Funding duration: August 20, 2013 - October 04, 2013. $10 get you the album as a download; $25 gets you an autographed CD...

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/melis ... e-the-life

Intro letter from MM from the Indiegogo website:

Hello All,

I’m making a new album – You Gotta Love The Life. It’s my 20th!!!

You Gotta Love The Life is made up of a wide variety of classics and original songs. There are some songs I’ve been performing for years and my fans have said to me, over and over, “Record these, already!!!” So here they come.

I've dedicated half of this new album to saluting other great singers and songwriters. The second half reflects my own journey with new original songs. What they're about? You tell me.

The first single, which live audiences always sing along with (to my delight), is the fabulous “Be My Baby”, made famous by the one and only Ronettes. Due to the generosity of a dear longtime fan, it’s available now for free download on my website, http://www.melissamanchester.com. As you will hear, my take on it is gentler and dreamier.

I've returned to the studio to record the first several tunes with wonderful musicians (Stephan Oberhoff, Steve Wilkinson, John Lewis, Steve Welch, Susan Holder, Abraham Laboriel and my precious Lenny Castro – I gave him his first job!), co-produced by the very talented Terry Wollman. Together, we're trying to capture the inner life and essence of a new voyage in each song for you.

But I need to complete, promote and distribute the full CD. My students at the Thornton School of music at USC have opened my mind to “fan-funding” the project. This means you get the opportunity to help steer the ship by providing different levels of support so I can record more songs and get the new album to you. For every level of contribution, there are different rewards for participation in the project – from something download-able to something signed, perhaps a credit on the album, or maybe coming to the studio!

You've never asked me for “stuff” over the years … only for more music. This is a new world, but it still needs songs to celebrate or soothe. That's what you've told me I do for you.

So let's let the SERIOUS FUN BEGIN !!!!!

Thank you.

Melissa