Her version of Ruby Tuesday is one of the greatest cover versions ever.
But there are many more merits of course.
Sad news.

Melanie, ‘Brand New Key’ Folk Singer Who Played Woodstock, Dead at 76 (RollingStone.com)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-01-25 14:40 by bv.

RIP Melenie

Her song Lay Down (candles in the rain) was an anthem for many. The song always gave me chills.

I remember I was a young kid when Brand New Key hit the charts. I beleive it hit number 1 on Billboard.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-01-25 01:43 by More Hot Rocks.

Very sad. My favourite version of Ruby Tuesday.







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-01-25 16:00 by treaclefingers.

Oh no! I liked her version Ruby Tuesday. Glad I have cd by her. A great artist. Very sad, thanks for all the memories Melanie. RIP



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-01-25 15:55 by babyblue.

Melanie's complete Woodstock set from Day 1: Friday, August 15, 1969, 11:00–11:30 pm

Melanie's Setlist:

1. Close to it All
2. Momma Momma
3. Beautiful People
4. Animal Crackers
5. Mr. Tambourine Man
6. Tuning My Guitar
7. Birthday of the Sun





RIP Melanie.

Melanie was ready for her big break, and it came through the efforts of Buddah co-founder Artie Ripp. The one-time-musician-turned-record-executive was a friend of Woodstock organizer Artie Kornfeld, and Ripp decided to take a risk and send Melanie to the festival on the chance that she could perform. Melanie describes the experience in an interview with Ray Shasto posted at www.classicrockhereandnow.com, “I was in England and had been asked to do a film score and been working in the studio right next door to where The Rolling Stones were. I had the London Symphony Orchestra in the studio with me and my husband was the producer and I was deciding whether I should go back and do this Woodstock thing. I had pictured…three days of peace, love, and music was going to be more like a picnic with kids, families, arts and crafts, and going shopping…I had no clue! My mother drove me to Woodstock. We went to the wrong place and then finally found the hotel and I was all by myself with my mom. So we got to the hotel and there’s Sly Stone walking by. Then surrounded by media was Janis Joplin drinking Southern Comfort and all of a sudden, now I know this was something really big. That traffic wasn’t just an accident ahead it was something really-really big and I was going to have to sing in front of it.”

She continues, saying, “We were told that we needed to go in a helicopter. I had never been in a helicopter before so I asked why can’t we just drive like everyone else. So we get into the helicopter and they stop my mother…they asked who is she and I said it’s my mother. They said no mothers, just the performers and managers. I didn’t even have the smarts to say 'oh yeah she’s my manager'. I said 'bye mom' and we were separated.”

Melanie’s unscheduled performance at Woodstock was memorable, for both her and her audience. She played without additional accompaniment—one of only three performers at Woodstock to do so, and the only woman—and the festival was certainly the largest audience of her career. She walked out onto the stage alone, wearing a loose-fitting red tunic and pants, sat down on a metal folding chair, and began playing the quiet, contemplative “Close to it All” followed by the more forceful “Momma Momma,” both from her debut album. When she began singing her next song, “Beautiful People,” there was a sprinkling of applause from the audience members who recognized the song, which was only getting radio play in the U.S. on selected FM stations. As she finished the song, she added a nervous giggle and a line in her lyrics about “beautiful, wet people, too,” referring to the sporadic rain that had started during Ravi Shankar’s set just before hers. Two more songs from the debut album followed: her campy, rather juvenile rendition of “Animal Crackers” and Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man.” Like Dylan himself, her arrangement of the song is almost a blend of melody and spoken word with a childlike voice full of vibrato. Melanie ended her half-hour impromptu set with two songs that would appear on her next album, Affectionately. “Tuning My Guitar,” like many of Melanie’s songs, starts out slowly and quietly and builds to an almost trance-like screaming chant. The audience showed their appreciation and she launched into a song she had only just written and had never played in public, “Birthday of the Sun.” It, too, began slowly and reached a frenzied crescendo to end her set. She walked off stage alone as she had entered it, and the audience showed her their love.

Excerpt from —Wade Lawrence & Scott Parker

Omg... Melanie. RIP... You ride the same subway as I do... You were one of an era. Thank you..

Life's just a cocktail party on the street

one of the most funniest songs ever made
Brand New Key: [www.youtube.com]

Life's just a cocktail party on the street



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-01-25 07:54 by MononoM.

Great artist, listened to her and Donovan a lot in the 1990's.

Mathijs

So sorry to hear this. RIP Melanie.

She loved the Rolling Stones. Here's her very original take on Jigsaw Puzzle -

A great artist and a beautiful voice. RiP Melanie †

Truly a shame and will be dearly missed. RIP

Here's my favourite of Melanie's:

[youtu.be]

Ride like the wind at double speed.....

She made some great music. One of my fave covers of her with her is below. RIP Melanie.

MELANIE & MILEY CYRUS Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma

[www.youtube.com]

Ah........ I feel very sad always been a fan of here work RIP Melanie, thank you for the music.

Quote
Silver Dagger
She loved the Rolling Stones. Here's her very original take on Jigsaw Puzzle -

wow. a tour de force.

Her manager is asking on [www.patreon.com] for a copy of a photo off Mick Jagger wearing a Melanie button/shirt, does anyone has it?

Life's just a cocktail party on the street

THE AUSTRALIAN ---- 29 January 2024



ROCKMAN

Rest in peace, to the original Folk Gypsy. Stevie Nicks acknowledged her influence on her. Melanie was a free spirit and a bit of a kook, but sincere as all hell about what really mattered to her.

Quote
treaclefingers
Very sad. My favourite version of Ruby Tuesday.

I have to agree with that... and just think how many good or great covers of Ruby Tuesday exist out there.

That cover, and (Lay Down) Candles In The Rain were such monster hits at the time... deservedly.

I keep my couple of Melanie cds in with my "Peaceniks and Flower Children of the 60s & 70s" music. And not at all dismissively, but respectfully. She was a special singer, her empathy was audible and authentic.