Hippy Stuff

A re recording of Melanie's hit song Brand New Key

Brand New Version Brand New Key

MELANIE Do You Believe

Melanie Safka first attracted national attention when she stepped onto the stage at Woodstock. The summer of '69. As dawn broke, and rain began to fall, she performed on a stage that transformed a generation and changed music forever.

Angel Watching

"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."

Hushabye

The recording session as it used to be:

I would prepare as for a stage performance with more emphasis even, on my voice. Vocal exercises teas and elixirs. If an evening session my last meal eaten would be at noon. An afternoon session hardly ever for me, nothing except maybe broth. Then I’d get there usually before the musicians, and they’d come in with shop talk and jokes. Session musicians. These were my songs. They were about to be flushed out and embellished for the purpose of reaching the masses. The first sessions were painful mostly. There was usually a session leader; union guys, arrangers (Roger Kellaway), charts, an engineer. Through these people with me as focal point, (sometimes), as we are talking a lot of male in the room. All the musicians were union; had all graduated from Berkeley or Julliard. Roger had worked with Ballanchine. Labels were loose with funds. The return on investment being greater than the investment, or so easily recoupable by keeping the Artist “in the red”!

I digress. The point is it was me having to defend, protect and keep pure my songs. Peter was the defender of my voice, but had his idea of my next “hit”. Hit? Me? For me it was to communicate the songs from my intensely personal feelings to “out there”.
Who knows what or where it will land “out there“. In the spirit of releasing the trapped thing ~ and always up to a higher place where it could be heard by others, lift spirits or share pain, amplifying itself to the God ear and so on. Later on, sessions became more about the drug of choice, depending on the times and what was cool, and what was not.

Present Day 

Now a sessions is ~ “Mama, do you feel good? I need you to do a vocal” “On what?”
“I Tried To Die Young” (Now in it’s third incarnation.)

“I’m going to chop this broccoli first, and then I’ll be up in about twenty minutes.” And in less than a month: There it is ~ And it’s finished! Right up to the God ear and more. It is my personal sway. As if it were all me. It is my second heartbeat. The true soul of the songs. The life I’ve sworn to protect and release; Keeping intact the ever so delicate essence, the heart and soul of it for you, my dear ones. Immaculate ~ The best recording ever made. Thanks to Beau-Jarred, my child’s brainchild, George Wurzbach and Peter.
I’ve got to go and cook the broccoli… Neuvorganic

-Love, Melanie

I Tried To Die Young

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.

The Ballad of Crazy Love

Melanie at Long View Farm recording studio, 1987. This song appeared (in slightly different forms) on 'Melanie' (The Dutch Album, '87), 'Cowabonga' ('89) and 'Precious Cargo' ('91).

MELANIE SAFKA It Only Goes To Show You ('87)

Session recording from '77, Melanie's homage to Joan Armatrading who she says is her favourite songwriter.

MELANIE Down To Zero (J.Armatrading)

I look across to the waterline 
the shore ~ trees 
then sky knowing full well 
there's more 
when will I see the rest

Eyes Of Man

'You can put your light in my dark sky'
Unreleased treasure that was asked for in the Q&A for Melanie Monday on Twitter

Horny Organic Farmer Lady Shuffle

Ruby Tuesday (Melanie Safka cover)

Melanie with the crowd on stage in New York City at the Metropolitan Opera House in '74. A rare recording from the soundboard with grateful thanks to Mark Sumner!

MELANIE Love To Lose Again — Metropolitan Opera NYC '74

On my Facebookpage https://www.facebook.com/therealmelaniesafka
someone wrote:
Melanie's song "Beautiful People" on the "Ring The Living Bell, A Collection" album is like a beautiful love song to all of humanity and soothes and comforts me every evening as I settle into my spiritual time of day. You all need to check out the version on this album!

Beautiful People - Ring the Living Bell Collections 1999

TONIGHT'S THE KIND OF NIGHT
Writer: Melanie Safka

Tonight's the kind of night
Where all things come together
Tonight's the kind of night
Where nothing need be said
Tonight's the kind of night
Where all the lamps are burning
And nobody wants to go to bed

Some will have crackers and
Some will have pudding
Soup and crispies and home made bread
And no one will go hungry
And lovers will be faithful
We'll sip a little cup and
Then we'll sip another and we'll sing

Come all ye faithful tonight, sing out
Merry Christmas, oh yeah!
Ave Maria we'll try, one more time
Merry Christmas

Mommy's and Daddy's are loving all their children
And from a distant room
We can hear then giggling
One of them is dreaming
The world a little brighter
And everyone is listening
To the song in their head, and they sing

Come all ye faithful tonight, sing out
Merry Christmas, oh yeah!
Ave Maria we'll try, one more time
Merry Christmas

Tonight's the kind of night
The world won't hold us down here
From planet to planet
From star to star
We'll shire our little light
That everyone can follow
Tonight's the kind of night
Where all the lamps are burning
And no one will go hungry
And lovers will be faithful
Tonight's the kind of night
Where all things come together
Tonight I make a promise
That I will sing forever
Tonight the kisses fly from all out little fingers
And nobody wants to go to bed

Come all ye faithful tonight, sing out
Merry Christmas, oh yeah!
Ave Maria we'll try, one more time
Merry Christmas

Come all ye faithful tonight, sing out
Merry Christmas, oh yeah!
Ave Maria we'll try, one more time
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas

Tonight's The Kind Of Night

A Kiss From The Heart

Unreleased recording made at 914 Studios, New York, on November 21, 1973. Originally a hit by the Five Stairsteps, it was written by Stan Vincent. Melanie subtly altered the lyrics in a couple of places; can you pick them? 

MELANIE Ooh Child (S.Vincent)

(2015 Version)Look What They've Done To My Song Ma - Miley Cyrus & Melanie Safka - Backyard Sessions

Breathtaking performance of a song that has become an anthem for the people of South Korea. From the album 'United Kingdom Live', originally entitled 'Live in Morecambe UK '08'.

MELANIE SAFKA The Saddest Thing (LIVE '08)

Amazing unreleased cover of a song by Carole Bayer Sager and Peter Allen, recorded in '74 during the 'As I See It Now' sessions

Hippy Stuff

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