#1 This Week In 1972

Melanie's 1972 novelty smash Brand New Key was banned by some radio stations for its sexual innuendo and coded reference to masturbation: I do OK alone, but you got something I need. I know most of you are too young to know was a skate key was, but you can still grok the whole key-into-lock Freudian shebang, not to mention her brag that she's been all "around the world."

TRIVIA: Melanie logged a total of six singles in the Top 40, including Lay Down (Candles In The Rain) (#6), and The Nickel Song (#35), but my favorite Melanie track Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma was never a single. I believe that when the New Seekers took their version to #14 in 1970 is when I began torturing my pedantic mother by making up my own words for the French portions of pop songs. Maybe that was the Beatles' Michelle. Michelle, my bell, funky monkey bow banana shell.