Praise for "Midnight Blue"

A former co-worker mentioned having a change of heart about Melissa Manchester's music, claiming as a teenager that her albums would only be useful as frisbees but actively seeking it out, as an adult, at garage sales.  I'd like to think that one song responsible for that change of heart was "Midnight Blue."  It's not played often today, but it's still one of the most moving '70s ballads with one of my favorite opening lyrics, "Whatever it is, it'll keep 'til the morning."  One lyric, in particular, impresses me--"Wouldn't you give your hand to a friend?  Think of me as your friend."  Not everyone can pull off that lyric with conviction and sincerity, but Manchester does.  When the song debuted on "American Top 40" in 1975, Casey Kasem said, "Her song's a pretty one called 'Midnight Blue.'"  Kasem called it accurately, I still think.