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The Music

The debut album, Betty Davis ~ 1973:

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They Say I'm Different - 1974:

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Nasty Gal - 1975:

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Is It Love Or Desire - 1976 (Unreleased until 2009 where it saw an official release at last):

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For unreleased Betty, hit http://prince.org/msg/8/344190

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Pictures:

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Betty Davis Quotes:

~

"My whole family is musical. My grandmother's got a valuable record collection - B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, Elmore James and all those people. I know some english guitarist who would love to get their hands on it."

~

"I've been writing music since i was 12. I wrote the song 'I'm Going To Bake That Cake Of Love' back then"

~

"I didn't like modelling because you didn't need brains to do it. It's only going to last as long atr you look good"

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"I believe in being taken seriously, not coasting on my husband's name. I could always have recorded with Arista Record's Clive Davis or Atlantic Record's Ahmet Ertegun, but i would never truly know if i were being humoured because i was Miles' wife"

~

"I know that whenever Miles recorded something he would let me hear it and ask my opinion. If i said the bass needed to be up, he would turn it up. He always took my advice"

~

"I was having a dinner party in New York and Miles was out of town working and Jimi Hendrix came to the dinner party. Miles called the house because he knew Jimi was going to be there. They spoke to each other over the phone and Miles had some music he wanted Jimi to read, but Jimi couldn't read music. Miles didn't know Jimi couldn't read music, but i don't know why Jimi went and got the music when he couldn't read it."

~

"Me and Miles didn't live happily ever after. We did have a lot of good times though, i learned a lot from him."

~

"The Commodores went into Motown with my songs that i taught them and That's how they got the deal. They also wanted me, but i couldn't work out a deal with Motown. They wanted everything...my publishing, they wanted writers money. It meant giving up everything, practically. We went from a seven song deal to a one song deal and we couldn't even work out a one song deal."

~

"I'd sing the bassline for Larry Graham. Like i'd sound like a bass, then he'd pick it up and play it. After that, it'd be the guitar. Hershall would just pick up the chords of the song"

~

"I'm me and i'm different; my music is just another level of funk. I love Tina Turner, but we are two totally different people. The same with Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, Larry Graham and Stevie Wonder. We all make your fingers pop, but for different reasons....so don't compare me"

~

"Before i decided to work, i really thought about it seriously because people only see the surface part of the music business, they don't know what's going off behind the scenes and it's not all glamour....I know a lot of musicians and i know what they've gone through and i know a lot of pain that they've gone through, so i really wanted to get through into the business the right way. I had to know this is what i want to do and this is why i want to do it"

~

"What people need to realise is that there are all levels of blacks. We are not all doctors, nurses, lawyers and social workers. That man standing on 116th in Harlem selling cocaine is a real man, a pusher; and you can't put that under the rug. Those girls standing in the doorways on Broadway and 46th street are valid; they're out there existing - they're also black. Regardless of what they all stand for or what they're doing, they're valid."

~

"I used to pack 'em in. Richard Pryor and Muhammed Ali came to see me. My parents too. My mum thought i was good. I thought i was a good performer. I delivered my songs well."

~

"I'm not about to 'clean' my music up. If you do something that's purely creative, that's coming from your insides, people may accept it or they won't. What i'm doing is really me and it's honest. If i wanted to be commercial and get a top 40 hit, i could. But i think there are enough commercial people out there already. I want to do something different and being creative is a big challenge whereas being commercial isn't."

~

"Too many people only recognise your talent after you're dead when it don't do you any good. I knew Jimi Hendrix and it's a shame young blacks didn't get into him until after he died. But that's the kind of thing that happens a lot when you're ahead of your time."

~

"I fight for what's honest. Take Island records, who i'm not with anymore. They wanted to cover up my legs and hair. They said on the next album i do, no legs....The music business is the sleaziest business in the world. They'll look at you and tell you you're great and then they'll do something to try and stop you....Record companies will kill you."

~

"Everybody's fucked up emotionally - me and all the men i know...i don't want to be hassled, i can't deal with stupid shit anymore because it'll drive you crazy. I can't be shaking my ass for the rest of my life. I don't want to die up there of a heart attack"

~

"The business i'm in killed one of my friends (Jimi Hendrix). I saw what performing did to Miles...those that don't die physically, die emotionally. It's hard to keep it together personally. You have to give yourself to the public in pieces and by the time you get through giving the pieces away, you don't know who you are."

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Interviews:

Rare 70's interview - http://www.youtube.com/wa...UmD3MNPGBk

1st radio interview in 30 years, 2009 - http://www.maximumfun.org...davis.html

2008, Indyweek - http://www.indyweek.com/i...id=1207179

The Guardian/Observer on the new “Bitches Brew” reissue - http://www.guardian.co.uk...ew-reissue

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Add to it if you can, i will ENJOY.

