"Melting Pot" is the 1969 debut single from UK pop group Blue Mink. The song was written by Blue Mink's lead singer Roger Cook and long-time songwriter partner Roger Greenaway.[1]
"Melting Pot" | ||||
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![]() Cover of the single released in Germany | ||||
Single by Blue Mink | ||||
from the album Melting Pot | ||||
B-side | "Blue Mink" | |||
Released | 31 October 1969 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 3:50 | |||
Label | Philips | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Blue Mink | |||
Blue Mink singles chronology | ||||
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The song peaked at number three in the UK Singles chart in the first week of 1970, number 10 in Australia, and also reached number 11 in Ireland.[2] "Melting Pot" did best in New Zealand, where it spent three weeks at number 2.[3]
It became the opening track on the group's 1969 debut album, also titled Melting Pot.[4]
While the song has assimilationist undertones, it is generally considered a plea for racial harmony.[5]
The song featured on episode 3 of I'm Alan Partridge series 1, entitled "Watership Alan",[6] in which Alan sings the song whilst exercising in his hotel room alongside Michael, the caretaker, who is clearing out an air vent. Alan asks Michael whether the song is racist, but Michael says no on the basis that Chinese is both a race of people and a food.
7" (1969)
7" (1969)
7" (1975)
"Melting Pot" | ||||
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Single by When the Cat's Away | ||||
from the album When the Cat's Away | ||||
B-side | "Fire" | |||
Released | 1988 | |||
Recorded | 1988 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:56 | |||
Label | CBS | |||
Songwriter(s) | Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway | |||
When the Cat's Away singles chronology | ||||
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In 1988 "Melting Pot" was covered by New Zealand female vocal group and covers band When the Cat's Away.
Their version peaked at number one in the New Zealand charts, and charted for 15 weeks.[7] The single was certified gold.[8] It was one of three songs by New Zealand artists to reach number one in 1988.
The group released a low-budget, self-produced music video, directed by photographer Kerry Brown. The video features the group performing with a band in a white room, footage of people of different ethnic groups around Auckland, and cats.[9]