(June 22, 2023) When I created the music, I just did it from my heart and from my soul. I didn’t really think about, ‘Well, who’s gonna like this, who isn’t gonna like it?’ I just created the music.” — Betty Davis
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Betty Davis’ self-titled debut — an electrifying artistic statement that launched one of modern music’s most revolutionary figures. To celebrate the visionary singer, songwriter, producer, and fashion icon’s broadly influential career, acclaimed reissue label Light in the Attic is revisiting four essential titles from The Queen of Funk’s catalog: Betty Davis (1973), They Say I’m Different (1974), Is It Love Or Desire? (recorded in 1976, released in 2009), as well as the first-ever vinyl release of Crashin’ From Passion, which captures Davis’ final 1979 sessions. All four tiles were produced in close collaboration with Davis, who sadly passed away in 2022.
Betty Davis, They Say I’m Different, and Crashin’ From Passion were remastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters and pressed on vinyl at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI). For the aforementioned three titles, the accompanying booklets include a treasure trove of rare photos from the era, plus lyrics, and new liner notes by writer, ethnomusicologist, and Davis’ close friend, Danielle Maggio, who integrates interviews that she conducted with Davis, marking her last-ever interviews. They Say I’m Different also includes a fold-out 24×36 poster. Is It Love Or Desire? was remastered by GRAMMY®-nominated engineer John Baldwin and pressed on vinyl at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI). The album includes liner notes from journalist, DJ, and professor Oliver Wang.
Each album will be available on CD, black wax, and in a variety of exclusive color variants. All titles will be released on August 25th.