Jerry Butler - Whats The Use Of Breaking Up A Brand New Me

Review by Andrew Wu

Album Review: What's The Use Of Breaking Up A Brand New Me by Jerry Butler Alright, let’s dive into this funky little time capsule from 1969. Jerry Butler’s What’s The Use Of Breaking Up A Brand New Me is like that cool uncle who shows up unannounced but still manages to steal the show at family gatherings. It’s soulful, smooth, and just groovy enough to make you forget about your rent for three minutes straight. Released on Mercury Records with production magic from Gamble–Huff (yeah, those legends), it hit shelves in the US, Canada, Germany, and the UK—basically everywhere except maybe Antarctica. Now, I’m not gonna lie; there are some real gems here. But if we’re talking standout tracks, two come to mind: the title track “What’s The Use Of Breaking Up” and “A Brand New Me.” Let me break ‘em down for ya. First up, “A Brand New Me.” This song hits different. Like, imagine walking out of a breakup wearing sunglasses indoors because you’re that confident. The arrangement by Martin and Bell? Chef’s kiss. It’s got this lush, velvety vibe that wraps around you like an old blanket—except way sexier. And Jerry’s vocals? Dude sounds like he just invented charisma. You can practically hear him shrugging off heartache while crooning lines like, “I’m not the same person anymore.” Honestly, every time I listen to this track, I feel ready to take on life—or at least my laundry pile. Then there’s the title track, “What’s The Use Of Breaking Up.” If “A Brand New Me” is the rebound anthem, this one’s more like the thoughtful post-breakup journal entry set to music. Written by Butler, Gamble, and Bell, it’s packed with raw emotion without being overly dramatic. The melody has this understated charm, kinda like when someone says something deep but makes it sound effortless. It sticks with you long after the needle lifts off the record. The whole album feels like a masterclass in how to do soul right. No auto-tune, no overproduced nonsense—just pure, heartfelt vibes. Plus, knowing it was crafted during the golden era of funk and soul gives it this extra layer of authenticity. Like, these guys weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel—they were too busy polishing it till it gleamed. Here’s the kicker though: listening to this album now feels almost surreal. In a world where TikTok trends dictate what’s hot, hearing something so timeless reminds you how fleeting most modern music really is. Sure, Jerry Butler might not be topping Spotify charts today, but his voice still carries weight—like a well-worn leather jacket that never goes out of style. So yeah, give What’s The Use Of Breaking Up A Brand New Me a spin. Whether you’re nursing a broken heart or just need a soundtrack for staring wistfully out the window, it’s got you covered. Just don’t blame me if you start feeling all poetic and stuff. That’s on Jerry.

Artist: Jerry Butler
Album: Whats The Use Of Breaking Up A Brand New Me

Funk / Soul

Soul

1969

Rating: 4.63

Review
About Album
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Tracks
Video
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Catalog Numbers
Labels
Listen online
Formats
Companies
Credits
Notes
Barcodes
About Artist
Interesting fact
Comments
Related albums

Download

Filename: jerry-butler-whats-the-use-of-breaking-up-a-brand-new-me.zip

MP3 size: 14.4 mb
FLAC size: 92.6 mb

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Tracks

Track	Duration	Preview
A Brand New Me	2:35
What's The Use Of Breaking Up	2:36

Video

JERRY BUTLER-What's the use of breaking up-LIVE!

Jerry Butler What's The Use Of Breaking Up Philly 1969 My Extended Version!

Jerry Butler What's The Use Of Breaking Up

1st RECORDING OF: A Brand New Me - Jerry Butler (1969)

Images

Catalog Numbers

72960
M. 72960
MF 1132
127 490 MCF

Labels

Mercury

Listen online

kuunnella verkossa
ouvir online
online anhören
écouter en ligne
escuchar en línea
lytte på nettet
online luisteren
lyssna på nätet
ascolta in linea

Formats

Vinyl
7"
Single
45 RPM

Companies

Role	Company
Published By	Assorted Music
Mastered At	Frankford/Wayne Recording Labs
Pressed By	Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Pitman

Credits

Role	Credit
Arranged By	Martin & Bell
Producer	Gamble-Huff
Written-By	Butler, Gamble, Bell

Notes

Columbia Pitman pressing variation, which used earlier 1960's red/white/black label design, and other label typesetting and layout differences from Mercury Record Manufacturing Company variant including:
Two stars on each end of A side song title
En dashes ( – ) instead of hyphens ( - ) being used within label copy
Differences in how each line of music publishing, rights society and running time info is allocated on both sides, though number of lines is same
In runout area, last 4 (on A side) and 3 (on B side) is inside a circle

Barcodes

Matrix / Runout (Label side A): 1-44259
Matrix / Runout (Label side B): 1-44260
Rights Society: BMI
Matrix / Runout (Side A Etched): 1-44259 F
Matrix / Runout (Side B Etched): 1-44260 F
Matrix / Runout (A): 1-44259
Matrix / Runout (B): 1-44260
Matrix / Runout (A side deadwax): p(stamped/inverted) 1-44259 4(scribed)
Matrix / Runout (B side deadwax): p ° (stamped) 1-44260 3(scribed) WK(scribed, after Frankford/Wayne stamped mastering credit)
Other (Stamped onto deadwax, divided into three lines, on both sides): Mastering By Frankford/Wayne Phila.

About Jerry Butler

American rhythm'n'blues, soul, funk and disco vocalist, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, active since 1958. Born December 8, 1939 in Sunflower, Mississippi, USA. Brother of . Former member of , long time associate of . Co-writter of s I've Been Loving You Too Long. He has duetted with , , and ; collaborated with and for the blaxploitation soundtracks and . He was also an American politician, serving as Commissioner for Cook County, Illinois, from 1985 until 2018.

Real Name

Jerry Butler Jr.

Interesting fact about Album

Here's an interesting fact: The album *What's The Use Of Breaking Up (A Brand New Me)* by Jerry Butler, released in 1969, features the iconic track "A Brand New Me." It became a soul classic and was later covered by artists like Dusty Springfield. The songwriting trio of Butler, Gamble, and Bell crafted heartfelt lyrics that resonated across the US, Canada, Germany, and the UK. Fun twist? The producers, Gamble and Huff, went on to create the legendary Philadelphia Sound, influencing countless musicians. So this album wasn’t just music—it was a stepping stone to something huge.

Comments

masterbladelovegame

2025-03-14

This audience isn’t there yet.

lifelovefoolishness

2025-03-14

Thanks for this video. I remember Jerry Butler from the 60s. Always an excellent performer.

adittadott

2025-03-13

I remember this song came out. I Ice Man was the truth.

iainmaxx

2025-03-13

Although I was just a little girl I feel very blessed to have been born to witness that era of music... timeless

muoiphuong197672

2025-03-13

Why are the ppl not moving n clapping. Its the friggin Ice Man for crying out loud ?

nadalinocoruna

2025-03-12

HAPPY 80TH BIRTHDAY
JERRY BUTLER
(DECEMBER 8, 2019)

oscaralfredocampos

2025-03-12

Always been a big favourite in this house. Never thought I’d see him sing it live ?

laureninjapan

2025-03-12

Someone from Brazil in 2020?

jeffersonbruno016

2025-03-12

What the hell is with the audience? Were they ordered to act as if they were mummified? Or were they just too damn white? (asking as a very white man - but with SOME sense of rhythm, thank God!)