Taking Sides: Barry White vs Isaac Hayes

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Have you already gotten enough of his love, baaaaybeee?
and if so, do you prefer your soul hot and buttered?

Discuss.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Saturday, 24 May 2003 02:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Isaac Hayes every, every, every time.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 24 May 2003 02:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Please explain. Why, exactly, do you prefer Hayes > White.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Saturday, 24 May 2003 02:39 (twenty-two years ago)

He's cool. Barry's not.
He's smooth. Barry's fat.
He's active. Barry's fat.
He's bald. Barry's got stupid hair.
He doesn't take himself too serious. Barry is a self-important blowhard.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 24 May 2003 02:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Because of "Walk On By," that's why.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Saturday, 24 May 2003 02:46 (twenty-two years ago)

He's the king of an African country. Barry's not.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Saturday, 24 May 2003 02:47 (twenty-two years ago)

You tell me who's cooler.

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/pic200_web/drp100/p122/p12204p2xwk.jpg http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/pic200_web/drp000/p061/p06131y5m3k.jpg

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Saturday, 24 May 2003 02:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Left picture: blind bodybuilder coated in baby oil
Right picture: children's tv host on ecstasy dreaming lustfully of a giant ice cream cone.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Saturday, 24 May 2003 02:57 (twenty-two years ago)

You're right, the left hand picture is cooler.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Saturday, 24 May 2003 02:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm biased being a Memphian. When have I ever seen Barry White in Home Depot? Never. But Bubba Lee Hayes was there when I way buying a cheap grill. Yep, in his shades and african garb looking like the badass he is. Plus who else sounds so amused with themself saying "Hot Buttered Love Songs" and the double entendre "Sheet Music"? NO ONE. (sorry this was required) He's one bad motha--shut yo mouth. I'm just talkin' 'bout Bubba Lee Hayes, baby.

― Mike Salmo (salmo), Saturday, 24 May 2003 11:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Barry White's great - all his albums from that disco period are far better than you'd imagine, and he was a fantastic producer. On the other hand, Isaac Hayes wrote some of my favourite songs (When Something Is Wrong With My Baby), was part of the Stax house band, made some magnificent all-time classic albums, was a memorably iconic figure in those gold chains, made maybe the greatest original soundtrack ever and has been constantly fun in a self-parodic sense, and therefore deserves all our daily worship, so he wins.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 24 May 2003 11:38 (twenty-two years ago)

We did this before...I think it was Barry vs. Teddy Pendergrass. Barry White's Greatest Hits is better than Isaac Hayes's Greatest Hits. Isaac Hayes is fun to think about as a possible booty-gettin' assistant. Playing Barry White, on the other hand, will actually get you laid. Barry wins. Every time.

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Saturday, 24 May 2003 12:34 (twenty-two years ago)

John (oh, excuse me -- J0hn) brings up a good point.

When it comes to all things musically romantic, this is the rule:

If you just want to score, Isaac Hayes will do.
If you want her to fall in love with you, Barry White will work for you.

Me, personally, being the romantic I am, Barry White is my choice. Besides, isn't Isaac Hayes basically a one-hit wonder? At least with Barry, most people can name "Can't Get Enough of Your Love" and "You're My First, My Last, My Everything" (that latter one -- whoo baby). As for Barry's physique -- well, that's a big teddy bear physique! :)

― Dee the Lurker (Dee the Lurker), Saturday, 24 May 2003 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

But as far as getting you laid goes, Al Green beats them both.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Saturday, 24 May 2003 14:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Dee, Isaac only had one big hit (he got to #10 in the UK with Disco Connection too), but that's not a perfect measure of musical worth. He had a few widely-revered albums.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 24 May 2003 15:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Man...Barry White does not have an album sleeve like " Black Moses"
nor did he appear in "Truck Turner". The musical arguments were already a given.

― Rem Lezar, Saturday, 24 May 2003 19:45 (twenty-two years ago)

issac hayes. hands down.
he can arrange. he can sing. stax. hell, it may be unpopular, but chef.

― big d (big d), Saturday, 24 May 2003 21:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Anybody sez Barry White can't arrange has lost they mind, B. White's arrangements are the BOMB. What's more, his outtakes from that PSA he did are completely hilarious.

