Barry White, “It’s Ecstasy…” | After Dark 🕛 🌃

In the 60^th edition of After Dark (2022), we explore the sensual vibes behind the 70s classic, “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me” by Barry White.   

Innuendo? More like full-on sexual vibes! Welcome to After Dark 🕛 🌃, a column featuring songs that are best suited for nighttime, specifically, the bedroom.  Many of the records featured here raise eyebrows, as well as the temperature! These After Dark tunes focus on the universal three-letter word:  SEX. The dark records gracing After Dark are old and new alike, with all genres of music welcome.  In the 60^th edition of After Dark (2022), we explore the sensual vibes behind, 🎵 “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me” by 🎙 Barry White.

Theme & Lyrics ✍

“I did not know you had me hypnotized / There’s a movement of your body dancin’ in my eyes?” Oh, snap! Deep-voiced soul singer 🎙 Barry White had no shortage of hits during an illustrious career. The lushly produced, sexy gem, 🎵 “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me”, from his 1977 album, 💿 Barry White Sings for Someone You Love, is no exception. “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me” spent 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at no. 4.  It’s worth noting, White didn’t compose “Ecstasy”; it was written by 🎼 ✍ Ekundayo Paris and 🎼 ✍ Nelson Pigford.

With “Ecstasy,” the listener gets the best of both worlds, in essence.  Clearly, the modus operandi is sex – good, old-school baby-making music! Not only does that sick groove incite body movements, the once-in-a-lifetime vocals, and suggestive lyrics serve as an utterly sublime soundtrack to sex.  “I know I had to hold you and make you mine,” White sings in the pre-chorus, continuing, “Don’t want to control you, just want to have a good time.” Yeah, doesn’t require much thought to brainstorm ways couples “have a good time.” Of course, the centerpiece is the chorus, which features those sensual, titular lyrics (“In ecstasy, when you’re layin’ down next to me”).

Final Thoughts 💭 

The lyrics, and those sensual pipes of Barry White speak for themselves on 🎵 “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me”.  What a funky disco/soul classic! Additionally, you can’t shortchange “Ecstasy” with its magnificent orchestration (John Roberts), executed to perfection by 🎙 The Love Unlimited Orchestra.

🎙 Barry White • 💿 Barry White Sings for Someone You Love • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 1977

Barry White, “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me”: After Dark 🕛 🌃 No. 60 (2022) [📷: Brent Faulkner, cottonbro, Darkmoon_Art, Eko Agalarov, JJ Whitley, Jonas Wilson, Ketut Subiyanto, KoolShooters, The Musical Hype, Pexels, Pixabay, Tazz Vaughn, UMG Recordings, Inc.]