2. Melanie: Midwest Auckland emo four piece Melanie released their full length album 42 Losers in May 2020 and have been playing a fine selection of gigs and house parties since
1. Born on the 3rd February 1947 in Astoria, New York deceased 23rd January 2024, Melanie made her first recording, "Gimme a Little Kiss", when she was five.
She first found chart success in Europe. Her 1969 song "Bobo's Party" reached number one in France. Later that year she had a hit in the Netherlands with "Beautiful People" before performing at Woodstock. Apparently, she was inspired to write "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" by the audience lighting candles during her set; the song became a hit in both Europe and the USA. Her biggest hit in the USA was "Brand New Key", also known as "The Roller Skate Song". She has been awarded three gold albums.
Three of Melanie's compositions were hits for The New Seekers: "Look What They've Done to My Song Ma", "Beautiful People", and "The Nickel Song".
With one exception her albums have been produced by her husband, Peter Schekeryk. Her three children - Leilah, Jeordie and Beau-Jarred -are also musicians. Beau-Jarred is a guitarist and accompanies his mother on The 2003 Australian hip-hop track "The Nosebleed Section" by The Hilltop Hoods sampled Melanie's "People in the Front Row".
In 2004 Melanie released Paled by Dimmer Light, which is co-produced by Peter and Beau-Jarred Schekeryk.
In 2010 the last album co- produced by her now late husband Peter Schekeryj and their son Beau Jarred Schekeryk was released: Ever Since You Never Heard Of Me
Melanie, who became the voice of an era in one magical instant onstage at Woodstock, has been putting the pieces in order.
Pieces of a career, scattered by the winds of experience and assembled again by the force of love into the most personal and brilliant moments of her musical journey.
Melanie is poised to enlighten new generations about what it means to sing with both passion and eloquence, to write at once with intelligence and emotion, and to inspire through song… and nobody does this better than Melanie.
Others learned this that night at Woodstock, where as a New York kid barely known outside of the coffeehouse circuit in Greenwich Village, she sang her song "Beautiful People" and inspired the first panorama of candles and cigarette lighters ever raised at a concert event. That, in turn, moved the young singer to write "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain"), which sold more than one million copies in 1970 and
prompted Billboard, Cashbox, Melody Maker, Record World, and Bravo to anoint her
as female vocalist of the year. Her single "Brand New Key," an infectious romp about
freedom and roller skates, topped the charts in 1971.
And so her story began.
With guitar in hand and a talent that combined amazing vocal equipment, disarming
humor, and a vibrant engagement with life, she was booked as the first solo pop/rock
artist ever to appear from the Royal Albert Hall to Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan
Opera House, and later opened the New Metropolitan Opera House in New York, the
Sydney Opera House, and in the General Assembly of the United Nations, where she
was invited to perform on many occasions as delegates greeted her performances
with standing ovations.
The top television hosts of all time -- Ed Sullivan, Johnny Carson, and Dick Cavett --
battled to book her. (After her stunning performance on his show, Sullivan goggled
that he had not seen such a "dedicated and responsive audience since ElvisPresley.")
Accolades rolled in, from critics ("Melanie's cult has long been famous, but it's a cult
that's responding to something genuine and powerful -- which is maybe another way
of saying that this writer counts himself as part of the cult too," wrote John Rockwell
in The New York Times) as well as peers ("Melanie," insisted jazz piano virtuoso
Roger Kellaway, "is extraordinary to the point that she could be sitting in front of us in
this room and sing something like 'Momma Momma' right to us, and it would just go
right through your entire being.")
In the years that followed Melanie continued to record, continued to tour.
UNICEF made her its spokesperson; Jimi Hendrix's father introduced her to the
multitude assembled for the twentieth anniversary of Woodstock. Her records
continued to sell -- more than eighty million to date. She's had her songs covered by
singers as diverse as Cher, Dolly Parton, and Macy Gray. She's raised a family, won
an Emmy, opened a restaurant, written a musical about Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity
Jane…
She has, in short, lived a rare life. But all of it was just a prelude to what's about to
come.
