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Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

The chorus of "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir" is French for "Do you want to sleep with me tonight?" When Labelle performed this on television, broadcast standards of the day prohibited them from singing the chorus as written. It was changed to "Voulez-vous danser avec moi ce soir" (do you want to dance with me). (thanks, Ekristheh - Halath)

This was inspired by New Orleans prostitutes. The French Quarter is near the city's red-light district.

Bob Crewe wrote this with Kenny Nolan. Crewe is a producer who worked on many songs in the '60s, including hits by The Four Seasons. This was not typical of Crewe's work, but it was the biggest and last hit he worked on.

This was originally recorded by the Disco group The Eleventh Hour.

This became the biggest hit for songwriting/production team Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan. Strangely, it replaced another one of their songs, "My Eyes Adored You" by Frankie Valli, as US #1 in March 1975. (thanks, Adam - Dewsbury, England)

Labelle recorded this in New Orleans with producer Allen Toussaint at his Sea-Saint studios. Toussaint was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1998.

This is the only hit credited to Labelle. Patti LaBelle, the lead singer of the trio, recorded in the '60s as Patti LaBelle And The Blue Belles, and in the '80s as a solo artist.

The female British pop group All Saints covered this in 1998.

In 2001, Missy Elliot produced a new version with Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, and Pink. It was used in the Nicole Kidman movie Moulin Rouge. Patti LaBelle loves this new version.

Mya used to sing this around the house when she was a kid. She never knew what the French part meant, and her mom, who spoke French, didn't tell her.

Producer Timbaland did a remix of this for the Dr. Dolittle Soundtrack.

The Missy Elliot version won Video Of The Year at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. The video featured the singers dressed as prostitutes, which is how they performed it on the show. That MTV performance is included as an extra on the Moulin Rouge DVD.

Patti LaBelle performed this with Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Pink, and Mya at the 2002 Grammy awards.

The remake won the 2001 Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.

In the UK, both the All Saints and Missy Elliot cover versions went to #1. This was the first time a song topped the UK charts twice but didn't in its original version. In 2005 this happened again when Steve Brookstein hit the top of the UK charts with "Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)" 4 years after Westlife featuring Mariah Carey did the same. Phil Collins' original version reached #2.

This is the only song to top both the UK and US charts twice: UK- All Saints and Missy Elliot, US - Labelle and Missy Elliot. (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for above 2)

When the Missy Elliot version hit #1, Lil' Kim became the first female Rap artist to appear on a #1 single.

Comments:

The success of this song inspired the Jacksons to leave Motown and sign with CBS. Manager Joe Jackson figured that if CBS could get a #1 hit on a group that was pretty much considered dead, then imagine what this company could do for his sons.
- John, Nashville, TN

When Labelle performed this song on the Cher variety show in 1975, the censors made them change the French lyrics to "Would you like to dance with me tonight?"
- John, Nashville, TN

The French Quarter itself is not the red light district; the remarks about Storyville by Marie in Brooklyn are accurate. P.S. I detested the remake.
- Ekristheh, Halath, United States

Both Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen Once when It came out and once with the Waynes World soundtrack went to number one And The Twist by Chubby Checker, One summer, then the Next Summer Also are song that went to number one more than once.
- Nadia, Phoenix, AZ

Lil Kim wrote her part, but does not get credit for it.
- Nadia, Phoenix, AZ

ive always been under the impression that it meant will you come and have sex with me... Oh Well to each his own
- tonya, sharon grove, KY

Andy Hallett (Lorne on Angel : the Series) also covered this song in a season 4 episode The House Always Wins. It's also on the Angel soundtrack, Live Fast, Die Never. His cover is the closest I've heard to Patti's.
- Mary, Canyon, TX

Yes, the remake definitely sucked. I'd like to see what EnVogue would have done with it.
- Ekristheh, Halath, United States

Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya Da Da (Christina) Itchi Gitchi Ya Ya Here (Pink) Mocha-choco-lata Ya Ya (La' Bron cah) No, no, no, no! (Mya) Creole Lady Marmalade
- Mjn Seifer, Not listed for personal reason, England

Another song I'm embarrassed to like. This song has a great bassline, which could make me like any song, really.
- Henry, Kingston, NY

The original is better. The remake by Christina Aguillera, Pink, and the others was the first one I heard though.
- Stefanie, Rock Hill, SC

Missy Elliot DID NOT have a UK number 1 with Lady Marmalade. Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya & Pink did
- Darren, Hull, England

