"Lady Marmalade" is a song written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan and popularized in 1974 by the American funk rock group Labelle. It is best known for its French refrain of "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?", a sexual proposition that translates into English as "Do you want to come to bed with me, tonight?" Released as a single on November 5, 1974, Labelle's version held the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week, and also topped the Canadian RPM national singles chart. In 2021, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The song has had many cover versions over the years. In 1998, girl group All Saints released a cover version that peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart. The 2001 version by singers Christina Aguilera, Mýa, Pink and rapper Lil' Kim, recorded for the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack, was a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, and also a number-one hit in the UK. "Lady Marmalade" was the ninth song to reach number one by two different musical acts in America.
Labelle version Background and release
The song was written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan after Crewe visited New Orleans. A demo of the song was first recorded by The Eleventh Hour, a disco group made up of studio musicians fronted by Nolan on vocals. It was added in 1974 as a track on the Eleventh Hour's Greatest Hits LP, which did not chart. Crewe showed the song to producer Allen Toussaint in New Orleans, and Toussaint then decided to record the song with Labelle.
Labelle's version of "Lady Marmalade" was produced by Toussaint and Vicki Wickham, with the former also playing an RMI Electra-Piano on the recording. The rhythm section on this recording was the New Orleans–based funk band the Meters. "Lady Marmalade" was released as a single in November 1974 from the Night Birds album released that September, Labelle's first after signing with Epic Records. Patti LaBelle sang lead vocals on "Lady Marmalade", with backing vocals by bandmates Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash. "Lady Marmalade" is about a man's sexual encounter with the titular prostitute, but Patti LaBelle later claimed that she was completely oblivious to its overall message, saying: "I didn't know what it was about. I don't know French and nobody, I swear this is God's truth, nobody at all told me what I'd just sung a song about."
Reception Steve Huey of AllMusic selected the song as one of the best tracks on Labelle's 1995 compilation Lady Marmalade: The Best of Patti and Labelle. Critic Robert Christgau described it as "great synthetic French-quarter raunch".
"Lady Marmalade" is billed as the song that made Labelle one of the "hottest girl groups" of the 1970s. It was a number-one hit for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the United States for the week of March 29, 1975, and charted at number one for one week on the Billboard Top Soul Singles chart. Along with the track, "What Can I Do for You?", "Lady Marmalade" peaked at number seven on the disco/dance charts. The single was also a major hit in the United Kingdom, where it charted at number seventeen. "Lady Marmalade" replaced another Crewe/Nolan composition, Frankie Valli's "My Eyes Adored You", as the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single; this made Crewe and Nolan the third songwriting team in Billboard history (after Lennon–McCartney and Holland–Dozier–Holland) to replace themselves at number one. Billboard ranked it as the No. 22 song for 1975.Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1975 Labelle performed "Lady Marmalade" on Soul Train on December 7, 1974.
"Lady Marmalade" debuted at number 92 on the Canadian RPM singles chart on February 1, 1975. It subsequently peaked atop the chart on March 29, 1975, after five weeks on the chart. Labelle's version of "Lady Marmalade" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003. and was ranked number 479 on Rolling Stones list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004 and number 485 in 2010. The Labelle version also appears in several films, including The Long Kiss Goodnight, Dick, and Jacob's Ladder. It was used in the video game Karaoke Revolution Volume 2 in a new version performed by Patti LaBelle.
Billboard ranked the song at number sixteen on their list of the "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time". In 2021, the Library of Congress selected the song for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Track listings US 7-inch single "Lady Marmalade" – 3:14 "Space Children" – 3:04
Europe 7-inch single "Lady Marmalade" – 3:14 "It Took a Long Time" – 4:04
Credits and personnel Lead vocals by Patti LaBelle Backing vocals by Sarah Dash and Nona Hendryx Instrumentation by The Meters Allen Toussaint – RMI Electra Piano, percussion, arrangements Art Neville – Hammond organ George Porter Jr. – bass guitar Leo Nocentelli, Rev. Edward Levone Batts – guitar Herman "Roscoe" Ernest III – drums James "Budd" Ellison – piano Earl Turbinton – alto saxophone Alvin Thomas – tenor saxophone Clyde Kerr Jr. – trumpet Lester Caliste – trombone Carl Blouin – baritone saxophone Clarence Ford – alto saxophone
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1974–1975)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)13Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)17Canada Top Singles (RPM)1Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)5Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)1Netherlands (Single Top 100)2New Zealand (RIANZ)21US Hot Dance Music/Club Play (Billboard)7
Year-end charts Chart (1975)PositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)96Canada Top Singles (RPM)8US Billboard Hot 10022
Certifications
Sabrina version
Background and release "Lady Marmalade" was covered by Italian pop singer Sabrina on her eponymous album. It was released in 1987 as the album's second single by Baby Records. In some countries, including France and the Netherlands, the song was known as "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? (Lady Marmalade)" and was released in 1988. Author James Arena named the cover among Sabrina's "relentlessly catchy" singles. The song charted at number 36 on the Belgian Flanders singles chart, number 40 on the Dutch Single Top 100, and number 41 on the French singles chart.
