Gonna Take a Miracle
Encyclopedia
Gonna Take a Miracle is the fifth music album by New York
-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro
. Nyro was backed up on the album by the vocal trio Labelle
.
Gonna Take a Miracle was released on the Columbia Records
label in November 1971, a year after its predecessor, Christmas and the Beads of Sweat
. The album is Nyro's only all-covers album, and she interprets mainly '50s and '60s soul
and R&B standards, using Labelle as a traditional back-up vocal group.
Nyro had originally hatched the idea to do a covers album during 1970, and on her tour to support the Christmas and the Beads of Sweat album she introduced several of the songs that would later appear on Gonna Take a Miracle, including "Spanish Harlem" and "Dancing in the Street."
Gonna Take a Miracle remains a critics' favourite Laura Nyro record for its laidback atmosphere and impressive soul grooves and musicianship, as well as classic "Philadelphia soul
" production from Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. It was Nyro's last commercially successful album, peaking at #46 on the Billboard 200
, then known as the Pop Albums chart, as well as an impressive #41 on the Black Albums chart.
It was Nyro's last album for more than four years as she turned her back on the music industry to get married and live a rural life away from the spotlight. Nyro's work with Patti LaBelle
on the album formed a lifelong friendship.
In 2005, music magazine The Word voted Gonna Take a Miracle among the 60 Best Underrated Albums of all time.
and Sarah Dash
.
Studio time was booked for a week in the hot summer of 1971 in Philadelphia, the centre of the soul movement. Rather than Nyro alone, the album's strength lies in the performance of the whole cast, including legendary producers Gamble and Huff and a stunning band of musicians.
The album was recorded very quickly and retains a "rough-and-ready" quality. It also breaks the cycle of Nyro's predominantly moody, piano-based works. This is a soul/R&B record, featuring traditional soul touches and R&B grooves.
Nyro was the main selector of material for the album, and chose songs she was influenced by growing up in the Bronx of the 1950s and 1960s. The songs include The Shirelles
' "I Met Him on a Sunday," The Originals
' "The Bells" (written by Marvin Gaye
), Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
' "You've Really Got a Hold on Me
," Ben E. King
's "Spanish Harlem," The Charts
' "Deserie/Desiree," Curtis Mayfield
's "The Monkey Time", and The Royalettes
' "It's Gonna Take A Miracle."
The album balances the grittier numbers with the more ethereal soul ballad, "The Wind" and the sultry love ballad, "Désiree." Nyro, Labelle, and Gamble & Huff expertly mixed genres including doo-wop
, soul
, R&B, pop
, Brill Building
, and gospel
. "Despite Gamble and Huff's presence on the project, Nyro remained fully in charge."
reissued the album in re-mastered and expanded format. The additional tracks were all recorded live at New York's Fillmore East
and were later issued on the live album Spread Your Wings and Fly: Live at the Fillmore East May 30, 1971. They are "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing
", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
", "Ooh Child", and "Up on the Roof
", all fitting with the covers theme of the original album.
The reissue features photographs and recording details, as well as new liner notes by Amy Linden and a back-cover personal recollection by Patti LaBelle
. The reissue was released alongside similar versions of Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
and New York Tendaberry
, and were produced and directed by the same Columbia/Legacy team.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro
Laura Nyro
Laura Nyro was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist. She achieved considerable critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums Eli and the Thirteenth Confession and New York Tendaberry, and had commercial success with artists such as Barbra Streisand and The 5th...
. Nyro was backed up on the album by the vocal trio Labelle
Labelle
Labelle is an American all female singing group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the Philadelphia/Trenton areas, the Ordettes and the Del-Capris, forming as a new version of the former group, later changing...
.
Gonna Take a Miracle was released on the Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
label in November 1971, a year after its predecessor, Christmas and the Beads of Sweat
Christmas and the Beads of Sweat
- Personnel :-References:Michele Kort's biography Soul Picnic: The Music and Passion of Laura Nyro -External Links:...