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Saturday, 24 May 2003 21:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Fucking a, ISAAC HAYES IS CHEF, HOW CAN YOU SIDE AGAINST HIM? Plus "Walk On By" and "By The Time I Get to Phoenix" and for god's sake "Shaft"!!!! What the fuck?

― Ally (mlescaut), Sunday, 25 May 2003 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Definitely Hayes. He beats Mr. White in almost every category, ie Barry's got the better voice. How many songs did Isaac write at Stax? Like a bizillion?

― oops (Oops), Sunday, 25 May 2003 00:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Isaac Hayes as chef is, in a holistic sense, exactly why he LOSES. Barry White. Kapow (see my drunken posts on the ILE 'long game' thread). both are awesome - I don't feel that this is even a competition that shd be brought up (more appropriate perhaps - Marvin Gaye vs. John Lennon) but in any case I think Barry wins. The funny part about it is I actually like Hayes' music better. He just happens to be a slut.

― Millar (Millar), Sunday, 25 May 2003 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I hear you, Ally, I'm not saying I don't like Isaac Hayes. I just think Barry's got the better tunes. And the Love Unlimited Orchestra.

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Sunday, 25 May 2003 00:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't really like the fact that he's chef either--it's kinda like if James Brown played the Fonz (now THERE'S a TV show), but I'm not gonna hold it against him.

― oops (Oops), Sunday, 25 May 2003 00:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Holy shit, if James Brown played the Fonz I'd probably die of happiness.

― Ally (mlescaut), Sunday, 25 May 2003 00:19 (twenty-two years ago)

We did this before...I think it was Barry vs. Teddy Pendergrass.
Yes. Yes, I remember that. And while everybody else kept bickering about Barry White and Teddy Pendergrass, I kept posting photos of Isaac Hayes and singing his praises. But I lapsed in my faith for some reason and needed to be reconvinced of the primacy and divinity of the Great Immortal Hayesness.

[Hayes] just happens to be a slut.
I'm suddenly picturing Hayes in prom dress and smeared mascara, crying on the bathroom floor and screaming "...y-y-you BEAST!"

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Sunday, 25 May 2003 00:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Hayes named one of his songs 'Buns o Plenty'. You can't front on that. And the piano from 'Lost that Lovin' Feeling' is one of my all-time favs.

― oops (Oops), Sunday, 25 May 2003 00:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Isaac makes/made rather more variously exhilarating music, methinks
Barry did have his one cool trick and ...erm, that was it

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Sunday, 25 May 2003 00:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't really like Isaac's "Walk On By."

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 25 May 2003 03:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Isaac Hayes all the way.

The parallels are amazing, though. Hot in the 70's, then fading in the 80's and releasing some wack albums, then a rebirth in the mid-90's, followed by legendary status.

Hayes was better than White in the 70's, not as awful as Baz in the 80's, and his 90's comeback has also been bigger than White's.

The one thing Isaac has that Baz doesn't is grit. White is a gritty as a pail of lard. And Hayes is a man that will be there the next morning for his lady, while Baz's lady would have long kicked him out of bed after she realized what a gorilla he was.

― blutroniq (blutroniq), Sunday, 25 May 2003 06:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't really like Isaac's "Walk On By."

Yes, but on the Smiths thread, I think we established that you're a stinkin' commie pinko. So you don't count. Except for when you do.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Sunday, 25 May 2003 06:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I love America!

http://www.yakov.com/images/shoImg1.jpg

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 25 May 2003 07:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't think I can anymore

― oops (Oops), Sunday, 25 May 2003 07:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Every time I hear the extended, cinematic intro to "Walk On By," I think of the Robyn Byrd Show (New Yorkers will recognize her name). She used to play that and Jean-Michele Jarre during her show (along with her signature `choon, "Baby Let Me Bang Your Box.")

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 25 May 2003 11:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I find it a little alarming you've watched Robyn Byrd enough to figure out what tunes she likes, Alex.

― Ally (mlescaut), Sunday, 25 May 2003 19:10 (twenty-two years ago)

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