Melissa Manchester was a beacon of light for me in the dark closet growing up in Porterville, CA. Her comforting songs of affirmation and self-worth guided me and in that I am not alone. Filmmaker Abe Silvia wrote and directed a lovely film, Dirty Girl, recently and it had an amazing cast. It was about two kids, one of them very much like me and it was filled with Melissa's music. Melissa is recording a new album and as part of her fan-funded campaign launched a video contest. We were to post a video of "our best performance" of her music. Before I had even finished watching the video of Melissa telling about the contest this mashup had burst into my brain. I was surprised, myself, at how well Lights of Dawn and Midnight Blue fit together. I tried to keep the integrity of each song while turning them both into something new. How did I do?
Mashup: Midnight Blue/Lights of Dawn
Boats rockin' slow on the water
Wheat fields just wave good-bye
Pictures to you of my roamin'
alone at night
Oh, what a surprise
Even I look on to see the lights of dawn
Whatever it is it'll keep 'til the morning
Haven't we both got better things to do?
Midnight Blue
Even the simple things become rough
Haven't we had enough?
And I think we can make it
Daylight so bright it comes easy
one more time,
To rest a weary soul
if we try
When holdin' on gets you weary....
One more time for all the old times
just let it go Oh, What a surprise
Even I look on, to see
the lights Midnight Blue of dawn
For all of the times you told me you need me
Needing me now is something I could
use…Midnight Blue
Sometimes you just believe
That broken hearts will mend
In matters of the heart you know
Time is the oldest friend.
And Wouldn't you give your hand to a friend?
Think of me as your friend
And I think we can make it
Love comes when no one is lookin',
one more time,
And brings you home to stay
if we try
All of my life I've been longing to feel
this way,
Oh, What a surprise
You and I
are goin’
to see the lights
of dawn
i think we can make it
If we try
Lights of Dawn
Music and lyrics by Melissa Manchester
©1979 Rumanian Pickleworks Music-BMI
Midnight Blue
by Melissa Manchester and Carole Bayer Sager
©1974 New York Times Music, Inc./Rumanian Pickleworks Music, BMI
Mashup of Midnight Blue and Lights of Dawn
arranged and performed by Johnny Schaefer
Auditory Verve Music, ASCAP
Produced by Johnny Schaefer and George Reich
at Hereafter Studios, Glendale, CA
Video by Clandestino