In 1961, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash of the Del Capris joined Patricia Holt and Sandra Tucker as replacement singers for Holt's singing group, The Ordettes. When Tucker's parents made her leave the group, she was replaced by Cindy Birdsong. Patricia Holt had her name changed to Patti LaBelle after the group became The Bluebelles. Though the first single was "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" (released as the Bluebelles), LaBelle relays in her memoir (Don't Block The Blessings) that the group didn't actually perform on the original track. As she tells it, the song's producer had recorded it with Starlets and renamed them the Bluebelles, but the group left upon the single's release. He quickly recruited the Ordettes to perform and promote the single using the Bluebells' moniker, and "I Sold My Heart To The Junkman" was later recut by the new group. The song was a hit, as was the new Bluebelle's 1963 follow-ups "Down the Aisle", "You'll Never Walk Alone" (1964; Rodgers & Hammerstein) and "Danny Boy" (a traditional Irish folk song). They signed with Atlantic Records in 1965, releasing "Over the Rainbow" and "Groovy Kind of Love" (later a hit for the Mindbenders and Phil Collins) with only mild success. They also contributed background vocals to Tony Kosinec's "Simple Emotion" and Wilson Pickett's hit "634-5789" in 1966. Along the line, they had extended their name to Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles.
In 1967, the group became a trio after Cindy Birdsong left to join the Supremes, replacing Florence Ballard. Three years later, the group lost their contract and hired Vicki Wickham, a British TV producer, to remake their image. She changed the name to Labelle and pushed the group to a more contemporary sound, incorporated glam influences, particularly in the spectacular spacey stage costumes that included large amounts of glitter, feathers and other acoutrements. In the early 70s, Labelle opened for the Who and lent their unmistakably powerful vocals to Laura Nyro's Gonna Take a Miracle album in 1971 (now considered a classic). Two songs from this album ("Desiree" and "Gonna Take a Miracle") were used in the 2004 Colin Farrell film A Home at the End of the World to great dramatic effect -- especially "Gonna Take a Miracle," at the end of the film. Labelle also contributed to Nikki Giovanni's "Peace Be Still".
The group released Labelle in 1971 on Warner Brothers Records. It included covers of songs by the Rolling Stones, Kenny Rogers, Carole King and Laura Nyro. The following album, Moonshadow (1972), even though it included covers of famous songs ("MoonShadow" by Cat Stevens and the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again"), gave Hendryx more freedom to write material for Labelle. The album flopped commercially, as did the third Labelle album, Pressure Cookin, (1973), released on RCA Records. By this time and until Labelle's break-up, Hendryx wrote most of Labelle's material, taking the songs in a highly experimental direction that was a far cry from the sound that the Bluebelle's (and most other "girl groups" of the era) had performed. Although the album wasn't commercially successful, Pressure Cookin' allowed her to hone her talents as a songwriter, clearly demonstrated by the moving "(Can I Speak to You Before You Go to) Hollywood," which was based on the way the ladies felt when people who had "made it" in the business no longer were interested in keeping in contact with Patti, Sarah, or Nona.
After Pressure Cookin', Labelle signed with Epic Records and recorded an album, Nightbirds, with Allen Toussaint, a famous record producer. "Lady Marmalade", a sexy, funky disco song about a New Orleans prostitute(with a come-hither French chorus, "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?") became a massive hit in 1975 and one of the first mainstream disco hits (Jones and Kantonen, 1999). The success of the single also pushed the album to the top of the charts. It would be covered by numerous artists including Madchester-era indie The Happy Mondays (spliced into "Kinky Afro") and most notably Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya and P!nk for the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack.
Labelle's commercial momentum after Nightbirds and "Lady Marmalade" decreased, in spite of several hits and the critically acclaimed experimental albums Phoenix (1975) and Chameleon (1976). When the group split up in 1976, Hendryx and LaBelle managed successful solo careers, while Sarah Dash had a few notable dance hits: "Sinner Man" (1978, which gained her much public attention), and "Lucky Tonight" (1984), with Sylvester singing background vocals. Dash also acted on television for the PBS series "Watch Your Mouth," (1978), and has performed on Broadway. Her career picked up again om the 90s when she was asked to sing with The Rolling Stones on their Steel Wheels album, and even more so when she became one of Keith Richards' "X-pensive Winos," and was given solo and duet opportunities with his band (namely the (duet) ballad, "Make No Mistake," and solo "Time Is on My Side," which Richards said in his autobiography is "the best version he has ever heard").
