BETTY DAVIS – THEY SAY I'M DIFFERENT – 1974 (US) funky blues

Betty Davis' second full-length featured a similar set of songs as her debut, though with Davis herself in the production chair and a radically different lineup. The openers, "Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him" and "He Was a Big Freak," are big, blowsy tunes with stop-start funk rhythms and Davis in her usual persona as the aggressive sexual predator. On the title track, she reminisces about her childhood and compares herself to kindred spirits of the past, a succession of blues legends she holds fond -- including special time for Bessie Smith, Chuck Berry, and Robert Johnson. A pair of unknowns, guitarist Cordell Dudley and bassist Larry Johnson, do a fair job of replacing the stars from her first record. As a result, They Say I'm Different is more keyboard-dominated than her debut, with prominent electric piano, clavinet, and organ from Merl Saunders, Hershall Kennedy, and Tony Vaughn. The material was even more extreme than on her debut; "He Was a Big Freak" featured a prominent bondage theme, while "Your Mama Wants Ya Back" and "Don't Call Her No Tramp" dealt with prostitution, or at least inferred it. With the exception of the two openers, though, They Say I'm Different lacked the excellent songs and strong playing of her debut; an explosive and outré record, but more a variation on the same theme she'd explored before.

Betty Davis (Vocals)
Buddy Miles (Guitar)
Pete Escovedo (Timbales)
Mike Clark (Drums), Merl Saunders (Piano (Electric)
Larry Johnson (Bass)
Errol Bennett (Percussion)
Debbie Burrell (Vocals)
Elaine Clark (Vocals)
Cordell Dudley (Guitar) (Vocals)
Jimmy Godwin (Guitar)
Mary Jones (Vocals)
Hershall Kennedy (Organ) (Trumpet) (Clavinet)
Fred Mills (Keyboards)
Carlos Morales (Guitar)
Nicky Neal (Drums)
Victor Pantoja (Percussion) (Conga)
Trudy Perkins (Vocals)
James Allen Smith (Keyboards)
Ted Sparks (Drums)
Willy Sparks (Drums)
Tony Vaughn (Bass (Vocal)) (Keyboards)
1 Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him Davis 3:56
2 He Was a Big Freak Davis 4:07
3 Your Mama Wants Ya Back Davis 3:27
4 Don't Call Her No Tramp Davis 4:05
5 Git in There Davis 4:45
6 They Say I'm Different Davis 4:15
7 70's Blues Davis 4:59
8 Special People Davis 3:26
9 He Was a Freak [#/*] Davis 4:42
10 Don't Call Her No Tramp [#/*] Davis 4:36
11 Git in There [#/*] Davis 4:37

This album is hard-nosed funk. The rhythm section is strong and Betty's vocals are fearless. If you are looking for some good old school funk then you will not be disappointed with this discovery. She does funk something akin to the James Brown school of funk but dare I say with a little more attitude?

Highly recommended!
Rip from CD 256@ (full artwork included)
Download link
http://link-protector.com/309399/