Saturday, December 06, 2014

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Patti LaBelle

Artist:Patti LaBelle f/Michael McDonald
Song:On My Own
Album:The Essential Patti LaBelle Limited Edition 3.0



Patti LaBelle has been around since the 60s. On My Own is her only number one solo hit. She was born Patricia Louise Holte May 24, 1944 in Philadelphia. She first had success as a member of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles with the 1962 hit I Sold My Heart To The Junkman. And then with Labelle and the 1974 hit Lady Marmalade. After Labelle split up in 1976, Patti recorded for Epic Records and then Philadelphia International. Her biggest hit in this period was the 1983 number one R & B hit If You Only Knew. But she wasn't crossing over to pop. After making her film acting debut in the 1984 film A Soldier's Story, Patti signed with MCA Records. New Attitude reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was her biggest pop hit to date. It was in the film Beverly Hills Cop. So then Patti recorded the album Winner In You. On My Own was written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager for the Dionne Warwick album Friends. When it didn't make the album, they brought the song to Patti. Producer Richard Perry didn't like the song but Patti thought it would be a big hit. She asked Bacharach to produce the record. He thought it could use a male voice so Michael McDonald's vocals were added later. So it's ironic for a breakup song to feature singers who didn't actually record it together. BTW, it's not unusual for duet parts to be recorded separately. The record was Patti's only number one pop hit in 1986. And Winner In You topped the Billboard Hot 200 and was certified 3XPlatinum. Though she never had another hit that big, Patti had a good run on MCA until she left in 2000. This 3CD Sony Legacy comp covers Patti's entire career. In recent years, Patti has concentrated on acting. Most recently she appeared in the FX TV series American Horror Story. She hasn't recorded in a few years but Patti still tours. Here's the video for On My Own by Parri LaBelle featuring Michael McDonald.

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