Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles “Danny Boy” (Parkway 935 Pop#76, 1965)

It seems appropriate for St. Patricks day to post this song long associated with “Irishness” or whatever, and take a glimpse into the long road that is Patti LaBelle (and her fellow BlueBelles) career.

There’s numerous covers of this song, and it’s not too surprising, given the tradition of Patti and The BlueBelles quite often taking on well worn chestnuts and giving it a high flying work out. In fact, the moderate success the group had with it during the early months of 1965 at the faltering Cameo-Parkway label helped set the tone of their initial tenure at Atlantic records a few months.

Lushly arranged and a full display of Patti LaBelle’s range and the BlueBelles uncanny ability to harmonize (there was more than one reason Diana Ross was all “get Cindy” when Florence was being “troublesome”), it serves more like a resume builder than hit record in their canon of accomplishments.