LaBelle | ||
| Allmusic Biography : The female trio responsible for the proto-disco funk classic "Lady Marmalade," LaBelles outlandish space-age costumes and brash incorporation of rock & roll were a far cry from their early days as a typical 60s girl group, not to mention the later solo career of frontwoman Patti LaBelle. While Patti naturally seems like the focal point in hindsight, the group was also blessed with a talented and prolific songwriter in Nona Hendryx, who followed an idiosyncratic muse into her own mercurial solo career, which often bordered on the avant-garde. The groups first incarnation was that of a quartet. Friends Patricia Holt and Cindy Birdsong had been singing together in a Philadelphia group called the Ordettes, and in 1962 they teamed up with Wynona "Nona" Hendryx and Sarah Dash, both members of a rival outfit called the Del Capris. At the suggestion of producer Bobby Martin, Holt changed her last name to LaBelle to match with the groups official name, the BlueBelles. Strangely enough, Patti LaBelle & the BlueBelles may not have even performed on their first hit; a group called the Starlets cut a single called "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman," which was released with the name the Blue-Belles on the label. Some accounts hold that the Starlets actually backed LaBelle, or that her vocal was overlaid, while others suggest that the lead voice wasnt LaBelles at all. Whatever the case, "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" became a Top 20 R&B; and pop hit in 1962, and the BlueBelles started touring the R&B; circuit behind it. Their next hit came in 1963 with the dramatic ballad "Down the Aisle," another R&B; Top 20, and they hit the Top 40 again in 1964 with renditions of Rodgers & Hammersteins "Youll Never Walk Alone" and the Irish standard "Danny Boy," solidifying their penchant for sentimental, classic-style pop. In 1965, the BlueBelles signed with major label Atlantic, and had some success with a version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," which remained in Patti LaBelles concert repertoire for decades. Despite cutting an early version of "Groovy Kind of Love" (later a number one hit for the Mindbenders, not to mention Phil Collins), though, the BlueBelles tenure wasnt as commercially productive as hoped. Cindy Birdsong left in 1967 to replace Florence Ballard in the Supremes, permanently reducing the group to a trio. With no real hits forthcoming, Atlantic wound up dropping them in 1969. In search of a makeover, they hired former British television producer Vicki Wickham (the music series Ready, Steady, Go!) as their new manager and producer in 1970. Wickham remade the group for the 70s, shortening their name to LaBelle and pushing them into a more contemporary fusion of R&B; and rock; plus, the advent of glam rock suggested a new direction for their stage act, and the trio donned outrageous, space-themed costumes replete with glitter, silver, and/or feathers. LaBelle opened for the Who on an American tour and sang backup on singer/songwriter Laura Nyros acclaimed R&B-themed; album Gonna Take a Miracle in 1971. Signing with Warner Brothers, the revamped LaBelle made their debut in 1971 with an eponymous album that featured soul treatments of rock and pop material by the likes of Nyro, the Rolling Stones, Kenny Rogers, and Carole King. The follow-up, 1972s Moonshadow, featured the Cat Stevens-penned title track and the Whos "Wont Get Fooled Again," and also included more material written by Nona Hendryx. Neither album was all that commercially successful, and they left Warner to record one album for RCA, 1973s Pressure Cookin, where Hendryxs writing constituted the vast majority of the record. In 1974, LaBelle signed with Epic, and the label sent them to New Orleans to record with famed producer Allen Toussaint. The result, Nightbirds, featured the deeply funky single "Lady Marmalade," an ode to a New Orleans prostitute with the indelible French chorus "voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" ("you want to go to bed with me tonight?"). Penned by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan, "Lady Marmalade" shot to number one on both the pop and R&B; charts in early 1975, sending Nightbirds into the Top Ten and making it LaBelles first gold album. "Lady Marmalade" proved to be a tough act to follow. Despite four more charting