Betty Wright (December 21, 1953 – May 10, 2020) – Slip And Do It (1975)

Gene Chandler co-wrote and Willie Clarke produced this ultra-funky anthem for the great Betty Wright, one of her many records on R&B charts in the 1970s and 80s.

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Betty Wright was a singer/songwriter whose songs were staples of R&B charts in the 1970s and 80s and one of the key artists on Henry Stone’s T.K. Records roster. She was also a prominent backing vocalist for stars including Stevie Wonder, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Gloria Estefan and more.

Bessie Regina Norris was born in Miami, Florida. She was the youngest of seven children and began singing professionally when she was two years old in her brothers and sisters’ gospel group the Echoes of Joy. Her vocals were featured on their first album in 1956 when she was three. They performed together until 1965.

Wright then switched from gospel to R&B and began entering local talent shows. She was signed to Miami label Deep City Records in 1966, at age 12, and released her first singles “Thank You Baby” and “Paralyzed.” In 1967 she switched to Alston Records, one of the many labels distributed by Henry Stone’s T.K. Records empire. Wright discovered other artists like George and Gwen McCrae and brought them to the label as well.

She released her debut album My First Time Around in 1968, when she was 14 years old. Produced by Brad Shapiro and Steve Alaimo, it featured several songs co-written by Clarence Reid and Willie Clarke, including her first hit, “Girls Can't Do What the Guys Do,” which reached #15 R&B and crossed over to #33 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was later covered by Dusty Springfield for her 1972 LP See All Her Faces.

Her biggest hit came in 1971 with “Clean Up Woman.” Released that November, it was a smash hit, zooming to #2 R&B where it stayed for eight weeks, only kept from the top slot by Al Green’s massive record “Let’s Stay Together.” The single also spent fourteen weeks on the Hot 100, peaking at #6 in early 1972. It went gold, eventually selling more than two million copies, and was included on her second album I Love The Way You Love (1972).

Wright wrote or co-wrote many of her own songs including the very funky title track to her third album Hard To Stop (1973). Co-written by Willie Clarke & Clarence Reid, “Hard To Stop (Doing Something When It's Good To You)” hit #11 R&B. Also from the same LP was her superb jam “If You Think You’ve Got Soul,” co-written by Clarke and Reid.

In 1974, she co-wrote the Grammy-winning “Where Is The Love” (along with Clarke plus H.W. Casey and Richard Finch of K.C. and the Sunshine Band) which peaked at #3 on dance charts and #15 R&B.

The following year in 1975, Wright released the single “Slip And Do It,” an ultra-funky anthem sung from a Clean Up Woman’s perspective about not minding being a cheating man’s girlfriend. It was co-written by James Thompson and Eugene Dixon, aka Gene Chandler, and produced by Willie Clarke, with horns arranged by Mike Lewis.

“I Think I Better Think About It” was its B-side, which she co-wrote with Clarke. The record hit #21 R&B, and she memorably performed “Slip And Do It” on Soul Train.

Rest in Power to the great Betty Wright, who left us too soon at age 66.

#soul #funk #disco #BettyWright