Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Artists - L to Z»Artists - M
    Artists - M Music - 1970s 2 Mins Read

    Melanie

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    Melanie Safka was born on 3 February 1947 in Astoria, Long Island, New York, of Ukrainian/Italian parentage. Her rise to stardom reads like a modern-day fairy tale.

    In 1966 while auditioning for a bit part in a play, she accidentally walked into a music publisher’s office where she was asked to sing and play her guitar. Fortunately, they liked her and invited her back.

    The company in question was none other than Columbia Records. The budding songwriter/singer was then assigned to producer Peter Schekeryk who was to become her husband and father of their three children.

    melanie3After two flop singles, Melanie signed to a label called Buddha late in 1968, and her first album, Born To Be, revealed her to be a childlike and coy vocalist. When the LP hit the shops in May 1969 she was invited to play at the Woodstock festival later that year.

    Then in 1970, The Seekers had a US hit with one of Melanie’s better-known songs, What Have They Done To My Song, Ma? while she herself made the UK Top 10 with a melancholy version of Ruby Tuesday (from the pen of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards). Both songs were from her accompanying Top 5 album, Candles In The Rain.

    This golden period saw her release three more successful albums, the last of which (Gather Me) featured an American #1,  Brand New Key – a slightly risqué song about a pair of roller-skates and an adjustment key.

    Melanie’s commercial clout dwindled as the 70s wore on, and as her record sales fell away, the record label she had started with her husband went belly up. Atlantic picked her up for the 1979 album Photograph.

    While Melanie could never recover her former star status, her cult following allowed her to keep on releasing albums throughout the 80s and 90s, mainly on independent labels.

    melanie2

    Related Posts

    • Aliens, The
      Aliens, The
      The Aliens were one of the first Australian bands of…
    • Holly & The Italians
      Holly & The Italians
      Holly Beth Vincent was born in Chicago but grew up…
    • Ken Dodd
      Ken Dodd
      Ken Dodd, OBE, Britain's King of Comedy, was also a…
    • Axiom
      Axiom
      Formed in Melbourne in 1969, Axiom were arguably Australia's first…
    • Caleb Quaye
      Caleb Quaye
      Caleb Quaye (he is the half-brother of Finley Quaye) was…
    • Monkees, The
      Monkees, The
      The advertisement in Variety proclaimed "Madness!! Auditions. Folk & Roll musicians-singers for…
    • Millie Small
      Millie Small
      Born Millicent Small in Clarendon, south Jamaica, she was one…
    • Ian Dury (& The Blockheads)
      Ian Dury (& The Blockheads)
      With or without his backing band The Blockheads, Ian Dury…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleMegadeth
    Next Article Mellow Candle

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • No Cloak – No Dagger
      1 9 6 3 (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes This high-quality six-part […]
    • Blue Cheer
      Blue Cheer emerged in 1967 under the cover of the San Francisco […]
    • Guns of Will Sonnett, The
      1 9 6 7 – 1 9 6 9 (USA) 50 x 30 minute episodes Ex-cavalry […]
    • ‘Neighbours’ house sells for $1.6m (AUD)
      3 May 2021 A nondescript brick house at 1 Pinoak Court, Vermont […]
    • Step by Step
      1 9 9 1 – 1 9 9 8 (USA) 160 x 30 minute episodes When […]
    • Sharon O’Neill
      Pint-sized Sharon O’Neill was one of many musicians from […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.