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| "Lady Marmalade" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Side A of the US single | ||||
| Single by Labelle | ||||
| from the album Nightbirds | ||||
| B-side | "Space Children" | |||
| Released | November 5, 1974 | |||
| Recorded | 1974 | |||
| Studio | Sea Saint (New Orleans) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | Epic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Labelle singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio | ||||
| "Lady Marmalade" (album version) on YouTube | ||||
| "Lady Marmalade" (single version) on YouTube | ||||
"Lady Marmalade" is a song written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan, originally for Nolan's disco group the Eleventh Hour. The song is famous for the repeated refrain of "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?" in French as part of the chorus, a sexually suggestive line that translates into English as: "Will you sleep with me?" The song first became a popular hit when it was recorded in 1974 by the American funk rock group Labelle and held the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week, and also topped the Canadian RPM national singles chart. In 2021, the Library of Congress selected Labelle's version for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The song has had many cover versions over the years. In 1998, girl group All Saints released a cover of the song that peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart. The 2001 version by singers Christina Aguilera, Mýa, Pink and rapper Lil' Kim, recorded for the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack, was a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, and also a number-one hit in the UK. "Lady Marmalade" was the ninth song to reach number one by two different musical acts in America.[4]
Labelle version
Background and release
The song was written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan after Crewe visited New Orleans. 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.[5] It was added in 1974 as a track on the Eleventh Hour's Greatest Hits LP, which did not chart.[6][7] Crewe showed the song to producer Allen Toussaint in New Orleans, and Toussaint then decided to record the song with Labelle.[8]
Labelle's version of "Lady Marmalade" was produced by Toussaint and Vicki Wickham, with the former also playing an RMI Electra-Piano on the recording. The rhythm section on the recording was New Orleans-based funk band The Meters. "Lady Marmalade" was released as a single in November 1974 from the Nightbirds album released that September, their first album after signing with Epic Records.[9] 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 suggestive French lyric "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" ("Do you want to sleep with me tonight?") in the refrain.[10] "Lady Marmalade" is about a man's sexual encounter with the titular prostitute, but Patti LaBelle 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."[11]
Reception
Steve Huey of AllMusic selected the song as one of the best tracks on Labelle's 1995 compilation Lady Marmalade: The Best of Patti and Labelle.[12] Critic Robert Christgau described it as "great synthetic French-quarter raunch".[13]
"Lady Marmalade" is billed as the song that made Labelle one of the "hottest girl groups" of the 1970s.[14] 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.[15] Along with the track, "What Can I Do for You?", "Lady Marmalade" peaked at number seven on the disco/dance charts.[16] The single was also a major hit in the United Kingdom, where it charted at number seventeen . "Lady Marmalade" replaced another Crewe/Nolan composition, Frankie Valli's "My Eyes Adored You", as the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single. This feat made Crewe and Nolan the third songwriting team in Billboard history (after Lennon–McCartney and Holland–Dozier–Holland) to replace themselves at number one.[4] Billboard ranked it as the No. 22 song for 1975.[17] Labelle performed "Lady Marmalade" on Soul Train on December 7, 1974.[18]
"Lady Marmalade" debuted at number 92 on the Canadian RPM singles chart on February 1, 1975.[19] It subsequently peaked atop the chart on March 29, 1975, after five weeks on the chart.[20] Labelle's version of "Lady Marmalade" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003.[21] and was ranked number 479 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004 and number 485 in 2010. The Labelle version also appears in several films, including The Long Kiss Goodnight, Dick, and Jacob's Ladder. It was used in the video game Karaoke Revolution Volume 2 in a new version performed by Patti LaBelle.
