Rediscovered : Bettye Lavette's DOIN" THE BEST THAT I CAN

[remicks]

*****

I recently came upon the 45 version of Bettye Lavette's DOIN' THE BEST THAT I CAN 1978 Westend .... and I looked it over .... not excited about finding it really ....because I never much took to this song and didn't club play it ....BUT ... after checking it out ... and seeing that the 45 has two sides with two edits ... one at 3:15 and one at 5:25 ..... well, what the heck .... one more to add to the heap .

SOOO .... now I've put it on the turntable and .....
... :-o ..:-o
what's this ??? :icon_question::-?

This doesn't sound like the way I remember the song ....all this bongo-ing and chimes .... a long instrumental intro and the song itself seeming more minimal ..... its now more about the breaks than not!

Not what I recall at all !! :-? .....


This version is quite good !!!! Hmmm ....maybe this is why it was popular ..... this Walter Gibbons remix must be what everyone was playing back then ..........( that I knew nothing about at the time !! :oops: ).......I'll have to dig out my old original 12" to sort this out ....
I never could understand it ... but now, upon hearing this .... no wonder so many liked this here song !!!......;):-)


always something to learn ....ain't there

Oh ..... just as is the fact that her name is spelled "Bettye" as Bernie points out in his notations in the vault :

"A white label promo of an early Eric Matthew and Cory Robbins production by Betty La Vette. An even longer and different remix was later done by Walter Gibbons of this song. Note that it is Bettye NOT Betty."

Ahemmmm ...however, Bernie :roll: .... with your point in mind .....I think you might want to go back and check your Bettye Lavette vault entries ......;);).......
.................................................. .............:razz:....... :lol:


*****

[Bernie]

Ahemmmm ...however, Bernie :roll: .... with your point in mind .....I think you might want to go back and check your Bettye Lavette vault entries ......;);).......

:oops: :oops: :oops:

Yes, there were two very different mixes. The original was very soulful and Philly-like while Walter Gibbons' remix was very stripped down with an accent on percussion.

[markydefad]

I really prefer the original mix--but the Walter Gibbons remix was very forward-thinking...an "Acid Trip" as Mel Cheren states in his book....very innovative & DRUGGY for the time--but ultimately, me thinks-- a disservice to the song.. Bettye sounds like she's in a wind tunnel with a 747 taking off in the foreground...it's trippy--but this was a sweet soul song about a dumped woman priding herself on not following her ex-man's car anymore..."for more than a block or two"--she's in recovery!!!!! she's "doin' the best that she can"... SEE???!!!:lol:

[disco-disc]

Bernie/ Marky, Which version is the Gibbons mix (with the wind tunnel), as both 12"'s say Walter Gibbons remix on the scans ???

[markydefad]

The 11:03 mix is the Walter Gibbons Acid Trip REMIX version of Bettye LaVette--more acid trip than Bettye....the other is the more traditional Walter Gibbons mix of Bettye.:grin:

[DJDynasty]

I would just like to add versions/b sides of commercial songs such as The "New Mix" (b side of comm 12) of Bettye Lavette was my preference for clubplay.
I always liked the affect it has on a crowd when they are dancing to what seems to be just a cool/funky rythem and slowly it progresses to be a song that they have heard hundreds of times but didnt see it coming.
It is an extra touch to what seems to add a magic to a DJs style.

[markydefad]

Yeah, I realize the dancers liked it when an old hit got a new mix and sounded different; Bobby Viteritti did this all the time at Troc (making his own little remixes in his bedroom); keep it interesting--give em something they think they know and then tweak it so they go "whoa, dude what was that?"...well, I guess that rather a post-disco Keanu Reeves reaction:roll: --but you get my point.8-)

[disco-disc]

Cheers Marky - Starsky

[pipecock]

i really like the long walter gibbons mix, very nice percussion and nice intro with just the vocals over some drums. very underrated IMO!