LaBelle, Hendryx, and Dash have reunited several times including a famed 1991 reunion at the Apollo Theater 30 years after the group first stole the audience's hearts at the same venue. The concert was recorded as a live album. A brief reunion came in the form of the huge dance succes "Turn It Out," from the To Wong Foo soundtrack. They reunited again in 2001 to honor Patti on BET's "Walk of Fame," where the performed an explosive version of "What Can I Do for You," as well as "Lady Marmalade" The most recentl reunion was in 2005 during a tribute to Patti's 45th anniversary in show business. In January 2006, Labelle again reunited to record "Dear Rosa," a tribute to the late civil rights champion Rosa Parks. The release date of the single has not been set at this time. There are also plans for an entire reunion album and tour, most likely to happen in 2007. In addition, Labelle will contribute songs for the soundtrack for the upcoming film, "Preaching to the Choir."
There are other artists with the same name:
2) LaBelle (aka LaBelle Rocks) is a rock band from Madrid, Spain with strong influence from 1950s music and appearance. Their current lineup consists of Alicia Montesquiu, Pedro Herrero, Mey Alean and Carlos Mirat.
Cinema is his first album produced by filmmaker Juanma Bajo Ulloa with a first celebrated single FIRE! and the musical production by Fernando Montesinos and David Kano. His second album Accidents a very personal and enveloping work, again with the musical talent of Fernando Montesinos in production for Noisy Sound and Paco Ortega for Musigrama in one of the songs.
3) Labelle (Jérémy Labelle,Maloya-Electronic Composer from Reunion Island. Founder member of Eumolpe.)
"...Resolutely syncretic, the universe of Labelle unites Maloya (from Réunion traditional music) and electronics, colored with Indian and African touches..."
Come Into My Life
Labelle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come into my life I've got a lot to give
I can smile the perfect smile
And still be hurt within
The scars I bear are nowhere near
The surface of my skin
Who can love the perfect love
If you're above suspicion
Knowing my condition
Come into my life
I've got a lot to give
I can play the perfect game
And still have room to lose
The choice of how I crawl of bow
Must be mine to choose
Who can hear the perfect ear
Playing out of tune
If you're above suspicion
Knowing my condition
Come into my life
I've got a lot to give
You can come into my life
I've got a lot to give
You can come into my life
You can come into my life
You can come into my life
I have seen the high and low
And all the inbetweens
Shared your cause and found applause
To be a distant dream
It was never, never, never, never, never far away
So it always seemed
If you're above suspicion
Knowing my condition
Come into my life
I've got a lot to give
Come into my life
I've got a lot to give
Come into my life
I've got a lot to give
Come into my life
I've got a lot to give
You can come into my life
You can come into my life
You can come into my life
You can come into my life
You can come into my life
You can come in to my life
You can come into my life
Come into my life
I've got a lot to give
Labelle's song "Come into my Life" is a passionate plea for a lover to enter their life, regardless of their imperfections, and to accept them for who they are. The song is about being vulnerable and opening up to someone else, despite the fear of being judged or rejected. The singer acknowledges that they may appear perfect on the surface, but they still carry emotional scars that others may not see. The lyrics argue that true love cannot be perfect, but rather it embraces both the highs and lows of life, and accepts imperfection as a part of the human condition.
The first verse sets up the idea that the singer is capable of putting on a façade of perfection, but it doesn't reflect the truth of their inner life. They are seeking someone who can see past this façade and accept their flaws. The second verse expands on the theme, stating that the singer wants to make their own choices, even if they go against societal norms or expectations. The chorus, "Come into my life, I've got a lot to give," is an invitation for a lover to take a chance and share their life, flaws and all.
