Tag: Betty Davis

Review: Betty Davis – They Say I’m Different (2023 reissue)

The cover of Betty Davis‘ second album, They Say I’m Different, shows her in a futuristic outfit with Egyptian themes, wicked boots, and holding clear glass or plastic rods for some reason. She looks like she just emerged from a spaceship designed by Sun Ra. It’s fitting because she, and this album, were so far ahead of their time (1974) that she might as well have been from another galaxy and a distant century.

Starting with the sexy, slithery, smoky “Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him,” Davis curls up next to you like a frisky cat that might nuzzle you or bite you at any moment as she sings about her plans to seduce a new lover. Mike Clark, a frequent collaborator with Herbie Hancock, puts down such a tight beat that it feels like it might burst. As if that opener wasn’t sexy enough, along comes the BDSM classic “He Was a Big Freak,” which is rumored to be about her ex-husband, Miles Davis. Whomever she sings about enjoyed Betty being a geisha, talking dirty, and being whipped with a turquoise chain. Davis’ cousin, Larry Johnson, rolls out perhaps his funkiest bass groove on the record. A nice touch is a slight reverb on Davis’ vocals now and then, reflecting the song’s subject going into his subspace meditation.

She’s already missing that freaky lover on “Your Mama Wants Ya Back,” which has a groove that has probably inspired more post-punk bands than we could count. “Don’t Call Her No Tramp” takes aim at one of Davis’ favorite subjects – her critics. The Rhodes organ riffs on it are sassy and so hot they might’ve burned the player’s fingers. Speaking of hot grooves, “Git in There” could set a dance floor on fire.

The title track has Davis looking back at her youth and the musicians who formed her tastes (i.e., T-Bone Walker, Sonny Terry, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Chuck Berry), paying them respect in phat funk currency. Davis uses the structure of blues on “70s Blues,” but spins it into 70s funk and soul. “I’m so tired of the blues,” she sings. “The blues have taken over, and they’re runnin’ my soul.” You can feel the grind of the 1970s in her voice and the solid riffs of her entire band behind her. The album ends with the jazzy, smooth “Special People,” in which Davis her lover that she’s going to give him everything she has.

The reissue of the album also includes rough mixes of “He Was a Big Freak,” “Don’t Call Her No Tramp,” “Git in There,” and “70s Blues.” Even these “rough” mixes are smoother than anything else you’ll hear today.

The whole album is like that. Davis’ whole catalogue is like that.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Betty Davis – Is It Love or Desire (2023 reissue)

Judging by that cover image, I’d say it’s both.

Judging by the music on Betty Davis‘ fourth album, Is It Love or Desire, I’d also say it’s both.

Larry Johnson‘s (one of two cousins to Ms. Davis on the record) opening bass alone on the opening title track is so damn funky that it grabs you by the shoulders, hips, or possibly nipples and doesn’t let go of you. Fred Mills‘ little keyboard touches are excited delights behind Davis’ vocals on “It’s So Good” as she sings about how good love is with her lover as the rest of the band mixes disco and metal.

“A man should not cry over one woman,” the band, and mostly Mills sings, on “Whorey Angel,” with Davis portraying a woman is both a fabulous lover and a nurturer. The track has a gospel-like quality to it that’s outstanding. “Crashin’ from Passion” was supposed to be the title track to the album, but it ended up being the title track of her final album. This version of the song is slower, sultrier, and more dangerous, like you just walked into a room and found a panther staring at you from the door on the other side.

“When Romance Says Goodbye” has Davis confessing to a friend (or the world in general) about the woes of past relationships in a stripped down ballad. “Bottom of the Barrel” has Davis and her band getting funky and calling to “take off that disco, get into what you’re hearin’.” You can easily envision Davis dancing in the rural Louisiana studio where the album was recorded as he lays down her vocal tracks.

“Ain’t no business like show business, that’s why we stay broke all the time!” Davis proclaims on “Stars Starve, You Know” – a fun skewering of Davis’ critics, record industry bigwigs, DJs who wouldn’t play her records, and people who think being a touring musician is an easy gig. On “Let’s Get Personal,” Davis invites you to do just that, whispering / seducing from one side of your speakers while the band plays on the other as if she’s beckoning you from the other side of the room.

