<P> "Lady Marmalade" is a song written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan . The song is famous for its sexually suggestive chorus of "Voulez - vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)?", which translates into English as "Do you want to sleep with me (tonight)?". The song first became a popular hit when it was recorded in 1974 by the American girl group Labelle . Labelle held the number - one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week, and also topped the Canadian RPM national singles chart . </P> <P> The song has had many cover versions over the years . In 1998, girl group All Saints released a cover of the song that peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart . The 2001 version by singers Christina Aguilera, Mýa, Pink and rapper Lil' Kim, recorded for the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack, was a number - one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for 5 weeks, and also a number - one hit in the UK . "Lady Marmalade" was the ninth song to reach number one by two different musical acts in America . </P> <P> The song was written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan, and was inspired by Crewe's experiences in New Orleans and the sex workers in the area . A sex worker named Lady Marmalade shows up to a man named Joe, flirts with him and takes him home . Joe drinks wine and he screams French words while she is in the Boudoir . A demo of the song was first recorded by The Eleventh Hour, a disco group made up of studio musicians fronted by Nolan on vocals . It was released in 1974 as a track on the Eleventh Hour's Greatest Hits LP which did not chart . Crewe showed the song to Allen Toussaint in New Orleans, and Toussaint then decided to record the song with Labelle . </P> <P> Labelle's version of "Lady Marmalade" was produced by Allen Toussaint and Vicki Wickham . It was released in November 1974 from Nightbirds, their first album after signing with Epic Records . Patti LaBelle sang lead vocals on "Lady Marmalade" with backing vocals being contributed by bandmates Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash . The song is best known for the French lyric "Voulez - vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" (English: "Would you like to sleep with me tonight?") in the refrain . "Lady Marmalade" is a song about a prostitute, although Patti LaBelle, the lead female vocal of the band, was completely oblivious to its overall message, saying: "I didn't know what it was about . I don't know French and nobody, I swear this is God's truth, nobody at all told me what I'd just sung a song about ." </P>

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