Is It Love Or Desire [CD]

• Betty’s previously unreleased 1976 album!
• CD housed in a digipak
• Featuring expanded booklet
• Also available on Vinyl

Betty Davis was a musical maverick with vision. Image, substance, sex, and grit combined with a badass band that could deliver the funk bed backbone to the sultry music between the sheets. After cutting two notorious discs for the Just Sunshine label ("Betty Davis" and "They Say I'm Different"), and "Nasty Gal" for Island Records, Davis went to work on her most personal and expressive record yet. After capturing 10 hard-hitting tracks in 1976 at the remote Studio In The Country (Louisiana), a creative difference with her then-label caused the platter to be unexpectedly shelved. Davis would cut one final album and soon retreat from the music business, completely disappearing from the public eye.

"Is It Love Or Desire" is a little-known gem in the Davis catalog. Mastered from the original tapes, and untouched for over 30 years, this release features detailed liner notes, the originally intended artwork housed in a lavishly packaged digipak, rare photos, archival material, and recent interviews with Davis and her skin-tight band Funk House.

Never bootlegged, never released, never heard until now, the secret story of this lost album will finally enter the history books and cement this bold soul sister's contributions to music and popular culture. It's time to get down…

Long live Betty Davis!

Betty Davis, born on July 26, 1945, was an American funk, soul, and rock singer-songwriter who played a pioneering role in shaping the landscape of music during the 1960s and 1970s. With a powerful voice and an unapologetically bold stage presence, Davis defied musical norms, creating a unique and influential body of work.

Known for her collaborations with musicians like Miles Davis, whom she married in 1968, Betty Davis released several groundbreaking albums in the early 1970s. Her self-titled debut album, "Betty Davis," and subsequent releases such as "They Say I'm Different" and "Nasty Gal" showcased her fearless approach to blending genres, incorporating elements of funk, rock, and soul.

Davis's lyrics were provocative and liberating, addressing themes of sexuality, empowerment, and social justice. Her impact on the funk genre was profound, influencing future generations of musicians. Despite facing challenges and controversies, Davis's contributions to music and her unapologetic expression of individuality have earned her a revered place in musical history.

After stepping away from the music scene in the late 1970s, Betty Davis's work experienced a renaissance in the 21st century as new audiences rediscovered her innovative sound and lyrical honesty.

Betty Davis passed away on February 9, 2022, but her legacy as a trailblazer in funk and soul endures, inspiring artists across genres.

Studio Albums

• Betty Davis - 1973
• They Say I'm Different - 1974
• Nasty Gal - 1975
• Is It Love or Desire? - 2009

Singles

• "The Cellar"/"???" - 1963
• "Get Ready for Betty" / "I'm Gonna Get My Baby Back" - 1964
• "It's My Life" / "Live, Love, Learn" - 1968
• "If I'm in Luck I Might Get Picked Up" / "Steppin in Her I. Miller Shoes" - 1973
• "Ooh Yea" / "In the Meantime" - 1973
• "Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him" / "He Was a Big Freak" - 1974
• "Git in There" /"They Say I'm Different" - 1974
• "Shut Off the Lights" / "He Was a Big Freak" - 1975

Compilations

• The Columbia Years 1968-69 - 2016

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Davis