Cover Picture

Melanie Video CD

MASTER Tone MM5114

also includes Audio CD

Total Running Time: 31 mins approx.

This video CD contains specific application programs for Windows PC and CD-I platforms. It will also play on Sega Saturn, 3DO, Amiga CD32 and Macintosh fitted with MPEG cartridges.

NO MPEG CARTRIDGE REQUIRED FOR PC

Minimum Specification: PC without MPEG card - Pentium P60, 8Mb Ram, Windows 3.1 or higher, Double Speed CD ROM drive. 640 x 480 screen resolution recommended.

Recommended Specifications using Software MPEG (on this disc) - Pentium P90, 8Mb Ram, Windows 3.1 or higher, Quad Speed CD ROM drive. DCI Graphics driver, 640 x 480 screen resolution recommended, at this resolution software MPEG will play full screen and full audio at approx. 22 frames per second.

CDI - CD-I player with MPEG cartridge


First discovered when she appeared at the legendary 1969 Woodstock festival in upstate New York, folk singer Melanie rapidly soared to international success with hits like Brand New Key and What Have They Done To My Song Ma.

Born Melanie Safka in February 1947 in New York City's Queens suburb, Melanie had caught the imagination of both record company moguls and the vast crowd at Woodstock with her moving version of Beautiful People. She was soon signed to Buddah Records and had her first recording success in 1970 with Lay Down (Candles In The Rain), when she was accompanied by the gospel choir the Edwin Hawkin Singers who had previously had a huge hit in their own right with Oh Happy Day.

Melanie's first UK hit came in September 1970 when her recording of The Rollng Stones' hit Ruby Tuesday reached number 9 and had a 14-week chart run. She followed it with one of her own songs, the quirky What Have They Done To My Song Ma?, which peaked at number 39 following stiff competition from The New Seekers. In early 1972 she had her biggest British hit with another of her own songs, Brand New Key, and followed it two years later with another Top 40 hit, Will You Love Me Tomorrow.

Melanie's recording success was reflected in her native country. Lay Down (Candles In The Rain) reached number 6 in the spring of 1970 and later that same year she reached the US top 40 with Peace Will Come (According To Plan). In December 1971 she triumphantly topped the US pop charts with Brand New Key which remained there for three weeks, and in the top 40 for over three months. Subsequent American hits include Ring The Living Bell (number 31), The Nickel Song (number 35), and Bitter Bad (number 36).

Melanie's biggest recording success was as an albums artist however. In the UK her classic album Candles In The Rain reached number 5 and remained in the top 50 for 27 weeks. Subsequent best-sellers included Leftover Wine (number 22), Good Book (number 9), Gather Me (number 14), Garden In The City (number 19), and The Four Sides Of Melanie (number 23).

In recent years Melanie has continued to write, record and perform, and she often plays benefit gigs and charity shows around the world. She may no longer have big hit records, but her music continues to make a major impression on her many loyal fans, and there are frequent revivals of her early songs like Brand New Key. This video captures a 1975 performance of Melanie and includes favourites like Beautiful People, Brand New Key, Peace Will Come and What Have They Done To My Song Ma?. It provides an insight into how she electrified the crowds at Woodstock …. Melanie's honesty, fragile appeal and sincere delivery of a song must have left most of the competition standing.

- Chris White

Back to Chronology

Back to Melanie