Loading AI tools
1975 studio album by Betty Davis From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nasty Gal is the third studio album by American funk musician Betty Davis. It was released in 1975 on Island Records and was Davis' first album on a major label.
Nasty Gal | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1975 | |||
Recorded | May 1975[1] | |||
Genre | Funk[2] | |||
Length | 39:15 | |||
Label | Island | |||
Producer | Betty Davis | |||
Betty Davis chronology | ||||
|
It failed commercially upon release, and after the failure of this album Island Records shelved her planned follow-up, Is It Love or Desire?, until 2009. Under pressure by the record company, Davis abandoned her music career altogether shortly after this album's release.[2] It was reissued on Light in the Attic Records in 2009 on CD, and again in 2018 on colored vinyl in conjunction with record club Vinyl Me, Please,[2] which has rekindled interest in the album by music critics and fans, generating favorable retrospective reviews.
After the underground success of her previous two records, Davis toured extensively with a backup band called "Funk House" that included Nicky Neal, Larry Johnson, Fred Mills, and Carlos Morales. Her tours were marked by her exuding sexuality.[2] When ABC acquired her previous label Just Sunshine and its parent distributor Blue Thumb Records, Island Records approached Davis with a buyout offer. After accepting, Davis started working on new material for an album. On Davis' previous two albums, she relied on a multitude of session musicians, but felt a close connection with Funk House, so she chose to record the album with them instead.[1]
Initial reviews for the album were unfavorable. Critics believed Davis' image eclipsed her actual talent.[1] Davis had plans to release a fourth album, Is It Love or Desire?, and even recorded a few tracks before being ultimately shelved by Island. These sessions, which had featured Herbie Hancock, Chuck Rainey, Alphonse Mouzon, among others, were released in 2009 by Light in the Attic. After becoming disillusioned with the music industry, Davis retired.
After Light in the Attic reissued Davis' discography, contemporary reviews cropped up and have been much more positive, often noting that the album displays potential wasted by Island Records' dismissal of Davis' music and style.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Nasty Gal" | 4:35 | |
2. | "Talkin Trash" | 4:40 | |
3. | "Dedicated to the Press" | Betty Davis, Larry Johnson | 3:40 |
4. | "You and I" | Betty Davis, Miles Davis | 2:45 |
5. | "Feelins" | 2:42 |
All tracks are written by Betty Davis, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "F.U.N.K." | 4:20 | |
2. | "Gettin Kicked Off, Havin Fun" | 3:07 | |
3. | "Shut Off the Light" | 3:53 | |
4. | "This Is It!" | Betty Davis, Larry Johnson, Fred Mills, Carlos Morales, Nicky Neal | 3:25 |
5. | "The Lone Ranger" | 6:08 | |
Total length: | 39:15 |
Chart (1976) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[6] | 96 |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[7] | 54 |
Adapted from LP liner notes.[8]
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.