. The album is Nyro's only all-covers album, and she interprets mainly '50s and '60s soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and R&B standards, using Labelle as a traditional back-up vocal group.
Nyro had originally hatched the idea to do a covers album during 1970, and on her tour to support the Christmas and the Beads of Sweat album she introduced several of the songs that would later appear on Gonna Take a Miracle, including "Spanish Harlem" and "Dancing in the Street."
Gonna Take a Miracle remains a critics' favourite Laura Nyro record for its laidback atmosphere and impressive soul grooves and musicianship, as well as classic "Philadelphia soul
Philadelphia soul
Philadelphia soul, sometimes called the Philadelphia Sound or Sweet Philly, is a style of soul music characterized by funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements, often featuring sweeping strings and piercing horns. The subtle sound of a glockenspiel can often be heard in the background of...
" production from Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. It was Nyro's last commercially successful album, peaking at #46 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, then known as the Pop Albums chart, as well as an impressive #41 on the Black Albums chart.
It was Nyro's last album for more than four years as she turned her back on the music industry to get married and live a rural life away from the spotlight. Nyro's work with Patti LaBelle
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
on the album formed a lifelong friendship.
In 2005, music magazine The Word voted Gonna Take a Miracle among the 60 Best Underrated Albums of all time.
Overview
Nyro first met Patti LaBelle in 1970 when she was about to give an interview to LaBelle's manager Vicki Wickham. Wickham brought LaBelle along to the interview, where she engaged in deep conversation with Nyro. They went on the road together, with LaBelle cooking for Nyro. When time came to record Gonna Take a Miracle, Nyro called up LaBelle, who also brought along her vocal partners in Labelle, Nona HendryxNona Hendryx
Nona Hendryx is an American vocalist, producer, songwriter, musician, author, and actress.Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady Marmalade." Her music has ranged from soul, funk, dance, and R&B to hard rock, art...
and Sarah Dash
Sarah Dash
Sarah Dash is a singer and actress. Her first notable appearance on the music scene was as a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles...
.
Studio time was booked for a week in the hot summer of 1971 in Philadelphia, the centre of the soul movement. Rather than Nyro alone, the album's strength lies in the performance of the whole cast, including legendary producers Gamble and Huff and a stunning band of musicians.
The album was recorded very quickly and retains a "rough-and-ready" quality. It also breaks the cycle of Nyro's predominantly moody, piano-based works. This is a soul/R&B record, featuring traditional soul touches and R&B grooves.
Nyro was the main selector of material for the album, and chose songs she was influenced by growing up in the Bronx of the 1950s and 1960s. The songs include The Shirelles
The Shirelles
The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...
' "I Met Him on a Sunday," The Originals
The Originals
The Originals were a successful Motown R&B and soul group during the late 1960s and the 1970s, most notable for the hits "Baby I'm For Real", "The Bells" and the disco classic, "Down to Love Town"...
' "The Bells" (written by Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
), Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
The Miracles
The Miracles are an American rhythm and blues group from Detroit, Michigan, notable as the first successful group act for Berry Gordy's Motown Record Corporation . Their single "Shop Around" was Motown's first million-selling hit record, and the group went on to become one of Motown's signature...
' "You've Really Got a Hold on Me
You've Really Got a Hold on Me
"You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is a 1962 Top 10 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label. One of the group's most covered tunes, this million-selling song is a 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee...
," Ben E. King
Ben E. King
Benjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S...
's "Spanish Harlem," The Charts
The Charts
The Charts were an American doo-wop group of the 1950s, most famous for their recording "Deserie".The group formed as The Thrilltones in Harlem, New York in 1956, and comprised teenagers Joe Grier , Stephen Brown , Glenmore Jackson , Leroy Binns , and Ross Buford...
' "Deserie/Desiree," Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
's "The Monkey Time", and The Royalettes
The Royalettes
The Royalettes were a four-girl group from Baltimore, Maryland who exemplified the "sweet soul" style of the mid-60s....
' "It's Gonna Take A Miracle."
