Patti and Nona and Sarah right before becoming Labelle

[luke]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plt-pTqnRoQ

[midnightman]

I think this was RIGHT after Cindy left but I'm not sure. I know it was 1967-68 ish judging from their wardrobe, hairdos and Patti's voice at the time lol

[smark21]

Did Patti, Nona, Sarah and Bluebelles’ management ever try to find someone to replace Cindy when she left? Or did they decide to carry on as a trio?

[midnightman]

Did Patti, Nona, Sarah and Bluebelles’ management ever try to find someone to replace Cindy when she left? Or did they decide to carry on as a trio?

According to Patti, they auditioned like 50 other women, including one drag queen. After that, they decided to carry on as a trio. They struggled for four years before changing their sound [[Patti's voice changed into a more gospel format), style [[the natural hair and the casual outfits) and format as well as their name [[simply to Patti's stage surname but with the "b" shortened).

[jsmith]

The group evolved between 1966 [[top picture) & 1970 [[btm picture) after they spent some time in the UK and Vicki Wickham [[ex of UK TV show RSG) became their new manager ...
BTW, both pictures were taken in the UK and the group recorded here around summer 70.
Vicki Wickham told them that if they kept performing songs like "Over The Rainbow" and looking like they did, they would be 'dead in the water' as a group in no time at all.
Didn't Cindy leave the group in summer 67 ?
Attachment 6738

[luke]

Cindy left in 1967 and video above from 1968. I doubt they would have been "dead in the water" as they were so esteemed among r and b lovers...i.e. the sweethearts of the Apollo but it still was a good move, though calculated. Id think Nona was the one really the pushing for a musical change.

[midnightman]

^ Yeah Nona was in love with rock and roll music. She hated doing R&B/pop ballads [[which was Patti's forte, really). Patti initially didn't know about going along with the direction because she "was sure the [black] fans would throw eggs at us!" But once they debuted their new sound [[which was initially a rock-soul-gospel hybrid), they loved it and quickly embraced Labelle even more so than they did the Bluebelles and the Bluebelles were a big deal with R&B audiences. Labelle did attract a small rock following opening for The Who and the Stones though, like Mother's Finest after them, the label struggled to get them played on rock radio [[their cover of Moon Shadow could've been a really good radio airplay single on rock radio imho) just like the Bluebelles had struggled to get played on pop radio [[and judging from their performances on the charts, R&B radio struggled with them too because Patti's gospel voice was used wrongly - Aretha would later show how it was done but by then it was too late). They were really a journeyman's girl group until they had success [["Lady Marmalade" and beyond).

[jsmith]

They cut a couple of tracks for [[UK based) Track Records in 1970. One [["Too Many Days") appeared on their 1st album [[self titled & on Warner Bros) in 1971.
But the other one, "Miss Otis Regrets" only escaped [[to my knowledge) on a UK Track 45 in 76 [[after they had become a big selling hit group). That must have been one of Patti's personal choices as a song to record as she seems to have performed the song live many times since the early 70's.

[reese]

They cut a couple of tracks for [[UK based) Track Records in 1970. One [["Too Many Days") appeared on their 1st album [[self titled & on Warner Bros) in 1971.
But the other one, "Miss Otis Regrets" only escaped [[to my knowledge) on a UK Track 45 in 76 [[after they had become a big selling hit group). That must have been one of Patti's personal choices as a song to record as she seems to have performed the song live many times since the early 70's.

MISS OTIS REGRETS also was included on their 2008 cd BACK TO NOW. When they did their reunion tour, MISS OTIS REGRETS was the opening song.

[luke]

Patti even said their record sales dwindeled as radio was so rigid in its formats. Also much of Nona's stuff just isnt very commercial. Didnt Sundray Tucker replace Cindy briefly?

[midnightman]

Patti even said their record sales dwindeled as radio was so rigid in its formats. Also much of Nona's stuff just isnt very commercial. Didnt Sundray Tucker replace Cindy briefly?

I kept reading she was an "early" member of the group when they were the Ordettes. Which brings me up to this question: who were the original members of Patti's pre-Bluebelles group, the Ordettes? Was it really Patti and Sundray Tucker and two other girls?

I don't have Patti's biography but I haven't seen much information as that part of Patti's life story is blank...

[reese]

I kept reading she was an "early" member of the group when they were the Ordettes. Which brings me up to this question: who were the original members of Patti's pre-Bluebelles group, the Ordettes? Was it really Patti and Sundray Tucker and two other girls?

I don't have Patti's biography but I haven't seen much information as that part of Patti's life story is blank...

Sometimes Cindy is mentioned as an Ordette, but I don't think this is true.

Going by Patti's book, I think Patti and Sundray Tucker were Ordettes , and Sarah and Nona were in the Del Capris. At some point, they merged. When they become very busy, they decided to drop out of high school. Sundray's parents would not let her leave school, and she had to leave the group. She was replaced by Cindy.

Sundray later did some gigs as a replacement for Cindy, but not on any permanent basis. I think she just filled in when Cindy couldn't make it.

[midnightman]

Sometimes Cindy is mentioned as an Ordette, but I don't think this is true.

Going by Patti's book, I think Patti and Sundray Tucker were Ordettes , and Sarah and Nona were in the Del Capris. At some point, they merged. When they become very busy, they decided to drop out of high school. Sundray's parents would not let her leave school, and she had to leave the group. She was replaced by Cindy.

Sundray later did some gigs as a replacement for Cindy, but not on any permanent basis. I think she just filled in when Cindy couldn't make it.

Oh OK... I did read she filled in but don't know if it was true or not.