Sorry, chicks, but among all female singers there are - at least among whites - but two that can be compared to the Stones in stardom and greatness... Janis Joplin. And... Yes; Melanie (Safka). Born in (3rd of) February 1947 in Queens, N,Y., she´s one of the few (only) artist to outdo the very Stones original recording (of Ruby Tuesday); well, at least she makes the song full justice with her obscured & slightly mystical, yet expressive voice.
All of a sudden I´ve found her own official homepage... [www.melaniemusic.net] ... There are some downloadable mp3´s (and a video clip from Ed Sullivan Show from Oct., 4, 1970: "Peace Will Come" (direct link to downloads: [www.melaniemusic.net]... Maybe not the most representative choice, but free, and more than O.K... BTW its in mp4-format, so you cant use WMP, but use [e.g] Real Player to open it) and nice stuff... She´s actually still goin´ strong... Tour dates shows why we in subarctic countries didnt know she was out on tours: She usually plays Belgium, Netherlands, and Austria.
And so, a more fan-angled site: [ourworld.compuserve.com]
...Glimmering artist, Melanie... Tune in, if you havent! Check her out; why not start with her cover version of "Ruby Tuesday"...
(Melanie: Pleease come to Sweden... !)

Melanie and greatness?!? When I was really young, I recall her singing Brand New Key, which is the only song I (and probably most) know of hers.

Deanna Carter, who's main hit Strawberry Wine which came out in the mid 90's, sang Ruby Tuesday on that Country music CD tribute to the Stones a few years back. Ironically, I saw a concert video of hers on tv a few years back and she sang Brand New Key. I think she and Melanie have similar voices.

Saw Melanie on 17/3/72 at Westbury Music Fair, Long Island, New York, first show. She was great.

It is amazing that you posted this thread because just last night I was thinking that Melanie's version of RT is the best that exists. Her 'Wild Horses' is also chilling. I love her music!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish "Gather Me" was on CD!

"The wonder of Jimi Hendrix was that he could stand up at all he was so pumped full of drugs." Patsy, Patsy Stone

Mornin´ all European users and nite to the new world´s inhabitants and good evening aussies... DGA35 or Doug; please give Mel a fair chance, listen to the more recent tunes (even if I prefer the early stuff)... Many solo artists have been surrounded by bad advicers; one or two bad tracks or unhappy choices of covers may be forgiven... Did the Stones succeed with all theirs recordings?
... Try Ruby Tuesday; or the videoclip ("Peace will come")! If you were too young when you first heard her, it could be a shock: its very mature music, I think. If your parents played this record over and over, I can understand if you got weary. Myself I was forced to listen to "Proud Mary" with Ike & Tina during half of my childhood; since then I cant hear it neither with Turners nor CCR.
- everyboddi: Thou Shalt - or ought to - Gon Out And Listeneth To Melanie Safka. Links above. Free facsimil clip from Ed Sullivan Show, 4th of Oct, 1970... !

It's funny because I first heard the tune "Ruby" by Melanie. I loved her version. I was a baby but it ook me a while to actually apopreciate the actual Stonesversion. Melanie's rendition is alot easier to like. Jagger and Brian make it harder. Jagger's weird vocal, ( that LOW note!) and Brian's recorder are...pretty ambitious.This happened to me with another Stonescover too. I heard "Gimme Shelter" by Grand Funk with Mel Schachter's monster bass before hearing the Stones do it. Again all this happened when I was about 7 or 8. But I recall hearing Clayton's vocal and thinking it was Keith. And it made me like ther Stones even more. I thouhgt it was very cool that the crazy Stones had such a high voice on their tune.
I am grateful that Melanie or GFR took some farout tunes and made them palatable for morons like me at age 8. I was able to indirctly dig the Stones BEFORE it actually was the Stones. You could say I dug by proxy!

Thank You Menace & Chelsea...

Childhoods experiences and early listenings from early years is an interesting thing... I was about 2 y o when "Satisfaction" came. I believe though that the Stones were held from my innocent ears until I myself decided what to hear. Remember myself singin Beatles Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da over & over... Yes! That, too, was a matter of covering; cause I liked The Marmalades version (probably the 1st I heard). Really I think Paint It Black or 2,000 Light Years was the thing that got me hooked at this Stonesery; and I was way passed 20.
...We may start a new thread on childhoods covers & stuff...
...And, folks, check out Melanie (see above) ... Brightest star on female singers heaven (alive)

I honestly never new she was still around. I thought she was one of those one hit wonders from the early 70's that had one hit song then faded away! I've never heard anything from her on the radio, seen her on tv, or seen any of her music in any CD store. Perhaps she's popular in Europe but not in North America?

"Melanie's rendition is alot easier to like. Jagger and Brian make it harder. Jagger's weird vocal" ???!!!
Chelsea, I do really like Melanie's cover but I'm completely baffled by these comments. The Stones version is very straightforward and accessible whereas Melanie's vocal has to be one of the most bizarre and idiosyncratic in pop history like the way she pronounces Ruby as Rubay and draws some words out to absurd lenths and strangulates others. I do find it's quirkiness charming but it's only ever going to be a minor footnote in pop unlike the wistful pastoral beauty and elegance of the original.

