Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases the song "Lady Marmalade" as sung by LaBelle in 1974.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the music group LaBelle for their musical legacy and thanks to Patti Labelle for her music legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "LADY MARMALADE"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Marmalade
... Background and release
The song ["Lady Marmalade"] was written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan, and was inspired by Crewe's experiences in New Orleans and the sex workers in the area.[citation needed] A demo of the song was first recorded by The Eleventh Hour, a disco group made up of studio musicians fronted by Nolan on vocals.[4] It was released in 1974 as a track on the Eleventh Hour's Greatest Hits LP which did not chart.[5][6] Crewe showed the song to Allen Toussaint in New Orleans, and Toussaint then decided to record the song with Labelle.[7]
Labelle's version of "Lady Marmalade" was produced by Allen Toussaint and Vicki Wickham. It was released in November 1974 from Nightbirds, their first album after signing with Epic Records.[8] Patti LaBelle sang lead vocals on "Lady Marmalade" with backing vocals being contributed by bandmates Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash. The song is best known for the slang French lyric "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" (English: "Would you like to sleep with me tonight?") in the refrain.[9] "Lady Marmalade" is a song about a prostitute, although Patti LaBelle, the lead female vocal of the band, was completely oblivious to its overall message, saying: "I didn't know what it was about. I don't know French and nobody, I swear this is God's truth, nobody at all told me what I'd just sung a song about."[10]
Reception
Steve Huey from AllMusic selected the song as one of the best tracks on Labelle's 1995 compilation Lady Marmalade: The Best of Patti and Labelle.[11] Critic Robert Christgau described it as "great synthetic French-quarter raunch."[12]
"Lady Marmalade" is billed as the song that made Labelle one of the "hottest girl groups" of the 1970s.[13] It was a number-one hit for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the United States during the early spring of 1975, and charted at number one for one week on the Billboard Top Soul Singles chart.[14] Along with the track, "What Can I Do for You?", "Lady Marmalade" peaked at number seven on the disco/dance charts.[15] The single was also a major hit in the United Kingdom, where it charted at number seventeen."...
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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: Labelle - Lady Marmalade (Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi Ce Soir ) • TopPop
TopPop, Nov 25, 2015
"Lady Marmalade" is a song written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan. The song is famous for its sexually suggestive chorus of "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)?", which translates into English as "Do you want to sleep with me (tonight)?". The song first became a popular hit when it was recorded in 1974 by the American girl group Labelle. Labelle held the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week, and also topped the Canadian RPM national singles chart.
It reached #1 in the Dutch Top 40 on 8 February 1975 and stayed at the number one spot for 4 consecutive weeks. A classic!
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread
(with numbers added for referencing purposes only)
All of these comments are from 2020
1. Vincent Richardson
"I remember as a kid asking my mom what they were saying in this song. Her reply: stay in a child’s place! Ha! I see why now."
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REPLY
2. Terry Hawkins
"😂😂😂👍"
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REPLY
3. Imani M
"I've loved this song since I was little listening to the oldies. I had no idea what I was singing 😂"
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REPLY
4. Merita merita
"Imani M me too.dancing with the tune though i don't understand the lyrics.😄😄😄"
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REPLY
5. Karen Presley
"Me too! I had no clue but would sing it!! Lol!"
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6. sarrel48
"I was but a mere youngster when this song came out and my mother did not let us play or listen to this song, she never told us why just said what she would do to us if we did...Thankfully there was always someone older than you to tell you the real reasons why LOL...oh the old days of innocent were you heard about the world by from the older children's in the neighborhood"
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7. Rosalyn
"They all chocolate ladies & I love the Afro Futurism style even though back then it probably wasn't called that.🙌🎶🌹💋😍😘💗💄🌷🎤👏"
-snip-
"Chocolate ladies" here means that they are all dark brown skinned.
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8. Zondalyn Noble
"Sing it Patti! This song is dedicated to me cuz I AM A Creole Lady born and raise in Nawlins! I Love U Patti!!!!!! 504 Fah Lyfe ya heard meh!"
-snip-
"504 Fah lyfe ya heard meh"= [504 [New Orleans telephone area code] for life. You heard me!"
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9. Donya P
"Soul Sisters Long Live the 70's!"
