In the mid-1970's I was living in Nigeria and my life-line to the r & b music world was the copies
of UK magazines Blues & Soul and Black Music that a certain Hausa vendor periodically had spread out on his mat of merchandise in the street. In one of these publications, I read rave reviews of records by Bettye LaVette who, having scored a hit at the age of 16 in 1963, had spent then next decade recorded near-hits, semi hits and misses--not to mention an album shelved on the eve of its release-- for a variety of labels. But vocally she was the real deal. When I returned to the States I managed to pick up a copy of her "Tell Me A Lie" album on Motown, of all labels; it sounded more like something that should have been released by Memphis' Hi Records and predictably did not sell despite being a killer album, with a joyous track called "Right In The Middle Of Falling In Love." In short, she had more than her share of bad breaks and missed opportunities. So I knew Bettye LaVette was real good; I just didn't realize how good, thanks to the general unavailability of her recordings. Fast forward to 1998 or so. Browsing in a record story I found in the bins two Bettye LaVette CD's--a live album recorded in Holland and a bootleg compilation of most of her singles to that date. I bought the bootleg and when I played it I suddenly realized that Bettye LaVette obviously was the greatest unrecognized soul singer of the past 35 years (only later did I find out that she rejected the term "soul singer"). I called David Nathan, who had written some of those reviews I'd read in the mid-Seventies, and asked where she was. How could such an unbelievable talent be so invisible? He said "she's in Detroit, I talk to her all the time. Do you want to call her?" I took him up on that and expressed my appreciation directly to Bettye.
Two years later, the redoubtable Dennis Walker produced a great Memphis-style album on her called "A Woman Like Me" which was released by a small blues-oriented label with no marketing/promotion capability. But the cd got notice and one of Bettye's performances was witnessed by a bunch of notables, including Bonnie Raitt, Huey Lewis and Mike Kappus, head of Rosebud booking agency. All were blown away and suddenly Bettye had a booking agent. Her performances were revelatory, dramatic set-pieces forged of raw emotion and storytelling. Critics began to rave; Anti Records took notice and signed her; they were a label that did have marketing/promotion capability. Within a couple of years, Bettye was performing world-wide, was nominated for a Grammy, won a Handy Award, performed at President Obama's inauguration, wowed the likes of Pete Townsend and Barbra Streisand at The Kennedy Center and as she passed 60 years of age had truly broken through and achieved a big piece of the recognition she has always deserved, a rare and most heartening story of redemption in the music business.
So, if you see Bettye LaVette is performing in your area, run don't walk, to grab tickets. I'd say she's just about the best interpreter of song around these days. Every performance is guaranteed to have
some unforgettable moments. As far as her recordings go, happily most of her recorded work is
available on CD, including that Motown album I mentioned. Highlights are many. The Dennis Walker-produced "A Woman Like Me" is definitely one. Most of the tunes are written or co-written by Dennis, some specifically for Bettye. The album called "Souvenirs" is the re-titled release of that Atlantic album that was shelved in 1972; it is killer. Her recent work includes the gritty "The Scene Of The Crime", recorded in Muscle Shoals with The Drive By Truckers with original Shoals session guys David Hood and Spooner Oldham sitting in; her harrowing version of George Jones' "Choices" is worth the price of admission all by itself. "I've Got My Own Hell To Raise" features Bettye interpreting songs by such singer-songwriters as Sinead O'Connor, Dolly Parton, Joan Armatrading, Fiona Apple, Lucinda Williams and others. She often closes her shows with an acapella version of O'Connors "I Do Not Want What I Have Not Got" from this album. And most recently, a mini-album of six recently recorded interpretations of "A Change Is Gonna Come" (which she sang at the Inaugral), "Round Midnight", "Lush Life", "God Bless The Child", "Ain't That Loving You" and "Ain't No Sunshine When You're Gone. It's Bettye's lounge album--and I mean that in a good sense, since it would be a great pleasure to hear
Bettye in a little club, backed by a jazzy trio which follows the twists and turns of her interpretations.
So finally the world's shortage of Bettye LaVette recordings has been addressed...so you've got no excuses...check 'em out!
Randall Grass, I love you so much.
Posted by: Bettye LaVette | 12/03/2009 at 10:18 PM
love you too, Bettye!
Posted by: Randall Grass | 12/04/2009 at 11:06 AM