Barry White – The 20th Century Records Albums (1973-1979)

Excellent boxset... with this many LPs it could have gone horribly wrong but my pre covid example is pressed very well across each disc which also sounds quite too. I always loved the first 4 BW albums bit didnt realise just how much quality music he/they made afterwards. Highly recommended

Some foolish gaff's by UMG (Mercury sub to Virgin-EMI I kid you not)
1. When is a slip case a box? = It isn't a " box" has a lid
2. The Can't Get Enough Album spine stands out because it's a replica of the UK Pye 20th C spine with the white box (the USA album was all blue) it looks awful but a matching blue felt pen corrects this trust me
3. Let the music play labels have the euro polygram inlocked circles with ST and 33 in them the USA albums never carried this style of text/logo looks awful all the USA albums had "stereo" and 33 1/3 on them.
4. Barry White Sings For Someone You Love sleeve is wrong on three counts, i. the locket on the original USA album is embossed and opens out revealing a picture of Barry in side ii There was also a USA light brown/cream fur sleeve iii. There was also a USA grey fur sleeve (the locket should have been embossed and open and two 11 X 11 prints of the light brown/cream and grey sleeves included.
5. the set albums should never have had bar codes on the sleeves (as the standard single albums have)
6. besides the card finish 20th C inner sleeves EVERY album should have come in a heavy duty poly-lined die-cut white sleeve.
7. It is quite shameful that there is no booklet with basic info about neach album date of release chart placings sales, and MOST IMPORTANTLY that the original master tapes were shipped to Abbey Road where they were lovingly re-mastered and tweaked re-eq'd (they needed it Barry had an issue with bass and was always flat/way down in the mixes,) who did the new mixes what did they do etc etc

UMG wants to sell this at £100+ well just 9 albums with Euro phone number cat numbers and bar codes and not correct labels or sleeve finishes, just does not quite hit the spot and for an exta £5 a booklet would have been worth it, session details who were the session guys, info re Gene Page, Frank and Larry would have all been welcome (note that Barry did not mention one word about Gene in his autobiography, Gene was 50% of the creation of Soul Unlimited and the amazing orchestrations!)

Note a Box set of the Orchestra albums is out 29/03/19 BUT only on the CD format they need to all come out on remasterd vinyl not just three of them!

UMG could do an A&M set "The Right Night" "The Man Is Back" "Put Me In Your Mix" "Love Is The Icon" (LITI only had two territory vinyl releases Greece and Brazil) and ALL the A&M A&M Breakout and A&M-PM 12" singles and the various exclusive and mostly promo mixes)

Wonder if Sony Music will touch the Unlimited Gold Years (not so sure when the Orchestra "Rise" album great amazing sleeve knockout, but alarmingly the rear states "thanks to the Casio Family" hmmmm.

Barry can do no wrong in my eyes.................................................just sadly his custodiaons..
come on BMG we need Staying Power as a vinyl Pressing and Warner Bros. sort out Basket Ball Jones