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Post by areyoureadytojump on Oct 19, 2008 20:07:31 GMT -5
Billboard:
ARTIST: LABELLE
ALBUM: BACK TO NOW
NEW YORK (Billboard) β The 32 years since Labelle's last studio LP seem to evaporate within the first few measures of "Candlelight," the opener of this reunion album. One factor could be that Nona Hendryx started writing the sultry and explosive song before the group disbanded in 1976 -- enabling the unique soul/gospel/glam rock style of Patti LaBelle, Sarah Dash and Hendryx to carry forward through the decades, with the production help of master era-melder Lenny Kravitz. Dance track "Rollout," with vocals and production by Wyclef Jean, is decidedly more modern but maintains the Labelle signature as a female independence anthem. Somewhat schmaltzy but earnest "Tears for the World," along with Rosa Parks tribute "Dear Rosa," prove that Patti LaBelle still makes lyrics about starvation and strife sound sexy. A powerful 1970 live Labelle recording of Cole Porter's "Miss Otis Regrets" closes the set, underscoring just how much of its original horsepower Labelle has retained.
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marcjm
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Post by marcjm on Oct 20, 2008 20:36:56 GMT -5
I am looking forward to this. How much are people predicting this will sell?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2008 21:05:15 GMT -5
Horribly. I think Patti's last solo album scanned about 20,000 copies, and there's way more interest in her solo career than her LaBelle work.
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marcjm
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Post by marcjm on Oct 21, 2008 0:47:01 GMT -5
No, Patti LaBelle's last solo CD, Classic Moments released in 2005 opened with 37,000 copies and went on to sell close to 180k. The CD before that, Timeless Journey, released in 2004, opened with 56,000 and has sold probably close to 300,000 as of now. So, I do not know about that. Even her 2006 Gospel effort, The Gospel According to Patti LaBelle, released on an independent label, opened with 18,000 units alone and stayed entrenched at the #1 spot on the Gospel charts. So, what "is" you talking about?
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shaq91
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Post by shaq91 on Oct 21, 2008 7:46:12 GMT -5
Roll Out is hot i really like it! the rest of the cd isnt my style of music but i think roll out can do well.
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Post by busyboy on Oct 21, 2008 7:48:12 GMT -5
You know it HAD to be posted in this thread as well... Track listing: 1. Candlelight 2. Roll Out (featuring Wyclef Jean) 3. Superlover 4. System 5. Truth Will Set You Free 6. Without You In My Life 7. Tears For The World 8. Dear Rosa 9. How Long 10. Miss Otis Regrets
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SHOOTER
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Post by SHOOTER on Oct 21, 2008 11:38:40 GMT -5
In stores today. $9.99 @ Target.
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Post by areyoureadytojump on Oct 21, 2008 12:25:30 GMT -5
Out today in the USA!
Best Buy $9.99 Circuit City $8.99
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Post by blue in moonlight on Oct 21, 2008 12:36:05 GMT -5
LOL! Look at those old divas. Loves it. I kind of want to hear this album.
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Post by SHOOTER on Oct 21, 2008 20:18:11 GMT -5
The album sounds a bit dated if you ask me. More like some Labelle studio leftovers instead of newly recorded tracks.
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shaq91
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Post by shaq91 on Oct 28, 2008 12:32:25 GMT -5
where is it on the billboard 200?
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Post by bat1990 on Oct 28, 2008 15:00:24 GMT -5
It came out today. It won't be on the Billboard 200 until next week.
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Post by Active Aggressive on Oct 28, 2008 15:08:00 GMT -5
This did not come out today. I saw it when I was at a Borders bookstore in D.C. over the weekend. It came out last week. I showed it to my friend and she burst out laughing at that cover. They look like a trio of hags from a Shakespeare play...
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Post by busyboy on Oct 28, 2008 15:41:28 GMT -5
They look like a trio of hags from a Shakespeare play...
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marcjm
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Post by marcjm on Oct 28, 2008 17:16:18 GMT -5
-- 41 LABELLE VERVE 10,791 -- BACK TO NOW
That is PRETTY disappointing for opening week for a reunion. I thought they would have pulled much higher numbers. Patti LaBelle's 2004 Timeless Journey opened with 56,000 copies. Her 2005 Classic Moments opened with 37,000. Her 2006 independently-released Gospel effort opened with 18,000. Why are these sales so low? I guess it is the musical market and an obvious lack of interest in a LaBelle reunion.
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Post by SHOOTER on Oct 29, 2008 2:10:08 GMT -5
I'm honestly surprised they did that well. This project has had no promotion and their single has done nothing on Urban AC.
