Love Unlimited

Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, arranger, and musician Barry White (September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003) had a long career in the music business that was enormously influential in the R&B, soul, and disco genres. In the 1960s, he worked as a songwriter, producer and arranger for many records including – surprisingly – a track by Saturday morning bubblegum pop band The Banana Splits (“Doin’ the Banana Split”). In the 1970s, he became a solo star and wrote and produced many other soul/R&B artists. One of the first acts he was associated with was the female vocal trio Love Unlimited. Comprised of Glodean James (White’s future wife), her sister Linda, and their cousin Diane Taylor, the trio formed in 1969 and began working with White. After two years of perfecting their sound and style, the trio released their debut album From a Girl’s Point of View We Give to You… Love Unlimited in 1972. The album’s single “Walkin’ in the Rain with the One I Love” was a hit, reaching Number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. Their second album, Under the Influence of… Love Unlimited (1973), featured their highest charting UK single, “It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It’s Spring)”, which reached Number 11. The album reached Number 3 on the soul and pop charts, the first album by a female group to reach the Billboard Top 5 since 1970. Their 1974 album In Heat contained their biggest hit single “I Belong to You”, which hit Number 1 on the Hot R&B chart. The trio released two more albums – He’s All I’ve Got (1977) and Love Is Back (1979) – but they were met with moderate success. During their career, they also served as Barry White’s backing vocalists in the studio and on tour. The trio officially split up in 1985. Diane Taylor died of cancer on November 29, 1985 at the age of 38.