Made In U.S.A.

Made in U.S.A., standing for Made in Unity, Strength, Ambition, assembled in 1975 and lasted only briefly as a unit. Freida Nerangis and Britt Britton assembled the self-contained band with assistance from Brooklyn native and alto saxophonist Darryl Gibbs. The remaining Brooklyn-based members included vocalist Jan Harrison, bassist Willie Slaughter, tenor saxophonist Herbert Aikens, keyboardist Kevin Hood, guitarist Charles Morais, alto saxophonist Ruben Faison, and trumpeter Greg Henderson. Harrison, recognized as a statuesque beauty, had previously performed with the Exciters, while most of the others had worked with Ben E. King, Ecstacy, Passion & Pain, and Joe Bataan. Their sole LP, Melodies, appeared in 1977 and accurately reflected the group’s abilities, containing no overdubs or guest musicians because the members insisted on reproducing their recordings onstage without alteration. Nerangis and Britton wrote nearly all the material, including the title track “Melodies.” The single moved briskly in New York and Florida until Delight’s distribution setbacks halted its progress. The follow-up “Shake Your Body” never registered on the charts. Although disco dominated the era, the group struggled to obtain bookings in New York’s abundant clubs. Without live work or hits to maintain momentum, the members dispersed. Unidisc reissued Melodies on CD in 1993, appending two further versions of “Melodies” that ran 7:53, 4:44, and 2:46, respectively, plus a 4:44 edit of “Shake Your Body” alongside its 7:40 extended cut.