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 1978[1] | |||
| Recorded | June – August 1978 | |||
| Genre | Soul, funk, disco | |||
| Length | 46:19 | |||
| Label | 20th Century-Fox Records | |||
| Producer | Barry White | |||
| Barry White chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Man | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [4] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B[5] |
History
editThe album became White's sixth R&B chart topper and peaked at number 36 on the pop chart. Lead single "Your Sweetness Is My Weakness" reached number 2 on the R&B chart[2] and number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100, while White's cover of Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are" reached number 45 on the R&B chart and peaked at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.[3] A third single, "Sha La La Means I Love You", peaked at number 55 on the UK Singles Chart.[3] 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
edit| 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
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [12] |
US R&B [2] |
US Dan [13] |
UK [3] | ||
| 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 |
Certifications and sales
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[14] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Barry White Chart History: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Barry White - Chart history (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs) | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "Barry White | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ Elias, Jason. The Man > review at AllMusic. Retrieved October 24, 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.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 336. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Barry White | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
- ^ "Barry White Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
- ^ "Barry White Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1979". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1979". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
- ^ "Barry White - Chart history (The Hot 100) | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ "Barry White - Chart history (Dance Club Songs) | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ "American album certifications – Barry White – The Man". Recording Industry Association of America.