Crashin' From Passion: The Swan Song of Betty Davis

Light in the Attic's Liner Notes

Betty had just entered an L.A. studio to record her fifth and final album but was reeling from a series of setbacks. Looking for a fresh start, Davis relocated to Hollywood to focus on songwriting. Before long, she found funding for her next project, and with renewed vigor, Davis reunited with former Funk House guitarist Carlos Morales and industry veterans, 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 Betty's most musically diverse, blending elements of reggae and calypso, jazz, dark synth-pop, and even disco. Equally exploratory are Davis’ vocals as she trades in her signature sass and snarls for more nuanced stylings. Among the album’s few funk tracks is “Quintessence of Hip,” in which Davis hails musicians like Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder, and John Coltrane, while deftly integrating elements of their work. The song also offers a moment of stark vulnerability, as she sings, “Isn’t rich? Isn’t it queer? Losing my timing so late in my career.” It would prove to be a prophetic line in the months to follow.

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