Track listings 7-inch maxi "Lady Marmalade" – 3:55 "Boys, Hot Girl, Sexy Girl" (7-inch megamix) – 4:10
12-inch maxi "Lady Marmalade" (12-inch remix) – 5:57 "Boys, Hot Girl, Sexy Girl" (12-inch megamix) – 6:04
CD maxi "Lady Marmalade" (12-inch remix) – 6:08 "Boys, Hot Girl, Sexy Girl" (megamix) – 6:04 "Lady Marmalade" – 3:55 Remixed by Peter Vriends, produced by Claudio Cecchetto.
Charts Chart (1987–1989)PeakpositionNetherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)8
Credits and personnel Credits for Sabrina's version are adapted from CD liner notes: Written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan Design – Bart Falkmann Producer – C. Cecchetto Remix – Peter Vriends
All Saints version
Background and release In 1998, English-Canadian girl group All Saints released a cover version of "Lady Marmalade" as part of the double A-side single "Under the Bridge" / "Lady Marmalade". The song also appeared as the tenth track of their debut self-titled album (1997). A version remixed by Timbaland appeared on the Dr. Dolittle (1998) soundtrack. The "Lady Marmalade" portion of the single was only released in Europe, and the group performed the song at the 1998 Brit Awards.
All Saints' version features different, slightly racier lyrics for its verses, written by the group; the only lyrics retained from the original song are heard in the chorus: "gicchi-gicchi-ya-ya da-da" (though "gicchi" is changed to "coochie"), "mocha-choca-latte ya-ya" and the French "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soi" ("do you want to come to bed with me tonight"). Also, instead of singing "Creole Lady Marmalade" as in the original, an unidentified female voice can be heard (albeit to the same melody) singing "Where you think you're sleepin' tonight...?" before fading into the next part of the chorus.
Reception Daily Record described All Saints' version as a "passable version of LaBelle's disco classic"."Chart Slot". Daily Record. May 15, 1998. Retrieved December 3, 2020. "Lady Marmalade" was the third single (fourth in Japan) from their self-titled debut studio album; it contained the "Marmalade" cover and a cover version of "Under the Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers. The single reached number one on the official UK Top 40 chart, becoming the group's second number-one hit. A total of 424,799 singles have been sold in the UK, with proceeds from the single going to breast cancer charities.
Music video The music video for the song shows the band members and other people having a dance party on one of the floors of a skyscraper in New York City at night. British actress Kathryn Allerston appears in the music video.
Track listings
All Saints CD maxi single "Lady Marmalade" ('98 mix) – 4:02 "Lady Marmalade" (Mark's Miami Madness mix) – 7:55 "Lady Marmalade" (Sharp South Park vocal remix) – 8:09 "Lady Marmalade" (Henry & Hayne's La Jam mix) – 6:47
All Saints CD 1 "Under the Bridge" – 5:03 "Lady Marmalade" – 4:04 "No More Lies" – 4:08 "Lady Marmalade" (Henry & Haynes La Jam mix) – 9:23 "Under the Bridge" (promo video) – 5:00
seeAll Saints CD 2 "Lady Marmalade" (Mark!'s Miami Madness mix) – 7:56 "Lady Marmalade" (Sharp South Park vocal remix) – 8:10 "Under the Bridge" (Ignorance remix featuring Jean Paul e.s.q) – 4:55 "Get Bizzy" – 3:45
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1998)PeakpositionDenmark (IFPI)Danish Singles Chart June 5, 199816Estonia (Eesti Top 20)17Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)6Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)22UK Airplay (Music Week)23
Year-end charts Chart (1998)PositionAustralia (ARIA)45Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)77UK Singles (OCC)27
Certifications
Release history RegionVersionDateFormat(s)Label(s)United Kingdom"Under the Bridge" / "Lady Marmalade"April 27, 1998LondonCanada"Lady Marmalade"September 8, 1998CDJapan"Under the Bridge" / "Lady Marmalade"September 9, 1998
Moulin Rouge! version
Background and release In 2001, "Lady Marmalade" appeared as part of a medley in the Baz Luhrmann musical film Moulin Rouge!. For the film's soundtrack album, Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa, and Pink recorded a new version of the song, which was released as the soundtrack's first single in April 2001. Produced by Missy Elliott and writing partner Rockwilder, the song includes an outro by Elliott. Some lyrics were changed from the original version, with Lil' Kim's rap verse being the most obvious new addition. The reworked version transfers the song's setting to the film's titular Moulin Rouge cabaret in Paris.
Aguilera said that she embraced the idea of collaborating with Elliott, Pink, Mýa, and Lil' Kim on the track as soon as it was pitched to her" "I'm a fan of all of theirs, and just to be in the same song doing something with them—collaborating, which I love to do, is a really big thing for me. And it's cool to be out there before my next album comes out there, too." All four singers recorded their vocal parts in separate sessions. Mýa noted that "I think everyone had a schedule and was on tour and doing things at the time."
Critical reception