The song then goes on to describe how the singer has experienced both the highs and lows of life, but that they have always held onto the hope that true love is possible. The song concludes with a repeated chorus inviting someone to come into the singer's life, and to embrace the imperfections that make them who they are. Overall, "Come into my Life" is a hopeful and vulnerable song that celebrates the messy beauty of human relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Come into my life
I want you to become an important part of my life
Come into my life I've got a lot to give
I have a lot to offer in a relationship and I want you to be a part of it.
I can smile the perfect smile
I can appear happy and confident on the outside, but I also feel pain and hurt inside.
And still be hurt within
Despite my smile, I am still dealing with emotional pain.
The scars I bear are nowhere near
My emotional wounds run deep and are not visible on the surface of my skin.
The surface of my skin
The outer layer of my body
Who can love the perfect love
It is impossible to have a perfect relationship without any problems or issues.
Never short or thin
A perfect relationship would never be lacking in any way.
If you're above suspicion
If you can trust me completely and don't judge me for my past mistakes.
Knowing my condition
Being aware of my emotional state and what I'm going through.
I can play the perfect game
I can hide my true self and pretend to be someone I'm not in order to appear perfect.
And still have room to lose
Even though I may try to be perfect, I am still vulnerable to making mistakes.
The choice of how I crawl of bow
The decision of how I present myself and how vulnerable I allow myself to be is up to me.
Must be mine to choose
I should have the freedom to choose how I want to behave.
Who can hear the perfect ear
It is impossible for someone to be perfect and never make mistakes or be out of tune.
Playing out of tune
Making mistakes or not living up to expectations.
You can come into my life
I want you to be a part of my life.
I have seen the high and low
I have experienced both good and bad times in my life.
And all the inbetweens
I have experienced everything in between the good and bad times.
Shared your cause and found applause
I have supported you and your goals and received positive feedback.
To be a distant dream
Feels like a far-off aspiration that may never be achieved.
It was never, never, never, never, never far away
Despite feeling like a distant dream, it was still within reach.
Come into my life I've got a lot to give
I have a lot to offer in a relationship and I want you to be a part of it.
You can come into my life
I want you to become an important part of my life.
Come into my life
I want you to become an important part of my life.
You can come in to my life
I want you to be part of my life and I welcome you.
I've got a lot to give
I have a lot to offer and I am willing to give in a relationship.
Come into my life
I want you to become an important part of my life.
I've got a lot to give
I am willing to give a lot in a relationship.
Writer(s): Nona B. Hendryx
Contributed by Michael S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jsp6425
I can smile the perfect smile
And still be hurt within
The scars I bear are nowhere near
The surface of my skin
Who can love the perfect love
Never short or thin
If you’re above suspicion
Knowing my condition
Come into my life
I've got a lot to give
I can play the perfect game
And still have room to lose
The choice of how I crawl or bow
Must be mine to choose
Who can hear the perfect ear
Playing out of tune…
If you're above suspicion
Knowing my condition
Come into my life
@JeffTheGent
🕊 Rest in Paradise, Ms. Sarah Dash (8/18/45 - 9/20/21). Thank you ever so much for being a vital part of the force that was Labelle. 🎶
@jimimack7674
I was 14 when I first heard this album. Been in love with it ever since.
@camijones5118
My mom said she named me Camillia after this song.30 years later I'm hearing it for the 1st time. #over here in tears# #I'm so glad she allowed me to come into her life 30 years ago#
@CmeDEW61
Beautiful 🌹👑✌🏿
@candycesaturday7218
❤️❤️
@blossomhicks4288
Now you are 36 years old a d you're mother did good!! Go girl!!
@sirresebethea
Cami Jones I love this song a lot of people slept on this song I remember my parents playing this song back In 1976 and went to their last concert in Baltimore
@InnerBouquet
With Patti's power, enormous range and talent for improvising; Nona's genius for songwriting; and the trios' incredible vocal harmonies; this song really showcases how brilliant they were. And the emotional impact of it all is so palpable. There was only one and there will never ever be another, LABELLE.
@blossomhicks4288
Is anyone really listening?? You know music!!
@blossomhicks4288
Or Nona or Sarah!!