Mills’ keyboards bring a little early synthwave to “Bar Hoppin’,” a fun song about Davis’ love of good drink and the company that often surrounds it. Nickie Neal, Jr. (Davis’ other cousin) lays down a beat that is so solid and perfect that it’s easy to think it’s simple and easy. When you really listen to it, however, you realize how in the groove it is, and that skill does not come easy. The closer, “For My Man,” has Davis again seducing us as she purrs out all the gifts (physical and material) she’d give to a man who treated her well. Listen for the violin by none other than blues legend Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown.

The only bad thing about this album is that, for reasons that are still murky due to conflicting stories, Island Records never released it. It was shelved for thirty years. Some say it was because the studio where it was recorded was never paid. Others, including Davis herself, say it was because Island wanted to release one of her songs, “Talkin’ Trash,” as a single without her approval, and Island shelved the album in retaliation. The record went mostly forgotten, and was practically an urban legend until it was rediscovered in the early 2000s and, thankfully, released into the light before Davis’ death.

It’s all-killer, no-filler. Davis mentioned how it sounds contemporary in today’s times, and she was right. The themes are still being discussed, the music is just as fresh, and Davis’ vocals are still powerful.

Don’t miss out on this unearthed treasure.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Betty Davis – Crashin’ from Passion (2023 reissue)

That cover pretty much tells you everything you need to know about Betty Davis: sexy, powerful, elegant, and yet ready to tussle at any time. It’s also somewhat of a bittersweet photo, as Crashin’ from Passion would be the last album she ever recorded before mostly disappearing into obscurity for decades and later dying February 09, 2022. She at least learned that her music had been rediscovered and that she was hailed as a Queen of Funk and influence to many.

Crashin’ was recorded with a powerhouse backing band of jazz and funk heavyweights, including The Pointer Sisters, Martha Reeves, Alphonse Mouzon, and Carlos Morales. Davis didn’t have much love for the recording industry by this point, as she’d been dropped by her previous label and the last album she’d recorded for them, Is It Love or Desire? was shelved…for thirty years. She moved to Hollywood, found some new funding for a new record, and put out the most diverse album of her career.

“Quintessence of Hip” starts off the record with a bold, funky ripper and Davis proclaiming that she “can be cooler than cool,” shouting out some of her influences (John Coltrane, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, and others), and also acknowledging her time in the spotlight might be ending (as a result of her decisions and no one else’s). “She’s a Woman” has Davis exploring dark disco and synth music. I would’ve gone nuts for a whole album of stuff like this. Mouzon’s drumming catches your attention right away on “No Good at Falling in Love,” and Davis’ vocals won’t let your attention escape as she effortlessly keeps up with him (or is it the other way around?).

The playful jazz of “Tell Me a Few Things” sounds like it could’ve been recorded yesterday, and it’s great to hear Davis being frisky (and the xylophone beats on this are a great touch). Just when you think you might know where this album is going, along comes “I’ve Danced Before” – a calypso-rock track. “You Make Me Feel So Good” is the type of track that Davis always delivers so well – a slow jam that practically makes you and your lover’s clothes fall off your bodies.

Chuck Rainey‘s bass groove on “I Need a Whole Lot of Love” is so tight and solid that it could hold down a rocket on a launch pad. “Hangin’ Out in Hollywood” is a fun tale of her new home, and “All I Do Is Think of You” is a solid disco track that should’ve been tearing up clubs in the late 1970s…but more on that later. Davis and her band go nuts on the title track, with everyone clicking together in perfection. Morales’ guitar sizzles throughout it and Rainey and Mouzon sound like they’re having a competition to out-funk the other. The closer is the soft, lush love / break-up song “You Take Me for Granted,” a poignant title as it turns out…

…because, as mentioned earlier, Davis disappeared after this record. She and the album’s mixers butted heads, her father died during all of this, and then Crashin’ was shelved, her second album in a row, for fifteen years until it was released without her permission to CD in the 1990s. Thankfully, this remastered edition had her full approval and she was able to see it (and Is It Love or Desire? for that matter) find her fans.

It’s a crime that Davis’ last two records went unheard for so long since they are so good. She didn’t have a bad album in her catalogue, and could’ve been packing houses, owning stages, experimenting with other genres, and being a coveted, cherished collaborator on others albums for the rest of her life. Instead, thanks to the record industry taking her for granted, she said, “Nah.” and walked away from all of it.

