BETTY PADGETT: SWEET AS SUGAR posted by O.W.

Betty Padgett: Sugar Daddy (Pt. 1) + Rocking Chair
From Betty Padgett (Luv N' Haight, 2009)

Sounds like my man DJ Sureshot was partially responsible for bringing this LP back into light, almost 25 years after its original release. Betty Padgett is part of the South Florida soul scene - a rich site indeed - and that's where she met Milton Wright back in the early '70s. That encounter eventually produced (literally and figuratively) this album in 1975 and it's easy to hear why there'd be interest in re-releasing this so many years later.

The album has intriguing mix of several styles - disco most obviously, but also reggae and modern soul - and Padgett's bright voice helps contrast with the earthiness of the rhythm section. "Sugar Daddy" was also released on 12" and it's a fun listen, not the least of which is due to the lyrics which finds Padgett singing to her benefactor about trips to Italy and diamond rings. Get that gold, girl!

As for "Rocking Chair," it's one of at least two cover songs dedicated to Padgett's contemporaries in the Miami soul scene - in this case, Gwen McCrae (the other is a cover of Betty Wright's "Tonight's the Night"). Personally, I love any cover of "Rocking Chair," especially one with a heavy ska influence on the bass. Jam on it!