Bettye Swann is not a household name in the music business, but she should've been. Strong vocals with a tight horn section behind her, the majority of her songs recorded between the mid-60's to early-70's are all killer, no filler. Bettye recorded some classic, classic soul songs, with also some country influences. Bettye covered songs by the likes of Patsy Cline ("Sweet Dreams") and Tammy Wynette ("Stand By Your Man"). Check out her cover of country great Merle Haggard's "Today I Started Loving You Again", all souled up!
One of my favorite tracks Bettye recorded was one that she wrote, "(My Heart is) Closed For the Season":
Bettye didn't have the success that other female soul singers like Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, or Etta James had. However, I would place her as one of the top ten female soul vocalists of all-time, and along with Candi Staton, a soul singer that should have been more recognized. She wrote some great songs, recorded some amazing covers of great songs, and made them just as great on her own.
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