The Man (Barry White album)

The Man
Studio album by
Barry White
ReleasedOctober 1978[1]
RecordedJune – August 1978
GenreSoul, funk, disco
Length46:19
Label20th Century-Fox Records
ProducerBarry White
Barry White chronology
Barry White Sings for Someone You Love
(1977) 		The Man
(1978) 		The Message Is Love
(1979)
Singles from The Man
  1. "Your Sweetness Is My Weakness"
    Released: September 1978[2]
  2. "Just the Way You Are"
    Released: December 1978[3]
  3. "Sha La La Means I Love You"
    Released: March 1979[3]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Christgau's Record GuideB[5]

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.

History

The 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

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Look at Her"Frank Wilson, Raymond Cooksey, Tommy Payton7:40
2."Your Sweetness Is My Weakness"Barry White8:04
3."Sha La La Means I Love You"Barry White8:00
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."September When I First Met You"Barry White, Frank Wilson, Paul Politi, Ervin Brown6:57
2."It's Only Love Doing Its Thing"Jimmie Cameron, Vella Cameron4:04
3."Just the Way You Are"Billy Joel7:09
4."Early Years"Ronald Coleman6:50

Charts

Singles

Chart performance for singles from The Man
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

Certifications and sales for The Man
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[14] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Barry White Chart History: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Barry White - Chart history (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs) | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Barry White | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  4. ^ Elias, Jason. The Man > review at AllMusic. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "Barry White | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  8. ^ "Barry White Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  9. ^ "Barry White Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  10. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1979". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  11. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1979". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  12. ^ "Barry White - Chart history (The Hot 100) | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  13. ^ "Barry White - Chart history (Dance Club Songs) | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  14. ^ "American album certifications – Barry White – The Man". Recording Industry Association of America.