Pretty Ballerina
Encyclopedia
"Pretty Ballerina" is a song written by pianist Michael Brown
(born Michael Lookofsky) and was a number 15 hit for his band The Left Banke
on the Billboard Hot 100
chart. The original Left Banke version of the song, released December 1966, was sung by Steve Martin Caro
. The song has appeared in the films Apocalypse Now
and Things Behind the Sun
and has been covered by such artists as Alice Cooper
, John Mellencamp
, Jason Falkner
, Peter Kingsbery
, Eels
, Argentine rock star Charly García
, Alan Merrill
, The Bluetones
, and The Dickies
.
The song features an oboe being played during the instrumental portion of the song, joining the string quartet, before the music pauses, and goes back to the refrain of the song.
The song is one of a number Brown wrote about Renée Fladen, girlfriend of The Left Banke's guitarist Tom Finn
and object of Brown's affection. Other songs written about her include the band's biggest hit "Walk Away Renée
" and "She May Call You Up Tonight".
Michael Brown (rock musician)
Michael Brown , is an American keyboardist-songwriter. The son of violinist and arranger Harry Lookofsky, he is best known as the principal songwriter for the 1960s baroque-pop outfit The Left Banke and for writing their two hits "Walk Away Renee" and "Pretty Ballerina".After internal band...
(born Michael Lookofsky) and was a number 15 hit for his band The Left Banke
The Left Banke
The Left Banke is an American baroque pop band that formed in New York City in 1965 and disbanded in 1969. They are best remembered for their two U.S. hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina"...
on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart. The original Left Banke version of the song, released December 1966, was sung by Steve Martin Caro
Steve Martin Caro
Steve Martin Caro, born Carmelo Esteban Martin Caro , was originally known as Steve Martin. He was the lead singer of the band The Left Banke...
. The song has appeared in the films Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
and Things Behind the Sun
Things Behind the Sun
Things Behind the Sun is a 2001 film starring Kim Dickens and Gabriel Mann and directed by Allison Anders. Its title is taken from a song by Nick Drake....
and has been covered by such artists as Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
, Jason Falkner
Jason Falkner
Jason Falkner is an American pop and rock musician. Active since the late 1980s, he has performed with several bands. In addition to releasing several albums as a solo artist, he is a prolific session musician and producer who has contributed to dozens of other recordings by other bands and...
, Peter Kingsbery
Peter Kingsbery
Peter Kingsbery is an American singer songwriter who cofounded the band Cock Robin in the 1980s. He grew up in Austin where he studied classical music...
, Eels
Eels (band)
Eels is an American indie rock band formed by singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett, better known as E...
, Argentine rock star Charly García
Charly García
Charly García is a singer-songwriter, pianist and keyboardist from Argentina with a long career in rock music, forming successful groups such as Sui Generis and Serú Girán, cult status groups like La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros, and as a solo musician.-Early years:Charly García was the eldest son in...
, Alan Merrill
Alan Merrill
Alan Merrill is an American vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. In the early 1970s Merrill was the first westerner to achieve pop star status in Japan...
, The Bluetones
The Bluetones
The Bluetones were an English indie rock band, formed in Hounslow, Greater London, in 1993. The band's members were Mark Morriss on vocals, Adam Devlin on guitar, Scott Morriss on bass guitar, and Eds Chesters on drums. A fifth member, Richard Payne, came on board between 1998 and 2002...
, and The Dickies
The Dickies
The Dickies are an American punk rock group formed in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California, U.S. in 1977.-History:The Dickies were among the first punk rock bands to emerge from Los Angeles...
.
The song features an oboe being played during the instrumental portion of the song, joining the string quartet, before the music pauses, and goes back to the refrain of the song.
The song is one of a number Brown wrote about Renée Fladen, girlfriend of The Left Banke's guitarist Tom Finn
Tom Finn
Tom Finn is a founding member of the 1960s baroque rock chart hit vocal group the Left Banke.After the Left Banke disbanded, Finn went on to become an engineer at Bell Sound Studios as well as working with jazz drummer Buddy Rich at his night club "Buddy's Place" as stage manager and MC.In 1982...
and object of Brown's affection. Other songs written about her include the band's biggest hit "Walk Away Renée
Walk Away Renee
"Walk Away Renée" is a song made popular by the band The Left Banke in 1966 , composed by the group's then 16-year-old keyboard player Michael Brown and Tony Sansone...
" and "She May Call You Up Tonight".