"…It's Such A Groove…"
This May 2010 Expanded CD reissue of "I've
Got So Much To Give" by BARRY WHITE on Hip-O Select B0014038-02 (Barcode
0602527329314) takes the 5 lengthy tracks of Barry White's debut solo album and
adds on two rare 7" single B-sides. It breaks down as follows (45:38
minutes):
1. Standing In The Shadows Of Love
2. Bring Back My Yesterday
3. I’ve Found Someone
4. I’ve Got So Much To Give
5. I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby
Tracks 1 to 5 are the album "I've Got So
Much To Give" released April 1973 on 20th Century T-407 in the USA and on
Pye International NSPL 28175 in the UK (it reached Number 1 on the US R'n'B
charts).
BONUS TRACKS:
Track 6 is "Just A Little More Baby"
- a non-album instrumental version - it's edited down from its full album
length of 7:11 minutes to 4:21 minutes; it's the B-side to "I'm Gonna Love
You Just A Little More Baby" and was released April 1973 on 20th Century
TC-2018 in the USA and June 1973 on Pye International 7N.25610 in the UK.
Track 7 is "I've Got So Much To
Give", a non-album instrumental version, B-side to "I've Got So Much
To Give", released August 1973 on 20th Century TC-2042 in the USA.
Downsides - there's an awful lot of 7"
mixes missing - the 7" edited single version of "I'm Gonna Love You
Just A Little More Baby" isn't on here (3:58 minutes), nor is the slightly
longer version that's on the American promo 7". The "I've Got So Much
To Give" 7" single was not issued in the UK, but the American A-side
is again an edit and no show. There was a further British 7" for
"Bring Back My Yesterday" (Pye International 7N.25622), which also
had an edited A-Side - but again - no show. With the playing time so short,
it's sloppy not to have had these exclusive cuts on here.
The 3-way foldout inlay is unfortunately like
so many Hip-O Select releases for their single discs - adequate and no more.
There's credits for each track, but no appraisal of Barry White and his music,
no liner notes, nothing on the back page, the inlay under the see-through tray
is blank, there's no singles pictured etc. Just a little more effort would have
made such a difference. But there is, however, a huge compensation - the SOUND...
The 1st generation master tapes have been
remastered by KEVIN REEVES at Universal Mastering Studios-East and it's a truly
fantastic job done. The sound is HUGE - really clear and clean - amazing punch
to all of the tracks. And it's not trebled up nor compressed down - just full -
the music is better than you've ever heard it before. It's especially good on
those fantastic B-sides, which I've been after for years on CD.
Highlights include the Full Album Version of
"I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby" which is a monster sexy
workout (lyrics above), but is of course lyrically naff. Which brings me to a
point. I can vividly remember 1973 when a Barry White 45 was the soul single
your 'sister' bought - and even though you secretly enjoyed the sly and wicked
back-groove that punctuated his every release - you couldn't actually admit
this to any of your mates lest you get a thick lip. Thirty-five years on and in
all honesty, the lover-man routine is even more difficult to listen to now than
it was back then...
Still – this release is saved by its beautiful
sound quality. If you’re into BW and the Love Unlimited Orchestra and their
unique Seventies Soul sound – then this is essential purchase. Casual buyers
will probably only want it for Full Album Version of “I’m Gonna Love You Just A
Little More Baby” and those cool instrumental B-sides though…
