Released: March 1980
Barry White’s first album of the 1980s is… NOT THAT BAD!
It’s even good!
Granted it didn’t sell that well (#19 R&B, #85 pop), but at least Barry could say that Sheet Music was a well-produced, well-written piece of music and hold his head high.
The title track is the most classically 70s of the songs here. Given that it was 1980, no surprise that a song would sound “70s”. However, this song finds White returning to a brand of funky symphonic soul he hadn’t really struck since “Never Never Gonna Give You Up”. The strings are more prominent than they’d typically been in recent years for White. Rounding out the musical scape is a dark combination of a pounding piano, thumping bass, and stretched out horns.
Co-written with Paul Politi (a big time contributor on The Message Is Love) “Sheet Music” bombed on the charts reaching only #43 R&B when it was released as a single.
The album’s highest charting single was the closer, “Love Makin’ Music”. It reached #25 R&B. Given its relative success, White’s next album would more closely follow its model of urban contemporary Quiet Storm instead of the funky “Sheet Music”.
The album’s third and final single was “I Believe In Love” (#71 R&B). It’s a good heavy bass groover, if a tad too long (8:06).
Now, let’s get to the boogie music!
“Lady, Sweet Lady” is all about the disco boogie as White again lets the strings loose. Best song on the album.
A different kind of boogie appears on “Ghetto Letto” as White indulges in some Latin funk. This ain’t a song, it’s a groove. Technically White sings briefly, but this bad boy is all about that Latin groove.
A nice reminder that Barry is indeed from Los Angeles.
More Latin fun is found on “Rum and Coke”. Simple, short, sweet.
The only song on this album that even hints at sorriness is “She’s Everything To Me”. A spoken piece by White, with Love Unlimited providing some backup vocals, this piece of music is not bad, not good. Passable. And since it’s the only song on here that is merely passable, it… well… it passes by causing no trouble.
When the rest of the songs are pretty damn good, you can let one quasi-misfire slip by.
ALBUM SCORE: B
Look, I’m delighted that Barry White was able to enter the 1980s still going strong after some turbulence in the mid-and-late 1970s, especially when it came to Love Unlimited and their associated orchestra.
Unfortunately, as I’ve detailed already, this artistic stand by White didn’t deliver any commercial success.
Song Scores
Sheet Music: 7.5/10
Lady, Sweet Lady: 8/10
I Believe In Love: 7/10
Ghetto Letto: 8/10
Rum and Coke: 7.5/10
She's Everything To Me: 6/10
Love Makin' Music: 7.5/10