The Left Banke
Encyclopedia
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
". The band often utilized what the music press
referred to as "baroque
" string arrangements, which led to their music being variously termed as "Bach
-rock", "baroque rock" or "baroque 'n' roll". The band's harmonies
borrowed from contemporaries such as The Beatles
, The Zombies
and other British Invasion
groups. In 2004, Rolling Stone
magazine placed "Walk Away Renée" at #220 in its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
.
/songwriter
Michael Brown
, guitar
ist George Cameron, bass guitarist Tom Finn
, drummer
Warren David-Schierhorst and singer
Steve Martin
, who also used the name Steve Martin Caro. Brown's father, Harry Lookofsky
, a well-known session
violin
ist, ran a studio in New York and took an interest in the band's music, acting as producer
, manager
and publisher. After some initial recording sessions
, David-Schierhorst was ousted, with Cameron switching to drums and Jeff Winfield on guitar. Brown's song, "Walk Away Renee", was sold to Smash Records
, a subsidiary of Mercury Records
, and became a huge hit in late 1966. The band's second single
, "Pretty Ballerina", also written by Brown, charted in early 1967, and The Left Banke released an album
entitled Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina
, by which time, Rick Brand had replaced Winfield on guitar.
Tension between Brown and the rest of the band began to surface, as Brown recorded a single, "Ivy, Ivy" b/w "And Suddenly" as The Left Banke, using session musician
s, (including future member of Spinal Tap
, Michael McKean
) and Bert Sommer
on lead vocals
. The remaining members of the band hired attorneys to issue a cease and desist order and urged their fan club
to boycott the record, which led to confusion among radio stations over which "The Left Banke" to support. Radio and Smash Records
ultimately removed their support from the single, which subsequently failed to make the Billboard Hot 100
. "And Suddenly" was eventually recorded by a group called The Cherry People
and became a minor hit.
In late 1967, the group reunited and recorded more material, including the single "Desiree", which peaked at #98 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, many radio stations were still reluctant to plug The Left Banke after the controversy surrounding their previous single. Brown left the group permanently shortly thereafter and was replaced for touring purposes by Emmett Lake. Cameron, Finn and Martin continued to record and tour, with Tom Feher replacing Lake on keyboards and writing half of the band's new material. The songs recorded by various incarnations of the group in 1967 and 1968 were assembled into a second LP
, The Left Banke Too
, which was released in November 1968. This album featured backing vocals by a young Steven Tyler
(who later became the lead singer of Aerosmith
) on "Nice To See You", "My Friend Today" and "Dark Is The Bark". The band continued playing live in 1969, without Martin, but soon disbanded due to lack of success and financial problems. Later that same year, Brown and Martin reunited in the studio to record another single as The Left Banke; "Myrah" b/w "Pedestal", was their final single for Smash Records.
In 1971, Brown, Cameron, Finn and Martin reunited briefly to record two songs for the movie, Hot Parts. The songs, "Love Songs in the Night" and "Two by Two", were released as a Steve Martin solo single on Buddah Records
, despite featuring contributions from four founding members of The Left Banke. In 1972, producer Les Fradkin
offered to produce the group for a project on Bell Records
. Although these sessions were not released at the time, one of the songs, "I Could Make It Last Forever", composed by Fradkin and Diane Ellis, was released on Fradkin's Goin' Back solo CD
in 2006. It was a rare recording since it featured Caro, Finn, Cameron and Brown, along with Brown's father, violinist Harry Lookofsky. Fradkin sang and played 12-string guitar on the sessions. In 1978, Martin, Cameron and Finn reunited as The Left Banke to record an album's worth of material which unfortunately was not released at the time. However, a single from these 1978 sessions, "Queen of Paradise" (b/w "And One Day"), was released in late 1978 with modest success. The album was eventually issued by Relix Records
in 1986 under the title Strangers on a Train
(Voices Calling in Europe). However, the album did little to restore the popularity of the group.
