Melissa Manchester - Unexpected Song from "Song and Dance"

[comactortony]

When I was 10 years old I went to NYC while shoppin in the vilge I wandered into a record store & began thumbing thru LPs & heard RESCUE ME. then COME IN FROM THE RAIN they blew me away. thats it, I gotta know who this is! I marched to the clerk & asked. 'M M, That DONT CRY OUT LOUD CHICK?' ' yea dats the one' ' I'll TAKE IT!" So Better Days is the first LP I ever bought. Last year, while driving to Newark I picked up the CD So I could hear it ALL again as the NYC skyline comes into view

[mtames2002]

I have been told that I was named after her!! Melissa!! Love her and our name!

[aaprato]

Start with a lower key if you can't reach the high notes in the end! DON'T CHEAT by changing the melody of the song!!!

[mjaliveinmusic]

what a great voice.....moving voice....

[setunle]

This song has fond memories for me as I used to hum it \t school in 1972-3. Was that long after it was written?

[1AdrianR]

@setunle That was before it was written...

[mzmiller52]

anyone have any video of melissa as one of bette's harlettes, carnegie hall, bottom line? also, how about ellen greene's version of "home to myself"?

[Zippertheslipper]

Wow, she is so hot and good singing, why ain't she more on television and such, a beautiful singer she is. 

[keanekkk]

I, too, love Melissa. Saw her 1st time at the Roxy in L.A. early 70`. She opened for someone else...do not even remember who...cause was so blown away by her. Had all the lp`s, have replaced most w/cd`s. Saw her last a couple of yrs ago in Las Vegas.

[mrpungyao]

wow. ilove melissa manchester but this song is altered from start to finish and she cheats the song in a lot of places. now i'm curious as to how the rest of her performance in the show went...thanks for posting.

[logician30]

I don't like the end. It's not thrilling at all. she is a great vocalist. i wonder why she did not go for the high note at the end.

[Livingallalone]

I don't agree ballet boy but I guess we can't all like the same things, but I take just about any of her lps of orningal songs over that tribute lp..but glad you liked it.

[the3ms3]

Perfection!

[macklincrux]

I've seen a lot of Broadway and theater in my life and saw Song and Dance several times in New York with Bernadette Peters but one of the regrets I've always had was never seeing Melissa Manchester do the role. I found out by accident and called all over about a US tour featuring Manchester in the role. I never found where it was playing and like I said, it's one of my regrets in life. I found this on the internet when telling some friends about it.

[Livingallalone]

Melissa recorded some of all time favorite Lps ever. "Home To Myself", "Bright Eyes', "Melissa", "better days" and up to "Help is On the Way" I just Loved to death. I admit when she got glam and moved to more MOR I wasn't AS big a fan-but then a few years she released "When I look Down That Road" and It reminded me of a woman that I played as teen ager and so related to.

Also She is a Lovely Lady too boot and is great to see live if oyu get the chance.

[luvlakesuperior]

I have never seen this! Thanks so much. See is my all time favorite. Probably seen her 10 times which is still not enough!

[dynamicduonyc]

This is amazing. I am a huge Melissa Manchester fan. This was actually recorded during her performance of the show in Miami, 1987. I was there that night. She was sensational.

[Whitepussyass]

What do you mean this was actualloy recorded during her performance of the show in Miami? This is from "The Tonight Show," from Burbank, California.

And she actually performed this song two different times on "The Tonight Show."

[spongeworthyvideo]

You are right Whitepussyass. I didn't put his name or show in the tag lines for carson production co. will have youtube boot me. I prefer not to use his name at all.

[Whitepussyass]

Yeah, I understand that part, spongeworthyvideo about not mentioning the show in your info. it was more in response to the comment that it was recorded during her performance of show in Miami.

[BalletBabyBoy]

What a great artist..if only she had recorded this and better songs...her only really good cd is the one with standards on it...shame a brilliant singer!

[mightabeenking]

she sounds really great, but she looks like a drag queen.

[1Mangotang]

I agree. :P

[scootmandubious]

Glad to see I was not the only Melissa Manchester fan on here. I have been in radio for 30 years. I discovered her whie a college dj at UW Madison. The B-side of Home to Myself was a jazz version of Never Never Land, which I would give anything to hear again.

I have interviewed celebrities many times over the years, but only met Melissa once, when she was promoting the Pretty Girls single. I adore her and have quite an extensive collection of her songs on my Ipod (as well as vinyl)

[bassandguitarguy]

Cool! never saw her live except on TV. Do have a 1980 concert on VHS. plus all her LP's and the last 5 on CD's.

Happy 58th to Melissa today 2-15-09!

[spongeworthyvideo]

oh..you are a hardcore fan like me. You need to go see her. Check her website for concerts. I love seeing her live!

[elcabrone]

saw her when she toured with 'Song and Dance' way back when ~ she was MAGNIFICENT!!! glad they've finally released ALL her old albums on cd. luv this woman!!!!!

[spongeworthyvideo]

Thanks for your message. I've seen Melissa about 25 times in concert since the early 80's but never did see Song and Dance. It didn't come anywhere near me sadly. Sure wish her website would be updated more...need to plan when I'll see her next. She's a great lady with a fantastic voice!

[baadpuddytat]

it's a parody, right? this was on snl or letterman, right? RIGHT???

[deepkeel65]

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

[Sian0806]

Yeah... no wonder she can belt it out like that, she sings the song about six notes lower than the original.

She sings it nicely, although it's not my favorite.

[encorebc]

It's just a key. And it's Lloyd Webber. It's not like he writes things brilliantly and in a particular key, so why not.

[coltranes]

There's a big aural debate about whether the key a song is sung in affects its emotional impact. This is not helped by the fact that music journalists frequently misused the term 'perfect pitch' or - even worse - corrupt it and talk 'pitch-perfect'.

Personally, I'm from the school that any key is good, but others insist that B-flat major has a greater emotional punch than C major.

[blakpach]

woo hoo - my fave!

[blakpach]

woo hoo - my fave!!

[spongeworthyvideo]

yes, she's amazing at the end especially isn't she? Sure hope I don't get booted off of here again.