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| Mike and Melanie |
Dedicated to Peter Schekeryk
Husband, Father, Producer Ad Infinitum
In the early summer of 1970 my grandparents,
with whom I lived, were driving me to Detroit Michigan
to stay a few weeks with my mother. As we approached Detroit on Interstate 94, I heard a rumble.
My grandfather heard the same rumble. He pulled the car over to the shoulder
and investigated. Flat tire, passenger, rear.
So we opened the trunk and he
proceeded to change the tire. Having my transistor radio with me, I tuned into
CKLW, a Windsor
Ontario station, to
listen to the Rock tunes. It was at that time, along interstate 94, right
alongside where the giant Uniroyal Tire stood, that I first heard “Lay Down” by
Melanie.
I was instantly a fan of Melanie. I loved
the sentiment of the song. Yes, I had peace and love and brotherhood values. I
was a wanna be hippy living a conventional life. But I could live that hippy
life through Melanie!
Upon reaching Detroit, I looked for the nearest rock record
store. I found the perfect one. It was lighted by blue light. It was fragranced
by incense. It had a one- page newsletter that dated itself according to “the
revolution”. This date read “June, 2nd year of the Revolution”. I
assumed they counted from the 1968 Chicago
march at the Democratic Convention (the whole world’s watching). Yes, the
perfect place to ask about the new Melanie single “Lay Down”. Of course they
had it. They specialized in hippy, peace and love culture.
I continued being a Melanie fan. “Peace Will
Come”, “The Good Book”, “Gather Me”, “Stoneground Words” and more. I always
wanted to attend a Melanie concert but they were always out of reach.
Until, Friday, September 16 at the Green
Wood Coffee House in Ann
Arbor Michigan.
I find it interesting that the location of the Melanie concert I got to attend
was so close to the Allen Park
Michigan location where I first
heard her on the radio.
With her accomplished son, Beau, to her
right, and a vase of flowers to her left, Melanie greeted the assembled
multitude with “Wow, it feels like I was just here.” And she was just there
about this time last year. The crowd, obvious regulars, clapped in affirmation.
As if an homage to her fans and her place
in their hearts and history, Melanie opened with “Beautiful People”, delivering
a performance undiminished by time or age. Melanie made the song as crisply present
as ever it originally was.
There were about two and a half hours of
amusing as well as informative story, song and interaction with the crowd. We
enjoyed a career’s breadth of material.
“Jamming Alone”, “I tried to
Die Young”, “Rock and Roll Heart”,”Do You Believe”, of course “Lay Down”, and
many others including my favorite, the amusing, “Alexander Beetle”.
As this post is dedicated to Peter Schekeryk,
I would be negligent in my attempt to show proper respect if I not mention
Beau, his son…
Folks, from what I heard last
night, Beau, who accompanied Melanie, and performed a few instrumental numbers
by himself, is as good as any legendary rock guitarist we have ever heard,
Hendrix, Santana, Jimmy Page, and others not coming to mind. He plays flamenco
style guitar with an entertaining skill worthy of much more attention than he receives.
If you ever have a chance to attend a Melanie concert, expect much from Beau as
well. Melanie referred to him as “my second mind”.
And of course Beau’s sisters, Jeordie and
Leilah, also have musical skills and careers worthy of checking out.
Melanie presented much more than just an exercise
in nostalgia. Melanie has managed to gently bring along whatever, and
whoever she was in 1968, 1969, and all years to this very present. She reminds
us that our past is truly not a static thing set in the irretrievable distance.
Our past lives within us at this present moment and as we approach the future,
we bring along with us more and more of who we are. Melanie invites the future
to cooperate, participate in our celebrations of the moment.
It was indeed a great performance. But also,
for me, it satisfied a forty-six year old wish to hear Melanie perform live.
After the concert I waited in line to have
Melanie autograph the 45 RPM which I purchased at the record store in 1970. And
also to have my photo taken with her, evidence I suppose that “I was really
there.”
