Pressure Cookin': Difference between revisions

Pressure Cookin'
Pressure Cookin'
Studio album by Labelle
Released	August 7, 1973
Recorded	1973
Studio	RCA Studio D, New York City
Genre	R&B; jazz-funk; fusion;
Length	40:05
Label	RCA
Producer	Vicki Wickham; and "friend" (Stevie Wonder) on "Goin' On a Holiday"
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Pressure Cookin' is the third album by American singing trio Labelle, released in August 1973. This release was their first and only for RCA Records, and was critically raved due to the songs that songwriter and member Nona Hendryx composed. The album is also notable for being the first album released following lead singer Patti LaBelle giving birth to her only child, son Zuri Edwards (she recorded the album while still pregnant with Zuri).

Among notable songs were "Something in the Air"/"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", in which all three bandmates, Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash each shared a rap, the biographical "(Can I Speak to You Before You Go to) Hollywood", which was inspired by the events following former member Cindy Birdsong ditching the group during its Blue Belles tenure to join The Supremes and which featured all three members having notable lead vocal parts, mainly from Dash, while Hendryx sang in the beginning and Patti LaBelle sang the following verses, the soulful ballad "Last Dance" and the bossa nova-inspired "Let Me See You in the Light".

Despite RCA releasing the Stevie Wonder composition, "Open Up Your Heart", the album failed to become a success. In spite of its initial failure, the album has gone on to become a cult classic and is considered a revolutionary album because few female groups talked so openly about social issues and other topics. Wonder was uncredited due to contractual reasons - the production credit was listed as "Vicki Wickham and friend". Musicians on this track included members out of a Philadelphia-based band, Buff, and others from a Latin-black band from Queens called Harlem River Drive. Several of them would morph to become Labelle's road band, including guitarist, Eddie Martinez.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Christgau's Record Guide	B^[1]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Nona Hendryx, except where noted.

Side A

"Pressure Cookin'" - 3:00
"Medley: Something in the Air/The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" (Speedy Keen/Gil-Scott Heron) - 5:50
"Sunshine (Woke Me Up This Morning)" - 3:18
"(Can I Speak Before You Go To) Hollywood" - 6:38

Side B

"Mr. Music Man" - 4:05
"Goin' On a Holiday" - 3:21
"Let Me See You in the Light" - 6:13
"Open Up Your Heart" (Stevie Wonder) - 3:25
"Last Dance" - 4:15

Personnel

LaBelle

Musicians

Buzz Feiten, Eddie Martinez, Hank Redd - guitars
Leroi Conley - guitars, percussion (congas, tambourine)
Andre Lewis - organ, electric piano, clavinet, bass guitar, drums, percussion, arrangements
Luther Eaddy - organ
Carmine Rojas - bass guitar
Larry Davis, Emry Thomas - drums
Daniel Ben Zebulon - percussion

Technical

Mike Moran, Tom Brown - recording engineers
Roger Williams - artwork, design
Bob Gruen - photography

References

^ ^a ^b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: L". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 1, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
^ ^a ^b John Wikane, Christian (February 25, 2010). "Labelle: Nightbirds / Phoenix / Chameleon". popmatters.com. Popmatters.

External links

Pressure Cookin' at AllMusic
Pressure Cookin' on Discogs.com

[CG-1] Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: L". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 1, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.

