Feeling in a little bit quiet storm mood today with these two songs from the one and only Ms. Patti Labelle!

Patti is one of the most underrated powerhouse vocalist of our time. A person must be missing a pulse to feel nothing when this woman opens her mouth. AMAZING.

totaldiva said:

You're exactly right , but I don't know if I'd call her underrated. She's very much known for her powerhouse vocal ability! At least I think so!

Here's my favorite Patti slow jam of the moment:

dannyd5050 said:

I don't feel she gets the recognition she deserves.

totaldiva said:

I feel the same way. Yeah she's recognized for her voice but not for her overall contributions to R&B and the fact that she had been around since doo-wop. I'm actually quite surprised that she's sometimes referred to as an '80s/'90s artist at best.

I love her voice. I hate her voice.

I'm often impressed by her vocal prowess and her ability to put a song over and imbue it with passion an emotion. Just as often, I can't stand all that ear-splitting wailing and shreiking she's prone to.

errant said:

I loved her voice during the Bluebelles/Labelle/early solo career days.

I particularly like her vocals here on these tracks:



And here:

Timmy84 said:

yeah, I'm talking more about her live performances that I see on TV. In the studio, she works it to great effect and keeps it from swerving off the road. Live? I don't know if it's the audience or the camera that makes her feel egged on, but she goes overboard to the point sometimes that it's unlistenable and you can't even tell there's a song in there about 3/4 of the way through.

as I said, I both love AND hate what she does or can do with her voice. I guess it just depends on the performance really.

errant said:

I think she's calmed down a lot in recent years. I've saw some recent performance clips. I don't know if you would call it overboard but compared to 15 years ago, she has slowed down a lot:

totaldiva said:

*****

Missing a pulse I am then, sighs

she is overrated IMHO.. she screams, looks like a drag queen, screeches off key, can't run worth a shyte and absolutely destroys melodies of songs...
Her best work was with LaBelle - the NIGHTBIRDS album and the CHAMELEON albums are her shining works. Her solo work has been spotty at best - standout moments:
"If Only You Knew", "On My Own" with Michael McDonald and maybe one of the joints Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis did on her.
Her personality is too over the top for me, and she is bitch/diva, not this nuce down to earth perosn people think she is.
Gladys Knight is the underrated singer of r&b.

Then again, I don't get the clamor over Whitney Houston either, oh well.

It's a preference, lol.

errant said:

I totally agree with you. Her over singing on certain songs, made me not want to listen to her as much. If you wanna talk about a singer that does not get the credit that she deserves, I would have to say, Gladys Knight. Ms. Knight has a way of singing a song in such a way, that leaves the lister wanting more. Patti just does not do that for me, I don't want to be taken to church all the time.

RnBAmbassador said:

You said it yourself, "You are missing a pulse". I take it you have met her personally to come to the conclusion that she is a "bitch". You don't like her, fine. To call an older Black woman, who is an icon to many (not just in the Black community) a "bitch" is very disrespectful. I doubt you'd want someone to refer to your mother in such a way. Totally uncalled for.
[Edited 8/16/09 17:19pm]

dannyd5050 said:

I'm happy to see this song getting some attention here It's the best song on her 'Winner In You' album,imo.

totaldiva said:

I think most singers are afraid to do a duet with her,lol.Very few singers have the type of vocal power that Patti possesses.

shorttrini said:

Do you remember in the early 90s when Patti,Gladys,and Dionne Warwick formed a trio and did that HBO special? Apparently,there was some drama between Patti and Dionne.Poor Gladys was caught in the middle,lol.I've read Patti's and Gladys' autobiographies,and they both talk about it but they have conflicting views about what really happened.According to Gladys,Dionne simply asked Patti to "tone it down" during the performance.We all know how Patti can sometimes "take over" a song,to the point where she drowns out her duet partner(s),lol.Patti took offense at this and that's what caused the drama.

SoulAlive said:

And this is why some call her a bitch...Cause to me that bitch behavior, nothing offensive or disrespectful about it.

shorttrini said:

Everyone isn't meant to see eye to eye on everything. When male performers have issues, it's just that, women are labeled a bitch. The so called "catfight" seems to interest the public. Anytime there is a project with women involved, someone is labeled a bitch and they're always reports of a catfight (catfights and "bitches" is what makes the Housewives series on Bravo so popular). They're 3 sides to a story, and unless you were personally involved with the situation, you cannot come to the conclusion that a woman is a bitch.
[Edited 8/19/09 8:23am]

totaldiva said:

It is what is, I guess.

This thread turned nasty quick.

SoulAlive said:

I love this song!

totaldiva said:

[Edited 8/20/09 12:38pm]

shorttrini said:

I don't think she was being a bitch.As Gladys points out in her book,Patti just gets very "emotional" when she sings,lol.It's almost like a spiritual thing for her...she gets caught up in the music,the lyrics,and her God-given gift.She feels the needs to really express herself.I don't think she intentionally sets out to overpower her duet partners.

dannyd5050 said:

Me too It's the most soulful thing on that album.

totaldiva said:

*****
[b]Being a 'Bitch' is not always a bad thing. My Mom was a bitch at times, LOL
I think all men and women display a 'bitchey' side at time. I just think Patricia Holt a/k/a Patti LaBelle is real bitch, and I don't care for her. Her behaviour at the Inaugural Ball and how she disrespected the other acts on the bill is unforgiveable. She's a bitch, period![/b]

RnBAmbassador said:

I take it you had tickets to the Inaugural Ball and witnessed this behavior first hand. Diana Ross's antics are LEGENDARY, but you are the first person I have ever heard attack her personally. You don't like her music and that is fine, but unless you are some insider that has been personally wronged by Patti Labelle, your opinions are just that. As far as your mother, I am sure you would be quick to whoop someones ass had they called her a bitch.

totaldiva said:

Let me asked Totaldiva, do you yourself know Ms. LaBelle personally? You defend her as though you do. Whether we want to admit it or not, we all have that "inner bitch inside of us. Your screen name alone, conjures up an imagine of a "not so nice person", but I am sure that you are the total opposite of your screen name. I personally, don't care for her vocal acrobatics...they are just not need on every song. This is one of the reasons why I prefer, Dolly's version of "I will always love you", over Whitney's, (If you are breaking up with me, there is no need to scream the sentiment off the top of your lungs). We don't know Patti personally but, all of the stories about her catching a attitude, when things don't go her way, cannot be wrong.

totaldiva said:

*****
As far as your mother, I am sure you would be quick to whoop someones ass had they called her a bitch.[/quote]


[b]THANK GOODNESS MY MOM WAS NOT PATRICA HOLT, IF THAT HAD BEEN THE CASE, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN HERE TO REPLY TO THIS BLOG, LOL...I WOULD HAVE KILLED MY OWN AFTERBIRTH, LOL
PATTI LABELLE IS STILL A SCREAMING OFF KEY BITCH, WITH MORE DIVATUDE THAH HER WIDE FEET!
Oh yeah Ross is a bitch, so is Tina, so is Anita Baker, so is Chaka, so is Nippy, so is Mikki Howard, so is Aretha, but Chaka, Aretha and MIkki get a pass, cause I like the bitchyness in them, it works, the others, piss on em

We love our divas We've all heard the Diana Ross stories and we will still love her.We've heard stories about Aretha too,and yet we still love her too.

With Patti though,I've never heard of her being "bitchy" or unreasonable,at least not to the extent of those other ladies I mentioned.She always comes off as sweet and down to earth,the kind of lady who would invite you over her house for some incredible soul food,lol.