The history of the group starts with the instrumental outfit, The Nite-Liters which had originally been formed in 1963 in Louisville, Kentucky by Tony Churchill and Harvey Fuqua, and featured, in its heydey, besides Churchill on tenor sax and vibes, Charlie Hearndon on guitar, James Baker on keyboards, Robin Russell on drums, Robert "Lurch" Jackson on trumpet, Austin Lander on baritone sax, Leroy Taylor on bass, and, later, Carl McDaniel on guitar. (Earlier members included Johnny Graham, later of Earth, Wind & Fire) and Jerry Bell. Under this name the group had a few hits before the formation of New Birth proper. In 1969, Vernon Bullock had thought of creating an ensemble of groups for a touring company, and Harvey Fuqua and Tony Churchill soon took an interest. After discovering a male vocal group, The Now Sound, which featured Bobby Downs, Ron Coleman, Gary Young and an individual known as "Slim," and a female vocal group, known as Mint Julip, which featured Londee Loren, Tanita Gaines, Janice Carter and Pam Swent, they brought them together with The Nite-Liters and additional vocalist, Alan Frye and called the newly formed ensemble New Birth. The band came together in 1970 with their self-titled debut on RCA. Their second album, Ain't No Big Thing, But It's Growing, yielded a minor hit with their cover of Perry Como's "It's Impossible", in 1971.
Later that year, Bullock discovered a group from Detroit, Michigan called Love, Peace & Happiness which featured former Marvelettes singer Ann Bogan and brothers Leslie and Melvin Wilson. Finding that they had the spark that was missing from the New Birth ensemble, he paired them with the Nite-Liters and original members of New Birth, Londee Loren, Bobby Downs and Alan Frye. In 1972, the reorganized group (as a seventeen-piece ensemble) hit the R&B top ten with their cover of Bobby Womack and The Valentinos' "I Can Understand It", which paved the way for the band's future success. By the time the song hit the stores, however, Ann left to devote time to her family, leaving Londee Loren as the sole female member. Due to a brief dispute with their management company, their next hit, "Until It's Time for You to Go" featured, instead of the group members, future Supremes member Susaye Greene as lead vocalist.
In 1974, the group issued their hit album, It's Been a Long Time, which spawned the hits including the title track and their cover of the psychedelic single "Wildflower", which became a top ten hit in the UK singles chart. After the release of their sixth RCA album, Comin' From All Ends, the group split from RCA, Fuqua and their management company and signed with Buddah.
New Birth's Buddah debut, Blind Baby, featured the group's only number-one R&B single, a cover of the Jerry Butler classic, "Dream Merchant". After the release of the 1977 album, Behold The Mighty Army, the Wilson brothers split from the group following in-fighting and growing tensions in the group.
The group returned in 1979 James Baker, Tony Chruchill and Austin Lander introduce Jerry Bell as their new lead vocalist with Platinum City and in 1982 with the I'm Back album. Leslie Wilson had left the group to replace Jeffrey Osborne in L.T.D.. Jerry Bell left the group in 1981 to become the lead vocalist for Motown's Dazz Band.
The Wilsons toured with a new ensemble as New Birth in 1994, and released a few albums under the new name in the decade since. Drummer Robin Russell released a solo CD entitled Drum Beats in 2004 and Jerry Bell re-recored there hit "It"s Been Such A Long Time" 2010 for Lotus Records/ Bunglo/ Universal Records Music Group.
Since the group's initial split, their songs have been covered from the likes of Jamie Foxx, who sampled their cover of "Wildflower" for his 2005 hit, "Unpredictable". R&B group Something for the People sampled their "It's Been a Long Time" for their 1996 hit, "My Love is the Shhh". Rap artist Lil' Wayne sampled "You Don't Have to Be Alone" from their self-titled album in his song "La La" and Jerry Bell "It"s Been Such A Long Time 2010.
Singer Gary Young died in 2018.
Discography
As The Nite-Liters
* Nite-Liters (RCA Records, 1970)
* Morning, Noon & the Nite-Liters (RCA, 1971) US #167, US Black Albums #31
* Instrumental Directions (RCA, 1972) US #198, US Black Albums #41
* Different Strokes (RCA, 1972)
* A-Nal-Y-Sis (RCA, 1973) US Black Albums #34
Love, Peace & Happiness-
* Love Is Stronger (RCA, 1971)
* Here 'Tis (RCA, 1972)
As New Birth
* The New Birth (RCA, 1971)
* Ain't No Big Thing, But It's Growing (RCA, 1971) US #189, US Black Albums #50
* Comin' Together (RCA, 1972) US Black Albums #40
* Birth Day (RCA, 1973) US #31, US Black Albums #1
* It's Been a Long Time (RCA, 1974) US #50, US Black Albums #7
* Comin' From All Ends (RCA, 1974) US #56, US Black Albums #20
* Blind Baby (Buddah Records, 1975) US #57, US Black Albums #17
* Love Potion (Warner Bros. Records, 1976) US #168, US Black Albums #22
* Behold the Mighty Army (Warner Bros. Records, 1977) US #164, US Black Albums #28
* Disco (RCA, 1977)
* Reincarnation (RCA, 1977)
* Platinum City (Capitol Records, 1979)
* I'm Back (1982)
* God's Children (PNEC Records, 1998)
* I Am Blessed (Trio Records, 2004)
* Lifetime (Orpheus Records, 2005)
[edit] Singles
Year Title Chart Positions
U.S. Pop Singles U.S. Black Singles
1971 "It's Impossible" 52 12
"K-Jee" 39 17
1972 "(We've Got to) Pull Together" - 27
"Afro-Strut" 49 24
"I Don't Want to Do Wrong" - 41
1973 "I Can Understand It" 35 4
"Until It's Time for You to Go" 97 21
1974 "I Wash My Hands of the Whole Damn Deal, Part I" 88 46
"It's Been a Long Time" 66 9
"Wildflower" 45 17
1975 "Comin' From All Ends" - 76
