"Doin' The Best That I Can"

**markydefad** · September 16th, 2005, 02:37 PM

I have 2 copies of this 12" by Bettye Lavette. (Love it when the divas addd extra letters to their names to "complicate" the spellings!!!) Too much time on their hands??? Hmmmm :lol:

One is the standard 7:43 mix by Walter Gibbons with a short version on the b-side.

The other has the 7:43 mix + an 11+ minute mix on the b-side.

Which is the more sought after record? Is it the 11+ minute mix people are looking for? It seems obvious...but I'm not sure and who is the Mark Sammeth so prominently listed on the label after the song title? Did he write it?

This is probably a "Duh" post.... :oops: :oops: :oops: but I'm just askin'.

**Bernie** · September 16th, 2005, 02:56 PM

Marky,
AFAIK the Walter Gibbons' 11 minute mix is the sought-after version >>> http://www.discomusic.com/records-more/531_0_2_0_C/

**markydefad** · September 16th, 2005, 03:24 PM

Thanks Bernie!!! I shoulda known, eh??? :lol:

**Mixmachine** · September 16th, 2005, 04:04 PM

Did you see the message on the run out groove? "Have a Hot summer!" it says :P very nice Motownish track, need to find the 11:03 remix and check out the differences...

**keefelc** · September 16th, 2005, 08:08 PM

Originally Written by markydefad

Thanks Bernie!!! I shoulda known, eh??? :lol:

Yes Mark, you shoulda known from your Aloha Records years! :lol: Surely we told you about the Gibbons remix of the song??? :D

**markydefad** · September 16th, 2005, 08:41 PM

But Gibbons remixed all of em!!! Just because it's 11 minutes doesn't necessarily mean it's superior to the 7:34 version, does it???? :-? :o

**Jimmy-Michaels** · September 17th, 2005, 06:20 AM

The 11 min mix was actualy featured in a 1979 porn flick called "Candi Girl" :lol: And the difference is really that the 11 min one is more spinning friendly I guess you could say...id call it almost like a dub mix/pre jungle house type version.

**markydefad** · September 17th, 2005, 03:14 PM

Originally Written by DJ Jimmy M

The 11 min mix was actualy featured in a 1979 porn flick called "Candi Girl" :lol: And the difference is really that the 11 min one is more spinning friendly I guess you could say...id call it almost like a dub mix/pre jungle house type version.

Exactly Jimmy. I listened last night and that was my conclusion. The 11 minute version is a DJ experiment in early Dub (very innovative for the time-1978)--but I actually prefer the 7:43 version for the vocals and song structure. Gibbons makes Bettye sound like she's in a wind tunnel on the 11 minute version. But I understand this is the same stuff that Viteritti did with records that had been played a lot and now needed updating to keep the crowd interested. Adding lots of percussiony effects and dubbing it up makes it better for the dancefloor, no doubt. But Bettye's "I'm just tryin' to cope after losin' my man" song is better served in the 7:43 version, IMHO.

**markydefad** · September 18th, 2005, 02:53 PM

Imagine my surprise when I opened my Entertainment Weekly magazine yesterday and found a full page article on

BETTYE LAVETTE!!!!! :D :D :D

Bettye's back with a new blues cd and performed recently on David Letterman (a bluesy version of Dolly Parton's "Little Sparrow"). No mention is made of Bettye's disco hit however. :roll: :roll: :roll:

**nrgbeat** · September 19th, 2005, 05:51 AM

http://www.bettyelavette.com/

**DISCODISK** · September 19th, 2005, 01:51 PM

MARKY i was gonna mention the letterman apperance yesterday i believe she went down well,i also believe shes getting lots of praise in the states allbeit 40 years too late

**Jeff H** · September 19th, 2005, 06:41 PM

The 11:03 version is included on a CD titled "The West End Records Story Vol. 2"--and actually caused me to seek out the shorter 12-inch version. It's just too damn long! Marky is so right about the shorter version being quite sufficient.

After I saw the story about her in EW, I had to check my copy of the record to make sure she was the same singer who did "Doin' the Best That I Can." I found it hard to believe that the song wouldn't rate a mention at all. :(

**neonlights** · September 19th, 2005, 07:19 PM

Wow that's great about the EW story.. I love "Doin' The Best That I Can"... great record! After her last album - "A Woman Like Me" from '03, she's been getting tons of great reviews and press.. So glad to see her getting her due.. It's a great album, I don't think there are too many singers these days who sound quite as intense as she does.. Looking forward to hearing her new stuff..

**TheLordOfFlatbush** · October 26th, 2005, 08:46 AM

The 11:03 Version had all of the elements from a remix at that time. The Autopan at the end of the song, percussion breaks, horns, basslines etc.

Actually, this song brought tears to my eyes when I played it!

Excellent indeed!