Labelle is an
all female singing groupA girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonize together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. Originally forming as
The Ordettes in 1960 by lead singer
Patti LaBellePatricia Louise Holte , best known by her stage name of Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter and actress. She fronted two groups, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, which received minor success on the pop charts in the 1960s, and Labelle, which received acclaim and a...
and childhood friend Sandra Tucker who was replaced by
Cindy BirdsongCynthia Ann Birdsong-Hewlett , better known by her stage name, Cindy Birdsong is an Grammy Award-winning American R&B/soul singer-songwriter....
in 1961 and with the inclusion of former members of the Philadelphia-based Del Capris,
Sarah DashSarah Dash is a singer and actress. Her first notable appearance on the music scene was as a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles.-Early career:...
and
Nona HendryxNona Hendryx is an American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, author, and actress...
, they eventually changed their name to
The Bluebelles in 1962 after signing their first recording contract. Mixing
doo-wopDoo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music, which developed in African-American communities in the 1940s and which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. An African-American vocal style known as doo-wop emerged from the streets of northeastern and industrial midwest...
and
gospelGospel music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, they became known for performing renditions of pop standards such as "
Over the Rainbow"Over the Rainbow" is a classic ballad song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz, and was sung by Judy Garland in that movie. Over time it would become Garland's signature song.In the film, part of the song is played by the MGM...
" and "
You'll Never Walk Alone"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Carousel.In the musical, in the second act, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the female protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the...
".
After Birdsong's departure to join
The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
in 1967, the group altered their image at least twice in the 1970s and changed their name to Labelle, performing
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
-meshed
soulSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and gospel-singing harmonies, under a pro-feminist approach and famously opening for
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
. In 1973, the group adopted a more flamboyant image and music that melded
discoDisco is a genre of dance music that that had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, psychedelic and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
,
funkFunk is an American music genre that originated in the late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, soul jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and
glam rockGlam rock is a style that developed in the UK in the post-hippie early 1970s that was "performed by singers and musicians wearing outrageous clothes, makeup, hairstyles, and platform-soled boots." The flamboyant costumes, and visual styles of glam performers were a campy, theatrical blend of...
. This incarnation of group was best known for singing more provocative issues including
racismRacism is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. In the case of institutional racism, certain racial groups may be denied rights or benefits, or get preferential treatment...
,
sexismSexism, a term coined in the mid-20th century, is the belief or attitude that one gender or sex is inferior to, less competent, or less valuable than the other. It can also refer to hatred of, or prejudice towards, either sex as a whole , or the application of stereotypes of masculinity in relation...
and eroticism.
The group is most notable for the proto-disco funk classic "
Lady Marmalade"Lady Marmalade" is a 1974 song made famous by the girl group Labelle. Produced by Allen Toussaint, "Lady Marmalade" became a number-one hit the next year...
" and their outlandish space-age costumes and brash incorporation of rock & roll. They're also known for heralded performances at The Apollo Theater and the
Metropolitan Opera HouseThe Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880, is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. Peter Gelb is the company's general manager. The music director is James Levine....
, the latter hall where they became the first contemporary pop group and first African American group to perform there. Although they never announced a breakup, after the end of a 1976 tour, each member enjoyed significant amount of solo success including Nona Hendryx, who followed an idiosyncratic muse into her own solo career, which often bordered on the avant-garde and Patti LaBelle, who's enjoyed a very successful
GrammyThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
-winning solo career.
The group returned with their first new album in 32 years with 2008's
Back to NowBack to Now is the seventh and latest studio album by American funk/soul female group Labelle, released on October 21, 2008. The album is the group's first in over thirty years though they had sung on songs together on occasion....
.