[PM-2] John Wikane, Christian (February 25, 2010). "Labelle: Nightbirds / Phoenix / Chameleon". popmatters.com. Popmatters.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{italic title}}
-{{Infobox Album | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
+{{Infobox album
-| Name        = Pressure Cookin'
-| Type        = album
+| name       = Pressure Cookin'
-| Artist      = [[Labelle]]
+| type       = album
-| Cover       = LabellePressureCookin.jpg
+| artist     = [[Labelle]]
+| cover      = LabellePressureCookin.jpg
-| Released    = 1973
-| Recorded    = 1973
+| alt        =
+| released   = August 7, 1973
-| Genre       = [[Soul music|Soul]], [[funk]], [[funk rock]], [[psychedelic soul]]
-| Length      = 40:05
+| recorded   = 1973
-| Label       = [[RCA Records]]
+| venue      =
+| studio     = RCA Studio D, New York City
-| Producer    =
-| Reviews     =
+| genre      = {{Flatlist|
+* [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]]<ref name="CG"/>
-| Last album  = ''Moon Shadow'' (1972)
+* [[jazz-funk]]<ref name=PM>{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/118183-labelle-nightbirds-phoenix-chameleon-2496145244.html|title=Labelle: Nightbirds / Phoenix / Chameleon|author=John Wikane, Christian|date=February 25, 2010|publisher=[[Popmatters]]|website=popmatters.com}}</ref>
-| This album  = '''''Pressure Cookin'''''' <br /> (1973)
+* [[Jazz fusion|fusion]]<ref name=PM/>
-| Next album  = ''[[Nightbirds]]'' <br /> (1974)
+}}
+| length     = 40:05
+| label      = [[RCA Records|RCA]]
+| producer   = [[Vicki Wickham]]; and "friend" ([[Stevie Wonder]]) on "Goin' On a Holiday"
+| prev_title = [[Moon Shadow (Labelle album)|Moon Shadow]]
+| prev_year  = 1972
+| next_title = [[Nightbirds]]
+| next_year  = 1974
 }}
-'''Pressure Cookin''' is the third album by American funk/soul singing trio [[Labelle]]. This release was their first and only for RCA Records. The release of the album was critically raved due to the songs that songwriter and member Nona Hendryx composed. Among the notable songs are "Something in the Air"/"[[The Revolution Will Not Be Televised]]", in which all three band mates [[Patti LaBelle]], [[Nona Hendryx]] and [[Sarah Dash]] each shared a rap, the three band mates also share lead vocals on the biographical "(Can I Speak to You Before You Go to) Hollywood", which was based on old friends the group made during their early years that "moved on" to fame and lost contact with the singers. Despite RCA releasing the [[funk-rock]] single "Goin' On a Holiday" and the [[Santana]]-flavored "Let Me See You in the Light", neither song charted and the album failed to chart. Despite initial failure, the album has become a cult classic and is considered a revolutionary album for a female group to record due to them speaking of social issues and other issues.
+'''''Pressure Cookin'''''' is the third album by American singing trio [[Labelle]], released in August 1973. This release was their first and only for [[RCA Records]], and was critically raved due to the songs that songwriter and member [[Nona Hendryx]] composed. The album is also notable for being the first album released following lead singer [[Patti LaBelle]] giving birth to her only child, son Zuri Edwards (she recorded the album while still pregnant with Zuri).
+Among notable songs were "[[Something in the Air (song)|Something in the Air]]"/"[[The Revolution Will Not Be Televised]]", in which all three bandmates, Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and [[Sarah Dash]] each shared a rap, the biographical "(Can I Speak to You Before You Go to) Hollywood", which was inspired by the events following former member [[Cindy Birdsong]] ditching the group during its Blue Belles tenure to join [[The Supremes]] and which featured all three members having notable lead vocal parts, mainly from Dash, while Hendryx sang in the beginning and Patti LaBelle sang the following verses, the soulful ballad "Last Dance" and the [[bossa nova]]-inspired "Let Me See You in the Light".
-== Tracklisting ==
-''All songs written and composed by [[Nona Hendryx]] except where notified:
