"Lady Marmalade" | ||||
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Single by Labelle | ||||
from the album Nightbirds | ||||
B-side | "Space Children" | |||
Released | November 5, 1974 | |||
Recorded | 1974 | |||
Studio | Sea Saint, New Orleans, Louisiana | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Labelle singles chronology | ||||
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Audio | ||||
"Lady Marmalade" on YouTube |
"Lady Marmalade" is a song written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan that is famous for the French refrain of "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?", which is a sexual proposition that translates into English as: "Do you want to sleep with me, tonight?" The song first became a popular hit when it was recorded in 1974 by the American funk rock group Labelle and 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 Labelle's version 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.[4]