THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

153-Barry White-You’re the First, the Last, My Everything.

1974-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 0.50. It is claimed the millions of people have made love to Barry White….no wonder he died so young.

Barry White (see also best songs 560 and 476) was born Barry Eugene Carter on September 12th, 1944, in Galveston, Texas, United States. White was overweight for most of his adult life, and suffered from related health problems. While undergoing dialysis, and awaiting a kidney transplant in May 2003 he suffered a severe stroke. He died on July 4th, 2003, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, at the age of 58. His parents who never married were his father Melvin White, and his mother Sadie Carter, and it wasn’t until he started recording that he took his fathers surname. In an obituary affectionately referring to Barry White by his familiar nickname,’The Walrus of Love,’ a BBC television documentary said,’If chocolate fudge cake could sing, it would sound like Barry White.

‘You’re the First, the Last, My Everything’ was the second single released from Barry White’s third studio Album ‘Can’t Get Enough’ from August 1974, and when issued as a single in October 1974 it gave White his only UK Number 1 single, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100 it peaked at Number 2. The song was co-written by White, Peter Sterling Radcliffe, (1930-2007) and Tony Sepe, who was a frequent collaborator with White, the track was also produced by Barry White.

‘You’re the First, the Last, My Everything’ had originally started out life as a ‘Country Music’ song written around 1953 by Peter Sterling Radcliffe, which he had called ‘You’re the First, the Last, My In-Between.’ Radcliffe who had become a personal friend of Barry White had never got around to recording the song, but on hearing it White felt that with a few radical changes he could make it in to a ‘Disco’ hit. It is said that when Tone Sepe first heard the Country song with the ‘clip-clop’ of horses hooves keeping the rhythm he was shocked by White’s positive reaction. Barry White has said,’ I said Sterling, that song is a smash. Tony’s face actually changed. I said Sterling I want you to stay out of my face for the next two or three weeks, when you come back, you’re going to be part of a smash.’

Barry White changed the songs genre from ‘Country’ to ‘Disco,’ he kept the chord changes and part of Radcliffe’s melody, but he also added his own melody, and nearly all new lyrics. White has said,’I went in to the studio and made up my own melody all the way through. Half of the words in it I changed right in front of the microphone.’ It is said that when Radcliffe first heard the final result, he cried.

‘In you, I’ve found so many things, a love so new only you could bring. Can’t you see if you, you make me feel this way, you’re like a first morning dew on a brand new day.’