Love Unlimited
Encyclopedia
Love Unlimited was a female vocal trio that provided backing vocals for American
R&B
/soul
singer Barry White
on his albums and concert tours. They also found success with their own recordings. Formed in 1969, the group included Barry White’s future wife, Glodean James
, her sister, Linda James, and their cousin Diane Taylor. The group disbanded in 1985, with the death of Diane Taylor.
Their first hit
was "Walking in the Rain with the One I Love
" in 1972. It peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100
and #6 on the Best Selling Soul Singles Chart
. It was also successful in the United Kingdom
, peaking at #14 on the UK Singles Chart
. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
by the R.I.A.A. in July 1972. In 1975, they had their first and only #1 song, "I Belong To You
", which spent a week at the top of the Best Selling Soul Singles Chart. It also peaked at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
/soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer Barry White
Barry White
Barry White, born Barry Eugene Carter , was an American composer and singer-songwriter.A five-time Grammy Award-winner known for his distinctive bass voice and romantic image, White's greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring...
on his albums and concert tours. They also found success with their own recordings. Formed in 1969, the group included Barry White’s future wife, Glodean James
Glodean White
Glodean B. White is an R&B singer who was married to performer Barry White. In the 1980s, White made numerous appearances on Soul Train and the Soul Train Music Awards. She was also part of the band Love Unlimited....
, her sister, Linda James, and their cousin Diane Taylor. The group disbanded in 1985, with the death of Diane Taylor.
Their first hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
was "Walking in the Rain with the One I Love
Walking in the Rain with the One I Love
Walking in the Rain with the One I Love was an R&B single in 1972 for the soul trio Love Unlimited, a studio group created by singer/producer Barry White. The main vocalists were female singers Glodean James, her sister, Linda James, and their cousin Diane Taylor...
" in 1972. It peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and #6 on the Best Selling Soul Singles Chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
. It was also successful in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, peaking at #14 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the R.I.A.A. in July 1972. In 1975, they had their first and only #1 song, "I Belong To You
I Belong to You (Love Unlimited song)
I Belong To You is a 1974 single by trio Love Unlimited, which was their only single to go to number one on the R&B chart and did so, for one week, in early 1975. It was their second and last Top 40 entry, peaking at number twenty-seven. The ballad was done in a retro girl group singing style and...
", which spent a week at the top of the Best Selling Soul Singles Chart. It also peaked at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | U.S. Certifications | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
U.S. R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
|||||
| 1972 | From A Girl's Point of View We Give to You... Love Unlimited Love Unlimited (album) - Personnel :* Love Unlimited – vocals** Glodean James** Linda James** Diane Taylor* Barry White – arrangements, producer* Gene Page – arrangements- External links :* at Allmusic* at Discogs... |
151 | 19 | — | ||
| 1973 | Under the Influence of... Love Unlimited | 3 | 3 | Gold | ||
| 1974 | In Heat In Heat (Love Unlimited album) In Heat is the third studio album by Love Unlimited. Released in 1974, the album charted at number 15 on the Soul Albums chart. The single, "I Belong To You", was a number-one hit on the Soul Singles chart in 1975.-Track listing:... |
85 | 15 | — | ||
| 1977 | He's All I've Got He's All I've Got -Track listing:... |
192 | 51 | — | ||
| 1979 | Love Is Back Love Is Back -Track listing:... |
— | 70 | — | ||
| 1997 | The Best of Love Unlimited | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart, was not released, or was not certified | ||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||||
| 1972 | "Walkin' in the Rain with the One I Love" | 14 | 6 | 14 | ||
| 1973 | "Oh Love, Well We Finally Made It" | — | 70 | — | ||
| "It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring)" | 83 | 35 | 11 | |||
| 1974 | "Under the Influence of Love" | 76 | 70 | — | ||
| 1974 | "I Belong To You I Belong to You (Love Unlimited song) I Belong To You is a 1974 single by trio Love Unlimited, which was their only single to go to number one on the R&B chart and did so, for one week, in early 1975. It was their second and last Top 40 entry, peaking at number twenty-seven. The ballad was done in a retro girl group singing style and... " |
27 | 1 | — | ||
| 1975 | "Share a Little Love in Your Heart" | — | 21 | — | ||
| 1977 | "I Did It for Love" | — | 66 | — | ||
| 1979 | "High Steppin', Hip Dressin' Fella (You Got It Together)" | — | 45 | — | ||
| 1980 | "If You Want Me, Say It" | — | 71 | — | ||
| "I'm So Glad That I'm a Woman" | — | 96 | — | |||
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart or was not released | ||||||