The beginning – initial success
In 1960, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash of the Del Capris joined
Patricia "Patsy" HoltePatricia Louise Holte , best known by her stage name of Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter and actress. She fronted two groups, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, which received minor success on the pop charts in the 1960s, and Labelle, which received acclaim and a...
and Sandra Tucker as replacement singers for Holte's singing group, The Ordettes (when Tucker's parents made her leave the group, she was replaced by
Cindy BirdsongCynthia Ann Birdsong-Hewlett , better known by her stage name, Cindy Birdsong is an Grammy Award-winning American R&B/soul singer-songwriter....
). During their first audition for Philadelphia-based Newtown Records in 1962, the record label boss initially refused to sign them because he felt lead singer Holte was "too dark and too plain" to be a lead singer of a girl group. However when she began singing during an impromptu audition, the boss changed his mind and signed the group, changing their name to the Bluebelles in the process. Holte had her name changed to Patti LaBelle after the group became The Bluebelles. LaBelle means "the beautiful" in
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
.
Their first release as a group, "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" (released as
The Bluebelles), was originally recorded and released by another girl group,
The StarletsThe Starlets were an American girl group from Chicago, Illinois.The group came together in 1961, and auditioned for a Chicago songwriter, Bernice Williams. Williams wrote them the tune "Better Tell Him No", which was released on Pam Records that year. The record peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot...
, according to LaBelle in her memoirs,
Don't Block the Blessings, saying they didn't perform on the original track. The Starlets were forced to release the single under "The Bluebelles" moniker due to conflict with their own record company and due to a conflicting concert schedule were unable to promote the song. LaBelle said the label boss had the group promote the song and they later recorded the song themselves in the studio. The Bluebelles performed the song on
American BandstandAmerican Bandstand was a television show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, hosted from 1957 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
and later performed as an opening act for
Murray the KMurray Kaufman professionally known as Murray the K, was a famous and influential rock and roll impresario and disc jockey of the 1950s, '60s and '70s...
's rock revues. The song eventually rose to number-fifteen on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
After a manager threatened to sue Newtown Records for usage of the "Bluebelles" name, the name was altered as
Patti La Belle and Her Bluebelles. Their first and only album on Newtown was a
live albumA live album – commonly contrasted with a studio album – is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances. Live albums may be recorded at a single concert, or combine recordings made at multiple concerts...
recorded at
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's famed
Apollo TheaterThe Apollo Theater in New York City is one of the most famous music halls in the United States, and the most famous club associated almost exclusively with African-American performers. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is the home of Showtime at the Apollo, a...
titled
Sweethearts of the Apollo, they also released a
ChristmasChristmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days. The nativity of Jesus, which is the basis for the anno Domini...
album later that same year. After several releases failed to match the success of "Junkman", the group left Newtown in 1963 and signed with
Cameo-Parkway RecordsCameo-Parkway Records was the parent company of Cameo Records and Parkway Records, which were major American Philadelphia-based record labels from 1956 and 1958 , to 1967...
, which released the
doo-wopDoo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music, which developed in African-American communities in the 1940s and which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. An African-American vocal style known as doo-wop emerged from the streets of northeastern and industrial midwest...
ballad, "Down the Aisle (The Wedding Song)". The song featured high
whistle registerThe whistle register is the highest register of the human voice lying above the modal register and falsetto register...
notes from LaBelle near the very end of the song and the single became a
Top 40Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
success reaching number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number fourteen on the
Hot R&B SinglesR&B/Hip-Hop Songs, formerly the Black Singles Chart, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues...
chart.
Becoming Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles – Atlantic Records
The following year, the group recorded their classic version of the pop standard, "
You'll Never Walk Alone"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Carousel.In the musical, in the second act, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the female protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the...
", which also became a top forty pop single firmly putting La Belle and the Bluebelles on the pop music map. The group dominated the
chitlin' circuitThe "Chitlin' Circuit" was the collective name given to the string of performance venues throughout the eastern and southern United States that were safe and acceptable for African American musicians, comedians, and other entertainers to perform at during the age of racial segregation in the United...
during this period winning rave reviews for their emotional live performances. After the modestly successful release of "
Danny Boy"Danny Boy" is a ballad written by Frederick Weatherly and usually set to the tune of the Londonderry Air; it is most closely associated with Irish communities.-Background:"Danny Boy" was written by Frederick Weatherly in 1910...
