Beautiful People: The Greatest Hits of Melanie

I enjoy each of Melanie's albums, and every time I listen to her music, I reminisce to when I first heard her music. Thank You Melanie, for your excellent music!

In terms of her greatest hits, this leaves out two while including several album cuts and failed singles. The missing hits were, in fact, her last two, both of which originally came out on the Neighborhood label she started with husband/producer Peter Schekeryk: Bitter Bad, a # 12 Adult Contemporary (AC) and # 36 Billboard Pop Hot 100 in the spring of 1973 b/w Do You Believe? (which also made it to # 115 on the Hot 100 "Bubble Under" charts; and her cover of the 1961 Shirelles hit Will You Love Me Tomorrow? which finished at # 42 AC/# 82 Hot 100 in January 1974 b/w Here I Am.

Her only other four hits on Neighborhood are, however, included: the smash Brand New Key (a # 1 Hot 100 for 3 weeks and # 5 AC in late 1971 b/w Some Say (I Got Devil); Ring The Living Bell (a # 18 AC/# 31 Hot 100 in early 1972 b/w Railroad); Together Alone (a # 86 Hot 100 in November 1972 b/w Center Of The Circle; and Lover's Cross (a # 109 Hot 100 "Bubble Under" in August 1974 b/w Holding Out. None of those B-sides are here.

The rest of her hit singles came out on Buddah, beginning with her first in the spring of 1970, Lay Down (Candles In The Rain) billed as Melanie with The Edwin Hawkins Singers and which peaked at # 6 Hot 100 b/w Candles In The Rain by Melanie alone. Late that summer she had Peace Will Come (According To Plan) rise to # 32 Hot 100 b/w Close To It All on some releases of Buddah 186, and Stop! I Don't Wanna Hear It Anymore on some issues of that same label number. That last also scored at # 112 on the Hot 100 "Bubble Under" charts in October 1970.

Her cover of the Rolling Stones # 1 1967 hit, Ruby Tuesday, only managed a # 52 Hot 100 in late 1970/early 1971 b/w Merry Christmas, and in early 1972, The Nickel Song finished at # 30 AC/# 35 Hot 100 b/w What Have They Done To My Song, Ma? which is the only B-side included here. Melanie wrote this tune for The New Seekers who had a 1970 # 4 AC/# 14 Hot 100 hit with it as Look What They'd Done To My Song Ma. In 1972 the late, great Ray Charles took it to # 25 R&B/# 65 Hot 100.

Normally, I'd deduct 2 stars for the omission of two of just 11 registered hits in a 19-track "greatest hits" album, but this not only has excellent sound quality, but seven full pages of fascinating background notes written in May 1999 by David Okamoto, music editor of The Dallas Morning News as well as being a contributing editor to ICE Magazine, a full page containing Melanie's thoughts behind Summer Of Love II, and a complete discography of the contents. The additional photographs sprinkled throughout are, however, rather small and dark.

'Beautiful People: The Greatest Hits of Melanie' is a superb collection of Melanies' many great hits. Best known for the #1 hit 'Brand New Key', Melanie shows the wide range of her singing/songwriting ability on this CD.

Included is 'Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)', a gosepl song with the Edwin Hawkins singers singing back-up. 'Beautiful People' is also an amazing song, that crescendos to a phenomenal, inspiring vow. Other tracks are 'Summer of Love II', 'Ruby Tuesday', and 'Animal Crackers'.

Melanie is more that a 'one-hit wonder'. From folk to gospel to pop - Melanie did it all - and did it all well. With 18 tracks, this CD certainly has both quantity and quality. *****

This CD is an excellent start for your Melanie collection. It contains almost all her most well-known songs and a selection of other songs that show off her vocal range, lyrical depth, and sometimes childlike imagination. Melanie's music serves to remind us that innocence is a state of mind. Personal favorites include Ring the Living Bell, Leftover Wine, and Peace Will Come(According To Plan).

Since Melanie didn't have that many albums, this is probably the most complete variety of her work. She may sound screechy at times but that was her style and part of her charm..