Betty Davis Is Back, Thanks to Seattle's Light in the Attic

Q: Do your songs today sound like your old ones, or has your approach changed?

A: I don't know really.

Courtesy of Light in the Attic.

Details

Listen to Betty Davis' "He Was a Big Freak."

Listen to Betty Davis' "Anti Love Song."

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Q: Are they...

A: They're sex-oriented.

Q: They're about sex?

A: Yeah. All my songs are about sex.

It seems that Davis' prolonged hibernation may not have changed her much. The fact that she has a backlog of unreleased material just sitting in her apartment will no doubt drive fans and historians wild. I asked if she would be willing to let Light in the Attic release those songs at some point, let the world hear what she's been working on. "I've thought about it. I'm not sure if I wanna get back into the business, though."

As John Ballon stated in his recent Waxpoetics article on Davis, you can't keep a good woman down for long. Saul Williams goes on to note that plenty of women from her generation, such as Bettye LaVette, have found a platform in today's musical climate.

"God, I wish she would release that shit—that would be amazing," Williams says when I tell him of her unheard material. "There has never been a better time for a Betty Davis resurgence."

bbarr@seattleweekly.com