Do yourself a favor and discover her if you don’t know her.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Light in the Attic to reissue four classic Betty Davis albums – including one that’s been on the shelf for over three decades.

Photo by Mel Dixon

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Betty Davisʼ self-titled debut — an electrifying artistic statement that launched one of modern musicʼs most revolutionary figures. To celebrate the visionary singer, songwriter, producer, and fashion iconʼs broadly influential career, acclaimed reissue label Light in the Attic is revisiting four essential titles from The Queen of Funkʼs catalog: Betty Davis (1973), They Say Iʼm Different (1974), Is It Love Or Desire? (recorded in 1976, released in 2009), as well as the first-ever vinyl release of Crashinʼ From Passion, which captures Davisʼ final 1979 sessions. All four tiles were produced in close collaboration with Davis, who sadly passed away in 2022.

Betty Davis, They Say Iʼm Different, and Crashinʼ From Passion were remastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters and pressed on vinyl at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI). For the aforementioned three titles, the accompanying booklets include a treasure trove of rare photos from the era, plus lyrics, and new liner notes by writer, ethnomusicologist, and Davisʼ close friend, Danielle Maggio, who integrates interviews that she conducted with Davis, marking her last-ever interviews. They Say Iʼm Different also includes a fold-out 24×36 poster. Is It Love Or Desire? was remastered by GRAMMY®-nominated engineer John Baldwin and pressed on vinyl at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI). The album includes liner notes from journalist, DJ, and professor Oliver Wang.

Each album will be available on CD, black wax, and in a variety of exclusive color variants. All titles will be released on August 25th. Read below for more information on Davis and the individual albums.

Pre-order Betty Davis Reissues

Listen To Unearthed Single, “Crashinʼ From Passion” (from 1979ʼs Crashinʼ From Passion)

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Far ahead of her time, Queen of Funk Betty Davis (1944 – 2022) defied the limits of gender, race, and genre during her all-too-short career. She innovated with her space-age blend of funk, R&B, and blues and enraptured audiences with her raw and powerful vocals – then shocked (and awed) them with her provocative, sexually liberated lyrics. Unapologetic and independent, Davis smashed glass ceilings with gusto. To count a few, she was among the first Black models to grace the covers of Seventeen and Glamour, while later, she became the first Black woman to write, produce, and arrange her own albums.

When Davis released her self-titled debut in 1973, she was already a force in New York, London, and Los Angeles. She had opened one of NYCʼs most vibrant private nightclubs, penned songs for The Chambers Brothers and The Commodores, collaborated with Hugh Masekela, and inspired her then-husband Miles Davis to create the roots for jazz fusion on Bitches Brew. While she received numerous offers from record labels in those early years,

Davis also recognized the power of retaining control over her music. Fiercely DIY, she eventually signed a contract with Woodstock organizer Michael Langʼs Just Sunshine imprint, under which she released Betty Davis (1973) and They Say Iʼm Different (1974). In 1975, she made her major label debut under Island Records with Nasty Gal. Davis would go on to record two more albums—Is It Love Or Desire? and Crashinʼ From Passion—both of which remained unreleased for decades.

Oen relegated to cult figure status and frequently misunderstood, Davisʼ album recording career spanned less than a decade. While her music earned critical acclaim and respect from peers, it was regularly banned or disregarded, due to its sexual nature. As a Black woman in an industry controlled by white men, Davis found herself in a constant battle for creative control, oen to the detriment of her career. Never given the chance to succeed commercially, a disillusioned Davis retired from the spotlight in 1980.

From a modern lens, the path that Davis forged can be traced clearly throughout the decades, traversed by those who pushed the needle farther and fought for equality in the industry. Many of musicʼs brightest stars have counted Davis as an influence, including Prince, Erykah Badu, and Janelle Monae, while rappers like Ice Cube, Method Man, and Talib Kweli have all sampled her work. In recent years, Davis has captured a new generation of fans, thanks to the use of her songs in such series as Mixed-ish, Girlboss, Pistol, and Orange Is the New Black. In 2017, she was the subject of the acclaimed documentary, Betty: They Say I’m Different.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

WSND DJ set list: Deep Dive of Betty Davis

Thanks to all who tuned in for my funky, sexy Deep Dive of Betty Davis on WSND. Here’s the playlist.