[Edited 9/23/10 17:16pm]

[Edited 10/21/10 8:37am]

[Edited 10/21/10 8:40am]

oh man... you missed my interview with her from last year!

http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/the-beautiful-dichotomy-of

might dig my ingrid chavez piece too

http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/ingrid-chavez-wears-indie-well

Thanks again, Wetdream! I just thanked you on Timmy's thread for posting the radio interview link on Betty Davis. I haven't listened to her since the '70s. When I found out her records were re-mastered on CD I ran out and bought her self-titled album. Keep the videos and interviews coming! I'm so in love with her music again!

hayesmusicdesign said:

oh man... you missed my interview with her from last year!

http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/the-beautiful-dichotomy-of

might dig my ingrid chavez piece too

http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/ingrid-chavez-wears-indie-well

Hey, that's why i said add to it! There are a few more.

Anyway, this is an amazing interview and extremely promising for new Betty! I kinda was wishing you pushed her on the new music subject, she needs all the encouragement possible, it's been a year since new interviews etc, she could of lost it again. Light In The Attic are being quiet too, i've been a Betty terrorist on their site and Facebook page lol.

If anybody thinks they have a rare interview, post it!

Thanks Hayes, one of the best, you should of done the radio interview!

purplethunder3121 said:

Thanks again, Wetdream! I just thanked you on Timmy's thread for posting the radio interview link on Betty Davis. I haven't listened to her since the '70s. When I found out her records were re-mastered on CD I ran out and bought her self-titled album. Keep the videos and interviews coming! I'm so in love with her music again!

No problem.

Yeah, Light In The Attic re-mastered them from 2007 - '09. They went through countless hours of work trying to get access to masters, defeat any Legal obstacles, research, find Betty and then get her permission etc. They are a great example of how a label should be.

I, and hopefully others, will keep em coming. Glad you enjoy, she deserves the biggest recognition.

WetDream said:

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cool post, thanx, and i almost didn't recognise her here. What a difference a hairdoo makes lol.

Shango said:

WetDream said:

[img:$uid]http://i52.tinypic.com/29625x5.png[/img:$uid]

cool post, thanx, and i almost didn't recognise her here. What a difference a hairdoo makes lol.

Miles said she was the one helped change his fashion from suits to leather vests and bell bottoms, turned him on to Jimi Hendrix, and inspired the music he wrote on Miles Smiles, Live Evil, Bitches Brew, and On The Corner.

[Edited 9/24/10 9:26am]

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diamondpearl1 said:

Shango said:

cool post, thanx, and i almost didn't recognise her here. What a difference a hairdoo makes lol.

Miles said she was the one helped change his fashion from suits to leather vests and bell bottoms, turned him on to Jimi Hendrix, and inspired the music he wrote on Miles Smiles, Live Evil, Bitches Brew, and On The Corner.

[Edited 9/24/10 9:26am]

Thanks for them.

MARVA KING (of Prince) performing If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up:

Pretty good. A bit out of tempo and obviously can't stand up to the original, but take it for what it is.

Betty should produce her!

A friend of mine loaned me Betty's first 3 albums on CD the other night.....................Jesus H Christ, this is some of the rawest, nastiest funk that I've ever heard!!!!!!

I've got nearly all of Miles Davis' albums and knew his 2nd wife Betty had recorded a couple of albums but never bothered to hunt them down as I just thought that they'd be jazzy mellow stuff....how wrong was I!!!!!!

Then I heard Anti Love Song on a compilation and thought, mmmm that's nasty, I'll have to see if I can find some of her other stuff and my mate had the reissues on CD.

I can't get enough of her now!!!!!

SuperFunk59 said:

A friend of mine loaned me Betty's first 3 albums on CD the other night.....................Jesus H Christ, this is some of the rawest, nastiest funk that I've ever heard!!!!!!

I've got nearly all of Miles Davis' albums and knew his 2nd wife Betty had recorded a couple of albums but never bothered to hunt them down as I just thought that they'd be jazzy mellow stuff....how wrong was I!!!!!!

Then I heard Anti Love Song on a compilation and thought, mmmm that's nasty, I'll have to see if I can find some of her other stuff and my mate had the reissues on CD.

I can't get enough of her now!!!!!

Hahaha

That's what i want this thread to do. A surprising amount of funk/music enthusiasts haven't heard her stuff and i think that's a crime because of the reasons you said.

I'm still rooting for her to comeback in some form....got my fingers crossed.

I'm amazed that I've never heard of this woman until folks on the org started bring her up.

Hard 2 believe.

WetDream said:

SuperFunk59 said:

A friend of mine loaned me Betty's first 3 albums on CD the other night.....................Jesus H Christ, this is some of the rawest, nastiest funk that I've ever heard!!!!!!