", the group issued another live album for Cameo-Parkway in 1964 before leaving that label for
Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm & blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in 1965. In 1966, the group recorded their first
studio albumA studio album is an original collection of new tracks by a recording artist.It usually does not contain live recordings and/or remixes, and if it does, those tracks do not make up majority of the album and are often "bonus tracks"...
,
Over the Rainbow (under the
Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles moniker), which featured the first recording of what later became a Patti standard, the cover of "
Over the Rainbow"Over the Rainbow" is a classic ballad song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz, and was sung by Judy Garland in that movie. Over time it would become Garland's signature song.In the film, part of the song is played by the MGM...
", and also featured the R&B hit, "All or Nothing" and one of the first recordings of "Groovy Kind of Love". The group discovered a fan base in
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where they headlined a tour at in 1966 performing live on the show,
Ready Steady Go!Ready Steady Go! or simply RSG! was one of the UK's first rock/pop music TV programmes. RSG! was conceived by Elkan Allan, head of Rediffusion TV, who wanted to try a music radio show. Allan was assisted by record producer/talent manager Vicki Wickham, who became the producer. It was broadcast...
, and performed with
Elton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE is an English singer-songwriter, composer and pianist.In his four-decade career, John has sold more than 200 million records, making him one of the most successful artists of all time. His single, Candle in the Wind 1997, has sold over 37 million copies, becoming the...
's band
BluesologyBluesology was a 1960s English R&B group.Set up in 1964 by Long John Baldry , it featured Reg Dwight on keyboards, Caleb Quaye on guitar, and saxophonist Elton Dean. The band backed touring American soul and R&B musicians such as The Isley Brothers, Major Lance, Doris Troy and Patti LaBelle and...
backing them up. During that year, they also contributed background vocals to
Wilson PickettWilson Pickett was an American R&B/rock and roll and soul singer and songwriter known for his raw, raspy, passionate vocal delivery....
's hit "634-5789 (Soulsville U.S.A.)".
In 1967, they released their second album for Atlantic titled,
Dreamer, which featured the
Curtis MayfieldCurtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions and composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly. From these works and others, he is highly regarded as a pioneer of funk and of...
-composed hit, "I'm Still Waiting". That same year, however, the group was thrown for a loop when
Cindy BirdsongCynthia Ann Birdsong-Hewlett , better known by her stage name, Cindy Birdsong is an Grammy Award-winning American R&B/soul singer-songwriter....
suddenly left the group to join
The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
after spending months as a stand-in for Supremes founder
Florence BallardFlorence Glenda Ballard Chapman , nicknamed "Flo" and "Blondie", was an American singer, and one of the original founders of the Hall of Fame Motown group The Supremes....
. By then the
girl groupA girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonize together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
sound had run out of favor with popular audiences having been replaced by
psychedelic rockPsychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among garage and folk rock bands in Britain and the United States...
bands such as Sly and the Family Stone and
The Jimi Hendrix ExperienceThe Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English–American rock band, formed in London in 1966. Originally comprising American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until 1969, in which time they...
. In 1970, the group was dropped from Atlantic Records.
Reinvention
Frustrated with their dormant careers, Labelle began performing overseas in 1970 and while in London, they hired British TV producer
Vicki WickhamVicki Heather Wickham is an English talent manager, entertainment producer, and songwriter.-Career:She is most known for producing the 60's British television show Ready Steady Go!, and managing well known pop/soul acts Labelle and Dusty Springfield.She also wrote the English lyrics to...
to remake their image. Wickham advised them to change their name to simply
Labelle and produced a contemporary rock sound for the group. Though Patti LaBelle admitted later that she was uncomfortable with the changes, she eventually went along with it because she was tired of fighting over it with Wickham.
