Fifty-three years ago, Labelle performed at Carnegie Hall, a single-night performance that served as a marker of the group's transition from R&B "girl group" stylists to mistresses of funk, belting out Nona Hendryx's original compositions and dressing like David Bowie.
The year before Carnegie Hall, the trio -- Hendryx, Sarah Dash and leader Patti LaBelle -- released Moonshadow, a decent record that featured a nearly 10-minute rave up of the famous Cat Stevens song. I saw them perform that song and other numbers from Moonshadow as an opening act for Al Green at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre in D.C. in Aug. '72.
In '73, Labelle released the lukewarm Pressure Cookin' album, but the following year was their megahit Nightbirds, and that Grammy Hall of Fame anthem to Creole hoochie, "Lady Marmalade."
The 8 p.m. Carnegie Hall appearance included readings by poet Nikki Giovanni and only a half dozen songs -- Wild Horses, I Sold My Heart to the Junkman, Over the Rainbow, (Can I Speak to You Before I Go To) Hollywood, Four Women and Moonshadow.
As we can see from this ad in After Dark, tickets ranged from 3.50 to 6.50, or 30 to 60 bucks today. And, interestingly, tickets to shows at the Carnegie Hall do generally run about that according to the venue's website.
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