I've got nearly all of Miles Davis' albums and knew his 2nd wife Betty had recorded a couple of albums but never bothered to hunt them down as I just thought that they'd be jazzy mellow stuff....how wrong was I!!!!!!

Then I heard Anti Love Song on a compilation and thought, mmmm that's nasty, I'll have to see if I can find some of her other stuff and my mate had the reissues on CD.

I can't get enough of her now!!!!!

Hahaha

That's what i want this thread to do. A surprising amount of funk/music enthusiasts haven't heard her stuff and i think that's a crime because of the reasons you said.

I'm still rooting for her to comeback in some form....got my fingers crossed.

I have a funny feeling she MAY come back... it's just a matter of time I think until she hears enough praise to go "let me go back and let them people know where performers get all their mojo from".

Graycap23 said:

I'm amazed that I've never heard of this woman until folks on the org started bring her up.

Hard 2 believe.

WetDream said:

Graycap23 said:

I'm amazed that I've never heard of this woman until folks on the org started bring her up.

Hard 2 believe.

Our mission is winning, Timmy! Glad you found love for Betty.

I own damn near every black album from 1970 onward................I can't believe she escaped my grasp.

Timmy84 said:

WetDream said:

Hahaha

That's what i want this thread to do. A surprising amount of funk/music enthusiasts haven't heard her stuff and i think that's a crime because of the reasons you said.

I'm still rooting for her to comeback in some form....got my fingers crossed.

I have a funny feeling she MAY come back... it's just a matter of time I think until she hears enough praise to go "let me go back and let them people know where performers get all their mojo from".

Yeah. Check the interview Hayes posted and the podcast, she says she's thinking about it and has been writing.

In the podcast, she states that she probably won't wanna sing as much, but more, write and produce for others. That's what i think may be best, but aslong as she does something herself sparsely too....It would be interesting to see what she sounds like now and where she'd take her sound.

WetDream said:

Graycap23 said:

I'm amazed that I've never heard of this woman until folks on the org started bring her up.

Hard 2 believe.

Our mission is winning, Timmy! Glad you found love for Betty.

It is. Glad you discovered her, Gray.

WetDream said:

Timmy84 said:

I have a funny feeling she MAY come back... it's just a matter of time I think until she hears enough praise to go "let me go back and let them people know where performers get all their mojo from".

Yeah. Check the interview Hayes posted and the podcast, she says she's thinking about it and has been writing.

In the podcast, she states that she probably won't wanna sing as much, but more, write and produce for others. That's what i think may be best, but aslong as she does something herself sparsely too....It would be interesting to see what she sounds like now and where she'd take her sound.

True. I'm anxious to see what she's going to do.

Timmy84 said:

WetDream said:

Our mission is winning, Timmy! Glad you found love for Betty.

It is. Glad you discovered her, Gray.

Gotta love the org and folks who actually know something about music.

Graycap23 said:

Timmy84 said:

It is. Glad you discovered her, Gray.

Gotta love the org and folks who actually know something about music.

Nasty Gal LP blasting through the speakers now... YOWWWW-SA!

[Edited 9/24/10 16:42pm]

F.U.N.K.!

Graycap23 said:

Timmy84 said:

It is. Glad you discovered her, Gray.

Gotta love the org and folks who actually know something about music.

purplethunder3121 said:

Nasty Gal LP blasting through the speakers now... YOWWWW-SA!

[Edited 9/24/10 16:42pm]

Nasty Gal is probably the rawest, nastiest funk album made. If i'm misinformed, anybody, then please try to correct me, but that album just blows my sound systems up!

I can only think of few rivals, such as Prince's Black Album....but that gets very complicated in it's structures (not a bad thing) whereas Nasty Gal is stripped down, simplicity funk. It's pure.

[Edited 9/24/10 17:29pm]

Whoa, those are some sexy pics of her! Love her music, especially Nasty Gal

thekidsgirl said:

Whoa, those are some sexy pics of her! Love her music, especially Nasty Gal

She was nice, for sure.

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[Edited 5/16/11 14:21pm]

After hearing Nasty Gal, I ordered They Say I'm Different and Is It Love Or Desire. Can't get enough of that raw down-and-dirty funk! Wonder what she sounds like now...

purplethunder3121 said:

After hearing Nasty Gal, I ordered They Say I'm Different and Is It Love Or Desire. Can't get enough of that raw down-and-dirty funk! Wonder what she sounds like now...

Have you heard them? If not, i wish i was you!

We may never know what she sounds like unfortunately, but a lot of people are trying with her. Even hardcore fans like myself are trying via nagging labels etc. Never underestimate the power of a fan, after all, it was a fan that tracked down Betty after years of her reclusive behaviour (her old label couldn't even find her!). I'm trying to get a few people on her case....but in the words of Betty herself, spoken last year: "We'll see."