After leaving The Left Banke in 1967, Michael Brown helped form the band, Montage. Although Brown was never an official member of Montage, his presence is unmistakable in its music. The band released one self-titled album in 1969, which included a re-recording of The Left Banke song "Desiree", before Brown left. Brown's next project was the band Stories
, featuring singer Ian Lloyd
. The band had a hit in 1973 with "Brother Louie", which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. However, Brown had left the group before the success of "Brother Louie". Brown's next project was with The Beckies, although the band achieved only modest success and Brown soon left.
In 1992, Mercury Records
released a Left Banke compilation
titled There's Gonna Be a Storm: The Complete Recordings 1966–1969
. It was intended to bring together the band's entire recorded output from the years 1966 to 1969, although a 1969 outtake
titled "Foggy Waterfall", which had previously appeared on two earlier compilations, was not included. The album was deleted soon after its initial release and now commands high prices on used CD websites like Musicstack and eBay
.
In 1994, Michael Brown and his wife Yvonne Vitale produced and released an album titled On This Moment. Between 2001 and 2006, Brown hosted a series of recording sessions at his home studio with Ian Lloyd (vocals), Tom Finn (bass guitar/vocals), Jim McAllister (guitar), and Jon Ihle (drums).
In 2005, Alice Cooper
included a cover version of "Pretty Ballerina" on his album Dirty Diamonds
. In 2006, ex-member of The Bangles
Susanna Hoffs
and Matthew Sweet
, as Sid 'n' Susie, covered "She May Call You Up Tonight" for their first album Under the Covers, Vol. 1
. In addition, Stuart Murdoch
of the band Belle & Sebastian
has cited The Left Banke as one of the early influences on the sound of the band.
Original guitarist Jeff Winfield died of complications from pneumonia on June 13, 2009, at age 60.
Original members Tom Finn and George Cameron reformed The Left Banke in March 2011. They appeared live at Joe's Pub in New York City, on March 5 and 6 to a sold out audience. In April 2011, Tom Finn revealed in a Facebook posting that he had reformed the group, with two shows planned for July in New York City.
In early 2011, Sundazed
announced that they had arranged to reissue the two Smash LP's on CD. Apparently, there will not be any of the singles-only tracks included.
Baroque pop
Baroque pop, Baroque rock, or English baroque, often used interchangeably with chamber pop/rock, is a pop and rock music subgenre which originated in the mid-1960s in the United Kingdom and United States...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
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
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 "Pretty Ballerina
Pretty Ballerina
"Pretty Ballerina" is a song written by pianist Michael Brown 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 band often utilized what the music press
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
referred to as "baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
" string arrangements, which led to their music being variously termed as "Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
-rock", "baroque rock" or "baroque 'n' roll". The band's harmonies
Vocal harmony
Vocal harmony is a style of vocal music in which a consonant note or notes are sung at the same time as a main melody in a predominantly homophonic texture. Vocal harmonies are used in many subgenres of European art music, including Classical choral music and opera and in the popular styles from...
borrowed from contemporaries such as The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Zombies
The Zombies
The Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"...
and other British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
groups. In 2004, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine placed "Walk Away Renée" at #220 in its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
.
History
The Left Banke was formed in 1965 and consisted of keyboard playerKeyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
/songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Michael Brown
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...
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist George Cameron, bass 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...
, drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Warren David-Schierhorst and singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Steve Martin
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...
, who also used the name Steve Martin Caro. Brown's father, Harry Lookofsky
Harry Lookofsky
Harry Lookofsky was an American jazz violinist. He is also the father of keyboardist-songwriter Michael Brown, a member of The Left Banke.-History:...
, a well-known session
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist, ran a studio in New York and took an interest in the band's music, acting as producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, manager
Talent manager
A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
and publisher. After some initial recording sessions
Studio recording
The term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance.-Studio cast recordings:...
