The 500 - #274 - Nightbirds - Labelle

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #274

Album Title: Nightbirds

Artist: Labelle

Genre: R&B, Proto-disco, Funk

Recorded: Sea Saint Studios, New Orleans, Louisiana

Released: September, 1974

My age at release: 9

How familiar was I with it before this week: One Song

Is it on the 2020 list? No

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Are You Lonely?

Although I was not familiar with Labelle, an all-female Philadelphia-based vocal group formed in 1962 I do remember hearing the music of one of its members, Patti LaBelle, in the ‘80s. Her songs, New Attitude and Stir It Up, were featured in the massively successful film and soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop in 1984.

LaBelle (born Patricia Holte) also had a number one hit with Michael McDonald of Doobie Brothers fame with the duet, On My Own -- written by legendary songwriters Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager.

At the time, I was working jobs where Top 40 radio was constant, ensuring all three songs reached my ears, despite not being a fan. In the spring of 1985, I was 18 and deeply invested in hard and progressive rock. Like many insufferable teens, I felt I owned the "corner on the truth" when it came to quality music and dismissed Patti LaBelle's songs as simplistic pop-music or cheesy, easy-listening schlock.

Classic album cover iconography from many Prog-Rock artists I loved

Nightbirds was released a decade earlier and was the fourth record by the trio under the name Labelles. Recording and touring since 1962, they have been dubbed The Blue Belles (aka: Patti LaBelle and her Blue Belles, Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles) the names distinguished by the spellings The 1974 line-up included founding members LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash.

Labelle (l-r) Hendryx, LaBelle and Dash

The earliest incarnation of the group, which included soprano Cindy Birdsong, found success singing ballads and doo-wop songs on the Chitlin' Circuit. The Chitlin' Circuit was a collection of performance venues spread across the eastern half of the United States that provided commercial and cultural acceptance of African-American entertainers during the era of racial segregation.

Map showing venues on the Chitlin' Circuit

I sometimes forget that racial segregation and the Civil Rights Movement took place in my lifetime. Recently, my current cohort of Grade 7 students and I explored a wonderful CBC podcast series called Portraits of Black Canadians as part of our Black History Month studies. These 12-year-olds were, understandably, aghast when we discussed the Slave Trade. However, they were stunned to realize that segregation continued well into the 1960s, in Canada.

The disheartening story of Africville generated some powerful discussions on human rights and equity. Africville was a small community of African-Canadians in Halifax, Nova Scotia who were denied city services (sidewalks, water, garbage collection) despite paying municipal taxes. Their community was later unceremoniously bulldozed to make way for city expansion. To learn more, you can see all the work of the students at this link.

Birdsong left the Blue Belles in 1967 to join Diana Ross and The Supremes. Around the same time, Blue Belles performed in Europe (mainly in the UK) where black artists found more acceptance with white audiences in pubs and concert halls. On a 2015 episode of The Meredith Vieira Talk Show, LaBelle shared stories of her time in England, performing shows and cooking meals for The Rolling Stones and The Who. At the time, the trio were supported by the group Bluesology, featuring a teenage Reg Dwight (later known as Elton John) on piano. LaBelle humourously recounts taking Dwight for a lot of money playing cards, but never let him head home on an empty stomach or without plenty of leftovers in Tupperware containers. "He didn't return those containers, but made up for it years later with a beautiful diamond ring."

LaBelle with Elton John (Reg Dwight) 2002

During their time in England the Blue Belles transformed their musical direction, sound and style. By 1970, they had changed their name, for the final time, to LaBelle. They also began recording and performing their funky interpretations of contemporary rock and roll and pop standards, including Wild Horses (Rolling Stones), Won't Get Fooled Again (The Who), Moonshadow (Cat Stevens), and You've Got A Friend (Carole King).

Labelle's second record, Moon Shadow (1972)

In 1974, when Nightbirds was released, the group explored glam rock, wearing outlandish, funky, space-age costumes. They also began playing songs that were the prototype for the disco genre, which would dominate the late ‘70s. Their biggest hit, and the only song I knew from the album, was Lady Marmalade.

Labelle in their space-age, glam-rock outfits (1974)

Lady Marmalade was penned by the songwriting team of Bob Crewe (Walk Like A Man, Can't Take My Eyes Off You) and Kenny Nolan (My Eyes Adored You, I Like Dreamin'). The song was originally written for Nolan's disco group, The Eleventh Hour, and is most famous for the risque lyric in the chorus, " voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?" which translates to "would you like to sleep with me tonight?" Shocking stuff in 1974. So much so, that broadcasting standards on American television insisted they change the lyrics to "voulez-vous danser avec moi, ce soir?" -- "Do you want to dance with me tonight?"

Lady Marmalade became a hit again in 2001 when it was featured in the Baz Luhrmann film Moulin Rouge!. The updated version featured vocals from contemporary singing stars L'il Kim, Christina Aguilara, Pink and Mýa.

Labelle disbanded in 1976 with all three members continuing their musical careers as solo or studio artists. They reunited in 2005, releasing their final album, Back To Now, in 2008. Sarah Dash passed away in September, 2021, two days after a performance with LaBelle in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She was 76.

For this blog post, I  re-listened to those "cheesy", "schlocky", "easy-listening" Patti LaBelle songs from my youth. Sure, they are still not  my cup of tea, but I now recognize how good Ms. Labelle's voice is and how much those songs, despite my teenage protestations, are weaved deeply into the soundtrack of my life.