PERFORMANCE: THE BLUEBELLES

Here is a taped performance of Patti Labelle and the Blubelles at the Apollo in 1962, even though some reports claim this performance is from 1964, from a television special taped at the Brooklyn Fox Theatre featuring the top artists of the day like The Supremes and The Ronnettes (of "Be My Baby" fame).

The Bluebelles perform their classic rendition of the inspirational song "You'll Never Walk Alone," and Patti wows the crowd with her dramatic performance. She sings the song with a whole lot of Soul, while the instrumental has a country-pop flare. This record went to number 34 on the pop records in 1964, and its performance in the Black community had to be big for the group to appear on this special (There was no Billboard R&B chart from late 1963 until early 1965 because critics felt that American music was becoming racially bridged). Nevertheless, the group had a lot of success with this record, and Patti's vocal performance was undeniably incredible. That operatic note at the end was impressive, in addition to the Bluebelles superb and piercing harmonies (their blend was sonically perfect).

Check out this series of videos to get more information about Patti and her career with the Bluebelles and Labelle, in addition to her solo career, by watching her Intimate Portrait.