Discography

Ralph McKnight

"Soul Singer" should be the title of Bettye LaVette's biography. She has been dedicated to the idiom since she was 16 years old, adopting the blues as her own and having been an unsung pioneer in the field of rhythm and blues. The audiences in smoke-filled nightclubs, theatres, concert halls and blues festivals have shouted at the stage telling Bettye to "sing the song, honey!" since "My Man" was a hit.

Those appearances wetted the appetites for loyal soul fans who eagerly await Miss LaVette's latest record releases. Even though Bettye has been dissatisfied with many of her recordings, she has some gems among the many records she has made and news of a new release by her is welcomed news to her legions of fans worldwide.

Here is her discography, thus far:

CDs & LPs

Tell Me a Lie
Motown, 1982 (LP)
Reel Music, 2008 (CD)

Not Gonna Happen Twice
Motor City, 1990 (Import CD)

Nearer to You: The SSS Recordings
Charly, 1990 (Import CD)

The Very Best of the Motor City Recordings
Motor City, 1996 (CD)

Bluesoul Belles The Complete Calla Recordings
West Side, 1999 (Import CD)
EMI INT'L, 2005 (Import CD)

Souvenirs
(Original previously unreleased Atco LP from 1973)
Art & Soul, 2000 (Import CD)

Bettye LaVette: Let Me Down Easy In Concert
Munich, 2000 (Import CD)

A Woman Like Me
Blues Express, 2003 (CD)

Vanthology - A Tribute To Van Morrison (Various Artists)
Track; Real Real Gone
Evidence, 2003 (CD)

I've Got My Own Hell to Raise
Anti-, 2005 (CD)
Dbk Works (LP)

Get In The Groove - Live (Various Artists)
Tracks: Night Time is the Right Time, Tailfeather Finale
Norton, 2005 (CD)

Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart
The Classic Late '60s Memphis Recordings with The Dixie Flyers
Varese Sarabande, 2006 (CD)

Child Of The Seventies
The Complete Atlantic/Atco Recordings
(The same as Souvenirs, but also with mono versions of 2 45s and 2 previously unreleased tracks from the 70s.)
Rhino Handmade, 2006 (CD)

Do Your Duty
The Complete Silver Fox/SSS Recordings
Sundazed, 2006 (LP)Sundazed, 2009 (CD)

What's Going On - The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Track: What's Happening Brother
Shoutfactory, 2006 (CD)

Song Of America - Various Artists
Track: Streets Of Philadelphia
Thirty Tigers, 2007 (CD)

The Scene of the Crime
Anti- 2007 (CD)
Anti- 2007 (LP)

Change Is Gonna Come Sessions
Anti- 2009 (download only EP)

Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook
Anti- 2010 (CD)
Anti- 2010 (Import LP)

SINGLES

My Man - He's a Lovin' Man/Shut Your Mouth
Atlantic 2160, 1962 (No 7 R&B)

You'll Never Change/Here I Am
Atlantic 2198, 1963

Witchcraft in the Air/You Killed the Love
LuPine 123, 1963

(Happiness Will Cost You) One Thin Dime
Scepter, 1964 (unreleased)

Let Me Down Easy/What I Don't Know (Won't Hurt Me)
Calla 102, 1965 (No 20 R&B)

I Feel Good All Over/Only Your Love Can Save Me
Calla 104, 1965

Cry Me a River
Calla, 1965 (unreleased)

She Don't Love You Like I Love You
Calla, 1965 (unreleased)

I'm Just a Fool For You/Stand Up Like a Man
Calla 106, 1966

I'm Holding On/Tears in Vain
Big Wheel 1969, 1966

Almost/Love Makes The World Go Round
Karen 1540, 1968

Get Away/What Condition My Condition Is In
Karen 1544, 1968

A Little Help From My Friends/Hey Love
Karen 1545, 1969

Let Me Down Easy/Ticket to the Moon
Karen 1548, 1969

He Made a Woman Out of Me/Nearer to You
Silver Fox 17, 1969 (No 25 R&B)

