LOVE UNLIMITED: Did Barry White copy Holland Dozier Holland?

Have any of you noticed the incredible similarities between The Supremes' "I Hear A Symphony" and the Love Unlimited, Barry White-penned song "It May Be Winter Outside [[But In My Heart It's Spring)"? If not, check it out...

I recently purchased the new Love Unlimited CD "The UNI, MCA, and 20th Century Records Singles, 1972-1975," and as I was re-acquainting myself with the group and their hits, I was kinda bowled over by the likeness between the Supremes / HDH classic and the Love Unlimited song. I mean... WOW!!! It is a wonder that Barry White wasn't sued by Holland Dozier Holland and their publishers. [[The similarities between these songs is much greater than some where lawsuits have been filed and millions of dollars paid out!) Check it out...

For the record, the Love Unlimited CD is really, really, really good. I recall enjoying the group back in the day; I had a couple of their albums, though it has literally been decades since I have listened to Love Unlimited. I was missing out... Good girl-group sound. The CD is highly recommended.

Close but not exactly. Same Supremes album, though. Winter is a sound-alike of Everthing's Good About You. Yeah, I wondered why Motown never did anything about it. Love both but Everything's Good has the edge.

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Originally Posted by lucky2012

Close but not exactly. Same Supremes album, though. Winter is a sound-alike of Everthing's Good About You. Yeah, I wondered why Motown never did anything about it. Love both but Everything's Good has the edge.

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Agreed those two songs are more of a sound alike

"It May Be Winter Outside [[But In My Heart It's Spring)" - Barry White started it for Felice Taylor, late sixties.

Barry White admired HDH,at one point even calling them his "deans". If you're aware of the inner workings of how his music came to be and how he learned,then you know the late master arranger Gene Page. Gene was BW's right arm musically. In the sixties when Gene did an arrangement for HDH, he invited Barry to the session to watch and observe. He was also a huge Motown fan in general and was close with Berry Gordy. So while I agree the songs sound alike, imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

1.Listen to " Honey Please, Can't You See". You'll hear how Barry had Ed Greene play the "Motown Beat". Listen to the signature pickup as BW starts to sing.

2.Listen to "I Love To Sing The Songs I Sing". It's basically a Motown/Detroit record made in California. He chose the classic Motor City period,even having Ed Greene imitate Benny Benjamin to almost a tee.

Barry just loved Motown like many of us and that was enough for those who inspired him. Just my point of view.

Barry White first recorded and released It May Be Winter Outside on Felice Taylor in early 1967.

This was years before his 70's mega-success with his own music and the female trio Love Unlimited. The song was on Love Unlimited's album

Under the Influence...

a lush, romantic album that included Love's Theme by the Love Unlimited Orchestra. It is a gorgeous production by Barry White.

Felice Taylor's single release was simpler but I immediately recognized the melody. People thought she was deliberately imitating the Supremes [[this was a few months before they became Diana Ross & The Supremes). I remember thinking that if she was it was not a very good imitation. :) I do remember a writer in a magazine or paper asking the question "What does the Supremes' Diana Ross think of Felice Taylor? or better yet, what does Motown think of the whole situation?!"

Revered music arranger Gene Page is given credit for helping and guiding Barry White [[who couldn't read or write music, at least in the early years). Apparently, Gene took Barry to a recording session where Holland-Dozier-Holland was cutting Forever Came Today for Diana Ross & the Supremes.

Gene Page is legendary. Among his credits for hundreds of recordings, he was Phil Spector's arranger on You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling by the Righteous Brothers. I thank him for the gorgeous arrangement of Diana Ross' I thought It Took a Little Time [[But Today I Fell in Love).

When I first heard the Love Unlimited song, I started singing along with it in my head, but was singing Everything Is Good About You.

I dont remember this Felice Taylor song, but just did a search, listened to it and again it reminded me of EVERYTHING. The sound was a definate Motown copy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blZTkzPUFtE