She always had killer grooves on her songs, that's for sure, and more personal "wattage" than 10 Donna Summers.
But here's a thing: the music industry of the 1970s was not solely "white men". There was a substantial black-owned and operated music industry then, too, from Philly to Atlanta to Oakland; that had the money and juice to make her a star.
They didn't want to push her either, and yet they escape all scrutiny for that.
Their indifference and discouragement, I suspect, is what really drove her to reclusive self-exile from the music business; and we'll probably never hear the real stories about that. At least those records finally found their way out; that much we can be thankful for.
When it came to signing a record deal, I think it came down to what Betty wasn’t prepared to give up or compromise on, which was her creative freedom. She initially had an offer from Motown, but they wanted all publishing rights, and she wasn't willing to do that. Island Records was the major label that eventually signed her for the ‘Nasty Gal’ LP, but they dropped her soon after it was released, which devastated her.
The incredible thing about Betty is you can't go wrong with any of her albums. If, however, you wanted a good one to begin with - 'They Say I'm Different' is a brilliant starting point. Enjoy!
She always had killer grooves on her songs, that's for sure, and more personal "wattage" than 10 Donna Summers.
But here's a thing: the music industry of the 1970s was not solely "white men". There was a substantial black-owned and operated music industry then, too, from Philly to Atlanta to Oakland; that had the money and juice to make her a star.
They didn't want to push her either, and yet they escape all scrutiny for that.
Their indifference and discouragement, I suspect, is what really drove her to reclusive self-exile from the music business; and we'll probably never hear the real stories about that. At least those records finally found their way out; that much we can be thankful for.
When it came to signing a record deal, I think it came down to what Betty wasn’t prepared to give up or compromise on, which was her creative freedom. She initially had an offer from Motown, but they wanted all publishing rights, and she wasn't willing to do that. Island Records was the major label that eventually signed her for the ‘Nasty Gal’ LP, but they dropped her soon after it was released, which devastated her.
Your posts always influence my listening for the week. Excited to listen to some Betty!!
The incredible thing about Betty is you can't go wrong with any of her albums. If, however, you wanted a good one to begin with - 'They Say I'm Different' is a brilliant starting point. Enjoy!