AmpedOut: Ladies Marmalade: Labelle is back!

(all photos: Kwaku Alston)

A lot's changed in music in the more than 30 years since Labelle broke up. Besides the advent of hip hop, electro-funk and house music, today's girl groups are almost unrecognizable from their early-60's counterparts. Gone are the trios who sing demurely about schoolyard crushes with conservatively coiffed hair and wearing respectable outfits.

Could you imagine The Supremes, Shirelles, or Ronettes singing a song that boldly asks a man to sex them tonight, as Labelle did in "Lady Marmalade"? I didn't think so. But thanks to Labelle (as well as solo artists like Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin), soulful singers have been freed from the oppressive chains of fools and are doin' it for themselves.

Labelle made history in various incarnations for 15 years before separating to pursue solo projects in 1976 -- Patti LaBelle became a two-time Grammy winner, who scored hit singles like “If Only You Knew,” “New Attitude,” and her number one ballad “On My Own”; Sarah Dash achieved club hits like “Sinner Man” and “Low Down Dirty Rhythm,” collaborated with Keith Richards, and sang back-up for The Stones; and Grammy-nominated Nona Hendryx released critically-acclaimed singles “Keep It Confidential,” “Transformation,” and “Baby Go-Go” in addition to collaborating with the Talking Heads, Prince, and most recently Cyndi Lauper for the LGBT-focused "True Colors" tour -- and they reunited only briefly to record the number one club hit “Turn It Out” for the movie "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar" (1995).

But in tribute to their lasting legacy and updated sound, the trio of Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash return for a full-fledged reunion with the aptly-titled album "Back To Now," featuring classic and contemporary producers like Gamble & Huff and Lenny Kravitz, out Oct. 21.

If their Wyclef Jean-produced lead single, the mid-tempo electro track “Roll Out” is any indication, their voices aren't any worse for wear and their empowering message to women hasn't wavered one bit.

"Ladies, ladies, there comes a time in your life when you gotta do some things that you never thought you would have to do," Patti LaBelle opens, before the group joins in on a laundry list of complaints against a selfish, lazy-ass man, who needs to be kicked to the curb.

As Labelle prepares to debut their new album at a concert at The Apollo Theater in New York City on December 19, Gay.com caught up with them to chat about their memorable costumes, "Lady Marmalade," playing the Continental Baths, and their tribute to gay disco legend Sylvester.

After performing together in Labelle for 15 years and friends for nearly 50, I'd imagine that you all know each other pretty well. For those who don't, I'd like each of you to describe your bandmates.

Patti LaBelle: Sarah Dash is the voice from heaven. Nona is one of the greatest writers ever... she's the writer angel.

Nona Hendryx: Patti is a black swan and Sarah is just such a unique individual.

Sarah Dash: Patti is the voice that gives me tremors, especially when she hits a certain sound. Nona is a phenomenal writer and a brilliant thinker.

OK, so going back over 40 years, after hitting a slump in the mid-60's as Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells, you contacted Vicki Wickham (the producer of the British television show, "Ready Steady Go!" ) and asked her to manage and revitalize the group. You ended up signing with U.K.-based Track Records and totally reinvented the band over a period of six months. Why were you looking to England for reinvention?

Nona Hendryx: We went there to become Labelle. It was really exciting, and really changed our vision and how we saw the world. We had already done some traveling, but spending that length of time there and being there at such an amazing time with Carnaby Street, Kings Road, biba fashion coming out, and the birth of the music that would end up influencing all music at the time.

You also toured with the Rolling Stones.

Nona Hendryx (continued): Touring with the Rolling Stones on their first tour of America, we lived together, and made great friends. It was like a dorm and it was great. It also changed our musical sound, because we really incorporated the rock influence of the English. I always say this about England, that it has more eccentrics per square mile than anywhere else. It showed us that there's no sort of limit on what we could do.

Aside from your musical transformation, there was also a visual one. How did the afros, glam silver space suits and feathers come into the picture?

Patti LaBelle: We had meetings with New York designers Larry LeGaspi and Richard Erker and our management, and they put us in those outfits with feathers and platforms. But there was no crazy hair then. I started that after Labelle. Back then it was headdresses. Larry was a designer with great vision. Richard was a jeweler, and he made our gold boots up to our thighs. We were KISS before KISS and Funkadelic before Funkadelic. They looked like us. We started the revolution. But anyway they put a start on our career as far as dressing us like that. The reason we did it was to draw attention to us. Because being three black women back then, no one would listen to us; but if we looked crazy, then they stopped and heard the profound things we were saying, in talking about politics and things they would not expect us to be saying. Then we got our following.

When you went to New Orleans in 1974 to record "Nightbirds" with legendary producer Allen Toussaint, did you have any idea that it would become your break-out album?

Patti LaBelle: 'Lady Marmalade' was a magical thing and was a last-minute find. 'Nightbirds' was mostly things Nona had written. But just as we were boarding the plane [the song's writer] Bob Crewe got the chance to get it to us, and when we laid out the songs, we all said that 'Lady Marmalade' should be the first song. We knew it would be a hit.

LaBelle then, singing "Lady Marmalade":

You started out singing relatively innocent songs like "Over the Rainbow" and "Groovy Kind of Love." Were you nervous about changing your image with such a brazen song that featured the naughty line "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)?"?

Patti LaBelle: We didn't know what it meant. When we realized what it meant, it was innocent in a way, so we didn't really mind it. Then CBS France picked it up as the first single and it started really breaking out big there. They thought we were French, and with the incredible reaction, they decided to release it here, and give it a big push. The rest is history.

One part of your history that I'm sure a lot of people don't know about is that you played at the Continental Baths, the gay bathhouse where Better Midler got her start. What was that like?

Patti LaBelle: That was a really wild time. Living in New York and having gay fans for that many years, I don't think we were shocked. We were performing in front of men in towels and with towels falling off, but they were fans who loved us.

Sarah Dash: There was a lot going on.

Nona Hendryx: Remember, they had those machines?

Patti LaBelle: Yeah, they were selling condoms, and I walked up and thought, 'Ooh, let me get some bubble gum,' and before I knew it, I had me a Trojan.

Speaking of the 70's, one of the few covers on your new release is gay disco legend Sylvester's classic hit “You Make Me Feel Mighty Real.” Why was that song selected?

Patti LaBelle: We wanted to do it, and did it, and we didn't do it well. We wanted to do a remake of Sylvester's song, because he had been a friend forever. But we didn't sound as great as him, so I thought we should drop it. But then we decided to do a mix on it. Nona had friends who did the remix, and now it sounds more funky. We don't do it the same way. We definitely funk it out.

Nona Hendryx: We all really loved him. He was really a sweet person. I had the opportunity to work with him when I worked with [disco legend] Patrick Crowley, and we sang background together.

Patti LaBelle: I spent the last month of his life on his deathbed with him, and I remember him giving me a beautiful purse. It was a difficult time.

When you broke up in 1976, did you know that you'd eventually regroup?

Patti LaBelle: Yeah, for sure. I knew we would. But my problem was my schedule, just having Patti Labelle make time. But my manager said, 'Make time.' I didn't see how I could do it, because I can't do it half-ass. It has to be perfect. Now that we're back together, I was afraid of us not sounding the same way, because we were awesome and I wanted to still be. But I think we're pretty cool.

See for yourself... LaBelle now, singing "Lady Marmalade":