Betty Wright Live

When Betty Wright Live was first released in 1978, there was some speculation on whether or not it was really a live album or simply a studio recording with canned applause. To be sure, the applause doesnt sound authentic, and the original LPs liner notes listed neither a recording date nor a location. But whether it was recorded on stage or in the studio, this album provides much evidence of Wrights vitality as a singer. Live became best known for its version of Tonight Is the Night, a moving account of a young woman losing her virginity to her first true love. But the gritty Miami soulster is equally expressive on Leon Russells A Song for You and versions of her hits Where Is the Love and Clean Up Woman (which is performed as the main song in an 11-minute medley). Even if the title Betty Wright Live is an example of false advertising, this is a recording that fans of gritty, emotionally direct Southern soul would do well to experience. ~ Alex Henderson