The Man (Barry White album)
The Man is the self-produced eighth album by soul singer Barry White, released in 1978 on the revived 20th Century-Fox Records label, which saw its name reverted from 20th Century.
| The Man | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 28, 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Genre | Soul, funk, disco | |||
| Length | 46:19 | |||
| Label | 20th Century-Fox Records | |||
| Producer | Barry White | |||
| Barry White chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B[2] |
History
The album became White's sixth R&B chart topper and peaked at #36 on the pop chart. Lead single "Your Sweetness Is My Weakness" reached #2 on the R&B chart and #60 on the Billboard Hot 100, while White's cover of Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are" reached #45 on the R&B chart and peaked at #12 on the UK Singles Chart. A third single, "Sha La La Means I Love You", peaked at #55 on the UK Singles Chart. A cover version of "It's Only Love Doing Its Thing" (with the shortened title "It's Only Love") would be a hit for British band Simply Red in 1989. The album was digitally remastered and reissued on CD on September 24, 1996 by Mercury Records.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Look at Her" | Frank Wilson, Raymond Cooksey, Tommy Payton | 7:40 |
| 2. | "Your Sweetness Is My Weakness" | Barry White | 8:04 |
| 3. | "Sha La La Means I Love You" | Barry White | 8:00 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "September When I First Met You" | Barry White, Frank Wilson, Paul Politi, Ervin Brown | 6:57 |
| 2. | "It's Only Love Doing Its Thing" | Jimmie Cameron, Vella Cameron | 4:04 |
| 3. | "Just the Way You Are" | Billy Joel | 7:09 |
| 4. | "Early Years" | Ronald Coleman | 6:50 |
Charts
| Chart (1978) | Peak [3][4] |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 36 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 1 |
| UK Albums Chart | 46 |
- Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [3] |
US R&B [3] |
US Dan [3] |
UK [4] | ||
| 1978 | "Your Sweetness Is My Weakness" | 60 | 2 | 16 | — |
| "Just the Way You Are" | 102 | 45 | — | 12 | |
| 1979 | "Sha La La Means I Love You" | — | — | — | 55 |
See also
- List of number-one R&B albums of 1978 (U.S.)
External links
Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[5] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
*sales figures based on certification alone | ||
References
- Elias, Jason. The Man > review at AllMusic. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: W". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 22, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- "US Charts > Barry White". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
- "UK Charts > Barry White". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
- "American album certifications – Barry White – The Man". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.