{"id":43190,"date":"2023-12-10T20:01:28","date_gmt":"2023-12-10T19:01:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vinylgrove.nl\/?post_type=product&p=43190"},"modified":"2026-01-17T15:34:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T14:34:07","slug":"davis-betty-3","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/vinylgrove.nl\/index.php\/product\/davis-betty-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Davis, Betty"},"content":{"rendered":"

Re: 17-11-2023<\/p>\n

In 1979, when Davis entered an L.A. studio to record her fifth and final album, she was reeling from a series of setbacks. Three years earlier, after recording her fourth album, Is It Love Or Desire, Davis was dropped from her label and the LP was subsequently shelved. In 1978, her beloved band Funk House went their separate ways. Looking for a fresh start, Davis relocated to Hollywood to focus on songwriting. Before long, British manager Simon Lait (Toni Basil), offered to fund her next project. With renewed vigor, Davis reunited with former Funk House guitarist Carlos Morales and brought together industry veterans like fusion drummer Alphonse Mouzon and session bassist Chuck Rainey. Old friends Anita and Bonnie Pointer (The Pointer Sisters) and Patryce \u201cChoc\u2019let\u201d Banks joined Davis on vocals, as did Motown legend Martha Reeves. The resulting album, Crashin\u2019 From Passion, was her most musically diverse, blending elements of reggae and calypso (\u201cI\u2019ve Danced Before\u201d), jazz (\u201cHangin\u2019 Out in Hollywood,\u201d \u201cTell Me a Few Things\u201d), dark synth-pop (\u201cShe\u2019s a Woman\u201d), and even disco (\u201cAll I Do Is Think of You\u201d). Equally exploratory are Davis\u2019 vocals, as she trades in her signature sass and snarls for more nuanced stylings. Among the album\u2019s few funk tracks is \u201cQuintessence of Hip,\u201d 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, \u201cIsn\u2019t rich? Isn\u2019t it queer? Losing my timing so late in my career.\u201d It would prove to be a prophetic line in the months to follow. The mixing process was mired by artistic differences and then cut short, amid the death of Davis\u2019 beloved father. Bereft and exasperated, Davis returned home for the funeral, setting into motion her retirement from the music industry. Crashin\u2019 From Passion, meanwhile, would be shelved for 15 years and licensed for a CD-only release, without Davis\u2019 consent, in the \u201890s. This 2023 edition of the album, made with Davis\u2019 full approval and cooperation, marks its first official release and first time ever on vinyl. The package was designed by GRAMMY\u00ae-winning artist, Masaki Koike, while the album cover features an incredible shot of Betty captured in London in the mid-1970s by renowned photographer Kate Simon. Crashin\u2019 From Passion was remastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters and pressed on vinyl at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI). The accompanying booklet includes a treasure trove of rare photos from the era, plus lyrics, and new liner notes by writer, ethnomusicologist, and Betty\u2019s close friend, Danielle Maggio, who integrates interviews that she conducted with Davis, marking her last ever interviews.<\/p>\n

Tracklist:<\/p>\n