Patti LaBelle

A complete serving of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles' promising Nicetown/Newtown stint from 1962 to 1963 featuring two takes of "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman," their first hit that really wasn't. The Bluebelles received the credit, but the Starlets, a Chicago group, actually recorded the song while visiting Philadelphia. The Starlets sued, got paid, and, eventually, got credit. These are the door openers, the songs that made the Bluebelles the sweethearts of the Apollo and the Uptown theaters. Knock-'em-dead renditions of "Danny Boy," "You'll Never Walk Alone," and "Down the Aisle" are but a few of many highlights. A thorough account of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles' entire career, excluding the LaBelle sides, would take at least 60 tracks to cover. ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide