Betty Davis (764 views)

[Baronessa]

Betty O. Mabry (26 July 1945)
Vocal Range: B2 - D6

SPOILER: Click to show

{Vocal Summary}True to her infamy as the wilder part of Miles Davis, Betty cultivated her fame based on her hyper-sexual image, stage presence and unusually rough approach to funk vocals. Despite possessing a rather clear and feminine, typically soprano-esque, voice, Betty seemed hell-bent on showing off a compressed sound, even to retrospectively comedic extents. While her vocal range and vocal acrobatics were often on display, a restrained vocal would occasionally break through the mould and provide contrasting warmth to Betty's hard woman image. Though there was enormous potential in Betty to become a versatile funk artiste, due to her retiring from the music industry extremely early on in her career, it may only be speculated as to what kind of trajectory her voice would have taken over the years. Even though it may be considered passé and sneered at by contemporary music consumers, Betty's persona, voice and music were inarguably a pivotal part in shaping funk and jazz history for perhaps all time.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Vocal Range Timeline}Betty Davis:
Betty Davis (1973): C3 - A5
They Say I'm Different (1974): C♯3 - G5
Nasty Gal (1975): D3 - A5 - D6

Significant High Notes:

D6 ("Dedicated to the Press")
B♭5 ("Gettin' Kicked Off, Havin' Fun", "Hangin' Out")
A5 ("Shut Off the Light", "Walkin' Up the Road")
G♯5 ("Game Is My Middle Name", "Ooh Yeah", "Whorey Angel")
G5 ("Come Take Me", "F.U.N.K.", "Git in There"; "Steppin' in Her I. Miller Shoes", "Your Man My Man")
F♯5 ("Feelins", "Game Is My Middle Name", "Is It Love or Desire?", "Nasty Gal", "Talkin' Trash", "They Say I'm Different", "Walkin' Up the Road", "Whorey Angel")
F5 ("'70s Blues", "All I Do Is Think of You", "Don't Call Her No Tramp", "Hangin' Out", "Hangin' Out in Hollywood", "I've Danced Before", "If I'm in Luck I Might Get Picked Up", "Ooh Yeah", "Stars Starve, You Know", "You Take Me for Granted")
E5 ("All I Do Is Think of You", "Come Take Me", "Crashin' from Passion", "Dedicated to the Press", "F.U.N.K.", "Feelins", "Git in There"; "He Was a Big Freak", "It's So Good", "Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him", "Shut Off the Light", "Steppin' in Her I. Miller Shoes", "Talkin' Trash", "You Won't See Me in the Morning")
E♭5 ("'70s Blues", "Bar Hoppin'", "Don't Call Her No Tramp", "Game Is My Middle Name", "Gettin' Kicked Off, Havin' Fun", "Hangin' Out in Hollywood", "I'm Ready, Willing & Able", "If I'm in Luck I Might Get Picked Up", "Is It Love or Desire?", "My Soul Is Tired", "Nasty Gal")
D5 ("All I Do Is Think of You", "Anti-Love Song", "Bottom of the Barrel", "Come Take Me", "Crashin' from Passion", "Dedicated to the Press", "Git in There"; "I've Danced Before", "Live, Love, Learn", "No Good at Falling in Love", "Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him", "Shut Off the Light", "Special People", "Stars Starve, You Know", "This Is It", "You Take Me for Granted", "Your Man My Man")
C♯5 ("'70s Blues", "Bar Hoppin'", "He Was a Big Freak", "I Need a Whole Lot of Nothing", "I Will Take That Ride", "In the Meantime", "It's So Good", "Quintessence of Hip", "She's a Woman", "Tell Me a Few Things", "They Say I'm Different", "Walkin' Up the Road", "Whorey Angel", "You and I", "You Won't See Me in the Morning")
C5 ("Anti-Love Song", "Born on the Bayou", "Bottom of the Barrel", "Crashin' from Passion", "Don't Call Her No Tramp", "Gettin' Kicked Off, Havin' Fun", "Hangin' Out", "Hangin' Out in Hollywood", "I'm Ready, Willing & Able", "I've Danced Before", "If I'm in Luck I Might Get Picked Up", "It's My Life", "Live, Love, Learn", "My Soul Is Tired", "Ooh Yeah", "She's a Woman", "Stars Starve, You Know", "Steppin' in Her I. Miller Shoes", "You Take Me for Granted", "Your Man My Man")
B4 ("Dedicated to the Press", "F.U.N.K.", "Feelins", "I Need a Whole Lot of Nothing", "I Will Take That Ride", "In the Meantime", "Is It Love or Desire?", "Nasty Gal", "No Good at Falling in Love", "Quintessence of Hip", "Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him", "Shut Off the Light", "Special People", "Talkin' Trash", "Tell Me a Few Things", "This Is It", "You and I", "You Won't See Me in the Morning", "Your Mama Wants Ya Back")