  1. Betty Davis – Shut Off the Light
  2. B.B. King – You Upset Me Baby
  3. Big Mama Thornton – Hound Dog
  4. Jimi Hendrix – Castles Made of Sand
  5. Sly and The Family Stone – Everyday People
  6. Betty Mabry – Get Ready for Betty
  7. Betty & Roy – I’ll Be There
  8. The Chambers Brothers – Uptown
  9. Hugh Masekala – Riot
  10. Betty Davis – Live, Love, Learn
  11. Betty Davis – It’s My Life (alternate take)
  12. Miles Davis – Orbits
  13. Cream – Politican
  14. Betty Davis – Born on the Bayou
  15. Graham Central Station – It’s Alright
  16. Pointer Sisters – Yes We Can Can
  17. Tower of Power – This Time It’s Real (live)
  18. Betty Davis – Steppin’ in Her I. Miller Shoes
  19. Iggy Pop and Zig Zags – If I’m Luck I Might Get Picked Up
  20. Betty Davis – Game Is My Middle Name (requested)
  21. Betty Davis – Anti Love Song
  22. Betty Davis – They Say I’m Different
  23. Betty Davis – He Was a Big Freak (Record Plant Rough Mix)
  24. Robert Palmer – Which of Us Is the Fool
  25. Betty Davis – Dedicated to the Press
  26. Betty Davis – Is It Love or Desire
  27. Betty Davis – It’s So Good
  28. Danielle Maggio – It’s a Little Bit Hot Tonight

Next week will be a Deep Dive of a living legend – Alison Krauss. Don’t miss it!

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Betty Davis – Nasty Gal (1975)

Funk mistress Betty Davis classic 1976 album Nasty Gal has recently been remastered and re-released.  If you’re looking for a funk record, a make-out record, or a diva record – look no further.  Nasty Gal is a trifecta of all that.

The title track opens the album, and Davis comes out swinging with her proclamation to an ex-lover that she is a nasty gal, and her ex will now miss her freaky self after she leaves him for spreading lies about her.  It’s a fierce vocal performance that instantly lets you know that she wasn’t screwing around in 1976.

As if the opener wasn’t freak enough, the next track is “Talkin’ Trash,” which is all about dirty talk during freaky sex.  “Do whatever you want to do to me.  Be a freak, I don’t care.  Tell me what gets you off,” she sings while an antsy guitar churns behind her.

“Dedicated to the Press” has great slap bass propelling Davis’ takedown on 1976 media.  She feels bad that they can’t understand where she’s coming from or that they won’t join her on the ride.  “You and I” is a lovely jazz ballad about deciding to leave a lover.  “Feelins” has a fast groove that should’ve been the theme to a third Cleopatra Jones film with its “Hey!  Hey!  Hey!” chants and car chase beats.

“F.U.N.K.” has Davis giving shout-outs to Steve Wonder, Tina Turner, Al Green, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, Funkadelic, and others.  “Gettin’ Kicked Off, Havin’ Fun” has Davis purring about having a good time and encouraging a lover to not be afraid to get down with her.  The organ and bass work on “Shut Off the Light” is outstanding, and Davis’ vocals are downright intimidating as she pretty much demands a sweaty romp before bed.

The groove on “This Is It” makes you feel like a bad ass, but just know that you will never be half the bad ass Betty Davis and her crew were on this record (or any other time, really).  The album ends with one of her sexiest tunes ever – “The Lone Ranger.”  There’s not much I can write about this song that would do it justice.  I can’t guarantee that this song will get you laid, but I’d say playing it will probably improve your chances by at least fifty percent.  Davis’ voice moves around you like the hands of a masseuse and her band mixes funk and psychedelia to produce an intoxicating brew.  “Is it true that you want to hi ho my silver?” Davis asks.  Yes.  The answer to that is always “Yes.”

This is the album you wish was the soundtrack to your sex life, even if you won’t admit it.

Keep your mind open.

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Unreleased 1969 Betty Davis music now available!

betty4

File this under “Best News You’ve Heard Today.”  Jazz / soul / funk queen Betty Davis, former wife of jazz legend Miles Davis, has worked with Light in the Attic Records to remaster nine previously unreleased tracks from 1969 sessions featuring Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Mitch Mitchell, and many more rock and jazz greats.  The Columbia Years 1968-1969 is now available for pre-order.

Keep your mind open.

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