The album balances the grittier numbers with the more ethereal soul ballad, "The Wind" and the sultry love ballad, "Désiree." Nyro, Labelle, and Gamble & Huff expertly mixed genres including doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, R&B, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, Brill Building
Brill Building
The Brill Building is an office building located at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and further uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood...
, and gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
. "Despite Gamble and Huff's presence on the project, Nyro remained fully in charge."
Track listing
| Title | Time |
|---|---|
| "I Met Him on a Sunday" (Doris Coley Doris Coley Doris Coley was a member of the Shirelles. She initially left the group in 1968, but returned in 1975.... , Addie Harris, Beverly Lee Beverly Lee Beverly Lee was a member of the all girl vocal pop group, The Shirelles. She was born on August 3, 1941, in Passaic, New Jersey.Today, she holds the trademark for the Shirelles' name.-External links:*... , Shirley Owens Shirley Owens Shirley Alston Reeves was the lead member of the hit singing group, The Shirelles. As well as Owens, the Shirelles consisted of classmates of hers from Passaic High School, New Jersey: Addie "Micki" Harris, Doris Kenner Jackson, and Beverly Lee. Through marriages, she became Shirley Alston and... ) | 1:55 |
| "The Bells The Bells (The Originals song) "The Bells" is a 1970 single recorded by The Originals for Motown Records' Soul label, produced by Marvin Gaye and co-written by Gaye, his wife Anna Gordy Gaye, Iris Gordy, and Elgie Stover.-The Originals version:... " (Marvin Gaye Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range.... , Anna Gordy Gaye Anna Gordy Gaye Anna Gordy Gaye is an American songwriter and composer, known as the elder sister of Motown founder Berry Gordy and the first wife of soul legend Marvin Gaye, who used their troubled marriage as the focal point of his critically acclaimed 1978 effort, Here, My Dear, an album from which Gordy... , Iris Gordy, Elgie Stover Elgie Stover Elgie Stover is an American songwriter, composer, producer and background singer, most famous for his associations with uncle Harvey Fuqua and legendary Motown star Marvin Gaye, co-writing two of Gaye's songs from the singer's acclaimed 1971 album, What's Going On.Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio,... ) | 2:56 |
| "Monkey Time/Dancing in the Street Dancing in the Street "Dancing in the Street" is a 1964 song first recorded by Martha and the Vandellas. It is one of Motown's signature songs and is the group's premier signature song.-Martha and the Vandellas original:... " (Curtis Mayfield Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly... , Marvin Gaye, Ivy Jo Hunter Ivy Jo Hunter Ivy Jo Hunter, born George Ivy Hunter and sometimes credited as Ivy Hunter, is a former R&B songwriter, record producer and singer, most associated with his work for the Motown label in the 1960s.... , William "Mickey" Stevenson) | 4:59 |
| "Désiree" (L.Z. Cooper, Danny Johnson) | 1:52 |
| "You've Really Got a Hold on Me You've Really Got a Hold on Me "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is a 1962 Top 10 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label. One of the group's most covered tunes, this million-selling song is a 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee... " (Smokey Robinson Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy... ) | 4:09 |
| "Spanish Harlem Spanish Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem and El Barrio, is a section of Harlem in the northeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. East Harlem is one of the largest predominantly Latino communities in New York City. It includes the area formerly known as Italian Harlem, in which... " (Jerry Leiber, Phil Spector Phil Spector Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson.... ) | 2:52 |
| "Jimmy Mack Jimmy Mack "Jimmy Mack" is a 1967 pop/soul single recorded by Martha and the Vandellas for Motown's Gordy imprint. Written and produced by Motown's main creative team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Jimmy Mack" was the final Top 10 hit for the Vandellas in the United States, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard... " (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland) | 2:57 |
| "The Wind The Wind (song) "The Wind" is a 1954 doo-wop classic by the pre-Motown Detroit R&B group Nolan Strong & The Diablos. The song appears originally on the group's second 45rpm single, "The Wind / Baby Be Mine," []... " (Devora Brown, Bob Edwards, Nolan Strong) | 2:59 |
| "Nowhere to Run" (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland) | 5:09 |
| "It's Gonna Take a Miracle It's Gonna Take a Miracle "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" is a popular song written by Teddy Randazzo, Bob Weinstein, and Lou Stallman. It was first an R&B hit in 1965 for The Royalettes, who reached the Top 30 on the U.S. R&B chart and peaked at #41 on the U.S. pop chart... " (Teddy Randazzo Teddy Randazzo Teddy Randazzo was a NYC born pop songwriter who composed 1960s hit songs such as "Goin' Out of My Head", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle", and "Hurt So Bad"... , Bob Weinstein, Lou Stallman) | 3:25 |
The 2002 remaster
During the summer of 2002, the Legacy imprint of Columbia RecordsColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
reissued the album in re-mastered and expanded format. The additional tracks were all recorded live at New York's Fillmore East
Fillmore East
The Fillmore East was rock promoter Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue near East 6th Street in the East Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City. It was open from 1968 to 1971, and featured some of the biggest acts in rock music at the time...
