‘200 Greatest 70s Rock Songs’ Book Excerpt
By Reel Urban News Staff
Last year music journalist Frank Mastropolo chronicled what many call the greatest era of soul music in his eBook 200 Greatest 60s Rock Songs. The stories of the music of everyone from James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding to Jimi Hendrix, the Supremes and Curtis Mayfield were told.
What a difference a decade makes. The 1970s brought a seismic change, as disco swept rock from the charts and Philadelphia eclipsed Motown as the capital of soul and R&B. Philly soul artists Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the Spinners, the O’Jays and the Stylistics brought fierce competition to Motown.
Soul music in the 1970s reflected the social and political issues of the time. Artists addressed issues like civil rights, black empowerment and social justice, using their music as a platform for activism. Songs like Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” and “Inner City Blues” and Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City” — each highlighted in the book — are notable examples.
200 Greatest 70s Rock Songs tells the back stories of songs by Bill Withers, Chic, Roberta Flack, Marvin Gaye, the Staple Singers, the Delfonics, Stevie Wonder, Al Green, the Trammps and more.
200 Greatest 70s Rock Songs is a must-read for fans of the soul, funk, and disco explosion of the 1970s. It’s a comprehensive account of the sounds that rocked the clubs and filled the airwaves. It’s got the 4-1-1 on the roots of today’s soul and R&B classics.
You can download 200 Greatest 70s Rock Songs on Amazon.
Enjoy this excerpt from the book on “Lady Marmalade” by Labelle.
LaBelle album cover: Verve Records – “The group—lead vocalist Patti Labelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash—reached No. 1 with the song in 1975.” Frank Mastropolo, Author
“Lady Marmalade” was written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan about prostitutes in New Orleans. “Lady Marmalade” was released on Labelle’s 1974 debut album Nightbirds. The song was recorded earlier that year by the group Eleventh Hour but went nowhere.
Crewe played the tune for producer Allen Touissant, who decided to record it with Labelle. The group—lead vocalist Patti Labelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash—reached No. 1 with the song in 1975.
The song is best known for its sexually suggestive chorus: “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?” which translates as “Do you want to sleep with me tonight?” Patti Labelle explained in Jet that she had no idea about the song’s racy subject. The song caused her some uncomfortable moments at her Philadelphia church.