Ditching their trademark bouffant wigs and dresses, the group adapted Afros and jeans and returned to The United States in 1971 signing with
Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label that operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. It is also affectionately known as Warners or the Bunny, based on the Bugs Bunny cartoons released by Warner Bros. Pictures.-History:...
and releasing their debut album,
LabelleLabelle is the debut album of American funk/soul singing trio Labelle, formerly a four-girl group known as Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles. This was Labelle's first release for Warner Bros. Records.- Tracklisting :Side A# "Morning Much Better"...
, notable for the sexually charged rocker, "Morning Much Better", and their covers of
Laura NyroLaura Nyro was an American composer, lyricist, singer, and pianist. Her style was a hybrid of Brill Building-style New York pop, jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, show tunes and rock....
's "Time and Love" and
The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
' "
Wild Horses"Wild Horses" is a song by the Rolling Stones from their 1971 album Sticky Fingers, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Rolling Stone ranked it at #334 in its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list in 2004.-Inspiration and recording:...
" and the Hendryx/LaBelle-penned socially conscious composition, "Shades of Difference". That same year, they sung background to Nyro on her acclaimed album,
Gonna Take a MiracleGonna Take a Miracle is the fifth music album by New York-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro. Nyro was backed up on the album by the vocal trio Labelle....
, produced by Philadelphia soul stalwarts Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and also contributed to
Nikki GiovanniYolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni is a Grammy-nominated American poet, activist and author. Giovanni is currently a Distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Tech.-Biography:...
's
Peace Be Still. During recording of the Nyro album, Gamble & Huff approached the group with a song written for them titled "
If You Don't Know Me By Now"If You Don't Know Me by Now" is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and recorded by the Philadelphia soul musical group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, which became their first hit after being released as a single in 1972, topping the R&B chart and peaking at number three on the Pop chart...
". But due to a conflicting touring schedule the group had, they were unable to record it. Instead, the song was altered to fit a male's point of view and after failing to give it to
The DellsThe Dells are an R&B musical group who were one of the few groups to span music genres resulting in successful recordings surpassing more than four decades. Formed in 1952 after attending high school together, the Dells' repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul, disco and contemporary rhythm and...
ended up releasing it as a single for
Harold Melvin & the Blue NotesHarold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American singing group, one of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. The group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco...
featuring a young
Teddy PendergrassTheodore "Teddy" DeReese Pendergrass, Sr. is an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass is also known as Teddy P, TP, or Teddy Bear.-Biography:...
on lead vocals. LaBelle would tell of the story during her solo live performances from the 1980s onwards. In 1972, the group released their second Warner Bros. release,
Moon ShadowMoon Shadow is the second album by American funk/soul singing trio Labelle. This release was their second and last album for Warner Bros. Records...
, which featured more songwriting from the group members, particularly Nona Hendryx. The album is also notable for their
gospelA gospel is a writing that describes the life of Jesus. The word is primarily used to refer to the four canonical texts: the Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Luke and Gospel of John, probably written between AD 65 and 80...
-fueled renditions of folk rocker
Cat StevensYusuf Islam , best known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is a British musician. He is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
' "Moon Shadow" and
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
's "Won't Get Fooled Again". Despite critical raves, neither album did well commercially. With these transitional records, Labelle had become one of the few
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
, all-female groups to record socially conscious and sexually potent material later being hailed as female pioneers of the progressive soul movement.
Success
In 1973, following LaBelle's birth of her son Zuri, the group signed an one-off deal with
RCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1983 and a partner from 1983 to 1986.-The RCA family of labels:RCA is the name of three different co-owned record...
and released
Pressure Cookin'Pressure Cookin is the third album by American funk/soul singing trio Labelle. This release was their first and only for RCA Records. The release of the album was critically raved due to the songs that songwriter and member Nona Hendryx composed...
, which, except for a cover of "Something in the Air" segued with Gil Scott Heron's acclaimed "
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" is a poem and song by Gil Scott-Heron. It was the B-side to Scott-Heron's first single, "Home Is Where the Hatred Is", from his album Pieces of a Man...
