Very Best of Betty Wright

by Betty Wright

Product Description:

Personnel includes: Betty Wright (vocals).

Includes liner notes by David Nathan.

Digitally remastered by Dan Hersch and Bill Inglot (DigiPrep).

This 16-track Rhino collection is a great overview of soul diva Betty Wright's best moments. With a combination of Motown-inspired pop smarts, dashes of light funk, and punchy, horn-driven arrangements a la Stax/Volt, Wright's music is a case study in classic Southern soul, driven home with singing that blends sweet romanticism with sexy swagger. "Clean Up Woman" (from 1971), Wright's highest charting hit, leads off the set. A breezy groove, powered by interlocking guitar and bass lines, anchors the tune, while Wright sings her moral warning (about how quickly ex-boyfriends can be captured by a "clean up woman").

Naturally, the set presents Wright's other notable hits, including the sassy "Let Me Be Your Lovemaker" and the disco-flavored "Where Is the Love" (which won a Grammy in 1975). There are plenty of other treats to savor, such as the Allen Toussaint-penned "Shoorah! Shoorah!," along with "Baby Sitter" and "Secretary," which are "ladies, look out," songs on the order of "Clean Up Woman." These hits came sporadically throughout the '70s, and though her individual albums will be of interest to soul collectors and completists, Wright is perfectly served by this compilation.