Labelle vs Supremes

Hey guys--huge Labelle fan here. I was good friends with a guy who was friends with several Supremes back in the early 2000s. One day I was talking on the phone with him and somehow or another I brought up Labelle, and this friend instantly said "Oh I always hated them." I was taken aback--this opinion sort of came out of nowhere. Did a lot of Supremes fans hate Labelle? If so, why? I know all about the Cindy drama so we don't have to rehash that--but my friend just seemed to feel like Labelle and Supremes were rivals. Did the fans feel that way? These groups were insanely different so I don't really understand the rivalry if one existed. I get the Bluebelles rivalry with the Supremes but I am talking about the 70's group Labelle. They never seemed to me to be driving in the same lane as the Supremes. Your thoughts?

Love Labelle. Love the Supremes though I think they were in different lanes. Mary wrote about the Supremes with Cindy visiting Labelle and getting the cold shoulder.

They are too different to compare....at the time, other than the STUDIO version of Lady Marmalade, I considered Labelle intolerable....they were famous for being the group Cindy Birdsong decided to leave for a golden opportunity with the more successful and visible Supremes...[[Read on..)
The only other 70's group outside of the Motown girl groups worthy of a Supremes comparison for style, elegance and beauty was Three Degrees....the Pointer Sisters were still, like Labelle, more visual image performance oriented.
Fast forward to the 80's: The Pointer Sisters turned up the energy, and with the addition of MASSIVE video exposure became a very exciting performance trio who made some excellent records.
Patti Labelle [[sorry...I don't care for her stylings...just way too much improvising and "SOAR" factor for me) also reached a wider audience with consistent success.

Back to Labelle...I liked Nona's "I SWEAT" 12" and started listening to her solo work. There was some really good stuff there....the FEMALE TROUBE Lp was very good to my ears and much more likable than anything I heard Patti doing [[save for Stir It Up...loved that 12" too...incidentally, I didn't buy either of these but won them on a New Jersey boardwalk, and selected them at the time unheard). I decided years later to further explore Labelle through a collection CD. I LIKE IT! I enjoyed it much more as a "50 something" than I did as a 15 yr. old...I would still consider it Progressive/ Theatre soul..it doesn't fit into my standard RnB listening mode [[70s Supremes, Millie Jackson, Gladys Knight, Ike and Tina) but it fits me in a off mood.

lol
I am the odd man out because I loved Labelle and I loved the Supremes. I never compared the groups and I never pitted them against each other. I will keep to myself what Cindy said at the time about the group because Patti brought a new type of music to the world. I love her and Nona and Sarah for it. Patti can sometimes be drama which is showbiz. I even embraced their return and reunion which didn't do well but I love the CD.

I loved both Labelle and the late 70's Supremes. I am a huge fan of Nona's writing.

IMHO, I can´t compare these to groups, an outstanding track had Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles with "Tender words" including Cindy, it was a front vocal sharing between Patti and Sara. I red years ago Atlantic try to make the "Atlantic Supremes" out of Patti and The Bluebelles.I am a hug fan of The Atlantic years another favoriteof mine is "Take me for a Little while" it´s an earthy soulful Sound, so the 70´s Supremes had a soulful Sound too , but no Patti LaBelle

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EdePQNvJgvw Tender Words

I personally never compared The Supremes with any other act , nor Labelle , but if I were to , I would've perhaps put The Pointer Sisters and Labelle in the same lane in the seventies . The music of both to me seemed kind of quirky and their images a little gimmicky. But that doesn't necessarily pit them against each other , does it.

Now you have me wondering about this concept of 'rival' acts where the fans of one would chose theirs over the other . The one that the fan bases debated most passionately was likely The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones . There was also quite a bit of this between Prince and Michael Jackson fans.

The Three Degrees were probably closest to The Supremes.

Labelle is my favorite girl group. I love the Supremes, too, but I find no basis for comparison of the two groups. Even referring to Labelle as a "girl group" doesn't seem appropriate. I don't have any fondness for the recordings of Patti and Blue Belles -- their girl group incarnation.

I discovered Labelle in the mid-90s. Just six albums but truly incredible music. Bobby C, I agree that Nona's songwriting set them apart and above.

First Choice and Honey Cone were also brief contenders...and I liked them better than Labelle at the time...Honey Cone's "Soulful Tapestry" LP is up there with the Supremes "Touch" as one my fav time period LPs.

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Originally Posted by gman

First Choice and Honey Cone were also brief contenders...and I liked them better than Labelle at the time...Honey Cone's "Soulful Tapestry" LP is up there with the Supremes "Touch" as one my fav time period LPs.

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I did too. Loved Honey Cone.

I have downloaded all of Labelle's albums, but can't really get into them that much. Only really know and love "Lady Marmalade"... and then Patti's solo stuff. Anyone got any good ones to start with? [[I love all of The Supremes' 70s albums though!)

