Sandi McMenamin
entertainer - composer - piano teacher
Sandi has written in excess of 70 songs, 10 of which are on her most notable album Adelaide You’re A Lady, recorded in London and produced by former New Seeker Marty Kristian.
Wherever she has performed Sandi has been remembered for her versatility in music and for her connection with Adelaide and South Australia, especially through her songs Adelaide You’re A Lady, The Spirit of South Australia, and The Sea Dragon Coast.
Adelaide You're A Lady (see lyrics)
One of the conditions of Sandi’s participation in the 3rd International Song Festival was that she should perform a song with an Australian theme. Thus was born her composition Adelaide You're A Lady.
The words of the song make reference to many of the outstanding and beautiful attributes of Adelaide, as well as Sandi’s innermost feelings about her home town. Sandi hopes that all South Australians, especially Adelaideans, will eventually come to know and recognise Adelaide You're A Lady as their own song for their own city.
1983 first performed at the 3rd International Song Festival, Cologne, Germany
1986 used in crowning ceremony of Miss South Australia
1986 released to benefit the Spastic Centres for South Australia's 150th Birthday
1990 official song for Adelaide City Council's 150th Birthday
The Sea Dragon Coast (see lyrics)
​As artist in residence of the Southern Fleurieu's first Leafy Sea Dragon Festival in 2005 in South Australia, Sandi was commissioned by the Yankalilla Council to write a song about the rugged coastline from Myponga to Cape Jervis, which will aptly be renamed the Sea Dragon Coast, in deference to the rare and endangered leafy sea dragon which makes its home under the Rapid Bay Jetty.
The CD of The Sea Dragon Coast also includes Sandi's ethereal song about Rapid Bay, where her manager Ron Tremaine and his wife Ina live, and where Colonel Light first set foot on mainland South Australia in 1836.
Children especially are drawn to The Sea Dragon Coast song, as they are drawn to the mystical leafy sea dragon itself.
2005 premiered at the close of the first Leafy Sea Dragon Festival
2005 DVD/CD launched at Trafford Hill Winery in Normanville in the presence of local sponsors, council members, cameraman extraordinaire Gary Juleff, and radio personalities Barry Ion and Tony Pilkington.
2007 Sandi performed the song again at the Leafy Sea Dragon Festival opening, and is due to perform it again at the 2009 Festival where she will also perform in cabaret.
The Spirit of South Australia (see lyrics)
In September 1999 Sandi was asked to compose a song about South Australia to be performed at the opening of a Tourism Council of Australia Master Class at Sunnybrae Complex in Adelaide on the 17th of September 1999. Thus was born The Spirit Of South Australia, a long overdue sequel to Adelaide You’re A Lady.
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This inaugural performance of The Spirit Of South Australia was a surprise item and was very well received by all, including SA Tourism Minister Joan Hall, who officially opened the conference immediately following the song. With CD in hand, Joan Hall’s office was then able to pass the song over to SA Tourism. The Spirit of South Australia sounds so great with children’s voices!
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1999 performed by students at East Adelaide and Goodwood Primary Schools at end of year school concerts.
2000 released on CD (with Adelaide You’re A Lady) for sale at SA Tourism’s Travel Centre shop in Adelaide. Recorded by Sandi and students from East Adelaide, Goodwood Primary, and Unley Primary Schools.
Dance Little Angel (Christmas song)
1981 first performed at Miss Sportsgirl Gala Concert
1983 performed at Carol Kristian’s Drama and Ballet School Concert, London, by Donna Jones (aka Pussyfoot) of The New Seekers
Performed at various carols concerts since
Aphrodite Smiles On Cyprus
1984 performed on Cyprus television 1984 and played on radio on both sides of the divided Cyprus
The Sun Always Shines In Karlstad
1988 played on Swedish Radio and performed onstage in Swedish for Värmland Week in Stockholm
The World Needs More Love
1994 performed by all students of Unley Primary School for the International Year of the Family
East Adelaide School Song
1998 premiered by Sandi and all students at EAS End of Year Concert
Performed by all students at every school assembly
Heigh Ho For Christmas
(Lyrics Andrew Murrell/Music Andrew Murrell & Sandi McMenamin)
1975 recorded by Brian May and the ABC Melbourne Showband and Singers
DISCOGRAPHY
Proposed 2009 CD/DVD Sandi McMenamin in Cabaret
2005 CD/DVD The Sea Dragon Coast
2005 CD The Road To Bahrain
2000 Single CD The Spirit Of South Australia
1990 Cassette/CD Walter Troelsen Sings Sandi McMenamin
1985/90/97 Single cassette/CD Adelaide You’re A Lady
1983 Cassette/CD Adelaide You’re A Lady
10 original songs recorded in London
1980 Cassette/CD Your Special Kind Of Love – original songs
Plus various CD’s of East Adelaide, Goodwood,
and Unley Primary Schools