The Sultan of Seduction: Why Barry White’s Baritone Spells Sexy Soulful Romance Like silken sonic honey oozing richly, Barry White’s unmistakably seductive music catalyzes carnal chemistry perhaps more effectively than any American composer within radio waves. Through uniquely sultry style blending syrupy baritone crooning, funky bedroom jams and lush orchestrations...Barry White almost scientifically engineered steamy babymaking soundtracks specifically “Gettin' Down Tonight”. No modern Casanova playlist feels complete minus White’s canonical sensuous jams setting moods aglow on dimmer switches everywhere. So why does Barry White’s distinguished discography from the early 1970s onwards feel practically patented fuel injecting lusty listener libidos each subsequent Valentine's season over half a century strong? How did this macho soul maestro’s erogenous funk rhapsodies weave directly associated with gushy Hallmark holidays, floral bouquets or candy heart confections spelling coy come-ons? Beyond Barry’s boastfully self-imposed “The Maestro of Love” titles...what gives White’s bustling bedchamber anthems a uniquely synonymous correlation between torrid tempos and torrid intentions? Love Unlimited Orchestra - Cinematic Sonic Seduction Begins The origins explaining Barry White's intimate art begin through backing female vocal trio Love Unlimited he managed to guide towards initial R&B chart success. Having already garnered acclaim writing/producing sizzling hits for other nascent stars during the 1960s...White creatively supported group members Glodean James, her sister Linda and Diane Taylor shaping lushly layered accompaniment foregrounding their crystalline singing floating cloudlike amidst cinematic strings seducing listeners deeper towards paradise grooves propelling upwards ecstatically ultimately merging bright intensity light fantastic. It all congealed gloriously 1973 majorly level-up album Rhapsody In White where Barry himself dueted lead ladies foreground across tracks alternating sultry pillow whispers besides thunderously funky choruses painting vast romantic sonic landscapes akin sweeping Hollywood silver screen love epics yet condensed intimately headphone journeys urging sweet release by fadeout notes. Rhapsody In White struck commercial gold for 20th Century Records confirming Barry's production prowess but moreover revealing a sensual stylistic sonic signature seducing audiences en masse who never realized futuristic babymaking funk politely introduced their bedrooms before clothes even hit floors. From these highly arranged steamy orchestrations onward through subsequent 70s LPs unleashing string-laden libido classics like “Never Gonna Give You Up”, “Can't Get Enough Of Your Love” and “You're The First, The Last, My Everything”...Barry White codified literal musical magic stoking erogenous fires spreading feverish lusty freakiness round world making ethereal love hang suspended air everywhere soundwaves reached. The Maestro fused audio chemistry beyond scientific belief and boudoir sound systems rejoiced ! Let The Music Enflame Our Bodies: The Voice! The Sound! The Man! When unpacking the exact ingredients within Barry White's alchemic success channeling musical Eros...that radically distinct low rumbling voice surely ranks top in explaining bewitching power polarizing otherwise platonic relationships suddenly sideways one rotating vinyl LP sideways. Simply stated nobody anywhere before spoke language love quite this way - octaves subterranean dense mellow butter engulfing ears erotically. Critics famously struggled to describe such uniquely seductive grainy baritone timbres sparking primal urges unconsciously. Rolling Stone magazine infamously but accurately defined Barry’s pioneering bedroom conversation crooning...“the voice of a sperm whale in molasses.” The Guardian UK equated his lush lumbering vocal undulation akin to witnessing “sexual chocolate personified.” Every adoring attempt articulating visceral soulful experience hearing that familiarly tantalizing Barry White basso profundo somehow falls short. Yet everything about that bottomless bedroom voice exuded confidence, control and caressing concern towards pleasuring audiences maximally. When Barry uttered iconic lines like "I wanna love you... tonight" or requested "Let me serenade ya baby real nice and easy"...resistant reticent types desperately swooned against their own stubborn wills seduced into glorious surrender. Equally, the music itself created conditions ripening romantic receptiveness through shrewd deployment expanding instrumentation spectrums conducting maximum stimulation of different erogenous zones simultaneously. Booming string sections gently massaged shoulders/necks preparing entry while rumbling bass lines and bubbling wah pedal guitar fondled lower spine sonically readying nether regions ultimately succumbing funky rhythmic pulses getting harder resisting the...
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Feb 13 202411 mins