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Post by cjay on Oct 29, 2008 10:06:30 GMT -5
I'm honestly surprised they did that well. This project has had no promotion and their single has done nothing on Urban AC. I agree. They had no promotion. The label and their management no they were wrong for that. A reunion of a classic group is usually celebrated and talked about. They could have easily gotten them a performance and interview slot on GMA or the Today Show.
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marcjm
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Post by marcjm on Nov 2, 2008 18:18:27 GMT -5
I hope this rebounds next week. They did appear on the Today Show and WDAS when this first came out. This past week, they appeared on Tavis Smiley. Tomorrow, Monday, they are appearing on The Bonnie Hunt Show. Also, they will be touring starting at the Apollo in December, so hopefully, all of this will help to propel their CD to more steady sales. It seems their single is doing pretty well on Urban AC charts.
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Post by marcjm on Nov 3, 2008 22:45:58 GMT -5
RING LIKE LABELLE
Keith,
I enjoy reading your column every week and am amazed at the questions you are able to answer. Here's mine: Today, I bought the Labelle reunion disc, "Back To Now," and I understand it's been more than three decades since the last full-length recording from the trio of Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash. How many full-length albums has Labelle, the group, recorded and are there sales totals available since I am assuming they were recorded before the SoundScan era?
Also, could you contrast that with Patti LaBelle's solo work? It seems that LaBelle has been a consistent force in the music industry forever and it would be very interesting to learn her sales history. Have Hendryx or Dash recorded full-length solo albums? And if so, how well have they sold? Why do you think it took 30 years for the trio to reunite?
Marvin Johnson Washington, D.C.
Hi Marvin,
Our R&B editor Gail Mitchell interviewed the ladies of Labelle in our Oct. 18 issue of Billboard. In the story, Patti LaBelle said, "I really didn't know if we still had the vocal power, but after we did the first song, I knew we were still some hot mamas." Of course, hearing LaBelle questioning her vocal chops is amusing, considering she has one of the most loved voices in music.
That said, it's been a very long time since their last album. The trio's last set, "Chameleon," was released in 1976. The new "Back to Now," which came out on Oct. 21, is the act's seventh release. All told, of the albums that are being tracked in SoundScan's database (because not all of them are currently available), they have sold 47,000 since 1991, when SoundScan was established.
As a solo act, Patti LaBelle has sold 4.4 million albums in the U.S. since Nielsen SoundScan set up shop in 1991.
I DID NOT KNOW PATTI LABELLE HAS SOLD AS MUCH SINCE 1991.
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marcjm
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Post by marcjm on Nov 10, 2008 18:54:05 GMT -5
I guess all interest in this project has fizzled.
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Post by π
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Club remixes for the song "SuperLover" have been completed by Mark Picchiotti. Maybe they will be promoted.
I like "SuperLover", "Dear Rosa" and "RollOut."
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Post by areyoureadytojump on Dec 4, 2008 11:04:04 GMT -5
11/8 chart:
45 NEW LABELLE BACK TO NOW 10,860 999 43 10,903
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marcjm
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Post by marcjm on Dec 4, 2008 22:41:29 GMT -5
This CD is tanking. Those were the original numbers for the CD. It has not sold much since then. It is crazy that Patti LaBelle as a solo artist receives way more publicity than this. Although she is not a sales juggernaut, her CDs have not stalled like this one at all. That is sad for a 31-year-later comeback.
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Post by marcjm on Dec 22, 2008 3:16:29 GMT -5
The ladies are going on a comeback/reunion tour that began this weekend at the Apollo in New York. Their single, Superlover, is edging up the R&B charts and is doing well on Urban AC formats. Is there hope for this project after all?
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Post by busyboy on Jan 16, 2009 3:53:46 GMT -5
1/24 charts:
12 VERV 72 87 98 LABELLE BACK TO NOW 718 1,108 -35 33,168
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marcjm
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Post by marcjm on Jan 17, 2009 22:11:09 GMT -5
Those numbers are seriously disappointing. Ridiculous! 33k after 14 weeks on the charts.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2009 22:53:03 GMT -5
You expected?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2009 23:18:56 GMT -5
LOL. Right. Patti doesn't sell fantastically herself and... there's way more interest in her solo career than her LaBelle work.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2009 0:55:46 GMT -5
Patti LaBelle is well past the point in her career that she will get big numbers
She's been around since the 60's, not many older acts can do that
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marcjm
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Post by marcjm on Jan 18, 2009 2:39:30 GMT -5
I understand that. This is a reunion act. Her 2005, Classic Moments, opened with 37,000 copies its first week out. This CD has taken three months just to sell that. That is what I am tripping about. The current status of music aside, you would think there would be more public interest in Labelle. However, it seems like Patti LaBelle gets way more attention as a solo star still on TV, performing requests than does the group--the reunited group after 31 years.
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