Melanie - Ten Songs That Made Me Love....

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 19 / 12 / 2024

intro

In 'Ten Songs That Made Me Love...' Malcolm Carter reflects on his ten favourite songs by 60's folk singer Melanie.

We have lost so many of my music heroes in the last few years, so much so that I recognise most of the names that form a part of the obituaries in the music magazines each month now. While always saddened that another musician whose music touched me is no longer here one fairly recent passing really affected me. Melanie Safka left us on 23rd January 2024 aged 76. My introduction to Melanie’s music came a little late. She had already had some success in her homeland, the USA, and even in Europe before I heard of her. But it was her appearance at the Woodstock Festival in 1969 when I first became aware of this folky singer-songwriter, one of many that blossomed during that era. I wasn’t there, of course, I was a teenager living a normal life in Woking in the UK devouring all types of music. A fairly recent 7” of ‘Oh Happy Day’ by The Edwin Hawkins Singers was a particular favourite and I heard that this female singer had composed a song inspired by her experience when playing at Woodstock and had recorded and released a version of the song with The Edwin Hawkins Singers. So I checked it out. Which was when my lifelong love of Melanie’s music started. The problem was (and still is) Melanie’s recorded output has been unfairly treated from the beginning. It was a little simpler when Melanie started her own record label, Neighborhood Records, in 1971 but even the reissues of those albums hasn’t always afforded the treatment such music deserved. For me Melanie’s ‘Candles In The Rain’ and the live ‘Leftover Rain’ set are amongst her best work and the double CD combining both those albums issued by Edsel back in 2007 still remains the issue to seek out as it features the full-length version of ‘Lay Down’ while most reissues contain the single edit. I suffered a little ridicule from my peers for liking Melanie so much. To them she was a hippie whose best-known (read popular) songs were either cover versions or original novelty songs. Although to these ears her version of The Rolling Stones ‘Ruby Tuesday’ displayed all that was unique about Melanie; that emotive voice, her phrasing and the way she poured her soul into her performance to take the song to places not even Jagger could. I can still recall being mocked for liking it just as much as the original. Then she’s also remembered in the UK for ‘What Have They Done To My Song Ma’ which wouldn’t have been so bad if The New Seekers had not have covered it thereby lessening any credibility it had. As for ‘Brand New Key’ I just don’t want to be reminded of The Wurzels although I’m sure Melanie didn’t mind the royalties! Melanie’s best work was hidden on her albums and these are my picks: I’ll count it as one track but the opening short, spoken ‘Candles In The Rain’ segueing into the long version of ‘Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)’ still, after 54 years, touches me and has me initially in that field in Woodstock before the actual song erupts into a gospel-fueled singalong which never fails to move me. It’s simply sublime. The original UK album or that Edsel double CD are the best places to hear this. Also from the ‘Candles In The Rain’ album are my next two choices: both showing Melanie’s skill at taking a song not written by her and making it her own. James Taylor’s ‘ Carolina In My Mind’ is given a warm arrangement and Melanie’s unique vocals lend it to just wanting to spend a cosy evening in front of a blazing fire with those you love close by. It’ll bring out the hippie in the most hardened soul. Then there’s ‘Ruby Tuesday’ which is not just a cover but a total reworking of the song which displays Melanie’s emotive vocals perfectly. I regarded Melanie then, and still do, as a soul singer. Although she was often classed in the same genre as the classic female singer-songwriters of the day like Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins and Joan Baez her voice set her apart. At times referred to as shrill I’ll choose to disagree, impassioned and expressive would be my description. On shelves that carry an embarrassing amount of vinyl and CD albums there are very few live albums. Unless I was there and the album is a souvenir of a memorable gig what’s the point? With very few exceptions I find the studio albums to be a more rewarding listen. But ‘Leftover Wine’, Melanie’s live album issued the same year, 1970, as ‘Candles In The Rain’ is an exception. Her between song banter stands up to repeated listening and her performance can’t be faulted. It also introduced us late comers to songs from Melanie’s first two albums which matched or even exceeded the studio versions. So song number four is the live version of ‘Beautiful People’ which originally appeared on Melanie’s second album ‘Affectionately Melanie’ (if you lived in the UK) again it’s the passion in her vocals which didn’t show in the studio version that capture the attention. Just one voice and an acoustic. So powerful. Song five is also from ‘Leftover Wine’ and remember I was at an impressionable age back then. ‘I Don’t Eat Animals’ has an amusing spoken introduction before Melanie puts into song her reasons for being a vegetarian. Put it down to being young and impressionable or, more likely, Melanie’s reasons for being a vegetarian making sense but I didn’t eat meat for a few years after listening to this song. Of course a few years down the line and a friend eating a Wimpy burger (yep, that old) turned my head and I was back, but that song still resonates with me. Song six; ‘Peace Will Come (According To Plan)’ a hippie anthem maybe but as relevant today as it was back in 1970. A gorgeous production from Melanie’s husband, Peter Schekeryk, who produced all of her work during this period and Melanie’s impassioned vocals convincing us all it could happen. We’re still waiting… Seventh place ; The title song of Melanie’s fifth album, ‘The Good Book’, starts with the line “ poor little hairy kids out on their own, they run to the festival to show that thy were one, they’ve fallen in love with all human kind, so tell them you love them so they don’t change their mind”, reminiscing about Woodstock or just an observation that in 1971 we still had some hope? Set to a memorable melody and with Melanie’s vocals at their impassioned best it’s another song which shows why people back then had so much faith in the so-called hippie ideal and why it was believed ; performers such as Melanie were so real and convincing. Eighth: A cover (or reworking) of Phil Ochs’ ‘Chords Of Fame’. Possibly the best cover Melanie ever put to tape. The story of a budding musician which still rings true today. Sounding world-weary but still passionate Melanie turns in a remarkable performance. Again the production from Schekeryk is sympathetic and brings out the best in Melanie’s vocals. Nine : ‘Together Alone’ is the opening track on the 1972 album, ‘Stoneground Words’, and returns to where we started; it’s a gospel-infused original which shows a completely different side to Melanie than was displayed during the previous 4 years. Once more it reinforces why I consider Melanie to be one of the most soulful and expressive singers of that era. When considering the songs to include in this trip down memory lane with Melanie’s recordings I forgot that it’s almost impossible to choose just ten songs that cover her long career and highlight just why her passing affected me and why she will always be remembered for the music she gave us. I’ve picked nine tracks which are taken mainly from her first six albums; there is so much more which could be added. But as ten is the maximum allowed, I’ll have to choose another song which Melanie covered to close with which is here not only because I love the song and Melanie’s version but because it was my dear sadly missed mother’s favourite song. In 1973 Melanie troubled the UK charts for the last time with her cover of The Shirelles 1961 hit ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’. It displays that Melanie could take any song and weave her magic through it. Having heard the original of that song numerous times through the years I was a little apprehensive, despite her previous success with cover versions, that maybe this time Melanie would fall short. She didn’t and did the song justice. It’s been covered many times by many different singers but still Melanie’s version of this girl group classic falls only slightly behind the original. I had two posters on my childhood bedroom wall. One was the ‘butterfly’ poster which came with my copy of ‘The Who Sell Out’ the other was of Melanie strumming her acoustic guitar. Much to my regret The Who poster disappeared with time (although the sticker is still on the album cover!) but my Melanie poster is rolled up in a tube, no longer on my wall but her songs live on in my heart. Thanks for the music Melanie. You will be missed.