Well yeah tseverin. I think that's what I am saying. Her rendition is kind of the way I gues Abba would like to see it done. That's why I say it was easy as a little kid to latch on to it. And the pastoral beauty ( a very good description) of the Stones' real version is harder. "Harder"= more challenging, more profound and ultimately everlasting. No?

Melanie was on a local radio station about one month ago and she sang live and she SUCKED! I never heard her live in her hay-day but man, she is BAD now! I'll have to try to find her version of Wild Horses. She has a very New Yorkish brash voice lately. You actually liked BRAND NEW KEY??? YICKS!

Oh yeah,
Now I feel more & more alone.
I never intended - and never did - to compare Stones and Melanies versions.

This thread & my posts here was to make you all notice there are a fine singer out there that´s have made at least two covers on Stones tracks.

Still; I think you all pught to check this singer out.
I dont find the mp3´s of more recent dates bad.

We could - and we sure do - say much of the recent Stones material "sucks".
But we dont pt the group in the garbage because of that, do we?

Chelseas metaphor with Abba (!) :-O is strange.
To say that Melanie did easy stuff and Stones made it hard,
and Debra say that she (Melanie) was good before and "bad" now is
ridiculous; and I think you all are bending for a power that doesnt exist:
The people here on Tell Me do not know Melanie.

Melanie's RT is better than the Stones full stop.

"The wonder of Jimi Hendrix was that he could stand up at all he was so pumped full of drugs." Patsy, Patsy Stone

My sister liked Melanies RT very much. She didn't even know it was a Rolling Stones tune.
I couldn't stand Melanies version. I still can't. To me, all the beauty of the song is gone in Melanies version.

I´m getting fed up with all the negative posts.
Please start a "Hate Melanie"-thread, and let us
dig this icon in peace. And Menace of Mayfair: We dont have to choose
between Stones own RT and Melanies. But I have to admit that I always have sensed that something´s missing in Stones version... To compare with the similar She´s A Rainbow; which a more sublime song.

The covers RT and WH was none whatsoever topic of mine:
I used RD as a attention light or lantern to draw you to this thread.

Melanie is no huge artist; she has faithful fans and they seem to be distributed in the Flamish speaking countries and Austria plus US and Canada. The guy that started the fan site ("Melanie Music Society" [ourworld.compuserve.com] ) is a real enthusiast.

I think we shall celebrate artists thats been goin on for 30-35 years and so.

Melanie is one of the few in rock world that can shout and cry out loud and still make it sound nice and keep the tune. She make my skin goosy & if you dont like her you can go #¤% yourself. Those who dont like this are soulless. You who havent heard Melanie or just one song, please turn your attention to other threads.

...Homework: Listen to "Lay Down(Candle in the Wind)" and come back here and tell me its crap!

I'm not soulless.

Let her and Al Green record the same song... you'll know who is soulless.

Hey, I have no problem with people liking Melanie. I just don't like her. All those hippy chicks aren't my cup of tea. I won't like someone because she is recoding for 35 years. That's not enough to respect someone.
You can't expect all positive posts. You're askng Stones fans about this subject. I'm a stonesfan. I gave you my opinion.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2005-04-02 15:24 by BowieStone.

Ok, BowieStone, I respect you for that.
But when did you last hear Melanie?

I used hard words last time; but I´m always surprised over all the negative posting around here. Melanie hippy? Maybe; but not a typical one, if you ask me.

It's been years. I have no albums of her, because I don't like what I heard of her. I have one song I believe... Ruby Tuesday on Jagger/Richard Songbook. But I know a couple of songs (the biggest hits)

In general I'm not a very big fan of women in rock. You can call is sexism, but it isn't.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-04-02 15:41 by BowieStone.

I'll buy that for a dollar Chelsea

This is a stupid thread born from boredom. What is this thread about?


What does "Ill buy that for a dollar mean?"

It just meant I'll go along with that, ie your comments

Answer to Chelsea and comment to BowieStone at the same time:
This 'stupid' thread aint borned from boredom.- Not all all; on the contrary:
I have looked for this Melanie woman since I dont know when...
I found her on the web, didnt even know she was alive.
Me = happy, and all the people pours tons of crap over me, over the thread, over Melanie, and over soulful singers, musicians, and songwriters all over. ... - No, BoSto, you´re not a sexist. I usually dont see any relevance of that term anytime; but I guess its a widespread phenomenon in the rock world on the whole, and in Stones world in particular.
That´s why I think this is a doomed thread, too. You w a n kers out there probably also think Janis sucks, too. No woman are good enough.
- ..Yes, here´s another Tell Me-user that normally doesnt like woman in rock. But thats exactly why I started this thread: ´cause M. is good. All of you that dont agree; welcome to say so (or save your energy).

