Released: August 1977
Welcome to Barry White 2.0!
From 1972 to 1976, White had produced 14 albums for Love Unlimited, the Love Unlimited Orchestra, and himself that were highly symphonic. The release schedule between these three acts (to say nothing of other side projects he had going on) culminated with Is This Whatcha Wont?, which was treading the same artistic ground and bombed commercially.
White wrote everything on that album by himself and had kind of run out of things to say for the moment.
So, on Barry White Sings For Someone You Love, The Maestro only co-wrote two of the seven songs while still retaining control of production. The results were songs that were more lyrically interesting and a musical style that still featured White’s beloved strings and symphonic horns, but emphasized the funky groove a bit more.
This is evident from the album’s opening ballad, “Playing Your Game, Baby”. It’s smoove (not smooth, but smoove). Very smoove. The strings don’t sweep across the record with invigorating flourish, but instead serve as a bed for a slow funky groove powered by a lazy bass and some swaying horns.
This new smoove groove is taken to another level on “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me”. There is no mistaking this song for anything else. It’s perhaps the funkiest song in White’s solo catalogue and it’s pounding bass-and-drum combo has been oft-sampled.
I really can’t describe the song any further, so will instead let White do so himself…
The above two songs highlight the new groove, but “Oh, What A Night for Dancing” finds White doing a little retro soul and yacht rockin’. The lover man gives an impassioned lead vocal while Love Unlimited provide simple but gossamer backing like a doo wop trio. And give the drummer some love. Whoever it was on this song provides some excellent stop-and-start action.
All three of the songs listed so far were successful singles, albeit to various degrees. “It’s Ecstasy” was the big winner striking #1 R&B and #4 pop while also hitting #5 on the disco charts. “Your Game” reached #8 R&B and “Oh What A Night” reached #13 R&B and #24 pop.
The singles were the best songs here, but by no means the only good stuff.
“I Never Thought I’d Fall In Love With You” finds White crossing the beat of big band jazz with R&B. “You’re So Good You’re Bad” features some delightful Latin percussion that would become increasingly prominent in White’s late 70s solo work. (It had already crept up prominently in the Love Unlimited Orchestra).
“Of All The Guys in the World” is a touch too saccharine for its own good, but if you’re heart is in the right mood, it can make you feel swell. Especially the final minute where White lets the strings carry the show—with Love Unlimited cooing right in harmony with the violins.
I’ve always been mad that part of the song has an extended fade, so you gotta turn the speakers up to get the most of it.
Anyhoo, we come to the one song on the album that I think was a quasi-dud: “You Turned My Whole World Around”. Running nearly eight minutes (7:49), I can easily see folks getting tired of this long ballad. I’m a huge Barry White fan and sometimes I’m just not in the mood to sit through it. Great example of a song that woulda benefited from being two or three minutes shorter.
ALBUM GRADE: B
It’s not White’s best album, but this bad boy topped the R&B chart for five weeks (the longest of his entire career), reached #8 pop, and went platinum. Even if it’s overall quality isn’t better than what White had done before, it is different than what White had done before, thereby giving his catalogue a little more mileage than it otherwise would have.
Barry White 2.0 only got better on the next album.
Song Scores
Playing Your Game, Baby: 8/10
It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me: 9/10
You're So Good You're Bad: 7/10
I Never Thought I'd Fall in Love with You: 8/10
You Turned My Whole World Around: 6/10
Oh, What a Night for Dancing: 9/10
Of All the Guys in the World: 7/10