| More Than a New Discovery | ||||
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| 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 | ||||
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| The First Songs | ||||
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retitled re-release
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| Professional ratings | |
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| 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]
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Nyro signed to Verve Folkways (later Verve Forecast Records) after supplying Peter Paul and Mary with her song "And When I Die".
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]
"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.
All songs written by Laura Nyro.
More Than a New Discovery (Original Album) running order:
"The First Songs" running order:
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