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Topic ClosedMelody (France/Multi-National): Symphonic Prog

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DamoXt7942 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Melody (France/Multi-National): Symphonic Prog
    Posted: May 19 2017 at 00:58
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yam yam View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 29 2017 at 08:30
Thanks Keishiro - much appreciated! Thumbs Up
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 28 2017 at 18:02
Completed checking. IMHO their sound structure sounds like psychedelic keyboard-based symphonic progressive seasoned with heavy flavour.

Firstly Eclectic, secondly Psych. Not Crossover nor Heavy.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2017 at 10:52
^ Thanks for this Greg. I'll send the samples over to Keishiro, and let him have a think about what do do with the band. Thumbs Up
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2017 at 10:26
Although I have not heard more than the tracks you posted, David, I'm hearing a mix of Symph, Psych flourishes and Heavy Prog, which would put them in the Art Rock camp for me (a category some will remember here before it was split). I'd think Eclectic Prog for that mix, or if it's more commercially oriented overall, then Crossover.

Edited by Logan - April 26 2017 at 10:29
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2017 at 10:24
Well, Louis is also member of the Heavy Prog team, so if he thinks they are only fit for Prog Related (and there is not a cat's chance in Hell of the band being added there) then I can't really see the point of sending the suggestion over to HP, though I'll leave that decision in his own capable hands. I don't personally hear this music as something that would be acceptable to the Psych team either. Sure there are psychedelic elements here, but not sufficient for overall inclusion in that sub imho.

It wasn't my suggestion to begin with, though I DO believe the band ought to be in the archives somewhere, at least. All the references I found on line are in agreement that the music is indeed prog, so it seems to me that we ought to do what we can to find a home for them here.

If siLLy puPPy happens to read this thread, and wants to pursue the matter any further, then that would be great, but from my point of view I've done my best to dig out some information about the band and provide evaluation samples, but as a non-collaborator that's about as much as I can do, and for now I'm done.

Thanks again for taking the time to check the band out.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2017 at 10:06
The team has decided

Ivan: No (Reasons exposed plus unacceptable amateur production)

Louis: No

Originally posted by rdtprog rdtprog wrote:

Melody Confused Don't know really, because it's symphonic, heavy psyche but not fully on those two styles. But I feel they deserve to be here if the sound quality is acceptable to the teams. Is it a case to send this to the administrators for Prog Related?

Anton: No

Originally posted by SouthSideoftheSky SouthSideoftheSky wrote:


We can just reject them without proposing another category.



You decide where to send them Yam Yam

Iván


Edited by Ivan_Melgar_M - April 26 2017 at 10:12
            
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2017 at 07:28
Thanks for listening and posting your findings here Iván. I added the band to progfreak in readiness for them to be moved to Heavy or PSIKE if the final overall team decision is 'no': http://progfreak.com/Melody-168598.html. Smile

Edited by yam yam - April 26 2017 at 07:30
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 25 2017 at 23:55
Ok, the band checked, I posted this opinion

Originally posted by Ivan_Melgar_M Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

OK, received the whole Melody album

1.- Merry Go Round: Psichedelia, Heavy Rock, Classical Organ feeling
2.- Run Faster: Power Ballad, Heavy with Psyche leanings
3.- Death Rebirth: Heavy Prog with some symphonic leanings
4.- Viens Voler Avec Moi: Psyche - Heavy Prog with  Symphonic organ passages
5.- Come Fly with me: More Heavy Prog
6.- Roll Around the Clouds: first half Heavy, second half Symphonic.
7.- When I'm Afraid I sing a Song: Pure Psyche
8.- Yesterlife: Heavy and very dramatic
9.- Triping Through the Milky Way: Yes influenced, but leans towards Heavy Prog

Have to say no, and honestly, don't know if it's Heavy Prog or Psike.

Anyway I'm sending the a legal copy for review and critic to the rest of the team.

Iván

The rest of the team has to vote, but I have to say No for Symphonic....Don't know what Proggnosis was thinking.


Edited by Ivan_Melgar_M - April 25 2017 at 23:56
            
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 25 2017 at 18:40
This suggestion was originally made in the collab zone, but came to light today in the Elements thread, so I've copied it here now in its own thread:

Originally posted by Ivan_Melgar_M Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

Originally posted by yam yam yam yam wrote:

Originally posted by Ivan_Melgar_M Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

There's a recent case, we've been suggested a band called MELODY with one song sample.

We ask for more and the guy said there's no more.

How can anybody suggest a band based in one song? What's the point to add a band who's album nobody can get? (If several thousand of Prog fans can't get it, nobody can).

People who suggest, should add a bio and at least send a link to their music.

Are we talking about this 'Melody' Iván?








They also did a second album called 'Yesterlife' in 1977: https://www.discogs.com/Melody-Yesterlife/release/1303621.

They were a French 1970's band, with male/female lead vocals sung in English. Their debut LP "Come Fly With Me" was actually recorded as a demo at Philippe Besombes studio, which won them a contract with Vogue.