"For the first time, I'm not afraid to voice exactly what I feel. I used to feel that I didn't
want to say too much, but now I can say anything. I feel like a person who's never
been heard. Maybe people think they've heard me, but they never really have. I'm a
new artist who is having so much fun with my voice -- a person shouldn't be allowed
to have so much fun. I'm the woman I wanted to be when I was sixteen and going for
Edith Piaf. It's me -- I'm back."
(Written by Robert L. Doerschuk)
Chances
Melanie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd like to know the truth
I'll find it out somehow
The chances aren't to strong
A chance you will be there
Please be there alone
Help me speak of love
Chances aren't enough
Chances aren't to strong
Chance is all there is
There's a chance you will be there
Wondering what to do
How to play my role
I'll leave it up to you
If I disguise my smile
It gives too much away
What if we can't speak
What then shall I say
Don't you be too long
Something has gone wrong
The chances are all gone
There's a chance you will be there
Wondering what to do
How to play my role
I'll leave it up to you
If I disguise my smile
It gives too much away
What if we can't speak
What then shall I say
Don't you be too long
Something has gone wrong
Chances are all gone
The song "Chances" by Melanie is about the uncertain feelings of an individual toward the possibility of seeing someone they have feelings for. The first line, "There's a chance you will be there," sets the tone for the rest of the song, which expresses anxiety, excitement, and longing all at once. The singer expresses a desire to know the truth about the situation, but admits that the chances of the person being there are not strong. Despite this, they feel compelled to take the chance and find out for themselves.
The second verse speaks to the uncertainty surrounding the potential encounter. The singer wonders how they should act or what to do if they see the person they are interested in. They contemplate the possibility of speaking of love but realize that chances alone are not enough. The bridge highlights the importance of the encounter, suggesting that this may be a once in a lifetime opportunity and the person they are interested in may not be alone.
The final verse provides a resolution to the uncertainty, suggesting that the chances are now all gone, implying that the person was not there. The song ends on a bittersweet note, with the singer feeling regret for not taking the chance to see the person they care about.
Overall, "Chances" is a song that speaks to the universal feelings of uncertainty and missed opportunities that everyone experiences at some point in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a chance you will be there
Melanie hopes to cross paths with someone at an event or a public place.
I'd like to know the truth
She is curious about this person and wants to find out more about them.
I'll find it out somehow
She is determined to uncover this individual's secrets and hidden agendas.
The chances aren't to strong
Nevertheless, Melanie recognizes that it's unlikely to happen.
A chance you will be there
Still, she holds out hope that this individual will make an appearance.
Please be there alone
She wants to see this person in a more intimate setting.
Help me speak of love
Melanie is interested in conveying her feelings to this person, but she is uncertain of how to do this.
Chances aren't enough
Melanie understands that just having a prospect isn't sufficient to get the desired outcome.
Ones to good to miss
She thinks that this person is a rare gem and that they shouldn't pass up a chance together.
Chances aren't to strong
Melanie acknowledges the slim probability of their encounter, but still hopes to see them.
Chance is all there is
Sometimes, life is simply about taking opportunities and hoping for the best.
Wondering what to do
Melanie is pensive about her next steps and how to act around this person.
How to play my role
Melanie is uncertain of how to behave in this situation and what personality to reveal.
I'll leave it up to you
She desires for the other person to take the lead and demonstrate their intentions towards her.
If I disguise my smile
She is mindful of her expression and how much of her emotions to reveal.
It gives too much away
Melanie fears that showing her true feelings could lead to getting hurt.
What if we can't speak
Melanie contemplates the possibility of not having anything in common with this person or of the conversation falling short.
What then shall I say
She is concerned about the awkwardness of the interaction and how to fill the silence.
Don't you be too long
Melanie is impatient to see this person and can't wait for them indefinitely.
Something has gone wrong
If this person doesn't show up, Melanie will be upset and disappointed.
Chances are all gone
In the end, if this person doesn't make an appearance, she knows that she must move on.
Contributed by Camden N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
maria
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Helmuth Delden
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