Lady Marmalade...
Patti Labelle, whose real name is Patricia Holt-Edwards, is an American singer who can boast of having sold no less than 50 million records throughout the world during a career that spanned almost 50 years !
She started her artistic career in the early 1960s in a school group called The Ordettes with a few classmates. Young girl with precocious talent, she allows the group to know its moment of glory at the local level. The band was renamed Patti Labelle and the Bluebells in 1962 after the band was revamped at the member level. Then Labelle in the 1970s.
Group with which she will realize one of the greatest titles of the end of the twentieth century, namely the now cult "Lady Marmalade" which came out in 1974. A very rare title which earned the group to be the first African-American group to do the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, hell of a feat !
She flies on her own from 1977 and has her first solo success with the title "You are my friend". A first classified title from his eponymous album which is praised by the critics.
Several titles will come out thereafter but it will be necessary for her to wait for the change of decade and the year 1982 to see her finally place her first title in the Billboard Hot 100, with the single "The best is yet to come" that she sings a duet with Grover Washington.
But it was especially from 1983 that her solo career took off when she released the album "I’m in love again". The album was a real hit, in particular thanks to its 2 flagship titles which are “If only you knew” which came out the same year and “Love, need and want you” which came out a year later in 1984.
Success amplified the following year in 1985 with the 2 titles "New attitude" and "Stir it up" which she recorded on the soundtrack of the film The cop of Beverly Hills. The rise in power is obvious and will reach its peak a few months later.
It was 1986 when the sumptuous single "On my own" was released, a title she performed in duet with Michael McDonald. The title will shatter everything on a planetary level and will remain as the biggest success of all his discography. Just like the album "Winner in you" from which it is taken. The singer is then at the height of success and glory.
Who says peak of glory, necessarily says inevitable descent. This will be the case in the years to follow. Although she continues to produce several major titles, the level of success is lower. Until 1989, when the album "Be yourself" was released, an album from which the single "If you asked me to" was to be extracted and which allowed her to temporarily return to success.
The next decade will be like the last. That is to say with nice highs but especially lows. On the top side, two notorious albums including "Gems" in 1994 and especially "Flame" in 1997. "Gems" will produce the top hit "The right kinda lover" and "Flame" will produce the top hit "When you talk about love".
In the end, the singer will still have had an exceptional career, both with her different groups and in her solo career. And few of the same generation can say the same !
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
I sold my heart to the junkman 1962 (The Bluebells)
Down the Aisle (The wedding song) 1963 (The Bluebells)
Lady Marmalade 1974 (Labelle)
What can I do for you ? 1975 (Labelle)
Isn’t it a shame 1976 (Labelle)
Joy to have your love 1977
Dan swit me 1978
It’s alright with me 1979
Music is my way of life 1979
Release (The tension) 1980
I don’t go shopping 1980
The best is yet to come 1982
If only you knew 1983
Love has finally come at last 1984
Love, need and want you 1984
New attitude 1985
Stir it up 1985
On my own 1986
Oh, people 1986
Something special (Is gonna happen tonight) 1987
If you asked me to 1989
Yo mister 1989
Feels like another one 1991
Somebody loves you baby (You know who it is) 1991
When you’ve been blessed (Feels like heaven) 1992
The right kinda lover 1994
When you talk about love 1997
Clips :
1962 ... the beginnings of the genesis of an adventure that will span almost half a century. Who says better ?
1963 ... an adventure which is currently combined with 4. And which produces lovely Intimist moments like this one
1974 ... a great adventure which unfortunately no longer really produces a big-caliber title until THIS title. An awesome title that will remain as one of the most outstanding titles of the decade and of the end of the twentieth century period. MAS-TER-FUL !
1975 ... after an absolutely exceptional 1974, the girls put the cover back and produced this new hit, which will certainly not have the same level of success as its predecessor, but which will still be largely successful
1976 ... this time, the adventure with many draws to an end. Once again on a high quality Intimist track. One more !
1977 ... the first solo steps. With the key, a radical change of style and sound. And my faith, this dance style suits her very well
1978 ... a Dance style that she now intends to exploit to the full, at the end of the 1970s. It is clear that there is still a little work to be done to reach the top of the Charts but the momentum is now underway
1979 ... the style is refined year after year, just like the sound. Clear progress that allows us to envision the best for the years to come !
1979 ... perfectly in tune with the times, the singer quietly pursues her adventure. And already 2 decades on the clock ...
1980 ... straddling two eras. A Disco era that ends and a Funk era that begins. She will have to choose !
1980 ... sweet break after several years of Dance hits. A well-deserved rest and to better prepare to attack a sequel that promises to be grandiose !
1982 ... the singer retries the adventure with several but this time, in duet mode. A virtual duo because the partner is not a singer but a saxophonist. And why not !
1983 ... decidedly, we do not feel her very motivated to return to the Dance register. And as long as she produces titles of this quality, why make her change her mind ...
1984 ... a new shocking and above all charming duo. On a very smooth track that once again shows the full extent of her talent in this particular area
1984 ... a year definitely placed under the sign of the 'With emotions' register. Of course, nothing exceptional but constant quality !
1985 ... 180° turn and comeback in 100 % Dance mode. A radical change that succeeds her given the success of this title
1985 ... 1984 was a year full of finesse, 1985 will turn out to be totally the opposite. And on this track, it's downright full power, we hit 200 km/h !
1986 ... then comes THIS title. She will sign here the biggest success of her career, once again in duo mode on an absolutely sumptuous title and which will undoubtedly remain as one of the most emblematic titles of the decade. MA-GIC !
1986 ... a magnificent year 1986 which saw her go on from top hit to top hit. There are times like this in life when everything magically works out !
1989 ... small air gap in 1988 followed by a comeback in the year 1989. An end of the decade which ends on the hats of wheel and which offers the artist a new well-deserved top hit !
1989 ... very astonishing to see her in this Dance mode more particularly reserved for young 20 years old. And my faith, she competes without problem with a competition which is, for the most part, 30 years younger than her !
1991 ... she will have gone through the 60s, then the 70s, then the 80s and here she is in the 90s, one would have thought that this decade would be the last. Oh no, we find her in great shape and radiant as ever !
1991 ... here she is back in Intimist mode, a long time ago. It is clear that she has not lost any of her know-how
1992 ... we continue in the same fashion the following year. As long as it works, why change a recipe that has been rather successful for her so far ...
1994 ... then here comes her biggest hit of the decade. We could have believed her completely Has-been, she shows here just the opposite and in what way !
1997 .... the last notorious hit of the decade. But that will not be his last because we will find her the following decade. Exceptional longevity, just like his career !
Wiki :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patti_LaBelle
Official Website :
https://www.pattilabelle.com/ Greatest Hits :
https://www.deezer.com/us/artist/983
Discography :
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6maLIRQNl5Ml6uKG33PEWA/featured