Barry White. |
It’s 10 years today since soul / R&B great Barry White died, aged just 58. While he only dominated the charts in one decade (the 70s) he continued scoring with occasional songs well into the 80s and 90s and all told had close to 20 US or UK top 40 hits.
White was once heard to joke half of all children conceived during the 70s were conceived to his music, which while questionable in regards to his reach into Russian, African and Asian markets, is almost believable in an American context when you re-listen to songs like Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love Babe and Never Never Gonna’ Give You Up. Sexy without being explicit, humorous without being a joke, Barry White was the deep-voiced lover-man counterpoint to Marvin Gaye’s sweet tenor.
Me being always the fan of the fun-fact and the lesser-known masterpiece, to mark the 10th anniversary of White’s death here is the song of his Robbie Williams later sampled for his mega-hit Rock DJ. Many Williams’ fans may be unaware Rock DJ’s simple but throbbing hook was built upon White’s It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me. Both songs are below.