Originally Posted by
R. Mark Desjardins
Patti Labelle & The Bluebelles completely re-imagined themselves as Labelle. I've read that after auditioning possible replacements for Cindy, and a guy in drag tried out, they decided to remain a trio. I dug their two early Warner Brothers label records and by the time they were signed to RCA with "Pressure Cookin'" which included "Can I Speak To You Before You Go To Hollywood," their new sound was intact. "Lady Marmalade" on the Epic label is what made the group explode on the music charts. I would have loved to have seen them perform live in their heyday. I've heard they had a short run onBroadway in a production entitled "Nile Women," but have never found too much information on the net about that.