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)
Cyclone
Melanie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Found love in the music but lost in the overtones
Sweat on the brow, blood on the lips, love for the money
And gold at the fingertips, at the fingertips
Hold tight cyclone
A fool to continue but love keeps me holding on
And it feels good real slow
Makes me let you go
Hold tight cyclone
Don't need no religion to look for the kingdom come
Gotta feel for the ground, reach for the sky, leap off the edge
To see if you fall or fly if you fall or fly
I wait for the day to burn into night
And then I wait for dawn
And I open my eyes when it gets bright
And know I must be home
I know I must be home
I know I must be home
Hold tight cyclone
Found love in the music but lost in the overtones
Sweat on the brow, blood on the lips, love for the money
And gold at the fingertips, at the fingertips
Cyclone, lost in the overtones
Cyclone, lost in the overtones
Cyclone, lost in the overtones
Lost in the overtones
Hold tight!
The song Cyclone by Melanie showcases a struggle between love, passion, desire for wealth, and self-discovery. The first stanza talks about the singer, who finds love in music but gets lost in the overtones. The overtones might signify the distractions the hero faces as they pursue their passion for music, which includes love for money and material possessions represented by gold at the fingertips. It appears that the singer is aware of these distractions, and despite getting lost in them, they continue to hold on to their love for music. However, their love seems to be in conflict with the desire for wealth or success, as the blood on the lips may represent the sacrifices they make.
In the second stanza, the singer acknowledges that they might be a fool, continuing with their passion, but also knows that it's what keeps them going. They seem to enjoy both the pain and pleasure their passion brings them. They understand that pain comes with the price of letting go of someone you love, which could be their passion for music. In the last stanza, the singer emphasizes that they do not require religion to find their kingdom or their purpose. They must experience everything that life offers, including the highs and lows, such as leaping off the edge with the possibility of either falling or flying, to recognize the significance of the journey. The last lines signify a realization that life is about enjoying the moments and being content with one's surroundings.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold tight cyclone
Stay strong and persevere through life's chaotic ups and downs.
Found love in the music but lost in the overtones
Discovered a passion for music but got caught up in superficial aspects instead of focusing on the true essence of it.
Sweat on the brow, blood on the lips, love for the money
And gold at the fingertips, at the fingertips
Working hard for financial gain while experiencing physical and emotional strain, ultimately leading to a fleeting sense of accomplishment.
A fool to continue but love keeps me holding on
And it feels good real slow
I love you to hurt but pain makes me let you go
Makes me let you go
Despite recognizing unhealthy patterns in a failed relationship, the feeling of being in love holds a significant and painful grip, ultimately leading to acceptance and letting go.
Don't need no religion to look for the kingdom come
Gotta feel for the ground, reach for the sky, leap off the edge
To see if you fall or fly if you fall or fly
Searching for a deeper meaning and purpose in life, without the constraints of traditional religious beliefs, by taking risks and exploring uncharted paths in pursuit of success or failure.
I wait for the day to burn into night
And then I wait for dawn
And I open my eyes when it gets bright
And know I must be home
I know I must be home
I know I must be home
Anticipating for a better tomorrow; a new day brings a fresh start and hope, ultimately leading to a sense of belonging and contentment.
Cyclone, lost in the overtones
The repeated phrase highlights the idea of being swept away by distraction and superficial aspects, overshadowing the true essence.
Lost in the overtones
Reinforcing the concept of being distracted by unimportant details, ignoring the bigger picture.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MELANIE SAFKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gus K. Wellisch
This is the best song Melonie has has ever sang. In an interview she said the same thing.
Mike Pauley
Incredible artistry
Gus K. Wellisch
It's hard to believe Melanie didn't get more views on You Tube.
sauquoit13456
On this day in 1977 {February 12th} Melanie performed "Cyclone" on the ABC-TV Saturday-afternoon program, 'American Bandstand'...
"Cyclone" was track one of side one on her 1976 album, 'Photograph'...
And on the same 'Bandstand' episode she also performed "The Nickel Song", it had peaked at #35 in 1972 on Billboard's Top 100 chart...
Between 1970 and 1974 the Astoria, Queens, New York native had nine records on the Billboard's Top 100 chart, two made the Top 10 with one reaching #1, "Brand New Key", for three weeks in December of 1971...
Besides "Brand New Key", her other Top 10 record was "Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)"*, it peaked at #6 for one week in July of 1970...
Melanie, born Melanie Anne Safka, celebrated her 74th birthday nine days ago on February 3rd, 2021...
* Melanie was accompanied by The Edwin Hawkins Singers on "Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)"...
TRamone01
I do like Beautiful People.