Someone recently gave me a copy of a CD that featured famous hits by Barry White and The Love Unlimited Orchestra. Although I quickly wrapped it in plain brown paper, I have to admit that I love this music. I am a big fan of R&B. I am pretty self-conscious about the fact that in music I tend toward the promiscuous. I like Lou Rawls as much as I like Puccini. After all, they are both not embarrassed about being supremely sincere and passionate. If you think about it, how different is Barry White singing “Can’t get enough of your love, Babe” from Luciano Pavarotti pouring out his heart in the duet “In Questa Reggia” from Turandot? If you knew Italian you would see the similarity immediately. My son Josh once told me that he didn’t like Van Morrison because every song was different from the others. We differ on this because you never know what to expect from Van who can go from ballad to gospel as if one was a chorus for the other. It’s like having ten albums in one!
Anyway, back to the Love Unlimited Orchestra. Their biggest hit, probably never repeated, was Love’s Theme. So put it on your Ipod, close your eyes and you will be back in the 70’s with scenes from Shaft or Super Fly raising your adrenalin level. Take a break and be Isaac Hayes for a few minutes, or even Placido Domingo.