R&B; singles over the next two years, nothing duplicated the phenomenon of LaBelles first major hit. 1975s Phoenix and 1976s Chameleon were relative commercial disappointments, even though they featured some of the groups finest vocal performances, plus increasingly ambitious and sophisticated writing by Hendryx. In fact, Hendryxs vision was pulling her away from the rest of LaBelle, and by the end of 1976, the group had disbanded to pursue solo careers. Hendryx immediately began recording in a funk-rock hybrid, and in the early 80s drifted into downtown New Yorks avant-garde scene, where she worked often with Bill Laswell; her solo records were sometimes accessible and frequently challenging. Patti LaBelle, of course, went on to a hugely successful and long-lived career as an R&B; hitmaker with adult contemporary appeal, scoring hits like "New Attitude" and the number one Michael McDonald duet "On My Own." As for Sarah Dash, she made several solo albums that failed to attract much attention, but found her way into the Rolling Stones sphere by the late 80s, working as a backup singer on both solo and group projects. Over 30 years following their breakup, the trio got back together to make 2008s Back to Now for the Verve label. Gamble & Huff, Lenny Kravitz, and Wyclef Jean were just a few of those who were involved in the sessions. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 8 Title: Gonna Take a Miracle Released: 1971 Tracks: 14 Duration: 41:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Met Him on a Sunday (01:55) 2 The Bells (02:56) 3 Monkey Time / Dancing in the Street (04:57) 4 Desiree (01:52) 5 You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me (04:09) 6 Spanish Harlem (02:52) 7 Jimmy Mack (02:57) 8 The Wind (02:59) 9 Nowhere to Run (05:09) 10 It’s Gonna Take a Miracle (03:24) 11 Aint Nothing Like the Real Thing (00:59) 12 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (03:01) 13 O-o-h Child (01:30) 14 Up on the Roof (03:11) |
| Gonna Take a Miracle : Allmusic album Review : With the 1971 release Gonna Take a Miracle, pop composer and vocalist Laura Nyro completed her four-album/four-year deal for Columbia. Nyros passion for R&B; can be traced back to some of her earliest compositions, such as "Wedding Bell Blues" and "Stoned Soul Picnic" -- both of which were covered by the R&B; vocal quintet the Fifth Dimension. More recently, her version of "Up on the Roof" was one of the highlights of Christmas and the Beads of Sweat. So, enthusiasts who had paid any attention at all to the course of Nyros career would not have been surprised by her direction on this project. As much as Gonna Take a Miracle is indeed a Laura Nyro album, it could likewise, and perhaps more accurately, be described as a collaborative effort between Nyro and the female soul trio LaBelle -- featuring Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash -- as well as producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. It is ultimately this team that is responsible for the albums overwhelmingly solid results. Leading off in an apropos style is a succulent cover of the Shirelles hit "I Met Him on a Sunday." The vocal performance is structured as a round -- with each woman singing a consecutive line. The song is rightfully returned to the street corner doo wop tradition from which it originated with the simplicity of unadorned vocals creating an inconspicuous a cappella symphony. Nyro has never sounded so comfortable, easy, or "in her element" than she does backed by an all-star Philly soul ensemble that Gamble and Huff assembled for these sessions. The material reaches beyond just the sounds of Philadelphia, with Motown ("Youve Really Got a Hold on Me" and "Nowhere to Run") and Brill Building ("Spanish Harlem"), as well as lesser-known covers of the Charts "Desiree" and the Baltimore-based Royalettes "Its Gonna Take a Miracle." | ||
 | Album: 2 of 8 Title: Labelle Released: 1971 Tracks: 11 Duration: 39:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Morning Much Better (04:01) 2 Youve Got a Friend (04:24) 3 Babys Out of Sight (02:39) 4 Time & Love (03:47) 5 Too Many Days (03:00) 6 Running Out of Fools / If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody (04:23) 7 Shades of Difference (03:21) 8 Heart Be Still (03:18) 9 Wild Horses (03:06) 10 Time (03:52) 11 When the Sun Comes Shining Through (The Ladder) (03:57) |
