Betty Davis -

Betty Davis (1944–2022) was an American soul-funk singer who released the 1973/74 small-label albums Betty Davis and They Say I’m Different and the 1975 Island title Nasty Gal. Her two subsequent albums, Is It Love or Desire (recorded 1976) and Crashin’ From Passion (recorded 1979), remained vaulted until her 21st century reappraisal.

Background

Davis was born Betty Gray Mabry on July 26, 1944, in Durham, North Carolina. Her earliest influences were the bluesmen B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, and Elmore James, who she listened to on her grandmother’s farm. At 16, she moved to New York City, where she mixed among artists and bohemians in Greenwich Village. She found work as a model and did photo spreads for Seventeen, Ebony, and Glamour.

In 1964, Mabry released her first single, the self-written “Get Ready For Betty” (b/w “I’m Gonna Get My Baby Back”), on producer Don Costa’s DCP International. That same year, she and Roy Arlington cut a single as Betty and Roy: “Everybody Makes a Mistake Sometimes” (b/w “That’s Good Enough”), released on soul-press Safice. She followed those with the 1968 Columbia single “Live, Love, Learn” (b/w “It’s My Life”), two originals arranged by Hugh Masekela. The Chamber Brothers recorded her song “Uptown (to Harlem)” for a 1967 Columbia a-side.

In the spring of 1968, Mabry started dating Miles Davis, who she introduced to her friends on the soul-psych scene, including Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone. That September, her and Davis married. Her likeness appears on his February 1969 release Filles de Kilimanjaro. Though their marriage lasted less than two years, she kept his surname. The title of his 1970 release Bitches Brew is purportedly in reference to her. Betty later claimed that he wanted to call it Witches Brew, but changed it at her suggestion.^[1]

In 1969, Betty Davis recorded demos that were sent to several labels, but no deal transpired. (The material surfaced nearly five decades later as The Columbia Years, 1968–1969.) After a stint in London, she headed back stateside, initially to record with Santana. Instead, she recorded a clutch of originals with a group of west coast funk musicians.

Betty Davis (1973)

Betty Davis released her self-titled debut album in 1973 on Just Sunshine Records.

The album showcases Davis’ hard-driving brand of funk, marked by syncopated bass, thick wah-wah guitar, percussive keys, and her uninhibited vocal delivery. It mixes stomping, street-level funk with rock-laced edge, drawing on her associations with the Bay Area’s leading players.

Davis wrote and arranged all eight songs. “If I’m in Luck I Might Get Picked Up” opens the set with her self-assertive lyrical stance over brittle guitar and popping bass. “Steppin’ in Her I. Miller Shoes” recounts the story of Devon Wilson, a onetime Jimi Hendrix companion, with searing backing vocals by the Pointer Sisters. “Anti Love Song” tempers her aggressive style with sultry understatement, while “Game Is My Middle Name” builds tension across five minutes with vocal responses from Sylvester and Annie Sampson. “In the Meantime” closes the album in a slower, organ-led soul mode.

A1. “If I’m in Luck I Might Get Picked Up” (4:51)
A2. “Walkin Up the Road” (2:47)
A3. “Anti Love Song” (4:24)
A4. “Your Man My Man” (3:28)

B1. “Ooh Yea” (3:05)
B2. “Steppin’ in Her I. Miller Shoes” (3:10)
B3. “Game Is My Middle Name” (5:09)
B4. “In the Meantime” (2:39)

Sessions took place at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco with producer and drummer Gregg Errico (ex-Sly & the Family Stone). The band features bassist Larry Graham, guitarists Doug Rodrigues and Neal Schon, keyboardists Merl Saunders, Hershall Kennedy, Richard Kermode, and Pete Sears, and percussionist Victor Pantoja. Greg Adams, Michael Gillette, Skip Mesquit, and Jules Broussard handled the horns. Backing vocals were provided by the Pointer Sisters, Kathi McDonald, Patryce Banks, Sylvester, Annie Sampson, and Willy Sparks III.

