RIP Melanie Safka

Serendipity, hadn't thought of her in years, in perusing youtube few weeks ago came across some live videos, brought back good memories! All these artists of my youth passing, always stay forever young in my memory.

I don't begrudge Melanie Safka's success with the roller skate love song, "Brand New Key", which I still sing along with-- in private.  I would guess that song fed and clothed her (and her family) for many a year (although her husband, her record producer, was successful as well). The song probably brought otherwise unaware listeners to her body of work. Like me, a high school hard rocker. I still have "Gather Me". the first Melanie record I bought. I used to be asked to bring records to parties. Melanie's face on that cover was vandalized one night. I took it personally. But the act bonded me to her. She and I were of the same generation. God speed, Melanie

https://youtu.be/0b9W_z7Rm9E

Cheers @tomic601

I saw her at a small concert with about 100 in attendance about 10 years ago. It was an intimate and stoned (her not me) affair but only got going at the end, after she got past the novelty tracks.

When she does the serious stuff, she really excels in raw emotion.

I was surprised when I read this this  morning as she really wasn’t that old.

 Thank you for the music you left me with.

My first musical crush in my teen years. RIP, Melanie, thanks for your contributions and memories!

@larryi 

I certainly got the metaphor, I just thought that it was stupid.

RIP…. and what artist of any enduring worth / substance / ? has not taken a path with risks ?….. 

thx Brian

I don't know about coy and childish.  Isn't the song pretty much all sexual innuendo?  What did people think was the roller skate and what was the key?

I was in college 1966 to 1970. Melanie was a dream, Beautiful People,

Among my CDs and LPs, this Live Melanie at Carnegie Hall is outstanding!!!

It is a damn shame she became known to so many by the stupid roller-skate song.

Saw her live a few times, smallest place was the Turning Point, Piermont, NY

Live in Central Park

RIP

I personally think that she sank her career with that Brand New Key song. It was so coy and childish, nothing like her previous stuff.

An Icon of the 70´s. 
 

Just heard the sad news.

She had a wonderful voice.  Loved her.

R.I.P. Melanie

Sad to read this