 | Album: 3 of 8 Title: Pressure Cookin Released: 1973-08-07 Tracks: 9 Duration: 40:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pressure Cookin (03:00) 2 Medley: Something in the Air / The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (05:50) 3 Sunshine (Woke Me Up This Morning) (03:18) 4 (Can I Speak Before You Go to) Hollywood (06:38) 5 Mr. Music Man (04:05) 6 Goin on a Holiday (03:21) 7 Let Me See You in the Light (06:13) 8 Open Up Your Heart (03:25) 9 Last Dance (04:15) |
 | Album: 4 of 8 Title: Nightbirds Released: 1974 Tracks: 10 Duration: 36:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lady Marmalade (03:56) 2 Somebody Somewhere (03:25) 3 Are You Lonely? (03:11) 4 It Took a Long Time (04:03) 5 Don’t Bring Me Down (02:48) 6 What Can I Do for You? (04:02) 7 Nightbird (03:09) 8 Space Children (03:02) 9 All Girl Band (03:50) 10 You Turn Me On (04:36) |
| Nightbirds : Allmusic album Review : The finest of Labelles original albums, Nightbirds was recorded in New Orleans with funkmeister Allen Toussaint handling the production chores and, one assumes, members of the Meters taking care of the session work. Worth the price of admission for the Bob Crewe-written "Lady Marmalade" alone, the album veers between the strutting New Orleans, horn-laden singles and more mainstream pop material. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 8 Title: Lady Marmalade: Best of Patti & Labelle Released: 1995-02-28 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:15:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Lady Marmalade (03:56) 2 What Can I Do for You? (04:02) 3 Are You Lonely? (03:11) 4 You Turn Me On (04:36) 5 Messin’ With My Mind (04:35) 6 Take the Night Off (03:38) 7 Get You Somebody New (06:08) 8 Isn’t It a Shame (07:56) 9 Joy to Have Your Love (05:44) 10 I Think About You (04:30) 11 You Are My Friend (04:36) 12 Teach Me Tonight (Me Gusta Tu Baile) (05:22) 13 Quiet Time (05:06) 14 It’s Alright With Me (04:16) 15 Don’t Make Your Angel Cry (03:17) 16 Come What May (04:06) |
 | Album: 6 of 8 Title: Something Silver Released: 1997-02-11 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:03:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Something in the Air/The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (05:55) 2 Shades of Difference (03:17) 3 Sundays News (03:33) 4 Wont Get Fooled Again (04:46) 5 Moon Shadow (edit) (04:24) 6 Time and Love (03:46) 7 Morning Much Better (03:59) 8 Touch Me All Over (03:28) 9 Wild Horses (03:06) 10 Runnin Out of Fools/If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody (04:22) 11 If I Cant Have You (03:49) 12 I Believe That Ive Finally Made It Home (04:55) 13 Sunshine (Woke Me Up This Mornig) (03:21) 14 (Can I Speak to You Before You Go to) Hollywood (06:38) 15 Lady Marmalade (03:56) |
| Something Silver : Allmusic album Review : With 1974s "Lady Marmalade," LaBelle placed itself in a spotlight that would last until Patti LaBelle left the group for a solo career some two years later. A darling of New Yorks Apollo Theater, the group never compromised, delivering its fiery, passionate R&B; exactly as its members wanted to. Leaving behind the cookie-cutter big hair and lookalike dresses of its Blue Belles era, LaBelle took the stage after dropping out of sight to reinvent itself, and emerged as a group of glamorously modern individuals -- three strong styles that melded into a universal whole of staggering proportion. This compilation rounds up the groups best songs and includes many of its covers, alongside original material. The members of LaBelle were masters of interpretation, blessed with the uncanny ability to completely co-opt a song -- to turn it into something of their own without disturbing the integrity of the original and, in most cases, elevate it to heights previously unimagined. Through the use of classic R&B;, funk, and dance beats that foreshadowed the disco movement, LaBelle turned its audiences attention to something vitally fresh and unique. This collection opens with LaBelles reinvention of Gil Scott-Herons Black Power manifesto "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," which bleeds out of a revolutionarily balladic version of Thunderclap Newmans "Something in the Air." Coincidentally, that bands producer, Pete Townshend, then gets in on the act, as LaBelle gives "Wont Get Fooled Again" the classic girl group treatment -- both bratty (in a good way) and strong. Cat Stevens "Moonshadow" also becomes an entirely different song, slowed down and harmonized. Treatments of the Rolling Stones "Wild Horses and folksinger Laura Nyros "Time and Love" are also included. The bands own songs, meanwhile, round out this chunky set with the classics "If I Cant Have You," "Shades of Difference," and "Touch Me All Over." The eternal "Lady Marmalade" winds the whole thing down with what remains, for many people, LaBelles defining moment. An anthem for everybody, it stood apart by serving as a signpost for future generations. After all, without LaBelle to pave the way, would TLC, Destinys Child, or the striking images of Moulin Rouge exist nearly 30 years later? | ||
 | Album: 7 of 8 Title: Back to Now Released: 2009-04-20 Tracks: 10 Duration: 49:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Candlelight (04:41) 2 Roll Out (feat. Wyclef Jean) (03:51) 3 Superlover (04:14) 4 System (05:32) 5 Truth Will Set You Free (04:58) 6 Without You in My Life (05:29) 7 Tears for the World (04:33) 8 Dear Rosa (06:47) 9 How Long (04:33) 10 Miss Otis Regrets (04:39) |
| Back to Now : Allmusic album Review : Given the state of reunion albums, the average rate of success is usually one in ten if that; ergo, Labelles first offering since 1976s Nightbirds could have been a stone disaster. Its not; in fact, its far from it. The trio of Nona Hendryx, Patti Labelle, and Sarah Dash assembled a crew of kickin producers with real pedigrees: Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, Lenny Kravitz (is there a bigger retro boss?), Kit Lambert and Hendryx. The one nod to the kids (who probably wont get it anyway) is the Wyclef Jean-produced leavin jam "Rollout," on which he appears (why on earth he felt he needed to place AutoTune on a Labelle record is beyond imagination -- its irritating to vintage fans). That isnt to say this is a set of old-school sounding production, but more that the updated sound feels more organic and warm, and thank God the disc is not loaded with guest appearances or ham-fisted duets. Some cuts are a little obvious, such as "The Truth Will Set You Free," with its 1970s anthemic socio-political "us" vibe -- but if 2008 isnt the year of African-American empowerment, with Barack Obama being elected the 44th president of the United States, then there isnt one. Better are the drenched-in-strings soul groovers like "Candlelight" that opens the set. When the backing vocals kick in on the chorus and bridge, its like its 32 years ago! Yes, really. "Dear Rosa," with Ronnie Drayton on his subtle but funky wah-wah guitar phrasing, sets up a powerful anthemic tribute to Rosa Parks. Add that B-3 and it sends chills. Dexter Wansel arranged "Tears for the World," that features amazing vocal performances even if its lyrics leave a bit to be desired. The closing cut is Cole Porters "Miss Otis Regrets," produced by Lambert. This is a surprise, because it was actually recorded 38 years ago and features performances by the late Keith Moon on drums and the late Nicky Hopkins on piano! That said, it sounds seamless when juxtaposed with the other tracks on the set. Vocally, this trio hasnt slipped a notch -- particularly Labelle. Indeed Back to Now exceeds expectations and will no doubt satisfy most fans of the trios fantasies and hopefully -- thanks to the ultra sleek "Rollout" -- hook a few new ones to boot. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 8 Title: Nightbirds/Phoenix/Chameleon Released: 2009-06-30 Tracks: 28 Duration: 2:07:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lady Marmalade (03:56) 2 Somebody Somewhere (03:25) 3 Are You Lonely? (03:11) 4 It Took a Long Time (04:03) 5 Don’t Bring Me Down (02:48) 6 What Can I Do for You? (04:02) 7 Nightbird (03:09) 8 Space Children (03:02) 9 All Girl Band (03:50) 10 You Turn Me On (04:36) 11 Phoenix (The Amazing Flight of a Lone Star) (06:19) 12 Slow Burn (03:33) 13 Black Holes in the Sky (03:22) 14 Good Intentions (03:59) 15 Far as We Felt Like Goin (02:59) 16 Messin With My Mind (04:37) 17 Chances Go Round (02:51) 18 Cosmic Dancer (05:48) 19 Take the Night Off (03:39) 20 Action Time (03:49) 1 Get You Somebody New (06:11) 2 Come Into My Life (06:46) 3 Isnt It A Shame (07:57) 4 Whos Watching The Watcher (04:15) 5 Chameleon (05:15) 6 Gypsy Moths (05:00) 7 A Man In A Trenchcoat (Voodoo) (07:49) 8 Going Down Makes Me Shiver (07:08) |