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)
When i need you
Melanie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just close my eyes and I’m with you
And all that I so want to give you
It’s only a heartbeat away
When I need love
I hold out my hands and I touch love
I never knew there was so much love
Miles and miles of empty space in between us
A telephone can’t take the place of your smile
But you know I won’t be travelling forever
It’s cold out, but hold out, and do I like I do
When I need you
I just close my eyes and I’m with you
And all that I so wanna give you
It’s only a heartbeat away
It’s not easy when the road is your driver
That’s a heavy load that we bear
But you know I won’t be travelling a lifetime
It’s cold out, but hold out, and do like I do
When I need you
I close my eyes and I’m with you
And all that I so want to give you
It’s only a heartbeat away
I just hold out my hands
I just hold out my hands
And I’m with you darlin’
All that I so want to give you
It’s only a heartbeat away
When I need love
I just hold out my hand and I touch love
I never knew there was so much love
Keeping me warm night and day
So just hold out your hand
Just hold out your hand
I’ll be with you darlin’
All that I so want to give you
It’s only a heartbeat away
We just hold out our hands
Hold out our hands
And I’m with you darlin’
Only a heartbeat away
The song "When I Need You", performed by Melanie, is a love song about the power of love to connect two people separated by distance. The lyrics convey the idea that even though there may be miles of empty space between the two lovers, they can still feel each other's presence and affection through the power of their love. The lyrics also suggest that love can provide warmth and comfort, even on the coldest of days.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "When I need you, I just close my eyes and I'm with you", which emphasizes the idea that love knows no boundaries and can transcend physical distance. The singer also mentions holding out her hands to touch and feel love, which further underscores the idea that love is a powerful force that can unite two people.
The verses of the song mention the difficulties of being apart from a loved one, but also express the singer's hope and determination to stay connected despite the obstacles. The lyrics suggest that the singer and her lover will be reunited at some point, and that they will be able to overcome the challenges of being apart.
Overall, "When I Need You" is a beautiful and touching love song that conveys the idea that love knows no distance and can overcome any obstacle that stands in its way.
Line by Line Meaning
When I need you
When I feel lost and alone, I think of you
I just close my eyes and I’m with you
I imagine you're beside me, comforting me
And all that I so want to give you
All of the love and affection I have for you
It’s only a heartbeat away
It's within reach, just a moment away
When I need love
When I'm feeling unloved or disconnected
I hold out my hands and I touch love
I reach out to you for the love and connection I need
I never knew there was so much love
I'm amazed by the amount of love and care you offer me
Keeping me warm night and day
Your love is a constant source of comfort and security for me
Miles and miles of empty space in between us
We're physically far apart from each other
A telephone can’t take the place of your smile
Hearing your voice on the phone isn't the same as seeing your smile in person
But you know I won’t be travelling forever
I won't be gone forever, just for a little while
It’s cold out, but hold out, and do I like I do
It's tough out here, but stay strong and think of me like I do of you
It’s not easy when the road is your driver
It's tough being constantly on the move and not having a stable home
That’s a heavy load that we bear
We both have to deal with the challenges of my constant travels
I just hold out my hands
I reach out to you when I need love and support
And I’m with you darlin’
You're always there for me when I need you
Only a heartbeat away
You're always close to me, even when we're far apart
So just hold out your hand
Reach out to me for love and support
We just hold out our hands
We both need love and support from each other
Contributed by Nathaniel G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.