LaBelle reuniting on stage this weekend !!!

[drlove]

Here's the latest news from the Big Easy on the LaBelle reunion (and forthcoming LP):

LaBelle reunites at Essence for "Lady Marmalade" and more

Posted by Keith Spera, Music writer, The Times-Picayune July 02, 2008 5:02PM


Since intergalactic funk-soul trio LaBelle disbanded in the mid-1970s, principals Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash have made only a handful of brief appearances. Their reunion Saturday at the Superdome during the Essence Festival's tribute to Patti LaBelle is their most significant performance in 31 years -- and a fresh start.
"I'm calling it the re-ignition of LaBelle, not the reunion," Hendryx said this week. "We're recharging. We're back in the groove."
The Essence Festival is now in its 14th year. Considered the nation's premiere urban music festival, it is a high-profile platform from which to "re-ignite" a fondly remembered old-school act.
And New Orleans is an especially appropriate setting for this particular reunion: In 1974, LaBelle spent several weeks at SeaSaint Studio in Gentilly recording the classic "Nightbirds" album with producer Allen Toussaint and his cadre of studio musicians, including the Meters and keyboardist James Booker. That album, featuring the million-selling single "Lady Marmalade," proved to be LaBelle's crowning achievement.
Hendryx and Dash first joined Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles, later rechristened LaBelle, as teenagers. From a standard 1960s girl-group, they evolved into a potent act integrating a social consciousness with space-is-the-place costumes. They toured with James Brown, Otis Redding and rockers The Who.
In 1974, LaBelle's then-manager and record label suggested the trio might benefit from a Big Easy collaboration. Hendryx and her bandmates knew of Toussaint's work with Lee Dorsey and the Meters, and were familiar with Dr. John, the Wild Tchoupitoulas and other New Orleans stalwarts. Tapping into that energy appealed to them.
Times-Picayune ArchivesLaBelle circa 1975: Nona Hendryx, left, Patti LaBelle and Sarah Dash

At SeaSaint, "we became friends with so many people, and still are," Hendryx said. "I still stay in touch with (Meters bassist) George Porter Jr. and Roberta Grace, the first female engineer I'd ever seen. We had a great time. Allen is a very calm, steady influence."
They were more focused on crafting a coherent, consistent album than hits, but nonetheless conjured a smash in the sassy strut "Lady Marmalade." Written by songwriters Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan, the lyrics describe a Creole prostitute's seduction of a man in the French Quarter. The "voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)" chorus translates loosely as, "Would you like to sleep with me (tonight)?"
In early 1975, LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade" hit No. 1. Twenty-six years later, the song topped the charts again via Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil Kim and Mya's remake for the "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack.
"We loved what was going down onto tape," Hendryx said of recording at SeaSaint. "It felt good. It felt right. We knew the music was great, but we didn't know if it would be a successful album.
"It was very difficult to capture the spirit of LaBelle unless it was live. We had sent Allen demos of what we would do with the songs; he took it steps further. It was a matter of letting the (musicians) hear it, start playing, find the right groove, and cut it. It's about capturing a vibe, so everybody goes, 'Yeah, that's the one.'¤"
Two subequent albums failed to match the success of "Nightbirds"; by 1977, LaBelle had broken up. Dash released solo albums and sang back-up for the Rolling Stones. Hendryx embarked on an eclectic career. She sang on Talking Heads' "Remain in Light," notched the 1980s dance-funk hits "Keep It Confidential," "Transformation," "I Sweat" and "Why Should I Cry," and composed for the Alvin Ailey dance company.
Patti LaBelle's solo success made a LaBelle reunion unlikely.
"Patti has a much more active career than either Sarah or I in terms of what she's been able to accomplish over the years, so she had a lot more on her plate in terms of being able to block out time to reunite," Hendryx said. "So it bounced between the three of us."
They finally regrouped to record a tribute to civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks. "We felt strongly about doing it," Hendryx said. "We heard our sound again and went, 'Why aren't we doing this?'"
So over the past few months, the trio has been cutting the first full LaBelle album in three decades. Collaborators include Lenny Kravitz, Wyclef Jean and veteran soul songwriting team Gamble & Huff. The album is scheduled for a Sept. 23 release on Verve Records.
"Lenny Kravitz is part of a different generation, but a throwback to our earlier generation in how he makes his music," Hendryx said. "He really got what we were, and was able to re-create that to sound like then, (but) now."
Hendryx, LaBelle and Dash hope to settle on an album title while in New Orleans for Essence. Patti is a seasoned Essence veteran. In 1999, she memorably kept her cool when a male audience member ushered onstage to serenade her laid down and spread his legs. After security hustled him away, LaBelle instructed the audience to "pray for that young man who disrespected himself. He didn't disprect me -- I don't allow that." In 2003, she squared off with Gerald Levert for a torrid duet on "If Only For One Night" during a Luther Vandross tribute.
This weekend will be Hendryx's first Essence experience. In addition to Labelle's brief set, the tribute to Patti LaBelle on the Dome's main stage -- following appearances by Jill Scott, LL Cool J and Musiq Soulchild -- includes a series of duets pairing her with Ledisi, Irma Thomas and others, and an all-star finale of "Lady Marmalade" with local musicians. Details wouldn't be finalized until rehearsals in the Dome.
"This will be the longest we've been on stage together in 30 years," Hendryx said. "I'm looking forward to it."

[efunk_adelic]

this ought to be interesting. I hope they can pull it off.

[FrontPage22]

Mmmm, I'd sure love it if they did more than Lady Marmalade/What Can I Do For You. Like, Can I Speak With You Before You Go To Hollywood or Nightbirds or...Get You Somebody New

Speaking of Patti, really feeling her 4 Epic LP's right now, especially the songs Dan Swit Me and Release...ah, the good ole' days.

[drlove]

FrontPage22,

here's a pic (credited to Keith I. Marszalek / NOLA.com) from the Saturday night reunion (July 5) of LaBelle:




Sarah Dash, Patti LaBelle and Nona Hendryx perform at the Essence Music Festival Saturday night in New Orleans.

[boogyjuice]

[boogyjuice]

i wonder who started that whole space-thang ...











Even Badu got the flu

[FrontPage22]

Wow, the current pic is funny...only Nona looks like she came out of Labelle. Patti and Sarah have that gospel grandma look; like grand dames. not funktified space warriors. Oh how time mellows.

[markydefad]

Originally Posted by FrontPage22

Wow, the current pic is funny...only Nona looks like she came out of Labelle. Patti and Sarah have that gospel grandma look; like grand dames. not funktified space warriors. Oh how time mellows.

"Gospel grandmas"!!!!! LOL!!! yeah, Shirley Caesar could fit into the Labelle reunion!!! Ah, but I still loves 'em.