Hi, everyone. Welcome to this week’s edition of Music Monday.

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Barry White was born 80 years ago on September 12, 1944 in Galveston, TX. Below is from a post I wrote about him in 2020:

Barry Eugene Carter, better known to fans around the world as Barry White, is another example of someone being saved by music.  He went to jail for four months when he was 16 for stealing.  It was there he heard Elvis Presley singing “It’s Now or Never” on the radio which White took as an inspirational message to straighten out his life.  As if we needed another reason to worship Elvis.

In their obituary of White, the New York Times said his “deep voice and lushly orchestrated songs added up to soundtracks for seduction”.  Between the first of today’s songs, “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” and “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me”, White found his musical niche and ran with it.  And it was fantastic.  So was every episode of “Ally McBeal” that featured White’s songs, especially the one where White himself appeared in April 1999.  Watching the entire cast dance in front of him was one of the highlight’s of that show for me and anyone else who adores the magic of this Icon of Love.

Barry White circa 2000. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Paul Carrack is currently on tour for the 50th anniversary of today’s second featured song and it is one of my absolute favorites. The original 1974 version has an incredible baseline, a great story told in succinct and clever lyrics and literally causes whiplash as it catapults you to the mid 1970’s from the first note in a simply timeless way.

For decades I thought it was about a guy finding out his girlfriend was cheating on him. But in actuality, Carrack wrote it after finding out a member of his band at the time, Ace, was secretly playing with two other groups as well. The track peaked at #3 on May 31, 1975. Ace-which was formed in 1972 in Sheffield, England-released their debut album, Five-A-Side, in 1974 with today’s second pick as the first single. They may be a one hit wonder, but probably have the best song to ever place in that category. And lucky for us, Carrack went on to sing on his own along with Squeeze and Mike & The Mechanics.

He also recorded a solo version for his 1995 album, Blue Views, and he changed it up a little to where the baseline is replaced with a slowed down version of the first verse. And it works unbelievably well. I actually think it is stunning.

Top: Paul Carrack (L) with the rest of Ace circa 1970. Bottom: Carrack circa 2020. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

The Jeff Healey Band released their debut album, See The Light, in September 1988, the same year the blues/rock/pop group were signed to Arista Records. It peaked at #22 on the Billboard 200 chart, a great showing for any first record. A year later, the second single from that record peaked even higher-at #5-in September 1989. It put the group on the map and four other albums followed over the next decade. After that Healey, who started playing guitar at age three, focused more on a jazz sound and toured with esteemed performers like B.B. King, The Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton and others before Healey died of cancer in 2008 at only 41 years old.

Jeff Healy circa 1988. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Barry White: “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe” (1974, written by Barry White).

Ace: “How Long” (1974, written by Paul Carrack).

Paul Carrack: “How Long” (1995, written by Paul Carrack).

The Jeff Healey Band:  “Angel Eyes” (1988, written by John Hiatt and Fred Koller).

Stay safe & well.