" and a song given to them by
Stevie WonderStevie Wonder is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. Blind from birth, Wonder signed with Motown Records at the age of eleven, and continues to perform and record for the label. He has recorded more than thirty U.S...
("Open Your Heart"), featured compositions by Hendryx including the
funk rockFunk rock is a music genre that fuses funk and rock elements. Its earliest incarnation was heard in the late 1960s through the mid-1970s by acts such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience , Eric Burdon and War, Funkadelic, Betty Davis and Mother's Finest.-Characteristics:Funk rock is a fusion of funk and...
single "Goin' On a Holiday", the power rock ballad, "(Can I Speak to You Before You Go to) Hollywood" and the Latin rock-flavored "Lemme See You in the Light". That same year, their career got a boost when they opened for The Who during a world tour and again changed their image, now including glam rock elements, which impressed critics who viewed their concerts during this period. In 1974, leaving RCA,
CBS RecordsCBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
signed the group to their
EpicEpic Records is an American record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. The label was founded in 1953 as a jazz label, and was eventually expanded to several genres of music. The label manages several imprints as well.-History:...
division and after a two-week recording in New Orleans released the
Allen ToussaintAllen Toussaint, , is an American musician, composer and record producer, one of the most influential figures in New Orleans R&B....
-produced
NightbirdsNightbirds is a 1974 album by Labelle. In 2003, the album was ranked number 272 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time....
album, famed for their first number-one hit, "
Lady Marmalade"Lady Marmalade" is a 1974 song made famous by the girl group Labelle. Produced by Allen Toussaint, "Lady Marmalade" became a number-one hit the next year...
" (famed for its come-hither French chorus, "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?"), and the top fifty politically-conscious funk hit, "What Can I Do for You?" In October 1974, the group performed at the Metropolitan Opera House becoming the first African American contemporary pop group to do so. As a result of their groundbreaking success between 1974 and 1975, Labelle also made the cover of
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
magazine in 1975 making them the first African American vocal group to be placed on the cover of the rock magazine. That year, they released the critically successful and modestly commercial hit,
PhoenixPhoenix is the fifth album by American funk/soul singing trio Labelle. The album was moderately successful peaking at #44 on the pop charts and #10 on the R&B charts...
, which featured more elements of
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
with strong
glam rockGlam rock is a style that developed in the UK in the post-hippie early 1970s that was "performed by singers and musicians wearing outrageous clothes, makeup, hairstyles, and platform-soled boots." The flamboyant costumes, and visual styles of glam performers were a campy, theatrical blend of...
and
funk rockFunk rock is a music genre that fuses funk and rock elements. Its earliest incarnation was heard in the late 1960s through the mid-1970s by acts such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience , Eric Burdon and War, Funkadelic, Betty Davis and Mother's Finest.-Characteristics:Funk rock is a fusion of funk and...
elements. The following year, they released another critical hit, 1976's
ChameleonChameleon is the sixth album by American funk/soul singing trio Labelle. Though Patti LaBelle's autobiography Don't Block The Blessings revealed that LaBelle planned a follow-up to Chameleon entitled Shaman, the album never materialized....
, famed for their feminist funk anthem, "Get You Somebody New" and the future Patti LaBelle standard, "Isn't It a Shame", a song that Hendryx and Dash initially disliked. The group's experimental material further set them apart from other black pop groups outside of
Parliament-FunkadelicParliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. They are the main performers of the soul and funk subgenre known as P-Funk and performed under the names Parliament and Funkadelic , and also in a score of offshoot groups and solo ventures...
, who recorded similar material.
