Candles in the Rain is singer Melanie's third album. Released in 1970, the album produced Melanie's first Top Ten single in North America, "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)", which was inspired by the crowd's reaction to her performance at Woodstock. The cover of the Rolling Stones' 1967 song "Ruby Tuesday" reached the Top Ten in the United Kingdom.
Reception In their review of the album, Billboard Magazine stated that "Melanie's song creations and vocal interpretations are widely popular in Europe, and with this LP her success in the U.S. should be assured. "Lay Down (Candles In the Rain)," with the Edwin Hawkins Singers, is her current single and the most exciting cut; other outstanding originals include "Leftover Wine" and "Citiest People." Her versions of "Ruby Tuesday" and "Carolina in My Mind" are definitive."
Cashbox noted that the album "offers her strongest bid to date for album success with this beautifully poetic LP....Melanie should find herself on the charts with this excellent record."
Allmusic stated that "this was where she seemed to truly hit the mark for the first time...If Candles in the Rain was the album that broke Melanie to a larger audience, it did so not just because it featured her biggest hit single to date, but because it matched material and interpretation with greater skill than she had in the past, and it ranks with her finest work."
Track listing All songs were written by Melanie Safka, unless stated otherwise.
Personnel Melanie – guitar, vocals Alan Parker – guitar Alan Hawkshaw – keyboards, organ Edwin Hawkins – piano on "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" Harold McNair – fiddle, flute Herbie Flowers – bass guitar Barry Morgan – drums Rico Reyes – congas, percussion on "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" John Abbott – arrangement on "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)"; conductor on "What Have They Done to My Song Ma" Lee Holdridge – string arrangements on "Citiest People" and "Ruby Tuesday"
Charts ChartPeakpositionU.S. Billboard Albums Chart 17U.S. Cash Box Albums Chart 6 Australian Albums Chart2Canadian Albums Chart5German Albums Chart33Norwegian Albums Chart20UK Albums Chart5Dutch Album Charts 4
Singles ChartTitlePeakpositionU.S. Cash Box Charts"Lay Down"3U.S Billboard Hot 100"Lay Down"6Australian Charts"Lay Down"2Canadian Charts"Lay Down"1 Netherlands Charts"Lay Down"1U.S. Cash Box Charts"Ruby Tuesday"34U.S Billboard Hot 100"Ruby Tuesday"52German Charts"Ruby Tuesday"6Austrian Charts"Ruby Tuesday"2Belgian Charts"Ruby Tuesday"14Canadian Charts"Ruby Tuesday"25UK Chart"Ruby Tuesday"9Australian Charts"Ruby Tuesday EP"70UK Singles Chart"What Have They Done to My Song, Ma"39Norwegian Charts"What Have They Done to My Song, Ma"6Belgian Charts"What Have They Done to My Song, Ma"14
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