Daria's

Melanie

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melanie

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

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

MELANIE Down To Zero (J.Armatrading)

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)

I was just thinking
'Bout the way it's supposed to be
I'll eat the plants
And the fruit from the trees
And I'll live on vegetables
And I'll grow on seeds
But I don't eat animals
And they don't eat me
 
Oh no, I don't eat animals
'Cause I love them, you see
I don't eat animals
I want nothing dead in me
 
I don't eat white flour
White sugar makes you rot
Oh, white could be beautiful
But mostly it's not
A little bit of whole meal
Some raisins and cheese
But I don't eat animals
And they don't eat me
 
Oh no, I don't eat animals
'Cause I love them, you see
I don't eat animals
I want nothing dead in me
 
A little bit of whole meal
Some raisins and cheese
I'll eat the plants
And the fruit from the trees
And I'll live on vegetables
And I'll grow on seeds
But I won't eat animals
And they won't eat me
Oh no, I'll live on life
I want nothing dead in me
You know I'll become life
And my life will become me
You know I'll live on life
And my life will live on me

© Melanie Safka Schekeryk

I Don't Eat Animals

Beautiful People
You live in the same world as I do
But somehow I never noticed
You before today
I'm ashamed to say

Beautiful People
We share the same back door
And it isn't right
We never met before
But then
We may never meet again
If I weren't afraid you'd laugh at me
I would run and take all your hands
And I'd gather everyone together for a day
And when we're gathered
I'll pass buttons out that say
Beautiful People
Then you'll never be alone
'Cause there'll always be someone
With the same button on as you
Include him in everything you do

Beautiful People
You ride the same subway
As I do every morning
That's got to tell you something
We got so much in common
I go the same direction that you do
So if you take care of me
Maybe I'll take care of you

Beautiful People
You look like friends of mine
And it's about time
That someone said it here and now
I make a vow that sometime, somehow
I'll have a meeting
Invite everyone you know
I'll pass out buttons
For the ones come to show
Beautiful People
Never have to be alone
'Cause there'll always be someone
With the same button on as you
Include him in everything you do
He may be sitting right next to you
He may be a beautiful people too
And if you take care of him
Maybe he'll take care of you
'Cause all of the beautiful people do
And I'm a beautiful people too

©Melanie

Beautiful People

WPLJ-FM New York - Melanie with Tony Pigg 

Originally broadcast 1974 to promote "Madrugada". Includes a live performance of "Sweet Misery" and the debut of the new single "Love To Lose Again" (with unique ending).

Melanie - Archived Interview 1974

Pretty Little Baby (Virgin Mary)/ Hallelujah - Radio Broadcast 1975.


Pretty Little Baby - Hallelujah (Live 1975)

Ring The Living Bell: A Collection [Disc 2]

Ballerina

"Maybe Not For A Lifetime," recorded live in 1974 at Drury Lane. Photo ©Randy Morrison

Drury Lane 1974

Maybe Not For A Lifetime

I'd like to leave you with something warm
Maybe a whisper or a thank you or a love that lingers on
If I could leave with you a little bit of me somehow
I'd leave you with something warm
I'd like to tell you that you're beautiful, in everything you do
That you're a part of me, the heart of me, the mirror of the truth
And in return I'd like to give it all right back to you
I'd like to leave you with something warm
Love has always one excuse for every reason
So much love so precious little time my friends
We've all had our moments to believe in
So farewell until I see you all again
I'd like to leave you with something warm
Maybe an angel to fly you away from any harm
Or a little light that shines you all the way back home
I'd like to leave you with something warm
Now there's always one excuse for every reason
So much love so precious little time my friends
We've all had our moments to believe in
So farewell until I see you all again
I'd like to leave you with something warm
Maybe a whisper or a thank you or a love with open arms
Or a little light that shines you all the way back home
I'd like to leave you with something warm
I'd like to leave with something, something warm, something warm
I'd like to tell you that you're beautiful in everything you do
The part of me, the heart of me, the mirror of the truth
I'd like to tell you that you're beautiful
Something warm, something to take home
Something good and something kind
Warm your heart and ease your mind
Something warm

Live through the ages of Melanie

Something Warm live 92

Unreleased, unrestored session recording  from Fidelity Studios, Los Angeles, 1977. Words by Paul Campbell and Music by Huddie Ledbetter

MELANIE SAFKA Sweeter Than Wine

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

MELANIE SAFKA Shy As A Violet

A favourite of many fortunate to have heard this unreleased recording from the Suntreader Sessions, Sharon, Vermont, 1978. Written just before Melanie's Carnegie Hall appearance in June that year (she aired it at that show) and later included as part of her musical, 'Ace Of Diamonds'. We hope that this, along with a lot more wonderful unreleased material, will be officially released, at last, in the not too distant future.

Maybe Not For A Lifetime

Randy Morrison 1