Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles
Patti LaBelle is one of the greatest female icons in black music history and still lives today. Her baptist roots contributed to her vocal style, and has become known as the, “Godmother of Soul”. She was the lead singer of the famous girl group, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, later known as Labelle. This sixties group displayed Motown elements with the same exact look from hairstyle to their clothes. Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles even became known as “the Sweethearts of the Apollo” because of how adored they were. They also hold many firsts in African American musical history. In fact, they were the first African American group to sing at the Metropolitan Opera House as well as appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine!
Born in Philadelphia herself, singing concert in her hometown must have been unforgettable for LaBelle and her audience. Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles was originally called the Odettes. LaBelle started this group in Philadelphia with Cindy Birdsong, who eventually left the group to become a member of The Supremes. Philadelphia has served to be quite a significant place for LaBelle. One of their hits, “I Sold My Heart to the Junkman,” came from a spontaneous session in Philadelphia. Harold Robinson, a used car dealer, convinced them to come record in his studio when they had a one-nighter (a single nighttime performance) in Philadelphia.
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Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles became black music icons who represented the honorable success of becoming famous as a black female group in a time period where racism was extremely prevalent. The Uptown was a venue that served powerful black musicians like Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles to unify the black experience and continue to maintain African American culture through music.
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Making Musical History
You'll Never Walk Alone (1964)
This is a sweet song that I think is perfect to talk about in relation to the Civil Rights Movement with its message of unity. In this song, LaBelle’s powerful vocals make the lyrics so much more meaningful. “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is originally from the 1956 musical Carousel, but Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles found great success in their rendition. They also gained success from their version of “Over the Rainbow.” There are a lot of lyrics to be interpreted in this song with correspondence to the Black Power/Civil Rights Movement in coming together and holding your head up high to face the storm that was racial injustice. Performing this song as a group also adds to the lyrical sentiment of being strong as a unified force. Three successful black women singing a song about being there for each other is truly unparalleled.
You Will Fill My Eyes No More (1964)
This beautiful song shows lots of Motown elements. The perfectly synchronized harmonies are a significant pop production element that grew popular with Motown. The strings and steady rhythm in the background come from Motown. However, the vocals are still able to shine through. The Motown style takes from gospel, so it is no surprise that the song uses echoing call and response vocals throughout the song as well. Lyrically, this is another song about power. Although this song is more clearly about heartbreak and does not directly correspond to the Black Power Movement, it still displays the power of a successful African American female vocal group through the new musical style and record label introduced by renowned record producer Berry Gourdy.
“I Sold My Heart to the Junkman” (1962)
Unlike the other two songs, this one is very upbeat. This is another song with a distinct Motown sound and the gospel element of call and response between the lead singer and backup vocalists. The rhythm and strings are almost level with the vocals and project a clear Motown style. Something very unique about this song is the panning. If you listen closely on a laptop, or even better, listen with earbuds, you can tell that the backup vocals are louder on the left and the lead vocalist is louder on the right side. This musical technique adds a special element to this song. This song came out early in the 1960s when Motown first started to be popular. What makes “I Sold My Heart to the Junkman” and Patti and the Bluebelles even more remarkable is that this song was originally recorded by a group called The Starlets, but it was Patti and the Bluebelles’ promotion and recording that reached 15 on the Billboard Top 100.