This article is about the song by LaBelle. For the 2001 Moulin Rouge! cover version, see Lady Marmalade (2001 song).

"Lady Marmalade" is a 1975 #1 hit single recorded by LaBelle for the Epic Records label. An early disco hit, the song is most famous for its sexually suggestive chorus of "voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?". The song held the #1 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for one week, from March 23 to March 29, 1975, replacing "My Eyes Adored You" by Frankie Valli and replaced by "Lovin' You" by Minnie Riperton.

The song was written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan who also wrote "My Eyes Adored You" and was written about a woman from New Orleans. They first recorded it on "The Eleventh Hour", but the producer of LaBelle decided to record it as the main track of the Nightbirds album which became highly successful.

Cover versions

The song was first covered by Sheila E. on her 1991 album Sex Cymbal. Her version is very jazz-oriented, with horns as the centerpiece.

In 1998 the song was covered by the British female pop group All Saints who also had a #1 hit with the song in the UK.

In 2001 the song was once more covered (see Lady Marmalade (2001 song)) by pop singers Christina Aguilera and Pink, rapper Lil' Kim, and R&B singer Mya as a single for the Moulin Rouge! film soundtrack. It was produced by Missy Elliott and Rockwilder. Their version, a bigger hit than LaBelle's original, introduced the song to a whole new generation of music listeners and brought the song's infamous chorus catchphrase back into mainstream culture.

Films

The LaBelle version was used in the 1996 film The Long Kiss Goodnight [1] and in the 1999 film Dick.