[Labelle] Patti LaBelle, Sarah Dash, Nona Hendryx - "System" (Live in 1976)

[gorgeousbronze]

They can't be touched!!!

[NYLVIA]

I've never heard this song before but it was very interesting and the performance was very emotional. I will give it two thumbs up

[oneazariah]

I always that this song was very 'revolutionary' sounding, now placed in its appropriate time context it makes perfect sense. Yes, Nona is truly a musical genius that has NEVER gotten her due. There are so many glam rock acts that owe a debt of gratitude to Labelle.

[oneazariah]

@oneazariah *revolutionary sounding for the "Back to Now" album

[ziyahd31]

if i didnt know any betta i would swear nona and sarah were an item

[rhameshio]

yes patti b character lol i over live 4 this lady

[marianance]

did yu check out nona's pants? look- even dumb ass britteny & christina agrullera didn't start dressing like that till 30 yrs later! 03-04! Thats how ahead of time Ms Hendryx's was in fashion! GO GIRL!

[thesoundofgoodmusice]

theses girls are bad as hell you go labelle

[vandeltmas]

Fierce! Way ahead of their time. Love it.

[marianance]

@vandeltmas

FIERCE indeed! That Nona, notice how her outfit was always the most avant gard of the three on stage? I suspect she was the creative genius behind the customes

[BLAQUEMUSCLE]

Was this going to be on the lp after Chameleon ?

[TheJoeyMannarinoShow]

@BLAQUEMUSCLE

yes

[Noodleydoo]

@BLAQUEMUSCLE Yes. It was going to be on an album called "Shaman."

[rashaadjohnson1]

Miss handle why would u say that she is icon who r u .u seem like a bobble head that Luke's to do that at 90

[2tonsolid]

fantastic. labelle

[Noodleydoo]

Right. Disco ruined a lot of careers, at least for a few years. Dance music started out really great in the early 70's with people like Barry White and the 3 Degrees, but by the late 70's everything got so generic and annoying. Very few of the old soul singers got hits, and even if they did, it was usually only one hit or two, tops.

[Noodleydoo]

Actually there was a big article in Essence in 1977 about the breakup, and Armstead talked about the gay rumors and how they bothered Patti. Vicki also talked about that issue in another article. Nona wrote amazing songs--but they weren't exactly pop material. Her songs had way more in common with Pink Floyd than Shalamar! But re: sales--Patti's solo stuff did no better for five or six years, the same amount of time Labelle lasted as a group.

[pattifan]

@Noodleydoo agreed. But i think patti's issue at first with her solo career was the disco fever sweeping the nation. By the time 83 came around it had swept out and ballads were back in. Enter "If Only you knew" and the rest is history.

[pattifan]

at 2:00 very symbolic of the actual situation. Nona and Patti were going at it often during this time and Sarah was the middle man...the buffer.

[Noodleydoo]

@pattifan Sad but true. Throughout most of this concert, Patti looks like she is going to cry. It's not hard to see the breakup coming after seeing these clips.

[pattifan]

@Noodleydoo you're right...there's such sadnesss in her whole demeanor.

[Noodleydoo]

@pattifan You know Pat, I felt, and still feel, that "Chameleon" was Labelles's greatest moment. And this vid shows so much potential in regards to what they might have been. But as their manager said at the time--"the girls have been together a long time." Labelle, obviously, had to end.

[pattifan]

@Noodleydoo Yeah. We fans that have had the honor to spend some time with Patti find out alot of inside stuff tht nobody knows. And it aint in dn t block the blessings lol! They used to fight around this time about how Patti thought that the songs Nona was writing were limiting their commercial appeal and giving fuel to the flames about how they were all gay and having sex with each other. But Nona didnt slack up..and in the end Patti was right..they continued to go down hill.

[TheOrderOfLight]

WOW, I just love you for postin this!!! Amazin, timeless and classic!! Viva Labelle!!!