| Azure d'Or | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1979 | |||
| Recorded | November 1978 – February 1979 | |||
| Studio | Maison Rouge Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 42:55 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. (UK) Sire (North America) | |||
| Producer | David Hentschel | |||
| Renaissance chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Azure d'Or | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
Azure d'Or is the ninth studio album by the English progressive rock band Renaissance, released in 1979.
With this album the band stopped using an orchestra, choosing instead to overdub multiple instruments themselves in an attempt to emulate an orchestral sound. [4] It was also the band's first album to exclusively feature short songs with no long "epic" pieces.
"Forever Changing" was the only Renaissance song on which drummer Terry Sullivan wrote all the music. His only other writing credit with the band was on the title track of the preceding album, A Song for All Seasons .
A pre-release track listing, published in the Renaissance Appreciation Society newsletter, included the song "Island of Avalon". This song ended up being omitted from the album; the band members weren't sufficiently pleased with it, having not invested their usual amount of time in it. It was ultimately used as the non-album B-side to "The Winter Tree" in April 1979; [5] it was the only such B-side of the Haslam era of the band. It was released on CD in 1997 on the compilation Songs from Renaissance Days.
Following this album's release, Renaissance underwent major changes that left it with a very uncertain future. In 1980, following a short tour of Israel, both John Tout and Terry Sullivan left the band. Tout (who was dealing with some personal stress due to the death of his sister) had made a major mistake during a concert and walked offstage. After this it was mutually decided that he should leave the band. Terry Sullivan, a longtime friend of Tout's, then left the band as well on principle. On top of all this, the band's label, Warner Brothers/Sire, dropped the group due to disappointing sales of Azure d'Or. [5]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jekyll and Hyde" | Betty Thatcher | Michael Dunford | 4:39 |
| 2. | "The Winter Tree" | Thatcher | Dunford | 3:03 |
| 3. | "Only Angels Have Wings" | Jon Camp | Camp | 3:41 |
| 4. | "Golden Key" | Thatcher | Dunford | 5:12 |
| 5. | "Forever Changing" | Thatcher | Terence Sullivan | 4:48 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Secret Mission" | Camp | Camp | 5:00 |
| 7. | "Kalynda (A Magical Isle)" | Camp | Camp | 3:42 |
| 8. | "The Discovery" (Instrumental) | – | Camp | 4:24 |
| 9. | "Friends" | Thatcher | Dunford | 3:31 |
| 10. | "The Flood at Lyons" | Camp | Dunford | 4:55 |
Renaissance are an English progressive rock band, best known for their 1978 UK top 10 hit "Northern Lights" and progressive rock classics like "Carpet of the Sun", "Mother Russia", and "Ashes Are Burning". They developed a unique sound, combining a female lead vocal with a fusion of classical, folk, rock, and jazz influences. Characteristic elements of the Renaissance sound are Annie Haslam's wide vocal range, prominent piano accompaniment, orchestral arrangements, vocal harmonies, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, synthesiser, and versatile drum work. The band created a significant following in the northeast United States in the 1970s, and that region remains their strongest fan base.
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Izitso is the tenth studio album released by the British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens in April 1977. After the lacklustre Numbers, the album proved to be his comeback. The album updated the rhythmic folk rock and pop rock style of his earlier albums with the extensive use of synthesizers and other electronic music instruments, giving the album a more electronic rock and synthpop style, and anticipating elements of electro.
City to City is a 1978 album and the second studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty. It was Rafferty's first solo release in six years—and first release of any kind since 1975—due to his tenure in the band Stealers Wheel and subsequent legal proceedings which prevented Rafferty from releasing any new solo recordings for the next three years. The album was strongly received, peaking at No. 1 in the US and going Platinum, as well as reaching No. 6 in the UK Albums Chart and achieving Gold status. "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line" and "Home and Dry" were successfully released as singles.
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The Single Factor, released in 1982, is the ninth studio album by English progressive rock band Camel. The album was essentially a contractual obligation album, created under pressure from Decca Records to produce a hit single, and the "made-to-order" nature of its composition resulted in a selection of songs described as "odd" on the band's official website. Unlike previous Camel albums, The Single Factor consists exclusively of shorter compositions around 3 to 5 minutes in length.
Scheherazade and Other Stories is the sixth studio album by the English progressive rock band Renaissance, released in 1975. Some critics consider it their best album, although others prefer earlier albums. This is the first album in which Renaissance did not use quotes from actual classical pieces and the first not to feature any songwriting credits from the original members. Contrary to popular belief, "Song of Scheherazade" is not based on Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, but does have a brief recurring motif that alludes to that work.
Prologue is the third studio album by the English progressive rock band Renaissance, released in 1972.
Ashes Are Burning is the fourth studio album by the English progressive rock band Renaissance, released in 1973. It was the first of several Renaissance albums to feature an orchestra playing along with the band. It was the band's first album to make the Billboard 200 album chart, peaking at No. 171.
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A Song for All Seasons is the eighth studio album by the English progressive rock band Renaissance, released in 1978. It marked the return of electric guitars to the band's music after several years of absence. "Northern Lights" from the album reached the top ten on the UK Singles Chart and is the band's only UK chart single.
Annie in Wonderland is the first solo album by Annie Haslam, vocalist with the 1970s band Renaissance. It was produced by Roy Wood, who also wrote some of the material, arranged all the songs, played nearly all of the instruments, and illustrated the cover. The album features a range of musical styles enabling Haslam to experiment with vocal styles outside the ethos of Renaissance. The range for which Haslam is well-known is still apparent, however, especially in the showcase number "Rockalise". The album peaked at No. 167 on the Billboard "pop albums" chart.
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"Mother Russia" is the closing song on Renaissance's 1974 album Turn of the Cards. It also appears on the 1976 live album Live at Carnegie Hall, the compilation Tales of 1001 Nights, Vol. 1, and several other Renaissance concert albums.
Nevada were a British folk/progressive rock band and a spin-off from Renaissance, featuring Annie Haslam on vocals and Mick Dunford on guitar. Their Christmas single, "In the Bleak Midwinter", reached the lower edges of the UK singles chart in 1983.
In the Land of the Rising Sun: Live in Japan 2001 is a live album by the English progressive rock band Renaissance. It was released in 2002 by Giant Electric Pea. The album was recorded in Tokyo, Japan in 2001.
"Northern Lights" is a song by the English progressive rock band Renaissance, released in 1978 from their album A Song for All Seasons. It was the band's only hit single, reaching No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart.
Here If You Listen is an album by David Crosby and his collaborators Michael League, Becca Stevens, and Michelle Willis, who perform on tour together backing Crosby as The Lighthouse Band, and was released on October 26, 2018 by BMG Music.