Do Your Duty/Love's Made a Fool Out of Me
Silver Fox 21, 1970 (No 38 R&B)

Games People Play/My Train's Comin' In
Silver Fox 24, 1970

Piece of My Heart/At the Mercy of a Man
SSS International 839, 1970

He Made A Woman Out Of Me / My Train's Coming In
SSS Int'l 933, 1970

Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go (w/ Hank Ballard)
SSS International 946, c. 1970

Hello, Sunshine (with Hank Ballard)
SSS International, c. 1970 (unreleased)

I'm In Love
Silver Fox, 1970 (unreleased)

We Got To Slip Around
SSS International, c. 1970 (unreleased)

Easier To Say (Than Do)
SSS International, c. 1970 (unreleased)

Never My Love/Stormy
TCA 001, 1971

Heart of Gold/You'll Wake Up Wiser
Atco 6891, 1972

Your Turn to Cry/Soul Tambourine
Atco 6913, 1973

Thank You For Loving Me/You Made a Believer Out of Me
Epic 50143, 1975 (No 94 R&B)

Behind Closed Doors/ You're a Man of Words, I'm a Woman of Action
Epic 50177, 1975

Feelings
1978 (unreleased)

Shoestring
1978 (unreleased)

Doin' the Best I Can Pt.1 /Doin' the Best I Can Pt. 2
West End 1213, 1978

Right in the Middle (of Falling in Love) / You've Seen One You've Seen 'em All
Motown 1532, 1982 (No 35 R&B)

I Can't Stop/Either Way We Lose
Motown 1614, 1982

Trance Dance Pt.1/ Trance Dance Pt. 2
Street King, 1984

Not Gonna Happen Twice
Motor City, 1990 (UK only)

Damn Your Eyes/Out Cold
Bar None, 1997 (Cassette only)

LATEST ALBUM

Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook

"Bettye LaVette brings the British Invasion home to its American R&B roots on her latest CD, INTERPRETATIONS: THE BRITISH ROCK SONGBOOK

BUY ALBUM

OTHER RELEASES

The Scene Of The Crime

Bettye Lavette and The Drive By Truckers collaborate on this one-of-a-kind record filled with mini-dramas about life, love and survival. Critically acclaimed and Grammy-nominated CD.

BUY ALBUM

I've Got My Own Hell To Raise

"A forceful, timely reminder that soul thrives on the singer and not the song, LaVette doesn't so much cover these songs as reinvent them from the inside out."

BUY ALBUM

A Woman Like Me

"Perhaps the best female soul release in years. Buy this CD. It will not leave your CD player. When you have sympathetic live musicians, an understanding producer and the great, great Bettye LaVette on board, the perfect CD can be created." WC Handy Award winner "Best Comeback CD of 2004"

BUY ALBUM

Do Your Duty

"For many longtime LaVette devotees, her recordings for the Silver Fox label, and its parent company SSS International, rank with the artist’s finest work. Do Your Duty collects the 11 classic solo sides that LaVette cut for Silver Fox and SSS in 1969 and 1970, including her beloved R&B hits “He Made a Woman Out of Me” and “Do Your Duty.” Completely remastered international tracks from 1969-1970.

BUY ALBUM

Tell Me A Lie

"Bettye LaVette recorded this album for Motown in 1982. Critically acclaimed at the time of its release but totally at odds with what Motown was then recording, "Tell Me A Lie" sounds as fresh today as it did when originally released."

BUY ALBUM

Let Me Down Easy:
Live in Concert

LaVette claims that live performance is where she blows away the competition. Hearing this monster set recorded at the 1999 Blues Estafette festival in Utrecht, Holland, one would be hard pressed to argue with her.

BUY ALBUM

Change Is Gonna Come Sessions

"If one of your favorite musical sets of the Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial happened to be the moment when cult soul diva Bettye LaVette sang Sam Cooke’s “Change Is Gonna Come” with Jon Bon Jovi, get ready for a truly amazing treat."

BUY ALBUM