, David-Schierhorst was ousted, with Cameron switching to drums and Jeff Winfield on guitar. Brown's song, "Walk Away Renee", was sold to Smash Records
Smash Records
Smash Records is an American record label. It was founded in 1961 as a subsidiary of Mercury Records by Mercury executive Shelby Singleton and run by Singleton with Charlie Fach. Fach took over after Singleton left Mercury in 1966...
, a subsidiary of Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
, and became a huge hit in late 1966. The band's second single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Pretty Ballerina", also written by Brown, charted in early 1967, and The Left Banke released an album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
entitled Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina
Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina
-Side two:-Personnel:* Steve Martin Caro — lead vocals* Michael Brown — piano, harpsichord, Clavinet; lead vocals * Tom Finn — bass, backing vocals...
, by which time, Rick Brand had replaced Winfield on guitar.
Tension between Brown and the rest of the band began to surface, as Brown recorded a single, "Ivy, Ivy" b/w "And Suddenly" as The Left Banke, using session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s, (including future member of Spinal Tap
Spinal Tap (band)
Spinal Tap is a parody heavy metal band that first appeared on a failed 1979 ABC TV sketch comedy pilot called "The T.V. Show", starring Rob Reiner...
, Michael McKean
Michael McKean
Michael John McKean is an American actor, comedian, writer, composer and musician, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Squiggy's friend, Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski, on the sitcom Laverne and Shirley; and for his work in the Christopher Guest ensemble films, particularly as David St...
) and Bert Sommer
Bert Sommer
Bert Sommer was a folk singer who performed at Woodstock in 1969. Bert wrote "We're All Playing In The Same Band" at and about Woodstock, and his recording peaked at #48 on the Hot 100 on 12 September 1970...
on lead vocals
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
. The remaining members of the band hired attorneys to issue a cease and desist order and urged their fan club
Fan club
A fan club is a group that is dedicated to a well-known person, group, idea or sometimes even an inanimate object . Most fan clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to supporting them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the person...
to boycott the record, which led to confusion among radio stations over which "The Left Banke" to support. Radio and Smash Records
Smash Records
Smash Records is an American record label. It was founded in 1961 as a subsidiary of Mercury Records by Mercury executive Shelby Singleton and run by Singleton with Charlie Fach. Fach took over after Singleton left Mercury in 1966...
ultimately removed their support from the single, which subsequently failed to make 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...
. "And Suddenly" was eventually recorded by a group called The Cherry People
The Cherry People
The Cherry People were a Psychedelic pop and later hard rock group that formed from remnants of The English Setters. The band is best known for their semi-hit single And Suddenly, which barely missed the top 40 , and including guitarist Punky Meadows who would join BUX and Angel in the early to mid...
and became a minor hit.
In late 1967, the group reunited and recorded more material, including the single "Desiree", which peaked at #98 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, many radio stations were still reluctant to plug The Left Banke after the controversy surrounding their previous single. Brown left the group permanently shortly thereafter and was replaced for touring purposes by Emmett Lake. Cameron, Finn and Martin continued to record and tour, with Tom Feher replacing Lake on keyboards and writing half of the band's new material. The songs recorded by various incarnations of the group in 1967 and 1968 were assembled into a second LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, The Left Banke Too
The Left Banke Too
-Personnel:* Steve Martin Caro — lead vocals; drums , tambourine , bass * Tom Finn — bass, guitar, backing vocals; lead vocals...
, which was released in November 1968. This album featured backing vocals by a young Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
(who later became the lead singer of Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
) on "Nice To See You", "My Friend Today" and "Dark Is The Bark". The band continued playing live in 1969, without Martin, but soon disbanded due to lack of success and financial problems. Later that same year, Brown and Martin reunited in the studio to record another single as The Left Banke; "Myrah" b/w "Pedestal", was their final single for Smash Records.