Significant Low Notes:

B3 ("Git in There"; "I Will Take That Ride", "In the Meantime", "Is It Love or Desire?", "Nasty Gal", "No Good at Falling in Love", "Politician Man", "Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him", "Shut Off the Light", "Whorey Angel", "You Won't See Me in the Morning")
B♭3 ("Anti-Love Song", "Bar Hoppin'", "Born on the Bayou", "Bottom of the Barrel", "Don't Call Her No Tramp", "Down Home Girl", "Hangin' Out", "If I'm in Luck I Might Get Picked Up", "It's My Life", "Live, Love, Learn", "My Soul Is Tired", "She's a Woman", "You and I", "You Take Me for Granted", "Your Mama Wants Ya Back")
A3 ("All I Do Is Think of You", "Come Take Me", "Crashin' from Passion", "Dedicated to the Press", "Feelins", "Git in There"; "He Was a Big Freak", "I Need a Whole Lot of Nothing", "I've Danced Before", "Quintessence of Hip", "Special People", "Stars Starve, You Know", "Steppin' in Her I. Miller Shoes", "You Make Me Feel So Good", "Your Man My Man")
G♯3 ("'70s Blues", "Game Is My Middle Name", "Hangin' Out", "I'm Ready, Willing & Able", "Is It Love or Desire?", "Nasty Gal", "Ooh Yeah", "Talkin' Trash", "Tell Me a Few Things", "They Say I'm Different", "When Romance Says Goodbye", "Whorey Angel", "You Won't See Me in the Morning")
G3 ("All I Do Is Think of You", "Anti-Love Song", "Born on the Bayou", "Bottom of the Barrel", "Crashin' from Passion", "Dedicated to the Press", "Don't Call Her No Tramp", "F.U.N.K.", "Hangin' Out in Hollywood", "I'm Ready, Willing & Able", "It's My Life", "Let's Get Personal", "Live, Love, Learn", "My Soul Is Tired", "Steppin' in Her I. Miller Shoes", "You Take Me for Granted")
F♯3 ("Bar Hoppin'", "Feelins", "For My Man", "He Was a Big Freak", "I Need a Whole Lot of Nothing", "I Will Take That Ride", "In the Meantime", "Is It Love or Desire?", "It's So Good", "No Good at Falling in Love", "Quintessence of Hip", "Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him", "Tell Me a Few Things", "They Say I'm Different", "Walkin' Up the Road", "You and I", "Your Mama Wants Ya Back")
F3 ("'70s Blues", "Bottom of the Barrel", "Don't Call Her No Tramp", "Down Home Girl", "Gettin' Kicked Off, Havin' Fun", "Hangin' Out", "Hangin' Out in Hollywood", "I've Danced Before", "If I'm in Luck I Might Get Picked Up", "Ooh Yeah", "She's a Woman", "Talkin' Trash", "You Take Me for Granted")
E3 ("Come Take Me", "Crashin' from Passion", "F.U.N.K.", "For My Man", "Git in There"; "I Need a Whole Lot of Nothing", "I Will Take That Ride", "In the Meantime", "It's So Good", "No Good at Falling in Love", "Quintessence of Hip", "Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him", "Special People", "Walkin' Up the Road", "You Make Me Feel So Good")
E♭3 ("'70s Blues", "Anti-Love Song", "Bar Hoppin'", "Down Home Girl", "Game Is My Middle Name", "Gettin' Kicked Off, Havin' Fun", "Politician Man", "Talkin' Trash", "Tell Me a Few Things", "You and I", "Your Man My Man")
D3 ("Bottom of the Barrel", "F.U.N.K.", "Gettin' Kicked Off, Havin' Fun", "Hangin' Out in Hollywood", "I've Danced Before", "If I'm in Luck I Might Get Picked Up", "Let's Get Personal", "Special People", "You Make Me Feel So Good")
C♯3 ("For My Man", "He Was a Big Freak", "It's So Good", "Politician Man", "When Romance Says Goodbye", "Whorey Angel", "Your Mama Wants Ya Back")
C3 ("Let's Get Personal", "Your Man My Man")
B2 ("When Romance Says Goodbye")

SPOILER: Click to show

{Questionable Notes}G6 ("I've Danced Before"^[1a])
C6 ("Stars Starve, You Know"^[2a])

A2 ("Let's Get Personal"^[2b])
G♯2 ("When Romance Says Goodbye"^[1b])
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[1] Questionable quality.
a. Crackly squeaks.
b. Fryish anacrusis.

[2] Questionable representativeness.
a. Ambiguously pitched squeaks.
b. Breathy slides.

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• Blue marks falsetto notes.
• Bold marks outstanding passages.
• Italics mark non-melodic notes.
• Underlines mark obscured notes.