It's safe to say that the vast majority of R&B lovers have never heard of
Betty Griffin
, a talented but little known soul singer who was active in the late '70s and early '80s. The big-voiced
Griffin
made her vinyl debut in 1980, recording
Free Spirit
for
Mopres Records
(a small mom-and-pop label that was based in the Los Angeles suburb of Rancho Palos Verdes). Unfortunately for
, the struggling
Mopres
didn't have a lot of promotional muscle. As a result, this LP received very little radio airplay and didn't sell. But
is a pleasant and enjoyable record even though it falls short of remarkable. The singer's phrasing indicates that she spent a lot of time listening to
Aretha Franklin
and
Natalie Cole
, and she has generally decent material to work with (most of it written by
Robin "Kiddle" Mack
and the LP's producer/arranger
Dean Chambers
).
provides a few sweaty up-tempo numbers, including the funky title song. But romantic ballads and slow jams are dominant, and tracks like
"If You Want to Be a Star"
"I Want to Cruise"
find her favoring a smooth quiet storm approach a la
Phyllis Hyman
,
Angela Bofill
, or the late
Minnie Riperton
. She doesn't get into hardcore funk, nor does the album contain any disco (something that was quite prevalent in 1980). With the right promotion,
probably would have become better known. Instead,
quickly went out of print and ended up in the cutout bins. ~ Alex Henderson