In 1971, Brown, Cameron, Finn and Martin reunited briefly to record two songs for the movie, Hot Parts. The songs, "Love Songs in the Night" and "Two by Two", were released as a Steve Martin solo single on Buddah Records
Buddah Records
Buddah Records was founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding...
, despite featuring contributions from four founding members of The Left Banke. In 1972, producer Les Fradkin
Les Fradkin
Les Fradkin is a guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is best known for being a member of the original cast of the hit Broadway show Beatlemania...
offered to produce the group for a project on Bell Records
Bell Records
Bell Records was an American record label founded in 1952 by Arthur Shimkin in New York, the owner of children's record label Golden Records, and initially a unit of Pocket Books, after the rights to the name were acquired from Benny Bell who used the Bell name to issue risque novelty records. A...
. Although these sessions were not released at the time, one of the songs, "I Could Make It Last Forever", composed by Fradkin and Diane Ellis, was released on Fradkin's Goin' Back solo CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in 2006. It was a rare recording since it featured Caro, Finn, Cameron and Brown, along with Brown's father, violinist Harry Lookofsky. Fradkin sang and played 12-string guitar on the sessions. In 1978, Martin, Cameron and Finn reunited as The Left Banke to record an album's worth of material which unfortunately was not released at the time. However, a single from these 1978 sessions, "Queen of Paradise" (b/w "And One Day"), was released in late 1978 with modest success. The album was eventually issued by Relix Records
Relix
Relix magazine was launched in 1974 as newsletter devoted to connecting people who recorded Grateful Dead concerts. It rapidly expanded into a music magazine covering a wide amount of artists...
in 1986 under the title Strangers on a Train
Strangers On A Train (album)
Strangers on a Train is the third and final album by the American rock band The Left Banke and was released in March 1986. The album was recorded by a reformed line-up of the band, featuring three of the original members: Steve Martin, Tom Finn, and George Cameron...
(Voices Calling in Europe). However, the album did little to restore the popularity of the group.
After leaving The Left Banke in 1967, Michael Brown helped form the band, Montage. Although Brown was never an official member of Montage, his presence is unmistakable in its music. The band released one self-titled album in 1969, which included a re-recording of The Left Banke song "Desiree", before Brown left. Brown's next project was the band Stories
Stories (band)
Stories was a rock and pop music band, based out of New York in the early 1970s. The band consisted of keyboardist Michael Brown, bassist/vocalist Ian Lloyd, guitarist Steve Love, and drummer Bryan Madey, and had a Number 1 hit with a cover of Hot Chocolate's "Brother Louie."-Band history:Lloyd ...
, featuring singer Ian Lloyd
Ian Lloyd (musician)
Ian Lloyd is an American rock singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the band Stories, whose single "Brother Louie" was No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 chart in 1973. Lloyd attended Hartwick College during the 1960's where he performed with a band called "The Section" using the...
. The band had a hit in 1973 with "Brother Louie", which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. However, Brown had left the group before the success of "Brother Louie". Brown's next project was with The Beckies, although the band achieved only modest success and Brown soon left.
In 1992, Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
released a Left Banke compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
titled There's Gonna Be a Storm: The Complete Recordings 1966–1969
There's Gonna Be a Storm: The Complete Recordings 1966–1969
-Personnel:* Steve Martin Caro — lead vocals; drums , tambourine , bass * Michael Brown — piano, harpsichord, Clavinet, organ; lead vocals...
. It was intended to bring together the band's entire recorded output from the years 1966 to 1969, although a 1969 outtake
Outtake
An outtake is a portion of a work that is removed in the editing process and not included in the work's final, publicly released version. In the digital era, significant outtakes have been appended to CD and DVD reissues of many albums and films as bonus tracks or features, in film often, but not...
titled "Foggy Waterfall", which had previously appeared on two earlier compilations, was not included. The album was deleted soon after its initial release and now commands high prices on used CD websites like Musicstack and eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
.
