Boss Soul: The Genius of Barry White

• Artist: Barry White
• Rating:
• Release Date: August 04, 1998
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

In 1966-67, long before he attained seventies superstardom as a growling bedroom funkster, Barry White gained valuable experience as an A&R man for the Del-Fi label in Los Angeles. This compilation has 16 tracks that he was involved with as producer, engineer, songwriter, and/or session musician, the results appearing on Del-Fi's Bronco and Mustang subsidiaries; note, however, that only five of the cuts are by White himself (including one instrumental and a pre-Del Fi 1965 single released under the pseudonym of Lee Barry). At this time, White was very much under the spell of Motown both as producer and songwriter (he wrote or co-wrote all but two of these tunes). The material, whether by White or other Mustang/Bronco artists Felice Taylor, Viola Wills, and Johnny Wyatt, consists for the most part of very derivative, but nonetheless enjoyable and professional, Motown variations. Felice Taylor's "It May Be Winter Outside," a #42 pop hit in 1966, is the most accurate mid-'60s Supremes imitation bar none, both for Taylor's uncanny Diana Ross-like vocals and the dead-on Motownesque arrangement. Her only slightly less Supremish "Under the Influence of Love," though unreleased in the U.S., was a #11 hit in the U.K. in 1967; an instrumental version (credited to White) is also on the CD. As for White's own performances, it's a shock to hear that familiar hoarse voice applied to much lighter, poppier songs than we're accustomed to hearing from the singer, and though they're okay efforts, it's easy to see why they may not have been considered commercial properties in the '60s. An interesting document of White's little-heard formative years, and a decent pickup for aficionados of little-heard '60s soul in general. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
I Don't Need It	Barry White	Barry White	(2:26)
A Man Ain't Nothin'	Barry White	Barry White	(3:27)
I Got Love	Barry White	Viola Wills	(2:41)
Lost Without the Love of My Guy	Barry White	Viola Wills	(3:03)
This Thing Called Love	Barry White	Johnny Wyatt	(2:15)
To Whom It May Concern	Barry White	Johnny Wyatt	(2:49)
Together Forever	Barry White	Viola Wills	(2:48)
Don't Kiss Me Hello	Barry White	Viola Wills	(2:40)
It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring)	Barry White	Felice Taylor	(2:49)
Everybody's Going Mod	Barry White	Johnny Wyatt	(2:34)
I Feel Love Coming On	Barry White	Felice Taylor	(3:10)
You're Out of My Mind	Barry White	Viola Wills	(2:29)
Under the Influence of Love	Barry White	Felice Taylor	(2:36)
Don't Take Your Love from Me	Barry White	Barry White	(2:39)
All in the Run of a Day	Barry White	Barry White	(2:36)
Love Theme [Instrumental]	Barry White	Barry White	(2:33)

Credits

Dennis Loren (?), Gary Tanenbaum (Analog Transfer), Bill Dahl (Liner Notes), Johnny Wyatt (Performer), Gary Tanenbaum (Reissue Producer), Barry White (Producer), Bryan Thomas (Project Coordinator), Bob Keane (Executive Producer), Felice Taylor (Performer), Viola Wills (Performer), Bryan Thomas (Liner Note Research), Dennis Loren (Package Design), Charlie Watts (Mastering), Gary Tanenbaum (Mastering)