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| my copy of "Lay Down", purchased in Detroit 1970, autographed by Melanie |
As I approached the table, I extended my
hand to shake her hand, I made deliberate eye contact, and I confess that for
a moment I thought “wow, I am shaking the hand of someone who performed at Woodstock!”. That moment
was brief. As I stood at the table, having my photo taken, I asked Melanie…”when
and where did you and Peter meet?” I am a romantic, and I was hoping to hear
some romantic story about how she spilled tea on him at some coffee shop, or
how she tripped and fell into his arms. But the answer I received was “we were
in New York,
he was a producer and I was his client”. Now, I am sure that there is a
romantic version that the children know. But this account was meaningful enough
to me, a fan. This account firmly focused on the music. This account presented to me what was intended
by Peter and Melanie all those years of making records, that they were a team,
musically, ethically, respecting their fans. I was pleased to accept, as a
gift, that which I was intended to enjoy and appreciate... the music which they created
together.
True, it wasn’t only Melanie that captured my musical interest along interstate 94 as the tire was being changed. I am a fan of
production. I find as much satisfaction in paying attention to the mixing of
stereo effect, vocals, instruments, background, and so I became a fan of
producer Peter Schekeryk also. It turns out that they, Melanie and Peter, were
a very well-matched couple, in music, and in life. I celebrate their lives
together and I continue to remember Peter each time I hear a Melanie record
played. Peter continues to live in the musical influence and effect which he
brought to Melanie.
It’s a long time from being
fifteen years of age in 1970 to a sixty-one-year-old in 2016. But, never did I
forget. There is this quip about the 1960s that goes “if you can remember the
60s, you weren’t really there.” I always thought that to be much uninformed
rhetoric. Melanie has a lyric that better brings the true point…
“To be
there is to remember
Lay it down again
Lay down
Lay down
Lay it down again
Men can live as brothers
Candles in the rain..”
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| Melanie's guitar, post performance |
Additional
information regarding 1970: Melanie reaches number 10 on CKLW survey: Paul
McCartney, Jackson
5, Carpenters, Elvis, Beatles…she’s in pretty lofty company!
CKLW,
Detroit/Windsor,
Survey previewed
Monday June 22, 1970
TW TITLE ARTIST LW
1. Ball of Confusion Temptations 2
2. Hitchin a Ride Vanity Fare 3
3. Why Cant I Touch You Ronnie Dyson 10
4. Ooh Child 5 Stairsteps 1
5. Mama Told Me Three Dog Night 6
6. The Love You Save Jackson
5 5
7. The Wonder of You Elvis Presley 9
8. That Same Old Feeling Pickettywitch 4
9. How Bout a Little Hand Boys in the Band 8
10. Lay Down
(Candles in the Rain) Melanie
20
11.
Vibrations Eric &
The Vikings 19
12. Ride Captian
Ride Blues Image 17
13. Drop by my
Place Carl Carlton 16
14. You've Been
My Inspiration Main Ingredient 21
15. Save the
Country Fifth
Dimension 18
16. Maybe I'm
Amazed Paul McCartney 15
17. Gimme Dat
Ding Pipkins 28
18. Love on a TWo Way Street Moments 12
19. Long & Winding Road Beatles 7
20. Signed
Sealed Delivered Stevie
Wonder --
21. Tighter
Tighter Alive &
Kicking 26
22. Mississippi
Queen Mountain 13
23. Steal
Away Johnny
Taylor --
24. The End of
the Road Marvin Gaye 27
25. Pearl Tommy Roe 29
26. Are You
Ready Pacific Gas & Eletric --
27. Cinnamon
Girl Neil Young 30
28. Come on
Down Savage Grace --
29. Close to
You Carpenters --
30. Lay a Little
Love on Me Robin McNamara --
HITBOUND:
Spill the Wine - Eric Burdon & War