The cover features photography by Mel Dixon with design by Ron Levine.

Just Sunshine issued two singles: “Steppin’ in Her I. Miller Shoes” backed with “If I’m in Luck I Might Get Picked Up” (JSA-503, June 1973) and “Ooh Yea” backed with “In the Meantime” (JSA-512).

They Say I’m Different

Betty Davis released her second album, They Say I’m Different, in 1974 on Just Sunshine Records.

The album marked Davis’ debut as producer and featured a new cast of Bay Area players. Compared to her self-titled debut, this set leans heavier on electric piano, clavinet, and organ, with sharper rhythmic cuts and Davis’ unrestrained vocal presence. Davis wrote and arranged all eight songs.

The opening numbers, “Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him” and “He Was a Big Freak,” place her upfront against hard, stop–start funk. “Your Mama Wants Ya Back” and “Don’t Call Her No Tramp” extend her lyrical frankness into stories of transactional and streetwise relations. The title track takes a reflective turn as she recalls her youth while citing blues figures such as Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, and Chuck Berry. “70’s Blues” stretches her delivery across nearly five minutes with percussion by Pete Escovedo and Victor Pantoja. The closing “Special People” reins the set into a slower, keyboard-centered piece.

A1. “Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him” (3:56)
A2. “He Was a Big Freak” (4:06)
A3. “Your Mama Wants Ya Back” (3:25)
A4. “Don’t Call Her No Tramp” (4:08)

B1. “Git In There” (4:43)
B2. “They Say I’m Different” (4:14)
B3. “70’s Blues” (4:59)
B4. “Special People” (3:21)

Sessions occurred at the Record Plant in Sausalito with Davis producing and Jack Adams engineering. The band includes bassist Larry Johnson, guitarists Cordell Dudley and Jimmy Godwin, drummers Teddy Sparks and Mike Clark, keyboardists Merl Saunders, Hershall Kennedy, and Tony Vaughn, and guest percussion by Pete Escovedo and Victor Pantoja. Buddy Miles contributes guitar to the opener. Trudy Perkins, Debbie Burrell, Mary Jones, and Elaine Clarke supply backing vocals.

The cover features photography by Mel Dixon with design by Ron Levine. The image shows Davis in a spiked headpiece and platform boots against a faded backdrop, styled by Kai.

Just Sunshine lifted two singles: “He Was a Big Freak” backed with “Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him” (JSA-516, May 1974) and “They Say I’m Different” backed with “Git In There” (JSA-518).

Nasty Gal

Betty Davis released her third album, Nasty Gal, in 1975 on Island Records.

The album marked her move to a major label and the recording debut of her touring unit Funk House. It presents a harder rhythmic edge than her prior records, with cutting bass–guitar interplay, sharp keyboard accents, and Davis’ unrestrained vocal stance.

Davis wrote and arranged nine songs and co-wrote one apiece with bassist Larry Johnson (“Dedicated to the Press”), ex-husband Miles Davis (“You and I”), and the full Funk House lineup (“This Is It”). Gil Evans arranged the brass on “You and I” with Miles conducting.

The title track and “Talkin Trash” epitomize Davis’ raw, street-level funk. “Dedicated to the Press” confronts her critics with acidic phrasing, while “F.U.N.K.” spells her manifesto in one of the set’s most extreme performances. “You and I” contrasts the surrounding firestorm with a tender ballad, its orchestration unique in her catalog. “Feelins” pivots on taut bass–guitar symmetry that follows her vocal contours. Side two balances aggressive workouts (“Shut Off the Light,” “This Is It”) with the closing “The Lone Ranger,” an eccentric funk-soul epic.

