One of the best things about Fathers Day each year is that Linette invariably breaks out a mixed tape that she made for me several years ago that contains the Betty Davis song He was a Big Freak. It’s the only time I ever hear the song, and it always makes me incredibly happy. I’m tempted to listen to it more often, but I really love the fact that, every year, it just comes out of nowhere and catches me completely by surprise.
Here, for those of you who have never heard the album They Say I’m Different
One last thing… If you’re looking for a good Fathers Day tradition, you’re welcome to borrow this one. There’s nothing better than being served overdone scrambled eggs by your kids while Betty Davis screams “He was a big freak… I used to beat him with a turquoise chain” in the background. Trust me on this… It may not be the most traditional of Fathers Day anthems, but it beats Cats in the Cradle.
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Was the big freak Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone or Miles Davis? Has she ever said?
Amazing.
FROM DAZED:
“I wrote about friends of mine – I was inspired by the people around me,” she remembers. “‘He Was a Big Freak’ wasn’t written specifically about Jimi, but he liked turquoise a lot, so I got the line ‘I used to beat him with a turquoise chain’.”
http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/20269/1/nasty-gal-betty-davis
There’s a new record of previously unreleased tracks coming out.
http://www.npr.org/2016/07/06/484808335/behind-the-black-power-goddess-betty-davis-early-demos-released