My opinion is that M. can sing, shout, cry, and still be able to be called a somewhat mystical, esoteric, devout singer. All people allergic to late 60´s flower-power.like music (I think many confuse M. with Buffy St-Marie and horrible Joan Baez: to which there are no reason).

For me this is new music; I may have heard M. once or twice in the early 70´s; but being a kid during that time, I didnt pay attention.

Anyway; I count this woman as a force in rock 'n' roll. There are others; but very few. Nico is dead (so is Janis). Grace Slick has been a joke since 1969. Patti Smith is good. The new scene of female singer/singwriters is crap, if you ask me. In my country there are dozens of skilled female singers, but they sound the same... Cheap imitations of black gospel singers, all woith the same standard repertoire. Not devout at all.

...When I want new musical energy and inspiration I turn to either folk music, reggae, soul, jazz or new stuff... Often I go to female singers; there are a veteran Swedish singeress (?) Monica Zetterlund. That´s devout. Not like Melanie at all, if you thought that. Another: Lill Lindfors. Go to their recordings from 1966-1973, and you´ve got yourself a musical treasure. Otherwise I would like to express that Bessie Smith, Edith Piaf, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin are a bunch of fine female artists.

And... Marianne F., as you can see in a neighbouring thread.
I´m sure I´ve forgot some more... Oh, yeah: Anisette Koppel from Danish rockers Savage Rose: One of the hardest rock 'n' roll band ever. From what I know they still played a couple of years ago:
Brother Kent - JKF - Do you know if this Vesterbro-based lunatics still are on... ?

To someone´s pleasure (?) or curiosity
and others annoyance, here´s Melanie´s tour dates:
In any correspondence regarding your inclusion on the Melanie Music Society (non-auto) mailing list, please quote the name and email address this message was sent to.

April USA
Fri. 8, Cactus Cafe - [www.utexas.edu], Austin, TX, USA
Sat. 9, SHFL Theater - [www.superhappyfunland.com] - Houston, TX, USA, (713) 880-2100

May Europe
Sun. 1, 13 - [www.013web.nl] - Tilburg, NL, 013 460 9500
Thu. 5, Handelsbeurs - [www.handelsbeurs.be] - Gent, Belgium,
Sat. 7, Metropool - [www.metropool.nl] - Hengelo, NL,
Fri. 13, De Kleine Komedie - [www.dekleinekomedie.nl] , Amsterdam, NL,
Sat. 14, Patronaat - [www.patronaat.nl] - Haarlem, NL,
Mon. 16, Arsenaal Theater - [www.arsenaaltheater.nl] , Vlissingen, NL,
Fri. 20, Hedon - [www.hedon-zwolle.nl] , Zwolle, NL,
Sat. 21, De Giraf - [www.liveonstage.org] , Emmen, NL,

Sat. June 18, Largo Cultural Center - [www.largo.com], Largo, FL, USA, (727) 587-6793

Sat. July 23, Door Community Auditorium - [www.dcauditorium.org] - Door County, WI, USA, (920) 868-2728

August USA
Fri. 12, Turning Point Cafe - 15th Anniversary - [www.turningpointcafe.com] - Piermont, NY, (845) 359-1089
Sat. 13, Turning Point Cafe - 15th Anniversary - Piermont, NY, , (845) 359-1089
Sun. 14, Turning Point Cafe - 15th Anniversary - Piermont, NY, (845) 359-1089
Fri. 19, Caffè Lena - [www.caffelena.com] - Saratoga Springs, NY, (518) 583-0022
Sat. 20, Caffè Lena - Saratoga Springs, NY, (518) 583-0022
Sun. 21, Caffè Lena - Saratoga Springs, NY, (518) 583-0022

Sat. September 10, The Kent Stage - [www.kentstage.org] - Kent, OH, (330) 677-5005

Its obvious that this touring deals with smaller entities than U2:s and Stones´ tours...




pic from Ron Schneiders site meandtherollingstones.com

Baboon Bro, I don't think my opinion of Melanie is " ridiculous " because it is MY opinion and I think I am pretty good at judging whether a singer has an ear for what they're singing or if they're tone deaf! Melanie ws off key, off pitch and very hoarse, certainly not a great vocalist anymore! This was just a few weeks ago so that's VERY recent. Maybe in the 70's she could at least carry a tune, not now.

She was that ''Flower''Child my sister used to play in the seventies...did she really cover Wild Horses..? And is it any good?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-10-17 18:31 by rooster.

I got a Buffy ST marie album wich is pretty good!!

I like Nico but I dont know much from Melanie.

That was a weird thread. I don't even rememebr it. But looking at it removed now, it seems like it started out totally cool and degenerated into hostility. It's hard to see even how it came about.

"...no longer shall you trudge 'cross my peaceful mind."

I read it now...strange stoned thread...i just answered before reading..thinking of my sister and the seventies..time goes fast.

Hey Baboon......I remember Melanie....I rememmber as a kid singing along to Brand New Key when it was on the radio alot....in fact I'm whistling it right now.....thanks for the nice stroll down memory lane.