BETTY DAVIS - Crashin’ From Passion (Repress) - LP - Gatefold Purple Vinyl [JUN 14]

LP - Limited Edition Purple Vinyl Repress. Recently remastered and pressed at RTI with Booklet featuring liner notes by Danielle Maggio interviewing Betty, plus unseen photos and lyrics.

In the 1970s, Betty Davis defied genre and gender by pushing her voice to extremes and embracing the erotic. She articulated a kind of pre-punk, funk-blues fusion that had yet to be normalized in mainstream music – a style that few musicians have come close to replicating. As one of the first Black women to write, arrange, and produce her own albums, Betty was a visionary who disregarded industry boundaries and constraints. Raw, unapologetic and in full control, Betty paved the way for generations of future artists who said “funk you” to the music industry and social norms.

In 1979, when Davis entered an L.A. studio to record her fifth and final album, she was reeling from a series of setbacks. Three years earlier, after recording her fourth album, Is It Love Or Desire, Davis was dropped from her label and the LP was subsequently shelved. In 1978, her beloved band Funk House went their separate ways. Looking for a fresh start, Davis relocated to Hollywood to focus on songwriting. Before long, British manager Simon Lait (Toni Basil), offered to fund her next project.

With renewed vigour, Davis reunited with former Funk House guitarist Carlos Morales and brought together industry veterans like fusion drummer Alphonse Mouzon and session bassist Chuck Rainey. Old friends Anita and Bonnie Pointer (The Pointer Sisters) and Patryce “Choc’let” Banks joined Davis on vocals, as did Motown legend Martha Reeves. The resulting album, Crashin’ From Passion, was her most musically diverse, blending elements of reggae and calypso (“I’ve Danced Before”), jazz (“Hangin’ Out in Hollywood,” “Tell Me a Few Things”), dark synth-pop (“She’s a Woman”), and even disco (“All I Do Is Think of You”). Equally exploratory are Davis’ vocals, as she trades in her signature sass and snarls for more nuanced stylings. 

Tracklist:

A1.        Quintessence Of Hip    
A2.        She's A Woman    
A3.        No Good At Falling In Love    
A4.        Tell Me A Few Things    
A5.        I've Danced Before    
A6.        You Make Me Feel So Good    

B1.        I Need A Whole Lot Of Love    
B2.        Hangin' Out In Hollywood    
B3.        All I Do Is Think Of You    
B4.        Crashin' From Passion    
B5.        You Take Me For Granted