LaBelle is an American R&B/soul group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA,… Read Full Bio ↴LaBelle is an American R&B/soul group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, who successfully melded dance music with funk and glam rock. Mostly active in the 60s and 70s disband but reformed in 2005. Their most recognised song is "Lady Marmalade". The group was led by Patti LaBelle, who later had a successful solo career. Nona Hendryx, Sarah Dash and Cindy Birdsong rounded out the group, with Hendryx especially notable as a prolific songwriter.

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..."

Last Dance
Labelle Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You can dance
Every dance with the guy
Who gives you the eye
Let him hold you tight
You can smile
Every smile for the man
Who held your hand
Beneath the pale moonlight

But don't forget who's taking you home
And in whose arms you're gonna be
So darlin', save the last dance for me

Oh, I know
That the musics fine
Like sparkling wine
Go and have your fun
Laugh and sing
But while we're apart
Don't give your heart to anyone
And don't forget who's taking you home
And in whose arms you're gonna be
So darlin', save the last dance for me

Baby don't you know I love you so
Can't you feel it when we touch
I will never never let you go
I love you oh so much

You can dance
Go and carry on
Till the night is gone
And it's time to go
If he asks
If you're all alone
Can he take you home
You must tell him no
Cause don't forget who's taking you home

And in whose arm's you're gonna be
So darlin' save the last dance for me

Overall Meaning

Labelle’s song “Last Dance” is a romantic ballad that implores a lover to reserve the final dance for their significant other. The opening lines encourage the listener to dance with all the guys who desire them but to save the last dance for the one they love. The song goes on to suggest that though it might be alright for the listener to dance, laugh and sing during the evening, they should also remember not to give their heart to anyone else. While apart, the singer begs the listener to remember that it is their partner they will be going home with and whose arm they will be wrapped up in at the end of the night. The song ends with a reiteration of this plea.

The lyrics of “Last Dance” deliver a powerful message of the importance of fidelity and emotional consistency in a romantic relationship. It is a song that urges lovers to appreciate the moment they have, enjoy the company of anyone who catches their eye, but to be mindful of the future and the importance of always being there for one another.

Line by Line Meaning

You can dance
You have the freedom to dance

Every dance with the guy
You can dance with any guy

Who gives you the eye
Whoever shows interest in you

Let him hold you tight
You can allow him to hold you closely

You can smile
You can express your happiness by smiling

Every smile for the man
You can smile for any man

Who held your hand
Whoever held your hand

Beneath the pale moonlight
Under the light of the moon

But don't forget who's taking you home
Remember who is supposed to take you home

And in whose arms you're gonna be
Think about who you will be with in the end

So darlin', save the last dance for me
Save the last dance for the person who will take you home