A Brand New Day

"A Brand New Day"
Single by Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell and Ted Ross (as The Wiz Stars)
from the album The Wiz: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
A-side	"A Brand New Day"
B-side	"Liberation Ballet - A Brand New Day"
Released	1979
Format	7"
Recorded	1977
Genre	R&B, soul
Length	7:48 (Album Version) 2:40 (Single Edit)
Label	MCA
Writer(s)	Luther Vandross
Producer	Quincy Jones Tom Bahler
Michael Jackson singles chronology "You Can't Win" (1978) "A Brand New Day" (1979) "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" (1979) Diana Ross singles chronology "Pops We Love You" (1978) "A Brand New Day" (1979) "The Boss" (1979)

"A Brand New Day" is a song from the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz written by Luther Vandross. The song is about African Americans finally achieving the freedom they had been waiting and hoping for. It was later featured in the 1978 film version, sung by cast members Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, and Ted Ross (credited as The Wiz Stars). The film version was released as a single in some continental European countries and peaked at #1 in Belgium and The Netherlands. ^[1]

Contents

The single release is an edit of the first half of the song, which in its entirety runs 7:49 on the film's soundtrack. It is backed by the second half of the song, which is labeled as "Liberation Ballet - A Brand New Day." The "Liberation Ballet" is primarily instrumental and is composed of uptempo dance music in a variety of styles, with the film's cast and choir cheering and singing "Can you feel the brand new day" throughout the piece.

Impact

The song was also featured in the Family Guy episode "Barely Legal." In the episode, Mayor West deploys the entire Quahog Police Department to Cartagena, Colombia to search for a fictional character from the film Romancing the Stone. Upon hearing the news that the police force was gone, the African American citizens of Quahog removed their Caucasian disguises and began dancing in the street in their underwear and singing "A Brand New Day."

References

1. ^ Halstead, Craig; Chris Cadman (2003). Michael Jackson: The Solo Years. Authors OnLine. ISBN 0-7552-0091-8.