+Despite RCA releasing the [[Stevie Wonder]] composition, "Open Up Your Heart", the album failed to become a success. In spite of its initial failure, the album has gone on to become a cult classic and is considered a revolutionary album because few female groups talked so openly about social issues and other topics. Wonder was uncredited due to contractual reasons - the production credit was listed as "Vicki Wickham and friend". Musicians on this track included members out of a Philadelphia-based band, Buff, and others from a Latin-black band from [[Queens]] called Harlem River Drive. Several of them would morph to become Labelle's road band, including guitarist, [[Eddie Martinez (musician)|Eddie Martinez]].
-;Side A
-# "Pressure Cookin'" (3:00)
+{{Album reviews
-# "Medley: [[Something In The Air]]/[[The Revolution Will Not Be Televised]]" ([[Speedy Keen|Keen]]/[[Gil-Scott Heron|Heron]]) (5:50)
+|rev1 = [[Allmusic]]
-# "Sunshine (Woke Me Up This Morning)" (3:18)
+|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}} [http://www.allmusic.com/album/pressure-cookin-mw0000926162 link]
-# "(Can I Speak Before You Go To) Hollywoood" (6:38)
+|rev2 = ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|Christgau's Record Guide]]''
-;Side B
+|rev2Score = B<ref name="CG">{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]]|publisher=[[Ticknor & Fields]]|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: L|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=L&bk=70|accessdate=March 1, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}</ref>
-# "Mr. Music Man" (4:05)
+}}
-# "Goin' On A Holiday" (3:21)
-# "Let Me See You In The Light" (6:13)
+==Track listing==
-# "Open Up Your Heart" ([[Stevie Wonder|Wonder]]) (3:25)
+All songs written and composed by [[Nona Hendryx]], except where noted.
-# "Last Dance" (4:15)
+===Side A===
+#"Pressure Cookin'" - 3:00
+#"Medley: [[Something in the Air]]/[[The Revolution Will Not Be Televised]]" ([[Speedy Keen]]/[[Gil-Scott Heron]]) - 5:50
+#"Sunshine (Woke Me Up This Morning)" - 3:18
+#"(Can I Speak Before You Go To) Hollywood" - 6:38
+===Side B===
+#"Mr. Music Man" - 4:05
+#"Goin' On a Holiday" - 3:21
+#"Let Me See You in the Light" - 6:13
+#"Open Up Your Heart" ([[Stevie Wonder]]) - 3:25
+#"Last Dance" - 4:15
 ==Personnel==
-*[[Patti LaBelle]]: vocals
+;LaBelle
+*[[Patti LaBelle]] - [[vocals]]
-*[[Nona Hendryx]]: vocals
+*[[Nona Hendryx]] - vocals
-*[[Sarah Dash]]: vocals
+*[[Sarah Dash]] - vocals
+;Musicians
+*[[Buzz Feiten]], [[Eddie Martinez (musician)|Eddie Martinez]], Hank Redd - [[guitar]]s
+*Leroi Conley - guitars, [[percussion instrument|percussion]] ([[conga]]s, [[tambourine]])
+*[[Mandré|Andre Lewis]] - [[organ (music)|organ]], [[electric piano]], [[clavinet]], [[bass guitar]], [[drum kit|drums]], percussion, arrangements
+*Luther Eaddy - organ
+*[[Carmine Rojas]] - bass guitar
+*Larry Davis, Emry Thomas - drums
+*Daniel Ben Zebulon - percussion
+;Technical
+*Mike Moran, Tom Brown - recording engineers
+*Roger Williams - artwork, design
+*[[Bob Gruen]] - photography
+==References==
+<references />
+==External links==
+*{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r173292|label=''Pressure Cookin'''}}
+*[http://www.discogs.com/release/1249220 ''Pressure Cookin'''] on [[Discogs.com]]
+{{Labelle}}
+{{Authority control}}
-== External links ==
-* {{amg|10:fbfoxqwgldje|''Pressure Cookin'''}}
-* [http://www.discogs.com/release/1249220 ''Pressure Cookin'''] on [[Discogs.com]]
 [[Category:1973 albums]]
 [[Category:Labelle albums]]
+[[Category:Albums produced by Vicki Wickham]]
+[[Category:Albums produced by Stevie Wonder]]
 [[Category:RCA Records albums]]

v t e Labelle
Patti LaBelle Nona Hendryx Sarah Dash Cindy Birdsong Sundray Tucker
Studio albums	Labelle Moon Shadow Pressure Cookin' Nightbirds Phoenix Chameleon Back to Now
Other albums	Gonna Take a Miracle
Singles	"I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" "Down the Aisle (The Wedding Song)" "You'll Never Walk Alone" "Danny Boy" "Over the Rainbow" "Ebb Tide "I'm Still Waiting" "Always Something There to Remind Me" "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" (with Laura Nyro) "Lady Marmalade" "What Can I Do for You?" "Isn't It a Shame" "Turn It Out"
Related topics	Discography