Everyday Creation
Everyday Creation is about purpose, awe and good vibrations. The show's title refers to three types of creation: The ways we express ourselves (for example, with art, music and so many other pursuits fueled by purpose and passion); the parts of life that fill us with awe (birth, death, love, the big picture); and our personal power to create our best possible lives while also making the world a better place. Here, you’ll encounter interviews, essays and some episodes created simply for information and fun. I'm your host Kate Jones, welcoming you to Everyday Creation.
Everyday Creation
Melanie, a Soloist at Woodstock, Had a #1 Hit with "Brand New Key"
Melanie was 22 and relatively unknown in the U.S. when she was invited to perform at Woodstock. Her set, which began at 1:30 a.m. in front of a throng of people holding lit candles in the rain, inspired her to write "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)," which became her first U.S. hit. Another of her songs, "Brand New Key," was her biggest hit, reaching number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1971.
To hear Melanie sing "Brand New Key," check out this charming video.
The photo of Melanie in the thumbnail for this episode is a 1975 publicity shot credited to the William Morris Agency. There are a couple of other images in the chapters, one from her "Candles in the Rain" album cover. The second one is a 1971 Billboard advertisement for "Brand New Key." I found both the publicity shot and the ad on Wikipedia.
This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written about the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. We'll have the 2022 tributes available later this year.
Sheldon also is the creator of Song of the Day, a story that he sends by email to a list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.
This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.
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Tribute excerpt:
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"She wasn't well known in the U.S. when
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she was invited to play at Woodstock.
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She was 22, and her mother drove her
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to the festival.
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She was used to playing in Greenwich Village
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coffee houses, not in front of 400,000
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people."
Kate:
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That's just a snippet
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of Sheldon Zoldan's tribute to Melanie,
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who died in January
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2024.
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For more, here's the rest of the story.
Sheldon:
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Besides Cher, who was the female singer with
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hit songs in the late 1960s,
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early 1970s
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known only by her first name?
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She was one of two female singers who
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played solo at Woodstock.
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The correct answer is Melanie.
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Melanie Safka died January 23rd.
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She was 76.
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Melanie was born in Astoria, New York. Her
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mother was a jazz singer.
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Melanie found early success in Europe where she
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had a number one hit, "Bobo's Party," in
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France in 1969.
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She wasn't well known in the U.S. when
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she was invited to play at Woodstock.
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She was 22, and her mother drove her
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to the festival.
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She was used to playing in Greenwich Village
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Coffeehouses,
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not in front of 400,000
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people.
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She started her set at 1:30
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a.m. with the rain accompanying her.
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The rain-drenched audience
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reacted to her, lighting candles and looking like an
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overlit birthday cake.
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The candles inspired her to write the song
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"Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" about her
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experience at Woodstock.
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She recorded it with the Edwin Hawkins Singers,
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and it became her first U.S. hit.
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The song reached number 6 on the Billboard
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Hot 100.
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She did better with "Brand New Key," which
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she wrote after a 27-day fast of
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only mineral water.
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She was attracted to the greasy smell of
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a McDonald's
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combo hamburger.
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She said she wrote the song immediately after.
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She thought it was a stupid little song.
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Her husband, her music producer,
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thought it was a hit.
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He was right.
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It reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot
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100
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in December
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1971
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and stayed there for three weeks.
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The innocent song
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didn't come without controversy.
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Some radio stations wouldn't play it because they thought
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it was a sexual innuendo,
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a lock and a key. Get it?
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Others thought it referred to drugs, as in
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a kilo.
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The song would be her last big hit,
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though she continued to record
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and do concerts for the next 40 years.
Kate:
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This is Kate Jones. You'll find a lot
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of other tributes on Everyday Creation.
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Please check them out, and thank you for
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listening.
