Music Banter - Candles in the rain 1970

:soapbox:New member here: I fell into this site while riding a wave. They always drop you in the darnest paces.

OK, I will review one of my favorite albums of all time.
Candles in the rain - Melanie - 1970
I was 15 years old when this album came out. It began a love afair with an artist I am still having to this day. Melanie (AKA Melanie Safka) wrote most of the songs on this LP. Let's see if I have any talent to write about them. You be the judge but, I know I am a terrible speller. Please forgive.

The first song on the LP is a short lead-in to the top selling and first single from the album.
Song#1 Candles in the rain
It's a native American chant of sort with a poem about the 1969 Woodstock fest. Short,sweet, and to the point kind of song. 1 minute long.

Track#2 Lay Down
This was the big hit of the LP. It reacked #6 on Billboards hot100 in the spring of 1970. There is a great story that goes along with this track. It seems Melanie had some kind of "out of body" experience when she walked onto a wet stage at Woodstock. They put her on because they needed someone not needing electricity. The rain was pouring down as thousands and thousands of people lit candles in the rain while Melanie sang. Ever wonder where "flicking your bic" at concerts started? Now you know.

Melanie wrote a real winner here. She asked a famous (at the time) black gospel group to back her up in the studio. The Edwin Hawkins singers added the drama the song needed to push it into the top ten.

I am hoping this song will be used in the new movie "Taking Woodstock" (in production now).

track#3 Loving baby girl
Song about selling herself. Hard rocking with wawa peddles!

track#4 Citiest People
Song about the dirty city of New York and how it can screw up a nice person. Slow, sad song.

track#5 Leftover wine
If you ever heard Melanie sing live, you remember this one. I don't know what to say, her voice hypomitizes (told you I can't spell) you on this one. It's a WOW kind of song.

track#6 Alexander Beetle
Silly song about loosing her pet beetle.

#7 The Good Guys
Not sure what this song is all about. freaky.

track#8 Carolina in my mind
A James Taylor cover. Very nice!

track #9 Ruby Tuesday
Rolling Stones cover.
This song topped out at a #6 single in England and opened her music to the European market in a BIG way!

track#10 What have they done to my song, Ma?
Fun song that Melanie wrote and that the New Seekers to to #5 on billboard hot 100.

This album took Melanie to the top where she stayed for a nice 3 year run. She went on to sell over 80 millon albums in the years that followed. I'm tired of writting but, did I do OK for my first post?
Peace,
Jim Baldwin
Spokane WA
My personal little site: LetHerIn dot org

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