and were later issued on the live album Spread Your Wings and Fly: Live at the Fillmore East May 30, 1971. They are "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing
Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing
-Marcella Detroit & Elton John version:"Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" was recorded by Elton John as a duet with Marcella Detroit, and featured on his 1993 album Duets. It was also later included on Detroit's 1994 album Jewel. Released as a two-part CD single single in May 1994, it peaked at...
", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
(You Make Me Feel like) a Natural Woman
" A Natural Woman" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin on the Atlantic label. The record was a big hit for Franklin, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became a standard song for her...
", "Ooh Child", and "Up on the Roof
Up on the Roof (song)
"Up on the Roof" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and recorded in 1962 by The Drifters. Released at the tail end of that year, the song became a big hit in early 1963, reaching number five on the U.S. pop singles chart and number 4 on the U.S...
", all fitting with the covers theme of the original album.
The reissue features photographs and recording details, as well as new liner notes by Amy Linden and a back-cover personal recollection by Patti LaBelle
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
. The reissue was released alongside similar versions of Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
-References:*Michele Kort's biography Soul Picnic: The Music and Passion of Laura Nyro -External links:*[ Allmusic Laura Nyro biography entry.]**...
and New York Tendaberry
New York Tendaberry
New York Tendaberry is an album by New York-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro.It was released in the autumn of 1969 on the Columbia Records label, some 18 months after its predecessor, Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. It is generally considered by rock critics and Laura Nyro...
, and were produced and directed by the same Columbia/Legacy team.
In popular culture
- Two songs from the album: "Désiree" and It's Gonna Take a Miracle appears in the 2004 film A Home at the End of the WorldA Home at the End of the WorldA Home at the End of the World is a 1990 novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning American author Michael Cunningham.The book is narrated in the first person, with the narrator changing in each chapter. Bobby and Jonathan are the main narrators, but several chapters are narrated by Alice, Jonathan's mother,...
, starring Colin FarrellColin FarrellColin James Farrell is an Irish actor, who has appeared in such film as Tigerland, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, The Recruit, Alexander and S.W.A.T....
. - Singer Jenny LewisJenny LewisJennifer Diane Lewis , is an American singer-songwriter musician and actress. She was the primary vocalist of the indie rock band Rilo Kiley, and has released two solo albums. She currently performs as part of the duo Jenny & Johnny with boyfriend Johnathan Rice...
of the band Rilo KileyRilo KileyRilo Kiley was an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles. Formed in 1998, the band consisted of Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Jason Boesel....
credits the album as a major influence on her 2006 solo album Rabbit Fur CoatRabbit Fur CoatRabbit Fur Coat is an album by Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, featuring The Watson Twins. It was released in the United States on January 24, 2006 by Team Love. Lewis has described the album as a "sort of soul record". The album contains a cover of the Traveling Wilburys song "Handle With Care",...
.