Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of FlyLife Inc, today's Swag Tuesday prize is Back To Now, the first album from the reunited Labelle in 32 years! Nona Hendryx, Sarah Dash, and Patti Labelle have finally gotten back together and the advance word is terrific.

In the history of female groups, none has ever achieved the longevity, or experienced the kind of creative evolution, that Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash have. Since their original formation at the dawn of the girl-group era as The Bluebelles (with then-fourth member Cindy Birdsong) in 1961, through their incarnation as R&B powerhouse (Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles), and on to their pioneering years as the unprecedented rock-soul-funk trio Labelle, Hendryx, LaBelle and Dash have remained peerless.

These three women spent fifteen years together with a consistent commitment to bringing energy, excitement and soul power to live performances, and cutting-edge innovation to a series of classic albums until 1976, when they separated without fanfare to pursue individual goals and aspirations. Thirty-two years later, with the release of a brand new Verve Records album (featuring such top notch producers as Lenny Kravitz, Gamble & Huff, and Wyclef Jean), the aptly titled Back to Now, Labelle is back on center stage.

Album highlights include “Candelight,” a Hendryx original (“That’s old-styled Labelle!” says Sarah), “Super Lover,” a Hendry/Celli collaboration, and two G&H productions: : a rocking version of Mother’s Finest’s “Truth Will Set You Free” and a dance classic cover of Sylvester’s “You Make Me Feel Mighty Real.” [JMG:!!!] Nona remembers, “I worked with Joyce Kennedy (of Mother’s Finest) with the ‘Daughters Of Soul’ tours I did in Europe and Asia. “Truth Will Set You Free” was a great song from a great band and I felt it was something we could do.” For the dance floor, what better choice than reviving a song made famous by a dear friend: Sarah smiles, “What can I say? Sylvester was an icon. I loved doing this. I got use all aspects of my vocal range on this track.” As Patti says, “It ain’t nothin’ but a jam. It’s gonna make you dance like a fool.”

Labelle's Back To Now hits stores nationwide on October 21st. Sample tracks here. Today we've got five copies to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post and please remember to leave an email address you check frequently. Entries close at midnight Wednesday. Publicists: if you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

RELATED: I'm sure most of you are very familiar with Patti Labelle's solo work, but here are my favorite solo tracks from the others: Nona Hendryx's Keep It Confidential (1983) and Sarah Dash's Sinner Man (1978).