R.I.P. Betty Davis (26 Jul 1944 - 9 Feb 2022)

The death of another soul related artist was announced yesterday. Betty Davis (nee Mabry) was born in Durham, NC, later relocating to Homestead, PA. Conflicting causes of death have been reported with some citing natural causes, however, Danielle Maggio (Associate Producer of 'Betty - They Say I'm Different' (Native Voice Films, 2017), a documentary about Betty Davis) posted on facebook that she died after a 'brief illness', apparently she was diagnosed with cancer only a week before her death aged 77.

At 16 she moved to NYC to study at art school (Fashion Instutue of Technology). Wiki credits her first single as "The Cellar" produced by Lou Courtney which I can find no trace of but as Betty Mabry she did release "Get Ready For Betty" on DCP International and a single as Betty & Roy (Arlington) "I'll Be There" / "I Love You So" on Safice (owned by Al Bell (Stax), Eddie Floyd and ex-Moonglow Chester Simmons) in 1964 followed by  "Live, Love, Learn" / "It's My Life" on Columbia in 1968. In between she wrote "Uptown" for The Chambers Brothers in 1967

In 1968, aged 23, after a relationship with Hugh Masekela, she met and married Miles Davis who credits her with introducing him to fashion and new music trends and Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone. However, the marriage lasted less than two years with Miles Davis filing for divorce in 1969 citing an affair with Jimi Hendrix which Betty denied (she references Jimi Hendrix on her 1975 "Nasty Girl" album track "F.U.N.K.") and claimed it was his violent behaviour.

She moved to London briefly in 1971 before returning to the US and recording five albums. Only three were initially released: "Betty Davis" (1973), "They Say I'm Different" (1974) and "Nasty Gal" (1975). Two further albums appeared years later "Crashing For Passion" (1995) which was a bootleg of recordings from 1979 and "Is It Love Or Desire" (2009) which was her unreleased fourth album from 1976. A lot of her material has been reissued since 2004 by Vampi and Light In The Attic.

The latest compilation "The Columbia Years 1968-69", released by Light In The Attic in 2016, contains previously unreleased tracks (except for "Live, Love, Learn"). There are a couple of tracks which may appeal to Northern Soulies "My Soul Is Tired" and "Down Home Girl". The first six tracks were recorded in New York in May 1969 and were co-produced and arranged by Miles Davis. Some heavy weight musicians performed on the tracks including members of The Crusaders Wayne Henderson, Joe Sample and Wilton Felder along with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock (members of Miles Davis' group) and Hugh Masekela amongst many others. The last three tracks are the two sides of her only Columbia single, the flip is an alternate version, and the aforementioned "My Soul Is Tired" which were recorded earlier in Hollywood in Oct 1968 and arranged by Hugh Masekela and produced by Jerry Fuller.

Commercial success eluded her as she was her own woman and wouldn't compromise on her art and was held as somewhat of a cult figure for lovers of rock and funk. Also the erotic nature of her material precluded them from airplay.

I've picked through her material trying to bring you some of her more soulful sides as I'm afraid the psychedelic rock/funk tracks are an acquired taste but I've included her only two charting singles "If I'm in Luck I Might Get Picked Up" (#66 R&B 1973) and "Shut Off the Lights" (#97 R&B 1975).