"Dream Merchant" 36 1
"Grandaddy (Part I)" 95 28
1976 "The Long and Winding Road"
Its Been A Long Time
The New Birth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me, girl, how long has it been
I'm so glad to see you 'cause I really love you
You were my only friend
You for me and me for you
Oh, listen, baby
You for me and me for you
It's been such a long time, girl, I still love you
I guess I always will
But in my silent nights, I long to hold you tight
It's you I really need
You for me and me for you
Listen baby
You for me and me for you
Yeah, yeah
Oh, no, no girl
I've been missin' you, baby
Yes, I have
Here's what you got to do
You got to do for me
You got to understand me
I got to understand you
You got to hang on in there
You got to hang on in there, baby
Understand me
And I will understand you
I need you, need you, need you
I need you, baby
Whenever I feel like this, baby
The only thing I can say to you
Ooh baby, ooh baby, yeah
Cause it ain't no heart no [Incomprehensible] sometime
Oh, Lord, [Incomprehensible]
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ooh baby, you know I love you
You've got to sit down
And make a little love to me, baby
You've got to understand me, baby
And I'll understand you
I need you
I need you, you, you, you, you, baby
Let me say, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hang on, hang on, hang on
It's been too long
Hang on, hang on, hang on
It's been too long
Hang on, hang on, hang on
It's been too long
Hang on, hang on, hang on
It's been too long
Give me a little love
Cause I can't help myself
I said give me a little love
Baby, do a little love, oh, oh
Give me a little love
Love, baby, do it, baby, do it
Baby, do it, do it, do it, baby
Do it, do it, do it, baby
Do it, baby, do it, oh Lord
Do it, you know why
You know why, oh, oh, good
Won't you?
Won't you?
Won't you?
Won't you?
Won't you?
The New Birth's "It's Been A Long Time" speaks of the longing and nostalgia one feels after being separated from a loved one for an extended period. The singer expresses his joy at seeing his lover again after such a long time, describing her as his only friend - this suggests that she holds a special place in his heart above everyone else. He longs to hold her close to him, to feel her warmth and the comfort of her presence, admitting that his love for her still burns bright, and likely always will. The lyrics also suggest that the relationship between the two lovers requires a level of mutual understanding and endurance - "You got to hang on in there, baby / Understand me and I will understand you."
The song ends with a plea for love, with the singer asking his lover to "give him a little love" before repeating the chorus one final time. The lyrics enforce the idea that, no matter how much time has passed, true love remains unchanged, and the desire to rekindle the spark between two people is always potent.
Line by Line Meaning
Been such a long time, since I saw you
It has been a long time since I have seen you.
Tell me, girl, how long has it been
I want you to tell me how long it has been.
I'm so glad to see you 'cause I really love you
I am happy to see you because I love you.
You were my only friend
You were my only friend.
You for me and me for you
We are for each other.
Oh, listen, baby
Listen to me, my dear.
It's been such a long time, girl, I still love you
Even though it has been a long time, I still love you.
I guess I always will
I suppose I will always love you.
But in my silent nights, I long to hold you tight
In quiet moments, I yearn to hold you closely.
It's you I really need
You are who I truly need.
Oh, no, no girl
Oh, no, my dear.
I've been missin' you, baby
I have been missing you.
Yes, I have
Indeed, I have.
Here's what you got to do
This is what you need to do.
You got to understand me
You have to comprehend me.
I got to understand you
I need to comprehend you.
You got to hang on in there
You have to persevere.
Understand me
Comprehend me.
And I will understand you
I will comprehend you.
I need you, need you, need you
I need you very much.
Whenever I feel like this, baby
Whenever I feel like this, my dear.
The only thing I can say to you
The only thing I can say to you is...
Ooh baby, ooh baby, yeah
Oh, my dear, oh, my dear.
Cause it ain't no heart no [Incomprehensible] sometime
Because sometimes the heart feels empty.
Oh, Lord, [Incomprehensible]
Oh, Lord, I do not understand.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, yes, yes, yes!
Ooh baby, you know I love you
Oh, my dear, you know I love you.
You've got to sit down
You need to sit down.
And make a little love to me, baby
Make love to me, my dear.
You've got to understand me, baby
You need to comprehend me, my dear.
And I'll understand you
Then I will comprehend you.
I need you
I need you.
Let me say, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Let me say, yes, yes, yes!
Hang on, hang on, hang on
Keep holding on.
It's been too long
It has been too long.
Give me a little love
Show me a little love.
Cause I can't help myself
Because I cannot control myself.
Baby, do a little love, oh, oh
Make love to me, my dear.
Love, baby, do it, baby, do it
Love, my dear, make love to me.
Do it, do it, do it, baby
Do it, do it, do it, my dear.
Do it, baby, do it, oh Lord
Do it, my dear, oh Lord.
Do it, you know why
Do it, you know why.
You know why, oh, oh, good
You know why, oh, good.
Won't you?
Won't you?
Won't you?
Won't you?
Won't you?
Won't you?
Won't you?
Won't you?
Won't you?
Won't you?
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES BAKER, MELVIN LEE WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind