No Condition Is Permanent

Pictured: Barry White.

Barry White formed Love Unlimited—a girl group that featured Diane Taylor, Linda James, and Glodean James plus a forty-piece backing orchestra—in 1969, and the band recorded its first chart hit in the spring of 1972 with “Walkin’ in the Rain with the One I Love.” The following summer, the Texas-born White released the group’s second album, Under the Influence of…, deploying a lush, orchestrated aesthetic that suggests that, in tandem with the material emerging from Philadelphia International, the sonic symphonic had become a national phenomenon. Even though it was recorded as an album filler, “Love’s Theme” provided a particularly stunning example of the new aesthetic, but 20th Century had other promotional priorities for the six-foot-three-inch, 270-pound White, who was simultaneously establishing himself as a major independent recording artist in his own right, having notched up hits with “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby,” “I’ve Got So Much to Give,” and “Never, Never Gonna Give You Up.” Then, however, David Rodriguez and Nicky Siano paid a visit to Billy Smith, the label’s East Coast promotion under-assistant. “We went down into the basement and saw the Love Unlimited album on the shelf,” says Siano. “Billy said, ‘These are dead albums waiting to be trashed,’ and David replied, ‘They’ve got black people on the cover—give them to us!’ David and I started playing ‘Love’s Theme’ and it took off from there.” Realizing he had nothing to lose, Smith distributed free copies of the LP to New York’s leading DJs, and, when demand spiraled, “Love’s Theme” was released as a single by the renamed Love Unlimited Orchestra. By February 1974 it had reached number one.” ‘Love’s Theme’ was in the top twenty before it even got any airplay,” says Siano. “The power we had was phenomenal!”

— Tim Lawrence, Love Saves The Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-1979.

LISTEN TO EPISODE 411 OF NO CONDITION IS PERMANENT:

DOWNLOAD EPISODE 411 OF NO CONDITION IS PERMANENT BY CLICKING ON THE THREE DOTS /\

Here’s what we played in Ep. 411 of No Condition Is Permanent:

FIRST SLICE O’SCHEIßE…

The Love Unlimited Orchestra — “Love’s Theme” — Under the Influence of Love Unlimited

Segun Bucknor — “La La La (Hard Version) (Part1)” — Poor Man No Get Brother: Assembly & Revolution 1969-1975

Johnny Barakat And The Vestells — “Surf Madness” — Rare Surf Vol. 3: Johnny Fortune & Johnny Barakat And The Vestells

The Hornets — “Jelingan Mu” — Psyche Oh! A Go Go: Lost Gems Of Malaysia/Singapura Pop Music ’64-’74

Gregory Dee and the Avanties — “Olds-Mo-William” — The Big Hits Of Mid-America: The Soma Records Story 1963-1967

Lee Perry & The Upsetters — “Jungle Lion” — The Complete UK Upsetter Singles Collection Vol. 4

The Charles Blackwell Orchestra — “Midnight In Luxembourg” — From Taboo To Telstar: 1962 A Year In The Life Of 304 Holloway Road (Joe Meek’s Tea Chest Tapes)

Afrosound & Wilson Saoko — “Ponchito de Colores” — Homenaje a Polibio Mayorga Vol. 6

IT’S MADISON TIME…

Amilcar — “Wargasm In Pornotopia” — Jubilee OST

SECOND SLICE O’SCHEIßE…

Esquires Ltd — “Theme From Shaft” — Cult Cargo: Grand Bahama Goombay

The Trashmen — “A-Bone” — Garrett 45rpm

Orquesta Akokán — “Doña Felipa” — Caracoles

Jack Bruce — “Never Tell Your Mother She’s Out of Tune” — Songs For A Tailor

Ahmed Malek — “La La La” — Musique Originale De Films: Deuxième Tome (Habibi Funk 027)

The Undertones — “Really Really” — The Undertones

The Revolutionaries — “Garvey Dub” — Dub Explosion: 22 Roots Classics

Gene Russell’s Trio — “Doin’ The Snake Hips” — Eccentric Soul: Consolidated Productions Vol. 1

Los Wembler’s De Iquitos — “El Intutero” — La Danza Del Petrolero

THIRD SLICE O’SCHEIßE…

Varetta Dillard — “Scorched” — Exotica, Popcorn & Stompers!! Vol. 2

Jack Costanzo — “Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen” — Mr. Bongo

The Personals — “Dance All Night” — Ho-Dad Hootenanny Too!

Los Shains — “Tirando Dedo” — Sons Of Yma: A Collection of Peruvian Garage and Instrumental Bands from the ’60s!

The Kinks — “Till The End Of The Day” — The Kinks EP’s [mono]

Masao Yagi — “Zenka Onna Koroshibushi M-12” — Killing Melody: Instrumental Music From Japanese Pinky Violence Movies

The Gories — “Hidden Charms” — House Rockin’

Rico Rodriguez — “Japanese Invasion” — Full Up: Bunny “Striker” Lee – Early Reggae Productions 1968-72

The High Numbers — “I’m the Face” — Having a Rave-Up! The British R&B Sounds of 1964

Goblin — “La Via Della Droga” — Beretta 70: Roaring Themes from Thrilling Italian Police Films

THE FINAL SLICE O’SCHEIßE…

The Red Callender Sextet — “Voodoo” — Jukebox Mambo: Rumba and Afro-Latin Accented Rhythm & Blues 1949-1960

Horace Andy — “Good Vibes / Dub Vibes” — Good Vibes (1975-1979)

The Velvet Underground — “Guess I’m Falling In Love [Instrumental Version]” — Another View

Fela Ransome-Kuti & His Koolalobitos — “Se E Tun De” — Lagos Baby 1963-1969

Tony Alvon & The Belairs — “Sexy Coffee Pot” — Soulin’ Vol. 3

Very Be Careful — “El Escape” — Salad Buey

The Only Ones — “This Ain’t All  (It’s Made To Be)” — Even Serpents Shine

LORD BUCKLEY’S WEEKLY BENEDICTION…

Anandji Kalyanji — “Bombay 405 Miles” — Bombay The Hard Way: Guns, Cars & Sitars

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