A1. “Nasty Gal” (4:35)
A2. “Talkin Trash” (4:40)
A3. “Dedicated to the Press” (3:40)
A4. “You and I” (2:45)
A5. “Feelins” (2:42)

B1. “F.U.N.K.” (4:20)
B2. “Gettin Kicked Off, Havin Fun” (3:07)
B3. “Shut Off the Light” (3:53)
B4. “This Is It!” (3:25)
B5. “The Lone Ranger” (6:08)

Sessions occurred at Media Sound in New York with Davis producing and Bob Clearmountain engineering. Funk House features guitarist Carlos Morales, bassist Larry Johnson, drummer Nicky Neal, keyboardist Fred Mills, and conga player Errol “Crusher” Bennett, with additional ARP synthesizer by James Allen Smith and percussion by Buddy Williams.

The cover features photography by Charles Tracy with design and typography by Antonio Lopez, who also styled Davis in a sequined outfit.

Island issued two singles: “Shut Off the Light” (b/w “He Was a Big Freak,” IS 024) and “Talkin’ Trash” (b/w “You and I,” IS 050, Feb. 1976).

Is It Love or Desire

Betty Davis completed her fourth album, Is It Love or Desire, in 1976 for Island Records.

The album, recorded with her touring unit Funk House, was her final collaboration with the band and remained shelved for decades before its 2009 issue on Light in the Attic. The music pushes her raw funk into fractured, forward territory, balancing Davis’ untamed presence with sharp instrumental interplay.

Davis wrote, arranged, and produced all ten tracks. Keyboardist Fred Mills sings lead on “Whorey Angel” and co-sings backing parts across the set, joined in chorus by guitarist Carlos Morales, bassist Larry Johnson, drummer Semmie Neal, percussionist Nathaniel Corbett, and singers Carrie, Cora, and Hoyt. Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown contributes violin to the closing track.

The album alternates between menacing funk vamps and unexpected shifts. “It’s So Good” hinges on Johnson’s dark, circular bassline, Morales’ wiry guitar runs, and Neal’s punctuated snare rolls under Mills’ distorted keyboard attacks. “Whorey Angel” presents a spectral duet between Davis and Mills, its atmosphere thick with layered backing voices. “Bottom of the Barrel” opens with a tongue-in-cheek country intro before plunging into hard funk that rejects disco’s sway. “When Romance Says Goodbye” drops into slow-burning jazz noir, spotlighting Mills’ spare piano chords and Davis’ restrained vocal tone. Elsewhere, “Stars Starve, You Know” deals in frustration with the music business, while “Bar Hoppin’” drives a strutting rhythm with thick group choruses. The closing “For My Man” shifts to mid-tempo sensuality colored by Brown’s blues-inflected violin.

A1. “Is It Love or Desire” (2:36)
A2. “It’s So Good” (3:20)
A3. “Whorey Angel” (5:02)
A4. “Crashin’ from Passion” (3:24)
A5. “When Romance Says Goodbye” (3:43)

B1. “Bottom of the Barrel” (3:47)
B2. “Stars Starve, You Know” (3:35)
B3. “Let’s Get Personal” (3:32)
B4. “Bar Hoppin'” (3:12)
B5. “For My Man” (1:42)

Sessions occurred at Studio in the Country in Bogalusa, Louisiana, with Davis producing and Bill Evans engineering.

The cover features photography by Fin Costello with design by Strath Shepard.

Light in the Attic issued the long-vaulted album in 2009 with liner notes by Oliver Wang and production oversight by Matt Sullivan.

Crashin’ From Passion / Hangin’ Out in Hollywood

Betty Davis completed her fifth album in 1979 but its contents went unreleased until the 1995/96 archival discs Crashin’ From Passion and Hangin’ Out in Hollywood.

The sessions capture Davis’ signature hard-edged funk infused with expansive keyboard textures and assertive rhythm arrangements. The set highlights her final collaboration with the Betty Davis Band, featuring longtime collaborators and prominent session players.