Last Dance, You Turn Me On and Isnt it a Shame and Candlelight are great Labelle songs Tom.

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Originally Posted by TomatoTom123

I have downloaded all of Labelle's albums, but can't really get into them that much. Only really know and love "Lady Marmalade"... and then Patti's solo stuff. Anyone got any good ones to start with? [[I love all of The Supremes' 70s albums though!)

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Their swan song LP Chameleon is essential.

i think it's a bit unfair to lump all recording groups that are predominantly female as "girl groups." To me, that genre really reflects a specific period and sound that occurred in the early 60s. But there aren't really 'Male' groups or 'white groups'

I go by the sound. I think Martha Reeves rocks the hell out of her MCA solo debut. it's a rock infused sound with some elements of r&b.

Diana does a symphonic sound with many of her recordings such as Your Love, It's My Turn, Ain't No Mountain, etc. even The Boss could be part of that. she's focused mostly on elegance and beauty and lushness

The Emotions had a more gospel sound, Labelle was funkier

I never thought of Labelle as a girl group.

I never really thought of Labelle as being anything like the Supremes. Even with their spotty chart action, the Supremes had an unmatched legacy. In the 70's, I would say similar groups to them were the Three Degrees,The Emotions, Honey Cone and Love Unlimited-even Motown had High Inergy even while the Supremes were still signed to Motown. I just never really thought of Labelle vs the Supremes in any manner.

Same here, Jim.

I saw both groups live during their heydays. Labelle was better live, but DR and the Supremes had the better songs. Plus they had the beauty, class, style, magic that all the other gal groups lacked. No group came close to DR and the Supremes in my book.

Patti Labelle as a solo artist is sooooooo over the top, over rated, and boastful that it makes cringe. I cannot watch her.

I'm jealous!

Labelle is not for everyone. I fully understand why they were not more celebrated or commercially successful. For the uninitiated, my Labelle playlist:

What Can I Do For You?
Messin With My Mind
Let Me See You In The Light
I Believe That I've Finally Made It Home
Black Holes In The Sky
Isn't It A Shame
Can I Speak To You Before You Go To Hollywood
Going Down Makes Me Shiver
Last Dance
You Turn Me On
Gypsy Moths
Won't Get Fooled Again
Sunday News
Something In The Air/The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Moonshadow
It Took A Long Time

If none of these do it for you, you will not be a Labelle fan.

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Originally Posted by BobbyC

Hey guys--huge Labelle fan here. I was good friends with a guy who was friends with several Supremes back in the early 2000s. One day I was talking on the phone with him and somehow or another I brought up Labelle, and this friend instantly said "Oh I always hated them." I was taken aback--this opinion sort of came out of nowhere. Did a lot of Supremes fans hate Labelle? If so, why? I know all about the Cindy drama so we don't have to rehash that--but my friend just seemed to feel like Labelle and Supremes were rivals. Did the fans feel that way? These groups were insanely different so I don't really understand the rivalry if one existed. I get the Bluebelles rivalry with the Supremes but I am talking about the 70's group Labelle. They never seemed to me to be driving in the same lane as the Supremes. Your thoughts?

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As a Supremes Fan For Life, I'm also a big Labelle fan. And to paraphrase your statement 'they didn't travel in the same lane' so I've got plenty of love for both of them.

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Originally Posted by BobbyC

Hey guys--huge Labelle fan here. I was good friends with a guy who was friends with several Supremes back in the early 2000s. One day I was talking on the phone with him and somehow or another I brought up Labelle, and this friend instantly said "Oh I always hated them." I was taken aback--this opinion sort of came out of nowhere. Did a lot of Supremes fans hate Labelle? If so, why? I know all about the Cindy drama so we don't have to rehash that--but my friend just seemed to feel like Labelle and Supremes were rivals. Did the fans feel that way? These groups were insanely different so I don't really understand the rivalry if one existed. I get the Bluebelles rivalry with the Supremes but I am talking about the 70's group Labelle. They never seemed to me to be driving in the same lane as the Supremes. Your thoughts?

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I liked LaBelle, in fact at one time they, the Ohio Players and Earth, Wind and Fire were my favorite groups.

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Originally Posted by jim aka jtigre99

I never really thought of Labelle as being anything like the Supremes. Even with their spotty chart action, the Supremes had an unmatched legacy. In the 70's, I would say similar groups to them were the Three Degrees,The Emotions, Honey Cone and Love Unlimited-even Motown had High Inergy even while the Supremes were still signed to Motown. I just never really thought of Labelle vs the Supremes in any manner.

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LaBelle was more like the Pointer Sisters to me at times.

The Bluebelles were a girl group.
Labelle was an all-female band.

Therein lies the difference.

Also as said, the Three Degrees were more comparable to the Supremes than the other female groups of that era [[70s).