Patti claimed to 'not know' what the French part of the song meant when the nuns who taught her in grade school in Philadelphia confronted her about the moral values of her big hit. Did she know? We'll never know, but maybe that's why it's in French!
- Nora, Philadelphia, PA

This was one of the great R & B hits of the mid 70s. I remember the remake by Christina Aguilera, Pink, L'il Kim and Mya but the original was way better.
- Howard, St. Louis Park, MN

Lady Marmelade was traduce and performed in french by Nanette Workman, an American blues singer from Mississipi (born in NY) who moved in Quebec. She was inducted into the "Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame". You should probably know her, she is one of the voice behind Mick Jagger and Keith Richard in "Honky Tonk Woman". Beside the Stones, Nanette also worked with John Lennon, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and numerous other popular British recording artists. She left England for France and worked with Superstar Johnny Hallyday and went on world tour with him as his opening act. Then recorded another album, this time in English with Peter Frampton, Gary Wright, Mike Kelly and Andy Brown. Well, "coucher" does really mean "sleep with" with a sexual connotation and does not mean "bed" as it was said on a previous post. She gave the same sexual connotation to lyrics in french as in English. Actually, I always though that Lady Marmelade was at first sang by Nanette Workman, but just better known for Labelle interpretation. I already heard her say in an interview that she had collaborate to the creation of Lady Marmelade during a music jam in NYC with two other men (don't remember their name). Does somebody know something about it? I can't find any information about that on the net... According to the informations I have, Nanette would be a previous singer of Lady Marmelade(considering Labelle), sang it in both langage and she should be a co-author of the song.
- kryshya, Montreal, Canada

i prefer the original to the remake. it should also be noted that contrary to the remarks of the person from the netherlands, this song by itself didn't give Patti's career a boost. what kept patti in the game all these years is her way of redefining herself and reaching broader audiences. she's a best selling author, amazing cook and puts on a show like no one else
- John, Philadelphia, PA

'Coucher' does not mean 'bed' in French (that is 'lit'). It means 'lying down'. 'Se coucher' means 'going to bed' or 'going to sleep'. 'Coucher avec' means to sleep with or to go to bed with, with the same sexual connotation as in English. Patti definitely has the hots for the person she sings this song to. The Labelle trio wore outrageous science fiction costumes for their shows when this first came out in the seventies. I never cared much for the relatively talentless bombos that did the remake. If Patti says she likes it, it's probably because it gave her career a well neede boost.
- Martijn, Helmond, Netherlands

Boy George's version of "Everything I Own" didn't make No.1 in the US, only in the UK
- Dave, Cardiff, Wales

Sorry for being Ms Picky Pickster, but not sure about your No.1 claim. Didn't both Ken Boothe some time in the mid-'70s and Boy George in about '87-ish have No.1s with (reggae-fied, at least) versions of Bread's Everything I Own? Excuse me while I get this call from Readers Digest.
- Jaki, London, England

the line "gitcha gitcha ya ya da da" means "get your pleasure here daddy" (see "get your ya yas out" by the rolling stones). also, the french quarter in new orleans was never really a red light district; there was an experiment with legal prostitution in an area known as storyville, adjacent to the french quarter, which ended in 1917 with the rise of WW1 and a prohibition of brothels within a 5 mile radius of navy yards. loved the "my eyes adored you" detail!
- marie, brooklyn, NY

'Supposedly' Patti LaBelle didn't know what this song meant until after it was recorded and was reportedly embarrassed by it. I find that hard to believe since by '74 she had been in the music business for about 10 years and wasn't exactly a child.
- Nate, Newport News, VA

On a BET profile program Patti told a story about a time in the 60s when she was with the Blue Belles and they and the Supremes were either going to be on the same TV program or performing at the same show. Patti says Diana Ross saw what dresses they were going to wear and went out and got the Supremes to wear the same thing. Patti was mad because Diana knew that was all they had and the Supremes could wear anything they wanted.
- Nate, Newport News, VA

"Coucher" is French for "bed", so it's "Will you go to bed with me tonight?".
- Shell, Riverdale, GA

Isnt it weird that a #1 vid. on mtv features scantily clad women seducing the audience? lol, just found that funny
- Chas, Webster, NY

I don't like the remake, but it was nothing like as bas as All Saints' version - YEEARGH!!!
- Dave, Cardiff, Wales

the remake song is ok to me and the video is even better super hot!!
- jason, wylie, TX

wow, did the remake SUCK or what? Jack
- Jack, Raleigh, NC