It's sometimes HARD to believe she was still only 20 when she wrote this/put this out! Betty's an underrated genius!

Timmy84 said:

And for reason, I preferred the studio version than the live one


Just wish it was a lil longer like the live version
[Edited 8/13/09 18:31pm]

funkpill said:

The LP version was 4 minutes I believe. It didn't have that famous UMPH UMPH PURE LOVE bridge tho.

Hey, Funkpill, remember when I said that Betty Wright was only 11 when she began her secular career?

Well I've found out info her first recordings DID come out prior to "Girls Can't Do What Guys Do" in 1968. Her first single was "Thank You Baby", released in 1966. "Paralyzed" was her second single released that year.

I'm just speechless, she was only TWELVE and she sounded like she was THIRTY:



Everybody keeps talking about how Michael Jackson "sounded so grown up" at 12 but here was BETTY WRIGHT at that age singing like she was thirty and acting like she was thirty LITERALLY! 12 years old sounding like a GROWN WOMAN!
[Edited 8/13/09 18:41pm]

Nevermind, I just found out that she incorporated her 1970 hit "Pure Love" into the live version of "Tonight is the Night"!
[Edited 8/13/09 18:51pm]

Timmy84 said:

Was just about to mention that

funkpill said:

I'm listening to that right now.

http://www.imeem.com/arti...p-version/

I'm still speechless that she was singing this and she had yet graduated from high school. How many 16-year-olds you knew who were in show business doing this?! Betty Wright was a true child prodigy.

yup

funkpill said:

I guess it's like the Five Stairsteps, she never did "bubblegum music", which kinda has me scratching my head why Berry Gordy wanted to baby the Jacksons.

ummm

funkpill said:

Don't laugh y'all, but this is the first time that I have heard this version...I always heard the live version...

shorttrini said:

No need. It's rare to hear the original version.

My favorite is the live version....

Everybody....think back....to your very....first....time
Now I'm gonna give y'all a little while longer
Because I know that SOME OF Y'ALL have to think back a little FURTHER than others
Come on now, y'all need to play catch up
I don't want y'all getting to the end of my song and saying
OH YEAH....NOW I REMEMBER

vainandy said:

That rap was funny especially the part where she mimics her God-fearing mother:

"'Uh, I like the music
You know, baby, the melody is really nice
BUT I KNOW YOU NOT GONNA SING THAT SONG!'"

shorttrini said:

The live version is much more popular.To this day,I hear it all the time on the oldies R&B stations.They never play the "regular" version.

Ironically,the live version may not really be "live" at all.There are rumors that Betty's 1978 'Live' album was actually recorded in a studio with her band,with the crowd noises/applause dubbed in later.

SoulAlive said:

Kinda like, Elton's "Bennie and the Jets", which was not live at all.

SoulAlive said:

If you listen to the album closely, you can tell it's not live. Especially "You Can't See For Looking", "Loving Is Really My Game" and "Clean Up Woman". It's so evident when you listen to the overdubs. It sounds like she is playing in some HUGE arena. I don't recall seeing where it was recorded in the credits.

Millie Jackson is constantly saying how Betty Wright is a trailblazer in music. Especially how she started her own record label after getting screwed by TK and Epic. She figured out that she makes more money selling a few albums.

shorttrini said:

I don't think that was ever marketed as a "live" recording. Was it?

Lmao this song is so fuckin tired.. Great song but this track is like an old drag queen tired and crabby

daPrettyman said:

I don't think that it was ever marketed as a live track, but a few people do think that it is live. I have stripped away the "live" effects, and without them, the track just sits there.

IAintTheOne said:

Ness, searching is fundamental.

http://prince.org/msg/8/316398

I posted a BW thread. Waiting for your reply.

daPrettyman said:

Yeah,the credits don't list any venue or city where it was recorded.I wonder why they felt the need to "fake it" and pass it off as a live album? Betty can obviously sing,and she and her band could have easily performed this show at a small theatre.

My theory is,her label was being cheap,trying to cut corners In the late 70s,live albums were extremely popular so they quickly decided that Betty should have one.But instead of sending her out on tour,they saved money by recording it in a studio,then adding fake crowd noises,lol.A year or so later,TK Records went bankrupt,which proves that they were indeed having some financial difficulties.