In 1994, Michael Brown and his wife Yvonne Vitale produced and released an album titled On This Moment. Between 2001 and 2006, Brown hosted a series of recording sessions at his home studio with Ian Lloyd (vocals), Tom Finn (bass guitar/vocals), Jim McAllister (guitar), and Jon Ihle (drums).
In 2005, Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
included a cover version of "Pretty Ballerina" on his album Dirty Diamonds
Dirty Diamonds
Dirty Diamonds is the 24th studio album by Alice Cooper, released on July 4, 2005 internationally, and August 2 in the US.The album peaked on Billboard's "Top Independent Albums" chart at #17, and the Billboard 200 album chart at #169 - Cooper's highest charting album since The Last Temptation, 11...
. In 2006, ex-member of The Bangles
The Bangles
The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Lee Hoffs is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress. She is best known as a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles.-Early life:...
and Matthew Sweet
Matthew Sweet
Sidney Matthew Sweet is an American alternative rock/power pop musician. He was part of the burgeoning Athens, Georgia music scene in the early and mid-1980s before gaining commercial success during the early 1990s...
, as Sid 'n' Susie, covered "She May Call You Up Tonight" for their first album Under the Covers, Vol. 1
Under the Covers, Vol. 1
Under the Covers, Vol. 1 is the first collaboration between alternative rock artist Matthew Sweet and Bangles singer Susanna Hoffs. Released by Shout! Factory in 2006, the album contains 15 cover versions of favorite songs from the 1960s and 1970s. The album was a result of their mutual love for...
. In addition, Stuart Murdoch
Stuart Murdoch (musician)
Stuart Lee Murdoch is a Scottish musician, and the lead singer and songwriter for the indie pop band Belle & Sebastian. The majority of his childhood was spent a stone's throw from the birthplace of Robert Burns in Alloway, Ayr until he left school and attended university in...
of the band Belle & Sebastian
Belle & Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian are an indie pop band formed in Glasgow in January 1996. Belle and Sebastian are often compared with influential indie bands such as The Smiths, as well as classic acts such as Love, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake. The name Belle & Sebastian comes from Belle et Sébastien, a 1965...
has cited The Left Banke as one of the early influences on the sound of the band.
Original guitarist Jeff Winfield died of complications from pneumonia on June 13, 2009, at age 60.
Original members Tom Finn and George Cameron reformed The Left Banke in March 2011. They appeared live at Joe's Pub in New York City, on March 5 and 6 to a sold out audience. In April 2011, Tom Finn revealed in a Facebook posting that he had reformed the group, with two shows planned for July in New York City.
In early 2011, Sundazed
Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
announced that they had arranged to reissue the two Smash LP's on CD. Apparently, there will not be any of the singles-only tracks included.
Band members
- Tom FinnTom FinnTom 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...
— bass, guitar, backing vocals; lead vocals (1965–1969; 1971; 1978; 2011) - George Cameron — drums, percussion, backing vocals; lead vocals, guitar (1965–1969; 1971; 1978; 2011)
- Steve Martin CaroSteve Martin CaroSteve Martin Caro, born Carmelo Esteban Martin Caro , was originally known as Steve Martin. He was the lead singer of the band The Left Banke...
— lead vocals; drums (on "Goodbye Holly"), tambourine (on "Nice To See You"), bass (on "Bryant Hotel"), guitar (1965–1969; 1971; 1978) - Michael BrownMichael 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...
— piano, harpsichord, Clavinet, organ; lead vocals (on "What Do You Know") (1965–1967; 1969, 1971, 1978) - Warren David-Schierhorst — drums (1965–1966)
- Jeff Winfield — guitar (1966)
- Rick Brand — guitar, banjo (1966-1967)
- Emmett Lake — keyboards (touring only) (1967)
- Bert SommerBert SommerBert Sommer was a folk singer who performed at Woodstock in 1969. Bert wrote "We're All Playing In The Same Band" at and about Woodstock, and his recording peaked at #48 on the Hot 100 on 12 September 1970...