Collaborator apps79 reviewed their debut album on RYM, and provides all the info you'll need to add them: http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/melody_f1/come_fly_with_me/.

Both Melody albums have different versions of some of the same material.

They are on proggnosis as symphonic prog band: https://www.proggnosis.com/Artist/4386.

If you want to take it any further I can pm you some more samples.


That's not what Silly Puppy "who suggested them" said on the thread

This is what he said:

Originally posted by siLLy puPPy siLLy puPPy wrote:

How does it work here when there are only two videos to be found? This is a super rare and obscure album. It seems like it has been deemed symphonic prog on other sites. Since it is impossible to hear the entire album, will it simply end up in the reject pile?




Three videos are untitled, there's a lot of Psyche and hard rock

We asked for the whole album and Silly Puppy said it was impossible..That's all, I have asked a friend from the radio for the whole OFFICIAL release, he will answer me when he has time, so unless you have the full album as it was released (Not the misspressed copy with Mahogany on side B), this is on standby.

I used to buy all the albums that couldn't be found, I can't afford that anymore, I don't even buy all the albums I would wish to have.

Yes Iván - it's the official release that I have, in fact I have both the Melody albums (the second is a considerably better produced album than the first, though the track listing is screwed up on that album too, with tracks A1 and A2 being reversed on the actual vinyl from the listing written on the back of the sleeve and the disc label itself).

Melody released their debut album "Come Fly With Me" on the label Pôle in 1976, a label bought by Tapioca the following year. The band is composed of Gérard Batrya (bass) Didier Dupard (keyboards) Patrick Frehner (vocals, percussion) Jean-Luc L'Hermitte (vocals, guitar) Phil Louvet (drums, percussion) and American singer Diana Chase. It is Philippe Besombes himself who signed them in 1975 and directed the recording of the album, which, mixing included, occurred over 2 days - November 12 and 13, 1975.

Unfortunately the recording, not to mention the pressing, is horrendous. The second album "Yesterlife" is a far more professional album, in both composition and production, though some of the songs are re-recordings of tracks from "Come Fly With Me". It's also worth pointing out that most of the Tapioca (the inheritors of the Pole label) presses of "Come Fly With Me" features one half of the Melody album with one half of Mahogany Brain's "Smooth Sick Lights", which is an avant garde noise fest and a completely different style to Melody. 

Come Fly With Me (1976)
Label : POLE 0011 U
Pressing : FRANCE

Also later re-released by Tapioca (TP 10013), with some pressings having the 'B' side interposed with that of Mahogany Brain's album 'Smooth Sick Lights'.

A1 Merry Go Round (8:00)
A2 Run Faster (5:58)
A3 Death Rebirth (3:32)
B1 Viens Voler Avec Moi (4:53)
B2 Proverbs (4:31)
B3 Roll Around In The Clouds (8:56)
B4 When I'm Afraid I Sing A Song (7:23)
B5 Yesterlife (5:02)
B6 Tripping Through The Milky Way (8:39)

- Gérard Batrya / bass guitar
- Phil Louvet / drums, percussion
- Jean-Luc L'Hermite / guitar, vocals 
- Didier Dupard / keyboards 
- Diana Chase / vocals, percussion
- Patrick Frehner / vocals, percussion

Produced under the direction Of Philippe Besombes
Cover / Jacques Marvin, Sam Almosni

Recorded and Mixed at Studio du Chesnay
November 12-13, 1975
Produced by POLE RECORDS

Yesterlife (1977)
Label : Vogue
Pressing : LDA 20.278 - France

A1 Merry Go Round (4:33)
A2 Welcome To Wonderland (4:26)
A3 Flight Song (6:17)
A4 Mysterland (4:30)
B1 Run Faster (2:57)
B2 Yesterlife (3:31)
B3 What Do You Wish? (4:16)
B4 Wailing Wall (7:56)

- Gérard Batrya / bass guitar
- Jean-Michel Le Meur / drums
- Paul Amsellem / keyboards 
- Jean-Luc L'Hermite  / lead guitar, acoustic guitar
- Diana Chase / Vocals
- Patrick Frehner / vocals

Written By: D. Chase (tracks: A1, A3 to B4), G. Batrya (tracks: A4, B3), J.L. L'Hermite (tracks: A3, B1, B2), J.M. Le Meur (tracks: A2), P. Frehner (tracks: A1), P. Amsellem (tracks: A2, B4)

Note:
Although track A1 is listed as "Merry Go Round" and A2 is listed as "Welcome To Wonderland" both on the label and back cover, A1 and A2 were actually switched on the record itself, so A1 is actually "Welcome to Wonderland" and A2 is "Merry Go Round". This can be confirmed because the inner gatefold has lyrics to all the songs.

Edit: The first of the three videos I originally posted, which is labelled as 'Merry Go Round' on YouTube is actually track B4 'When I'm Afraid I Sing A Song'.

...And here's the Yesterlife version of 'Merry Go Round':



Big smile


Edited by yam yam - April 26 2017 at 07:31
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