The History Of The Provocative Single, “Lady Marmalade”

When sexual innuendos dominate the modern-day music industry, it is almost unusual to think that songs from the past were seen as provocative. One song that was widely controversial during its time was the LaBelle’s version of Lady Marmalade in 1974.

“Lady Marmalade”

Bob Crewe, a producer who worked on countless songs during the ‘60s, including hits by The Four Seasons, co-wrote Lady Marmalade with singer-songwriter, Kenny Nolan. The song was atypical from Crewe’s other works, but it became the leading (and last) hit during his career.

It was also the biggest hit for Crewe and Nolan as a team. The composers became the third songwriting group to succeed themselves at number one, when Lady Marmalade replaced the 1975 hit song “My Eyes Adored You” by Frankie Valli.

The hit song was initially recorded by The Eleventh Hour, a disco group which included Kenny Nolan, himself. In an interview with Billboard for The Billboard Book of Number One Hits, Nolan explained his method to writing the provocative chorus: “The song was written in pieces. I had one part of the song here and one part there, and it still needed something. Bob and I came up with the idea of ‘Voulez-vous couchez avec moi (ce soir).’ It was like a puzzle that finally fit together.”

Lady Marmalade was written in New Orleans and was inspired by the city’s red-light district. Allen Toussaint, the LaBelle’s producer, was also from The Big Easy and introduced the all-female group to the song to record as the main track for their album, Nightbirds. It was released in December of 1974, and became the #1 hit song the following year.

However, the LaBelle’s were not apart of the New Orleans trend. Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sara Dash were originally from Philadelphia, where the group was created in 1962, along with New Jersey native Cindy Birdsong.

When the song was released as the first single from Nightbirds, “Lady Marmalade” swept through disco’s around the nation before making its radio debut. On January 4, 1975, the song entered the Hot 100 and grabbed the #1 spot 12 weeks later.

Even amidst its fame in dance clubs and on the radio, “Lady Marmalade’s” risque lyrics were banned from television. The chorus of the song, “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)” which translates to “Do you want to sleep with me (tonight)” was prohibited from tv due to broadcast standards. The group ultimately changed the lyric to “Voulez-vous danser avec moi ce soir,” which translates to “Do you want to dance with me (tonight).”

In an 1986 interview with NME, Patti LaBelle explained her thoughts on the songs apparent glamorization of prostitution: “That song was taboo. I mean, why sing about a hooker? Why not? I had a good friend who was a hooker, and she died. She never took the mike out of my mouth and I never took the mattress from under her. She was my friend, doing her thing. I don’t believe in separating people. If your job is as a hooker, more power to you.”

Although the song is the only hit credited to LaBelle, the group took a seemingly harmless melody and transformed it into the ultimate party anthem for decades to come.

Who sang your favorite version of this sultry song? Share in the comment section below!

(Sources: NME & Wikipedia)

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