Album: Betty Wright: The Movie

Song Title

Time

Old Songs

Real Woman

In the Middle of the Game (Don't Change the Play)

Surrender

Grapes on a Vine

Look Around (Be a Man)

Tonight Again

Hollywould

Whisper in the Wind

10)

Baby Come Back

11)

So Long, So Wrong

12)

You and Me, Leroy

13)

One, The

14)

Go!

Album: Betty Wright: The Movie

Song Title

Time

Old Songs

Real Woman

In the Middle of the Game (Don't Change the Play)

Surrender

Grapes on a Vine

Look Around (Be a Man)

Tonight Again

Hollywould

Whisper in the Wind

10)

Baby Come Back

11)

So Long, So Wrong

12)

You and Me, Leroy

13)

One, The

14)

Go!

Performer Notes

Personnel: Betty Wright (vocals, background vocals).
Recording information: Audio Vision; Circle House Recording Studios, Miami, FL; Feliz Habitat Studios, New York, NY; High Place Recording Studios, Miami, FL; Nizri Studios, Miami, FL; Royal Palace, Miami, FL.
Photographers: Diana Levine; Jeannette Wright; Charles Allan Smith.
Betty Wright: The Movie is this Miami soul legend's first album since 2001's Fit for a King, but it's hardly a return. During Wright's decade away from making her own records, she was busy helping others -- including Kelly Clarkson, Joss Stone, Diddy, Keyshia Cole, and Lil Wayne -- as a songwriter, arranger, producer, and background vocalist. Here, she links up with the intrepid Roots crew and several supplemental session musicians, and she wrangles complementary appearances from Stone and the tremendously underappreciated Lenny Williams, as well as disruptive interjections from Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg. Most of the songs were either written or co-written by Angelo Morris, who has been collaborating with Wright since the late `80s. It's Wright's best-sounding album since her self-titled 1981 release for Epic, with her backing band emulating vintage soul one moment and switching it up for more modern (and wholly appropriate) sounds the next. Wright sounds terrific, navigating through the upbeat, attitudinal jams and slower, romantic cuts with finesse and strength. ~ Andy Kellman

Professional Reviews

Billboard (p.40) - "Throughout the album the Roots provide a churning backdrop of funky rhythm guitar and rolling drums."

Q (Magazine) (p.111) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[The Roots'] pitch-perfect updates of '70s arrangements make this resemble the work of a neo-soul singer such as Jill Scott or Angie Stone..."

Mojo (Publisher) (p.92) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he subject matter gets darker as the album progresses, with the help of Snoop Dogg, Joss Stone and others, until 'Hollywould' and 'Go!' do indeed have the stuff of gritty cinema."