Solo careers and reunions
By 1976, the strain of performing together and recording material had taken a toll on the group. During recordings of the album,
Shaman, neither LaBelle, Dash or Hendryx could agree on a musical direction. Following a December 1976 concert where Hendryx had a nervous breakdown, LaBelle decided the group should go their separate ways, a decision that initially Hendryx and Dash disagreed with but eventually the trio came to terms with the decision and split up in early 1977. The split repaired their friendship, which was tested during the group's post-
Nightbirds era. In 1977, both Hendryx and LaBelle released critically successful debut albums, with Hendryx going into a
funk rockFunk rock is a music genre that fuses funk and rock elements. Its earliest incarnation was heard in the late 1960s through the mid-1970s by acts such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience , Eric Burdon and War, Funkadelic, Betty Davis and Mother's Finest.-Characteristics:Funk rock is a fusion of funk and...
sound and LaBelle mixing
funkFunk is an American music genre that originated in the late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, soul jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
,
discoDisco is a genre of dance music that that had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, psychedelic and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
and ballads. Dash released her own critically successful debut the following year. Of the three, lead singer LaBelle unsurprisingly became the most successful, becoming a pop star in the mid-1980s thanks to hits such as "
If Only You KnewIf Only You Knew was a single written and produced primarily by Dexter Wansel and Cynthia Biggs for American singer Patti LaBelle's sixth solo album, I'm in Love Again. It was released as the album's second single in 1983, spending four weeks at number one on the U.S...
", "
New Attitude"New Attitude" is a song performed by Patti LaBelle and written by Sharon Teresa Robinson, Jon Gilutin, and Bunny Hull. It was released in 1984 and helped launch LaBelle's solo career as a pop music singer...
" and "
On My Own"On My Own" was a hit duet by singers Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald when it was released as a single in 1986. It was released from LaBelle's first platinum album, Winner in You and was written and produced by Burt Bacharach and his former wife Carole Bayer Sager...
". In 1993, LaBelle was awarded a star on the
Hollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame is a sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, that serves as an entertainment museum...
. Dash found more success as a session singer and released several dance singles following Labelle's departure while the experimental Hendryx flirted with
hard rockHard rock or heavy rock is a sub-genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock and is considerably harder than conventional rock music...
, hip-hop,
houseHouse is a style of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American and Latino American communities, first in Chicago, then in New York City, New Jersey, Detroit and Miami...
and
new ageThe New Age is a decentralized Western social and spiritual movement that seeks "Universal Truth" and the attainment of the highest individual human potential. It includes aspects of cosmology, astrology, esotericism, alternative medicine, music, collectivism, sustainability, and nature...
to critical success. Her 1987 single, "Why Should I Cry?" became her biggest solo hit. In 1991, after years of recording together sporadically on their solo efforts, Labelle reunited to record the song, "Release Yourself", which was featured on LaBelle's hit 1991 album,
Burnin'Burnin is a 1991 album by Patti LaBelle. It won the category of "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" at the Grammy Awards of 1992 jointly with an album by Lisa Fischer, an unusual event in the history of the Grammies....
. The group later reunited to perform the song live at The Apollo Theater during LaBelle's sold-out gig there, later broadcasted for television. Four years later, in 1995, the band reunited again for the dance hit, "Turn It Out", which hit number-one on Billboard's dance singles chart, and was featured off the soundtrack to the film,
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar. In 1999, the group was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the R&B Foundation Awards (as Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles) and reunited with
Cindy BirdsongCynthia Ann Birdsong-Hewlett , better known by her stage name, Cindy Birdsong is an Grammy Award-winning American R&B/soul singer-songwriter....
32 years after she departed from the group. Another reunion occurred in 2001 where the band performed live during a tribute to Patti on
BETBet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test *Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac...
; Birdsong also appeared on the show. In 2005, Labelle performed on the song "Preaching to the Choir", the title track of a movie in which Patti co-starred in. Footage of the group recording the song and another song, the
Rosa ParksRosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African American civil rights activist whom the U.S. Congress later called the "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement."...
tribute song, "Dear Rosa", was shown on Patti's style show,
Living It Up with Patti LaBelle. In 2008, Labelle signed with
Verve RecordsVerve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The...
and released their first album in 32 years with the critically successful
Back to NowBack to Now is the seventh and latest studio album by American funk/soul female group Labelle, released on October 21, 2008. The album is the group's first in over thirty years though they had sung on songs together on occasion....
