything“ | 2:55 |
|---|
| 10. | “People Make the World Go Round” | 3:28 |
|---|
Charts
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top LPs & Tape | 41 |
| US Top Soul LPs | 13 |
| UK Albums Chart | 1 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong) | Gold | 10,000* |
| * Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
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