He achieved 6 top 10 Hot 100 singles and 5 Top 10 in UK with a total
of 10 Top 20 and 13 Top 40.
His peak period was 1973-1978 after which he didn't record another
Billboard Hot 100 hit until 1994 with "Practice what you Preach".
However, turning to the R&B chart his first four albums were all
#1 and he had a further three #1 album so 7 of his 20 albums were #1
R&B hits.
Most know him from his 70s recordings and for Love Unlimited and The
Love Unlimited Orchestra but his career started much earlier. He was
born in Galveston TX, but grew up in L.A. His parents weren't married
so he took his surname (Carter) from his mother and then later used
his father's (White).
His first release was in Oct. 1960 with The Upfronts "Too Fat To Turn
Around" on Lummtone (I kid you not!). If you recall last week's post
from Earl Nelson you may remember that his second partner in Bob &
Earl was Bob Relf who was also a member of The Upfronts.
In the early 60s he recorded a few solo singles under a number of
aliases i.e Gene Carter "Ring Around My Rosie" (Jocoy), Lee Barry "Man
Ain't Nothin'" / "I Don't Need It" (1966) and in 1970 as Gene West "In
The Ghetto" / "Little Girl". He also recorded a single in 1964 as
Barry White & The Atlantics "Tracy (All I Have Is You)".
Discogs lists a 1965 South African only single by Barry White "I Wish
I Was A Single Boy Again" which I can't find any trace of anywhere
else. The B side is a cover of Bob Dylan's "Blowing In The Wind". I'm
a bit sceptical as to whether this is the same Barry White.
He was hired as A&R man for a new label Bronco set up by Bob
Keane where he released "All In The Run Of A Day" / "Don't Take Your
Love From Me" in Apr 1967. He worked as a songwriter, session
musician, and arranger with artists on the roster such as Viola Wills
and The Bobby Fuller Four.
He discovered Felice Taylor who was in a trio called The Sweets / The
Three Sweets with her sisters Norma And Darlene who released three
singles. She had three hits working with White: "I Feel Love Comin'
On," "It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring)" and
"Under the Influence of Love".
His biggest claim to fame by this point was writing "Doin' the Banana
Split" for TV bubble-gum act The Banana Splits in 1968.
In 1969 he discovered the trio Love Unlimited who were his future
wife, Glodean James (who he married in 1974), her sister Linda James
and their cousin Diane Taylor. He arranged, produced and wrote several
tracks on their debut album "From A Girl's Point of View We Give to
You... Love Unlimited" in 1972 from which he had his first million
selling record "Walkin' In The Rain With The One You Love".
He was a reluctant solo artist and his 70s solo career came about by
accident. He recorded some demos of songs he was working on and was
encouraged to release them himself. A few more songs were added and
his 1973 debut album "I've Got So Much to Give" materialised which
contained the #1 R&B hit "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More
Baby". He went on to release twenty albums with seven of them topping
the R&B album chart and all but two making the Top 40.
Album Discography
1973 - I've Got So Much to Give
1973 - Stone Gon'
1974 - Can't Get Enough
1975 - Just Another Way to Say I Love You
1976 - Let the Music Play
1976 - Is This Whatcha Wont?
1977 - Barry White Sings for Someone You Love
1978 - The Man
1979 - I Love to Sing the Songs I Sing
1979 - The Message Is Love
1980 - Sheet Music
1981 - Barry & Glodean (With Glodean White)
1981 - Beware!
1982 - Change
1983 - Dedicated
1987 - The Right Night & Barry White
1989 - The Man Is Back!
1991 - Put Me in Your Mix
1994 - The Icon Is Love
1999 - Staying Power
Here's a playlist of the majority of his 70s and beyond singles (in
chronological order), some hits, others not. Four are missing
that aren't available on Spotify, none of them were Hot 100 hits. They
are from his two early 80s albums "Change" (1982) ("Change" and
"Passion") and "Dedicated" (1983) ("America" and "Don't Let Them
Blow Your Mind"). It's a mega 4 hours and 30 minutes. I have also done another of his non-hits/album tracks which may be posted at a later date.