, which featured the R&B ballad "Superlover", their first charted success since "Turn It Out". The album was produced by
Lenny KravitzLeonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and arranger whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads....
, Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff and
Wyclef JeanWyclef Neluset Jean is a multiplatinum Haitian-American musician, actor, producer and former-member of the hip hop trio The Fugees...
and featured a song from the Labelle archives of the 1970s, a 1971 remake of the
Cole PorterCole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. His works include the musical comedies Kiss Me, Kate, Fifty Million Frenchmen, DuBarry Was a Lady and Anything Goes, as well as songs like "Night and Day", "I Get a Kick out of You", "Well, Did You Evah!" and "I've Got You Under My Skin"...
standard, "
Miss Otis Regrets"Miss Otis Regrets" is a song by Cole Porter from 1934. It was first performed on stage by Douglas Byng in Hi Diddle Diddle, which opened October 3, 1934 at the Savoy Theatre, London...
". That year, the trio went back on tour together which carried through the spring of 2009. In an interview with the Toronto Star Patti LaBelle explained why she, Dash and Hendryx waited over 32 years to record a full length album: "You don't want to half-step something this important....it was about finding the right time and place. We were never ones to do anything on anyone else's time anyway; we were always unconventional. I still have my glitter boots to prove it."
The group performed a triumphant show at the Apollo Theatre in New York City on December 19, 2008.
Legacy and influence
Years after their departure in 1976, Labelle's influence has been reflected by groups such as
En VogueEn Vogue is an American female R&B vocal quartet from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.Through August 2008, En Vogue had sold over 20 million albums and singles worldwide...
,
Destiny's ChildDestiny's Child was a Grammy-Award winning American R&B girl group comprising lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. The group achieved four major studio albums and four US number-one singles, and sold over 50 million records worldwide becoming one of the...
and The Pussycat Dolls, who recorded the Labelle hit, "Far As We Felt Like Goin'" from the
Phoenix album. Their biggest hit, "Lady Marmalade" continues to be covered, with its successful covers being renditions by
All SaintsAll Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on November 1 in Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity in honor of all the saints, known and unknown.In terms of Western Christian theology, the day...
and the
GrammyThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
-winning number-one hit collaboration between singers
Christina AguileraChristina María Aguilera is an American pop musician. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994. Aguilera signed to RCA Records after...
, Pink and
MýaMya may refer to:* Mýa, an American R&B/hip-hop singer and actress** Mýa , 1998 album by Mýa* Midwest Young Artists, a comprehensive youth music program* Mya , an Italian Television channel...
and rapper
Lil' KimKimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and singer who was part of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A....
in 2001. The latter song recorded for the
Moulin Rouge!Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 Australian/American/British musical-romantic drama film by Baz Luhrmann. Following the Red Curtain Cinema principles, the film is based on the Orphean myth and on Giuseppe Verdi's opera La Traviata...
soundtrack. The song was also covered by Madchester-era indie group The Happy Mondays, who spliced it with "Kinky Afro". The group's 1960s hit, "You'll Never Walk Alone", was sampled by
Kanye WestKanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
in an early version of his song, "Homecoming" (which sampled the group's "walk on" intro) while their 1970s hit, "Isn't It a Shame" was sampled by Nelly on his song, "
My Place"My Place" is the first single by the rapper Nelly from his album Suit. It features Jaheim. It was released as a double A-side with "Flap Your Wings" in the UK and New Zealand. The song is basically a summer song about inviting a girl over to Nelly's house. It reached #4 on the U.S...
". Their 1973 single, "Goin' On a Holiday", was also sampled in several hip-hop songs (sampling the group's vocal bridge, "goin', goin', goin', goin'...on...").
