Betty Davis: powerful black woman

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

Light in the attic/seattle has reissued her 1st to lps on cd--- self titled, and her followup THEY SAY I'M DIFFERENT, which is the crazier of the two, and the one i bought today. the song 'he was a big freak' is all about miles and how kinky he was. it is completely insane intergallactic funk

[sidewinder]

'he was a big freak' is all about miles and how kinky he was.

Didn't Miles claim that it was actually about Hendrix (and then say that in any case she was the biggest freak of all)?

[jazzbo]

Somehow I've always pictured Betty messin' with a few heads in a "You're so Vain you probably think this song is about you" sort of way.

[jazzbo]

Nice article:

http://www.seattleweekly.com/2007-05-02/mu...n-the-attic.php

[sidewinder]

Nice article:

http://www.seattleweekly.com/2007-05-02/mu...n-the-attic.php

Fascinating jazzbo - sounds like she's been caught in a 30-year time warp. That's a sad story - but at least some royalties are now coming her way. Thanks for the link !

[jazzbo]

You're welcome. It's my guess that she probably did the right thing. Probably kept her healthier and wiser. Probably was a hard choice to make!

[Christiern]

I was at the Bottom Line in '74, I heard the records, I find this attempt to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse interesting, but sad. Rarely has obscurity been so well deserved--these Seattle guys shouldn't mess with it.

[rostasi]

I don't get the Peaches or the Jennifer Herrema (BIG Bush supporter BTW )

adorations out there. Betty Davis has more sexiness in one ounce of

her soul than those two with any of their love children combined.

I'll trade my nude Herrema in black boots T-shirt

for a fully clothed Betty one anytime.

Thank you and Goodnight Seattle!

[jazzbo]

interesting...

1) Writer quoted thee mad genius (some said-- some say junkie retard) of underground '80s/early '90s rock, Jennifer Herrema

2) Writer, well-intentioned, FUCKED UP & maligned Collector's Choice, who do fine work, both in repertoire & presentation

3) Writer meant to say Fuck Collectables

thankfully,

edc said it

I thought they meant Collectables too. . . though I would have to say that Collectors Choice is skimpy on notes.

On a scale of Chris Albertson's Basie Verve Mosaic notes as 10, they're like. . . 3.

[jazzbo]

Chris (good to see you back) I might have agreed with you about the show if I'd seen it, maybe not (I was one young hormone driven man at that time) but I sure like the albums and glad these were reissued (great production on these).

Edited May 14, 2007 by jazzbo

[rostasi]

Clem:

Yes, first RT and the Pussy Galore Exile On Main Street stuff: AOK.

Fine noise-wall, but the later "blues" shit can go....

JH, in a Wire interview she was a bit roundabout about it:

Q: George Bush in particular, these days. Do you inject politics into your music?

A: No. Absolutely not. It would not be popular.

Q: Unpopular with your father, Neil, or the people who buy your records?

A: Probably with the people who would buy our records. [Long pause] I don't know. Neil's different. Dude - I'm totally pro-Bush, I'm not pro-Bush like 'Bush is great', but the Democrats haven't fucking come up with any fucking alternative, Kerry is a fucking chump. I'm all for that war. I don't want to get into it. I don't really talk about this much. I know it's unpopular. I've written articles that haven't been published because of shit like that. And then I've realised it's probably best to keep politics out of this shit because I could just go on and on it would take too much energy...

...but I've seen other interviews with her since that have been "Bush Is Great", etc...

I'll see if I can come up with a couple, if you're still awake.

Peaches was in a "sex" magazine that I picked up a coupla years ago

and they tried pairing her "stories" with my Plaster Caster friend. Cheap and tawdry crap.

An attempt at making skank look sexy - can't figure it out.

Rod

[.:.impossible]

(when i hear it in passing btw Neil Hagerty is still mad genius & thee peak one-man-summa of electric Ornette...

edc

ozona, fla

I've noted this similarity to friends before as well, but no one has bitten. Is this a popular sentiment?

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

chris albertson:

i really do understand what you are getting at, and comming from your perspective on jazz i can see what youre saying about betty, but there is no denying she is one crazy-ass funky soul sister!

[jlhoots]

Now that we have 2 threads on Ms. Davis, I would refer newcomers to this topic back to the cover story (& photos) in Wax Poetics.

LITA (Karen Dalton & now Betty Davis) is doing an excellent job (IMHO).

Edited May 14, 2007 by jlhoots

[Soulstation1]

Emusic Pimpin'

[jon abbey]

I was at the Bottom Line in '74, I heard the records, I find this attempt to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse interesting, but sad. Rarely has obscurity been so well deserved--these Seattle guys shouldn't mess with it.

since no live footage of her seems to be available (according to the liners), I can't really argue the first, but you're dead wrong on the records, particularly They Say I'm Different, which should be in anyone's funk pantheon based solely on its content.

[medjuck]

Does one of these cds have the song that Gil Evans arranged?

[JSngry]

Does one of these cds have the song that Gil Evans arranged?

That's on Nasty Gal, iirc, the Island album that's been reissued seperately.