Released: April 1972
Love Unlimited’s debut album finds the trio of Glodean James, Linda James, and Diane Taylor performing standard early 70s soul. Barry White produced the album and wrote most of the songs.
The two covers present, while not quite fantastic in their own right, are revealing of White’s musical influences that permeate his early work including this album.
(You have Motown thanks to “If This World Were Mine” and Philly Soul courtesy of “Together”. Neither surpasses the originals performed by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell and the Intruders, respectively.)
What White did add to Love Unlimited’s musical mix were spoken intros and asides. This gave the songs (all of which are heavily based upon Motown and Philly Soul whether covers or not) a more soap opera feel instead of being straight-forward soul music.
(Of course, that was also not that original. Isaac Hayes had pioneered that tactic in soul music a few years earlier with Hot Buttered Soul.)
Anyways, the album opens with three songs going through the musical motions, before finding some backbone with “Fragile, Handle With Care”, the first real hint that Barry White could, and would, move beyond his influences and create something all his own.
The song also finally showcases the impressive harmonies that Love Unlimited could, and would, deliver for years to come.
White himself drops in at the end of the song to give some assurances to the lovely narrator that despite the heartaches she’s suffered before, he will be the man to treat her right.
This segues into the next song, “Is It Really True Boy Is It Really Me”, which finds the lady being a bit skeptical, but nonetheless falling in love with the man.
Although it’s not a cover, “I'll Be Yours Forever More” finds White again wearing his influences quite obviously on his sleeve. This is pure Motown soul-pop and the first danceable song on the album as Love Unlimited operate as an updated version of the classic Supremes.
The album closes with “Walkin’ in the Rain With the One I Love”, which is the best thing going here.
It has a nearly minute-long intro featuring an urban street scene of folks heading home from work. All the friendly small talk is interrupted by a rain storm, which sets the scene for the song.
Towards the end of the tune, there’s a phone call conversation between Glodean and Barry (future husband and wife in real life) that leads into a gorgeous coda where a bass guitarist just riffs over a cascading piano and some French horns sounding off in the background.
In between, Love Unlimited’s vocals are their absolute liveliest yet as the lyrics are sung in group harmony while Glodean’s lead vocal isn’t sung, but instead spoken amidst the musical stream that’s flowing.
Released as a single in March 1972, this would be the biggest hit of Love Unlimited’s career reaching #6 R&B, #14 pop, and #14 UK. Importantly, the song’s success gave everyone involved the green light to put out more material, including Mr. White.
ALBUM GRADE: C-
Despite having some strong songs, there’s also a lot of coasting and tentativeness here, which is not surprising for a debut album. There would be better days ahead for Love Unlimited and Barry White.
Song Scores
I Should Have Known: 5/10
Another Chance: 5/10
Are You Sure: 4/10
Fragile, Handle With Care: 7/10
Is It Really True Boy Is It Really Me: 6/10
I'll Be Yours Forever More: 7/10
If This World Were Mine: 4/10
Together: 6/10
Walkin’ in the Rain With the One I Love: 8/10