Davis wrote and arranged all tracks, with Keg Johnson co-arranging the music and Martha Reeves co-arranging vocal parts. Backing vocals appear from Reeves and The Pointer Sisters. Carlos Morales plays guitar, Chuck Rainey handles bass, Alphonse Mouzon drums, and Herbie Hancock contributes keyboards.

The album balances uptempo funk statements, reflective midtempo numbers, and ballad-like passages. Tracks such as “She’s a Woman” extend over seven minutes with layered instrumentation, while “Quintessence of Hip” and “Hangin’ Out in Hollywood” run tight, rhythmically focused patterns. “I Need a Whole Lot of Love” and “Tell Me a Few Things” feature contoured vocal lines atop dynamic instrumental interplay. “Crashin’ From Passion” closes with a climactic push of bass, drums, and guitar, emphasizing the ensemble’s cohesion.

A1. “Quintessence of Hip” (2:35)
A2. “She’s a Woman” (7:07)
A3. “No Good at Falling in Love” (3:46)
A4. “Tell Me a Few Things” (4:02)
A5. “I’ve Danced Before” (3:38)
B1. “You Make Me Feel So Good” (3:56)
B2. “I Need a Whole Lot of Love” (4:49)
B3. “Hangin’ Out in Hollywood” (2:54)
B4. “All I Do Is Think of You” (4:10)
B5. “Crashin’ From Passion” (5:56)
B6. “You Take Me for Granted” (4:28)

Sessions occurred at Cherokee Studios and Redondo Beach Recorders in Los Angeles, with Davis on lead vocals, Keg Johnson producing and mixing, and the ensemble performing as the Betty Davis Band.

The Columbia Years 1968–1969

In 2016, archivists Light in the Attic released The Columbia Years 1968–1969, a collection of early Betty Davis tracks.

The set documents Davis’ initial studio work, blending her emerging vocal style with arrangements by Miles Davis and Hugh Masekela. The recordings pair her songwriting with prominent session players, showcasing her first steps toward the funk and soul articulation that would define her later output.

Davis, credited as Betty Mabry, wrote the majority of the tracks. Covers include “Politician Man” (Jack Bruce, Pete Brown) and “Born on the Bayou” (John Fogerty). Miles Davis produced and arranged tracks 1–6, with Teo Macero producing. Hugh Masekela arranged tracks 7–9.

The material divides between New York sessions with Davis’ vocals over angular, contoured jazz-rock and Hollywood sessions emphasizing horn and string arrangements. Songs such as “Politician Man” feature unusual guitar lines from John McLaughlin, while “Hangin’ Out” and “My Soul Is Tired” highlight her early experimentation with vocal phrasing over dense instrumental textures. Tracks like “Live, Love, Learn” and alternate takes of “It’s My Life” capture the exploratory studio work of the era, though the ensemble sometimes tempers her individual vocal presence.

1. “Hangin’ Out” (4:56)
2. “Politician Man” (5:46)
3. “Down Home Girl” (5:26)
4. “Born on the Bayou” (3:22)
5. “I’m Ready, Willing, & Able (Take 1)” (1:05)
6. “I’m Ready, Willing, & Able (Take 9)” (3:23)
7. “It’s My Life (Alternate Take)” (2:22)
8. “Live, Love, Learn” (2:37)
9. “My Soul Is Tired” (2:07)

Sessions occurred at Columbia 52nd St. Studios, Studios B and E in New York on May 14 and 20, 1969 (tracks 1–6), and at Columbia Studios, Hollywood, on October 18, 1968 (tracks 7–9). Miles Davis produced and arranged the New York tracks, with Teo Macero producing. Hugh Masekela arranged the Hollywood recordings. Glen Kolotkin handled recording for tracks 1–6.

The release appears in a digipak with obi, remastered from original analog master tapes, and includes new interviews, rare photos, and archival documents from the Teo Macero collection.

Discography: