Below is a list of singles released in the USA. The first three are credited to Betty LaVett, after which it is LaVette. She added the e to Bettye while with Bubbling Brown Sugar. There were also a few European 45s, such as the Mojo label release of Let Me Down Easy in the UK.
Label
Song titles
Date
Atlantic 2160
My Man – He’s A Lovin’ Man
Shut Your Mouth
10/1962
Atlantic 2198
You’ll Never Change
Here I Am
10/1963
Lupine 123
Witch Craft In The Air
You Killed The Love
1964
Calla 102
Let Me Down Easy
What I Don’t Know (Won’t Hurt Me)
4/1965
Calla 104
Only Your Love Can Save Me
I Feel Good (All Over)
9/1965
Calla 106
Stand Up Like A Man
I’m Just A Fool For You
11/1965
Big Wheel 1969
I’m Holdin’ On
Tears In Vain
12/1966
Karen 1540
Almost
Love Makes The World Go Round (Instrumental)
5/1968
Karen 1544
Get Away
What Condition My Condition Is In
12/1968
Karen 1545
With A Little Help From My Friends
Hey Love
5/1969
Karen 1547
Let Me Down Easy
Ticket To The Moon
1969
Silver Fox 17
He Made A Woman Out Of Me
Nearer To You
11/1969
Silver Fox 21
Do Your Duty
Love’s Made A Fool Out Of Me
2/1970
Silver Fox 24
Games People Play
My Train’s Coming In
6/1970
SSS Int. 839
Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart
At The Mercy Of A Man
1970
SSS Int. 933
He Made A Woman Out Of Me
My Train’s Coming In
1970
TCA 001
Never My Love
Stormy
1971
ATCO 6891
Heart Of Gold
You’ll Wake Up Wiser Baby
6/1972
ATCO 6913
Your Turn To Cry
Soul Tambourine
2/1973
Epic 8-50143
Thank You For Loving Me
You Made A Believer Out Of Me
9/1975
Epic 8-50177
Behind Closed Doors
You’re A Man Of Words, I’m A Woman Of Action
1975
West End 1213
Doin’ The Best That I Can
Doin’ The Best That I Can (Instrumental)
1978
West End 1213
(Remixed 12”)
Doin’ The Best That I Can
Doin’ The Best That I Can (Instrumental)
1978
Motown 1532
Right In The Middle (Of Falling In Love)
If I Were Your Woman
1/1982
Motown 1614
I Can’t Stop
Either Way We Lose
5/1982
Streetking 1122
(12 inch)
Trance Dance
Trance Dance Dub
1984
Get Down 5484
The Rhythm & The Blues
The Rhythm & The Blues/Have You Tried Jesus
1984
Motor City 39
Surrender
Time Won’t Change This Love
1990
Bar None
(Cassette tape only)
Damn Your Eyes
Out Cold
1994
Acid Jazz AJX159S
(UK only)
Laugher Ever After (Andy Lewis featuring Bettye LaVette)
Billion Pound Project (Andy Lewis)
2004
Below is a selection of CDs available. To obtain autographed copies, go to www.bettyelavette.com:
Note: “Souvenirs” is now deleted, but in 2006 Rhino Handmade released a limited edition CD called “Child Of The 70s, The Complete Atlantic/ATCO Recordings”, which contains all of Souvenirs, as well as two previously unreleased tracks that Bettye recorded in LA in 1972.
CD Title
Details
Label
Souvenirs
The complete Atlantic and ATCO recordings, including 10 previously unreleased tracks.
Art & Soul
Child of the Seventies
As above with two extra tracks.
Rhino
Bluesoul Belles
The complete Calla, Port and Roulette Recordings – Betty LaVette and Carol Fran.
Stateside
A Woman Like Me
Bettye’s W. C. Handy ‘come back’ Award-winning CD
Blues Express
I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise
Her acclaimed first CD with ANTI.
ANTI-
Scene Of The Crime
Bettye’s Grammy nominated CD.
ANTI-
Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart
All of Bettye’s Silver Fox and SSS International recordings, including a few previously unreleased tracks.
Varese Sarabande
Tell Me a Lie
The 1982 Motown recordings cut in Nashville.
Reel Music
Vanthology
Various artists - A Tribute To Van Morrison. Bettye did “Real, Real Gone” in 2003.
Evidence
Get In The Groove
A live album cut in 2005 with various artists. Bettye sings “Night Time Is The Right Time” and “Tailfeather Finale”.
Norton
What's Going On
Bettye is guest singer on this Dirty Dozen Brass Band disc, singing “What’s Happening Brother”. It was released in 2006.
Shout Factory
Song Of America
This 2007 compilation features Bettye’s sublime version of “Streets of Philadelphia”.
Thirty Tigers
You can also view some videos on YouTube; including one from 1965 of her singing Let Me Down Easy.
This webisode wouldn’t have become a reality without the kind help of the following people, who patiently answered my tiresome questions: Robert Bateman, Jay Butler, Dennis Coffey, Don Davis, Joe Hunter, Kevin Kiley, Willie Jones, Bettye LaVette, Johnnie Mae Matthews, George McGregor, Carlis ‘Sonny’ Monro, Rudy Robinson, William ‘Sonny’ Sanders and Richard ‘Popcorn’ Wylie.
Also thanks to Carl Pelegrino of Motorcitymusic for supplying various record label scans and to David Miekle for the photo of the bar in Phelps Lounge.
My main interview with Bettye was in Detroit on September 12th 2001 and we spoke again - July 2008 - just before this webisode was posted online. I also extracted information from Rick Pack’s article published in Soul Survivor magazine number 8, plus the sleeve notes of the Bluesoul Belles and the Varese label CDs.
Graham Finch
Bettye LaVette Story
by Graham Finch DESIGN, GRAPHICS & HOSTING
by Lowell Boileau
