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| Popmatters |
 American soul music, historically speaking, has had its fair share of strong female characters, from Josephine Baker to Beyonce. However, few ladies hold a candle to the polarizing impact made by the likes of Betty Mabry Davis. She might not have had the pipes of some of her ‘70s contemporaries like Diana Ross and Minnie Riperton, but what Davis lacked in vocal prowess she more than made up for in feel. In song, Davis assumed the role of a Praying Mantis, the kind of woman who would kill and eat her lover after copulation (albeit to a heavy funk soundtrack). In life, she seemed to be no different. So much so that even a badass like jazz legend Miles Davis couldn’t keep her in check, evident in Davis’s controversial affair with Jimi Hendrix (alluded to in her classic song “He Was a Big Freak”) that not only dissolved the couple’s short-lived marriage but also any chance of Jimi and Miles, whose sound at the time was highly influenced by the guitar hero, of jamming and recording together (though a bootleg of one session is rumored to be out there). However, Davis was unapologetic in her attitude and approach to love and sex, giving way to an artistic style that smacked with voracious feminism and brute sensuality that recalled the days of such “race music” divas as Lucille Bogan and Ma Rainey in the ‘20s and ‘30s while paving the way for such modern-day female acts as Lil’ Kim, Pink, and Peaches. In continuation of their reissue series of Davis’s short, yet influential catalog, Light in the Attic unearths her 1975 Island Records debut, Nasty Gal, as well as the official release of Is It Love Or Desire (original titled Crashin’ from Passion), originally intended for a 1976 street date but shelved by Island and which contains music never heard before by the public ear. “This Woman Will Break Your Heart” proclaims the inside cover of Nasty Gal, an album filled with some of her most aggressive and voracious set of tunes to date. Backed by a solid band comprised of some cousins and family friends calling themselves Funk House, these 10 tracks find Davis taking her R&B hellion act to new heights of intensity....full text |
| Npr |
| October 26, 2009 - Funk and R&B singer Betty Davis was influenced by close friends like Jimi Hendrix and her ex-husband, jazz legend Miles Davis. In 1975, visionary music mogul Chris Blackwell signed her to his Island Records label, which released her groundbreaking album Nasty Gal; it's just been reissued on CD. Davis' sexy growl conjures images of her the way she looked onstage in the '70s — thigh-high silver boots, hot pants, massive afro. Davis was Sly Stone, Mick Jagger and The Jimi Hendrix Experience all rolled into one woman. Sly Stone bassist Larry Graham once said that, although Davis didn't play anything, her mind, body and spirit were her instruments. In this album's title track, you can hear that her singing doesn't just represent a voice; it's a supernatural force she's using to break social conventions, push funk to the extreme and propel herself as an artist. By the time Nasty Gal was recorded, Davis and her band were a tight unit, their act finely honed over many months on the road. She wasn't just a woman fronting a group of musicians; she was part of the band, but she was also the leader in every way. The music, the clothes, the choreography — Davis controlled the whole package, uncompromising in her vision. Aggressive and outrageous, she challenged the notions of what women could do and say on and off the stage....full text |
| Npr |
| Bette Davis, spelled with an E at the end of Bette, was, of course, a famous film actress, but there is another Betty Davis, spelled with a Y, who is a funk singer and ex-wife of the late jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. In 1975, she tried to break into the mainstream with an album called "Nasty Gal." Despite critical acclaim, the album never achieved commercial success. And now, "Nasty Gal" is getting another chance. It's been re-issued. Our reviewer Meredith Ochs says the album was ahead of its time. (Soundbite of song, "Nasty Gal") Ms. BETTY DAVIS (Singer): (Singing) I ain't nothing but a nasty gal now. MEREDITH OCHS: Betty Davis' openly sexy growl conjures images of the way she looked onstage in the '70s: thigh-high silver boots, hot pants, massive afro. Davis was Sly Stone, Mick Jagger and The Jimi Hendrix Experience all rolled into one woman. Sly Stone bassist Larry Graham once said that although Davis didn't play anything, her mind, body and spirit were her instruments. On this album's title track, you can hear that her singing isn't just a voice, it's a supernatural force she's using to break social conventions, push funk to the extreme and propel herself as an artist. (Soundbite of song, "Nasty Gal") Ms. DAVIS: (Singing) I said, you went around telling everybody. You're just putting me down now. You dragged my name in the mud. All over town, I'm going to tell them why. You said, I didn't treat you. I didn't know you. I didn't love you well. But you know you lied, yes you did. I used to leave you hanging in the bed by your fingernails screaming. OCHS: By the time "Nasty Gal" was recorded, Betty Davis and her band were a tight unit, their act finely honed over many months on the road. She wasn't just a woman fronting a group of musicians, she was part of the band, but she was also the leader in every way. The music, the clothes, the choreography, Davis controlled the whole package, uncompromising in her vision. Aggressive and outrageous, she challenged the notions of what women could do and say on and off the stage. (Soundbite of music) Ms. DAVIS: (Singing) Hey now. Extra, extra. Have you read about me? Oh, they say I'm vulgar, and some people can do without me. Well, all I can say is, well, if it's such a shame, why do they blame for what I am thinking?...full text |
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