Labelle has been called musical pioneers for their experimental material in the 1970s and for mixing sounds of glam rock, funk and soul. The group has also been called pioneers of the
discoDisco is a genre of dance music that that had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, psychedelic and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
movement for the proto-disco singles "Lady Marmalade" and "Messin' With My Mind". In turn, "Lady Marmalade" has been also called one of the first mainstream disco hits (Jones and Kantonen, 1999). Hailed as pioneers of the progressive soul movement of the 1970s, they were also one of the first African American female groups to write and arrange their own material and were one of the few groups to record under a socially conscious slant. As "Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles", the group has been called one of the greatest girl groups of the era and as Labelle, they have been called the best female group of the 1970s. Besides
Tina TurnerTina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have earned her the title "The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
and
Betty DavisBetty Davis is an American funk, rock and soul singer. She was also Miles Davis's second wife.- Background :She worked as a model, appearing in photo spreads in Seventeen, Ebony and Glamour...
, Labelle were one of the few black groups to successfully adapt rock elements into their soul style. In 2003, "Lady Marmalade" was inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Personnel
Labelle (aka The Bluebelles, Patti LaBelle and Her Bluebelles, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles)
- Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte , best known by her stage name of Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter and actress. She fronted two groups, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, which received minor success on the pop charts in the 1960s, and Labelle, which received acclaim and a...
(1960-1976; 2008- )
- Nona Hendryx
Nona Hendryx is an American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, author, and actress...
(1960-1976; 2008- )
- Sarah Dash
Sarah Dash is a singer and actress. Her first notable appearance on the music scene was as a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles.-Early career:...
(1960-1976; 2008- )
- Sandra Tucker (1960-1961)
- Cindy Birdsong
Cynthia Ann Birdsong-Hewlett , better known by her stage name, Cindy Birdsong is an Grammy Award-winning American R&B/soul singer-songwriter....
(1961-1967)
Discography
As The Bluebelles (aka Patti La Belle and Her Bluebelles; Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles):
- Sweethearts of the Apollo (Newtown Records)
- The Bluebelles on Stage (Cameo-Parkway)
- Over the Rainbow (Atlantic)
- Dreamer (Atlantic)
As Labelle:
- Labelle
Labelle is the debut album of American funk/soul singing trio Labelle, formerly a four-girl group known as Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles. This was Labelle's first release for Warner Bros. Records.- Tracklisting :Side A# "Morning Much Better"...
(Warner Bros. Records)
- Gonna Take a Miracle
Gonna Take a Miracle is the fifth music album by New York-born singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Nyro. Nyro was backed up on the album by the vocal trio Labelle....
(Laura NyroLaura Nyro was an American composer, lyricist, singer, and pianist. Her style was a hybrid of Brill Building-style New York pop, jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, show tunes and rock....
ft. Labelle) (Columbia)
- Moon Shadow
Moon Shadow is the second album by American funk/soul singing trio Labelle. This release was their second and last album for Warner Bros. Records...
(Warner Bros. Records)
- Pressure Cookin'
Pressure Cookin is the third album by American funk/soul singing trio Labelle. This release was their first and only for RCA Records. The release of the album was critically raved due to the songs that songwriter and member Nona Hendryx composed...
(RCA)
- Nightbirds
Nightbirds is a 1974 album by Labelle. In 2003, the album was ranked number 272 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time....
(Epic)
- Phoenix
Phoenix is the fifth album by American funk/soul singing trio Labelle. The album was moderately successful peaking at #44 on the pop charts and #10 on the R&B charts...
(Epic)
- Chameleon
Chameleon is the sixth album by American funk/soul singing trio Labelle. Though Patti LaBelle's autobiography Don't Block The Blessings revealed that LaBelle planned a follow-up to Chameleon entitled Shaman, the album never materialized....
(Epic)
- Back to Now
Back to Now is the seventh and latest studio album by American funk/soul female group Labelle, released on October 21, 2008. The album is the group's first in over thirty years though they had sung on songs together on occasion....
(Verve)
See also
External links
See also