— lead vocals, guitar (on "Ivy, Ivy", "And Suddenly" & "Men Are Building Sand") (1967) - Michael McKeanMichael McKeanMichael John McKean is an American actor, comedian, writer, composer and musician, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Squiggy's friend, Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski, on the sitcom Laverne and Shirley; and for his work in the Christopher Guest ensemble films, particularly as David St...
— guitar (on "Ivy, Ivy", "And Suddenly" & "Men Are Building Sand") (1967) - Tom Feher — piano; guitar (on "Sing Little Bird" & "Bryant Hotel") (1968-1969)
- Tim Hayden — guitar (touring only) (1968-1969)
Albums
| Date | Title | Chart positions | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
Cash Box | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| February 1967 | Walk Away Renée/Pretty Ballerina Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina -Side two:-Personnel:* Steve Martin Caro — lead vocals* Michael Brown — piano, harpsichord, Clavinet; lead vocals * Tom Finn — bass, backing vocals... |
67 | 59 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| November 1968 | The Left Banke Too The Left Banke Too -Personnel:* Steve Martin Caro — lead vocals; drums , tambourine , bass * Tom Finn — bass, guitar, backing vocals; lead vocals... |
— | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
| March 1986 | Strangers on a Train Strangers On A Train (album) Strangers on a Train is the third and final album by the American rock band The Left Banke and was released in March 1986. The album was recorded by a reformed line-up of the band, featuring three of the original members: Steve Martin, Tom Finn, and George Cameron... (aka Voices Calling) |
— | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes release did not chart or become certified. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Compilations
- 1982 - And Suddenly It's...The Left Banke (Bam-Caruso KIRI 021)
- 1985 - History of The Left Banke (Rhino RNLP 123)
- 1986 - Walk Away Renée [mini-album] (Bam-Caruso PABL036)
- 1988 - And Finally It's...The Left Banke (Bam-Caruso KIRI 021 CD) — Features a different track listing to the 1982 compilation.
- 1992 - There's Gonna Be a Storm: The Complete Recordings 1966–1969There's Gonna Be a Storm: The Complete Recordings 1966–1969-Personnel:* Steve Martin Caro — lead vocals; drums , tambourine , bass * Michael Brown — piano, harpsichord, Clavinet, organ; lead vocals...
(Mercury 848095)
Singles
| Date | Title | Chart positions | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... |
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| July 1966 | "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... " b/w "I Haven't Got the Nerve" (Smash 2041) |
5 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| December 1966 | "Pretty Ballerina Pretty Ballerina "Pretty Ballerina" is a song written by pianist Michael Brown 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... " b/w "Lazy Day" (Smash 2074) |
15 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| March 1967 | "Ivy Ivy" b/w "And Suddenly" (Smash 2089) | 119 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
| May 1967 | "She May Call You Up Tonight" b/w "Barterers and Their Wives" (Smash 2097) | 120 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
| June 1967 | "Desiree" b/w "I've Got Something on My Mind" (Smash 2119) | 98 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
| June 1968 | "Dark is the Bark" b/w "My Friend Today" (Smash 2165) | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
| November 1968 | "Goodbye Holly" b/w "Sing Little Bird Sing" (Smash 2198) | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
| February 1969 | "Bryant Hotel" b/w "Give the Man a Hand" (Smash 2209) | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
| May 1969 | "Nice to See You" b/w "There's Gonna Be a Storm" (Smash 2226) | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
| November 1969 | "Myrah" b/w "Pedestal" (Smash 2243) | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1970 | "Walk Away Renée" b/w "Pretty Ballerina" (Smash S 1416) | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
| March 1971 | "Love Songs in the Night" b/w "Two By Two" (Buddah 219) † | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978 | "Queen of Paradise" b/w "And One Day" (Camerica CS 0005) | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes release did not chart or become certified. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "†" denotes release is credited to Steve Martin. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||