Billboard ranked the song at number sixteen on their list of the "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time".[22] In 2021, the Library of Congress selected the song for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[23][24]
Track listings
- US 7-inch single
- "Lady Marmalade" – 3:14
- "Space Children" – 3:04
- Europe 7-inch single
- "Lady Marmalade" – 3:14
- "It Took a Long Time" – 4:04
Credits and personnel
- Lead vocals by Patti LaBelle
- Backing vocals by Sarah Dash and Nona Hendryx
- Instrumentation by The Meters
- Allen Toussaint – RMI Electra Piano, percussion, arrangements
- Art Neville – Hammond organ
- George Porter Jr. – bass guitar
- Leo Nocentelli, Rev. Edward Levone Batts – guitar
- Herman "Roscoe" Ernest III – drums
- James "Budd" Ellison – piano
- Earl Turbinton – alto saxophone
- Alvin Thomas – tenor saxophone
- Clyde Kerr Jr. – trumpet
- Lester Caliste – trombone
- Carl Blouin – baritone saxophone
- Clarence Ford – alto saxophone
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[39] | Gold | 75,000^ |
| France | — | 150,000[40] |
| United States (RIAA)[41] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Sabrina version
| "Voulez-Vous Coucher avec Moi? (Lady Marmalade)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Sabrina | ||||
| from the album Sabrina | ||||
| B-side | "Megamix" | |||
| Released | 1987 | |||
| Recorded | 1987 | |||
| Length | 3:56 | |||
| Label | Baby | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Davide Romani | |||
| Sabrina singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background and release
"Lady Marmalade" was covered by Italian pop star Sabrina on her eponymous album. It was released in 1987 as the album's second single by Baby Records. In some countries, including France and the Netherlands, the song was known as "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? (Lady Marmalade)" and was released in 1988. Author James Arena named the cover among Sabrina's "relentlessly catchy" singles.[42] The song charted at number 36 on the Belgian Flanders Singles Chart, number 40 on the Dutch Single Top 100, and number 41 on the French Singles Chart.[43]
Track listings
- 7-inch maxi[44]
- "Lady Marmalade" – 3:55
- "Boys, Hot Girl, Sexy Girl" (7-inch megamix) – 4:10
- 12-inch maxi[45]
- "Lady Marmalade" (12-inch remix) – 5:57
- "Boys, Hot Girl, Sexy Girl" (12-inch megamix) – 6:04
- CD maxi[46]
- "Lady Marmalade" (12-inch remix) – 6:08
- "Boys, Hot Girl, Sexy Girl" (megamix) – 6:04
- "Lady Marmalade" – 3:55
- Remixed by Peter Vriends, produced by Claudio Cecchetto
Charts
| Chart (1987–1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[47] | 36 |
| France (SNEP)[48] | 41 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[49] Remix |
8 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[50] | 40 |
Credits and personnel
Credits for Sabrina's version are adapted from CD liner notes:[51]
- Written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan
- Design – Bart Falkmann
- Producer – C. Cecchetto
- Remix – Peter Vriends
All Saints version
| "Lady Marmalade" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by All Saints | ||||
| from the album All Saints | ||||
| A-side | "Under the Bridge" | |||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | April 27, 1998 | |||
| Studio | Metropolis (London) | |||
| Length | 4:04 | |||
| Label | London | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| All Saints singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Lady Marmalade" on YouTube | ||||
Background and release
In 1998, English-Canadian girl group All Saints recorded a cover version of "Lady Marmalade" as part of the double A-sided single "Under the Bridge" / "Lady Marmalade". In Europe, only the "Lady Marmalade" single was released. The All Saints version contains different lyrics for its verses; the only lyrics retained from the original composition are the chorus. A version remixed by Timbaland appeared on the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack.
Reception
Daily Record described All Saints' version as a "passable version of LaBelle's disco classic".[52] "Lady Marmalade" was the third single taken from their self-titled debut studio album; it contained the "Marmalade" cover and a cover version of "Under the Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers. The single reached number one on the official UK Top 40 chart, becoming the group's second number-one hit. A total of 424,799 singles have been sold in the UK, with proceeds from the single going to breast cancer charities.[citation needed]
Music video
The music video for the song shows the band members and other people having a dance party on one of the floors of a skyscraper in New York City at night. British actress Kathryn Allerston appears in the music video.[citation needed]
Track listings
- All Saints CD maxi single
- "Lady Marmalade" ('98 mix) – 4:02
- "Lady Marmalade" (Mark's Miami Madness mix) – 7:55
- "Lady Marmalade" (Sharp South Park vocal remix) – 8:09
- "Lady Marmalade" (Henry & Hayne's La Jam mix) – 6:47
- All Saints CD 1
- "Under the Bridge" – 5:03
- "Lady Marmalade" – 4:04
- "No More Lies" – 4:08
- "Lady Marmalade" (Henry & Haynes La Jam mix) – 9:23
- "Under the Bridge" (promo video) – 5:00
- All Saints CD 2
- "Lady Marmalade" (Mark!'s Miami Madness mix) – 7:56
- "Lady Marmalade" (Sharp South Park vocal remix) – 8:10
- "Under the Bridge" (Ignorance remix featuring Jean Paul e.s.q) – 4:55
- "Get Bizzy" – 3:45
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[68] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[70] | Gold | 432,000[69] |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||