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Example #2 Patti LaBelle -- Lady Marmalade Video HQ
Mystic Plug Records II, Oct 23, 2016
Patti LaBelle -- Lady Marmalade :: Lyrics ::Lady Marmalade" is a song written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan. The song is famous for its sexually suggestive chorus of "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)?", which translates into English as "Do you want to sleep with me (tonight)?" The song was originally recorded in 1974 by the group Eleventh Hour. It first became a popular hit when covered by the American girl group Labelle. Labelle held the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week, and also topped the Canadian RPM national singles chart...
Hey Sister, Go Sister, Soul Sister, Go Sister
Hey Sister, Go Sister, Soul Sister, Go Sister
He met Marmalade down in old New Orleans
Struttin' her stuff on the street
She said 'Hello,
Hey Joe, you wanna give it a go? Mmm, mmm
Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya Da Da
Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya here
Mocha-choca-lata Ya Ya
Creole Lady Marmalade
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
He sat in her boudoir while she freshened up
The boy drank all her magnolia-wine
On the black satin sheets where oh I swear he started to freak
Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya Da Da
Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya here
Mocha-choca-lata Ya Ya
Creole Lady Marmalade
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Hey, hey, hey
Touching her skin feelin' silky smooth
The colour of cafe au lait
Made the savage beast inside
Roar until it cried, more, more, more
Now he's back home doing 9 to 5
Living his grey flannel life
But when he turns off to sleep
Old memories creep, more, more, more
Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya Da Da
Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya here
Mocha-choca-lata Ya Ya
Creole Lady Marmalade
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Voulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir?
Creole Lady Marmalade
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya Da Da
Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya here
Mocha-choca-lata Ya Ya
Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya here......
-snip-
Here are selected comments from the discussion thread of another video of LaBelle singing "Lady Marmalade"
(with numbers added for referencing purposes only)
Labelle - Lady Marmalade (1975) | Afrofuturistic Funk Live
reelblack, Jan 14, 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmbzhmgzEwU
1. Mikal Smith, 2019
"I love this song and LaBelle and those out fits"
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2. Kevin Sadler, 2019
"I was "Blessed" to have been raised in that Era.(70's and 80's). And being the youngest male in a family of 7 Sisters and 4 Brothers. (Including myself made 11).😁 So,I git to see the BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. Beautiful Black Soul Singing Groups. And Velvety and Silky Smooth Soul Singing Brothers. And I have to tell you: Those were some Beautiful Days. All of us (Including Both Biological Parents)😁 Sitting. All huddled up together. Watching. "MIDNIGHT SPECIAL." WITH "WOLFMAN JACK." "AMERICAN BANDSTAND." WITH DICK CLARK" or Saturday Morning. "SOOOOULLL TRAAAAAIN!!!!!(SOUL TRAIN). WITH "DON CORNELIUS." We had Sych a Var3 of Great Beautiful Music. I Wish I could've out some of those times in a Bottle. And about now. Take the cap off, and see how much all of you youngins would Be In Love with those Beautiful Peaceful Days. I Promise. You Would NOT Want to come back. (I Truly Apologize It was Soo Long. Once I Started Writing. I Just Couldn't Stop. 😁😁😊😀😃😄😌😁"
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3. stephan omarr, 2019
"Pattie labelle, WHAT a MARVELOUS Message in HER performance, LOTS of MELINAN SOUL, 5,*****,musical telant....."
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4. Garry Watts, 2019
"Best Female Harmony Since the The Supremes and Like them Broke Up an Broke My Heart 💓"
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5. Derrick C . Kramer, 2020
"Gone PATTI..........SHE WAS FEELING THAT!!!!
Patti was shonuf working it"
-snip-
"Gone" = here means "Go on" [an affirmation that means "Keep (on) sanging" i.e. singing very well, especially singing soulfully very well]
"shonuf" = "Sure enough" (really)
I believe that this commenter (and a number of others on that discussion thread) are purposely using "downhome" Black vernacular English to evoke a flavor (spirit/attitude) of African American "country" realness to their comments. I refer to this as "puttin[g] on the Black". Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/puttin-on-black-online-black-talk-code.html for a 2012 pancocojams post entitled "Puttin On The Black - Online Black Talk & Code Switching"
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6. Terrell Lewis, 2020
"Patti was dancing her ass off! That’s called giving 150% fr"
-snip-
"dancing her ass off" = really dancing energetically (hard), particularly switching her butt while dancing
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"fr"= really
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Example #3: Patti LaBelle - Lady Marmalade (Live)
Disco Club13, Jun 14, 2017
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