Expanded vinyl edition featuring gatefold jacket and 20page booklet including rare photos, lyrics and new liner notes by Danielle Maggio interviewing Betty. One can hardly imagine the genrebusting, culturecrossing musical magic of Outkast, Prince, Erykah Badu, Rick James, The Roots, or even the early Red Hot Chili Peppers without the influence of RampB pioneer Betty Davis. Her style of raw and revelatory punkfunk defies any notions that women cant be visionaries in the worlds of rock and pop. In recent years, rappers from Ice Cube to Talib Kweli to Ludacris have rhymed over her intensely strong but sensual music.There is one testimonial about Betty Davis that is universal she was a woman ahead of her time. In our contemporary moment, this may not be as selfevident as it was thirty years ago we live in an age thats been profoundly changed by flamboyant flaunting of female sexuality from Parlet to Madonna, Lil Kim to Kelis. Yet, back in 1973 when Betty Davis first showed up in her silver gogo boots, dazzling smile and towering Afro, who could you possibly have compared her to Marva Whitney had the voice but not the independence. Labelle wouldnt get sexy with their Lady Marmalade for another year while Millie Jackson wasnt Feelin Bitchy until 1977. Even Tina Turner, the most obvious predecessor to Bettys fierce style wasnt completely out of Ikes shadow until later in the decade.Ms. Daviss unique story, still sadly mostly unknown, is unlike any other in popular music. Betty wrote the song Uptown for the Chambers Brothers before marrying Miles Davis in the late 60s, influencing him with psychedelic rock, and introducing him to Jimi Hendrix personally inspiring the classic album Bitches Brew.Her 1974 sophomore album They Say Im Different features a worthyofframing futuristic cover challenging David Bowies science fiction funk with real rocking soulfire, kicked off with the savagely sexual ShooBDoop and Cop Him later sampled by Ice Cube. Her follow up is full of classic cuts like Dont Call Her No Tramp and the hilarious, hard, deep funk of He Was A Big Freak.
