Welcome to Mel, Mel & Julian’s website!

Growing up in South Africa during the 50s and 60s, the individual members of Mel, Mel & Julian were all exposed to similar musical influences, provided to them via local radio, recordings and close friends who were either collectors of eclectic popular music, or who had ears that were open to new sounds.

The one person who was able to realize these influences into the group's music was obviously Julian, who had the ability and the great talent to imitate and make the music the music of that time his own.

Mel and Mel met at art school and when they first started singing out, their repertoire was limited to a few songs they learned from a Peter, Paul & Mary LP, and once they had snagged their first gig, an entire Wednesday evening at the Troubadour(!) they had to quickly increase their songbag.  

A friend and singing colleague, Brenda Newfield generously exposed them to her record library, songbooks and within a short time the two namesakes had almost enough to make it through an entire night, which was augmented by Mel Miller's jokes and humorous stories.

After the two graduated from art school and soon found jobs in their respective fields of design, a part of their earnings were spent on increasing their own record collections, and learning new songs they found on albums.  

They were invited to take part in the first Folk Festival concert at Wits University... and the Mel's invited their pal Louis Meyer to accompany them on banjo and vocals.  

By that time the recording companies, sensing the popularity of this "new" music form soon signed up each and every one of the concert participants. It was a big deal and after the release of the recording of the Concert  Mel and Mel were soon asked to come into the studio to record a 45" single. 

Here's where other musical (and sartorial) influences came in:  being art students, and being aware of appearances, the two young men began appearing in identical clothes... blue jeans, black polar neck sweaters, corduroy caps, and cuban heel boots – just like Donovan or even Bob Dylan!  

Another year passed and the duo performed at the next folk festival and their mentor-manager Billy Forrest introduced them to Don Hughes whose booking agency would soon have a full-time gig for them in Durban and in East London. 

They gave up their jobs, completed the 4 month gig, returned to Johannesburg, where their record company, Columbia asked them to make an LP. They had the material, and the enthusiasm, but they also realized that they needed backup... preferably by a very good guitarist, (which is where Julian came in.) 

After their first LP was completed, Julian was invited to join the duo, and they drove back to Durban, with Julian in tow as a new member of the band. 

Their combined musical influences included pop, top 10 radio, folk, blues, Rock 'n Roll as well as Classical, World  music, Liturgical music (both Christian and Jewish), in short music they'd been exposed to in their homes.

This led to a very open-minded forum and meeting of the minds. Their music quickly improved and soon included Little Mel's harmonica playing, Big Mel learning double-bass and slide-guitar and Julian expanding his repertoire of guitar-playing styles, (notably Chet Atkins and Doc Watson) all of which was soon reflected in their music.

While playing in Durban exposure to their friends in other bands also expanded their musical influences, and they learned different styles of playing, mainly Ragtime and Blues. Their vocal harmonies were informed by pop, old-timey, folk, bluegrass and C&W.

What kind of a title is "Ethnic/Shmethnic" you might ask yourself? Well, perhaps it is an irreverent one, but in this case perhaps an explanation is in order... you see, there was a time when folk music purists (even those in South Africa) during the great folk scare of the 60s, who insisted that folk songs should be performed faithfully, exactly the way they were "found", or as published in the folk music bibles such as "Child's Ballads". Or as originally heard, or recorded in the field by puckah ethno -folk-musicologists, on their field trips into the rural areas and backwoods of the United States, Great Britain, or other locales.
 

Deviations from the true-to-the-source presentations of these songs were never tolerated by folk fanatics. Even to this day you will find various folkie types standing up on a stage with beer glass in one hand and the other cupped around one ear so as to better intonate, or perhaps give the impression that the singer is being true to the ethnic source of the song he or she is presenting.
 

Thus the term "ethnic" was often used to refer to a truly rendered form of music. And then the question is sometimes posed – "if a song is copied by someone other than the "true" originator or follower, or by someone other than from that particular culture, then how can that presentation be traditional?

Seeking to ignore that and disprove that rather precious rationale, the members of the group Mel, Mel and Julian felt free to interpret their material in their own special way, and that is how the title "Ethnic/Shmethnic" came about ! They chose from the songs they performed during their "show" and which they recorded at the Gallo recording studios on their first outing for Columbia, South Africa in 1965...  
 

They drew from songs dating back to the 17th Century up until the 20th Century.

The melodies and words are essentially identical to the traditional versions, but the vocal and instrumental presentations have been arranged so that they are presented in the fresh and special style that was peculiar and special to Mel, Mel & Julian... and which set them apart from their colleagues in the very vibrant folk scene which began at the Cul De Sac Coffeehouse in Hillbrow as early as the late 50s, and which sprang to life in 1963 at The Troubadour Steak- and Coffeehouse and at other clubs which sprang up all over South Africa continuing into the 70s, when the scene morphed in Folk-Rock, and other variations of Rock.
 

  The LP "Ethnic/Shmethnic" by Mel, Mel & Julian set the bar for folk music that came after it's appearance, and folk groups and recordings soon  featured lead guitar, and other instruments as well... there was the common accusation that the resulting music was "commercial", and many were hard put to explain themselves and their choices, but eventually the truly good music stood out on it's own merits, as did their performers.