Illusion (band)

Last updated

Illusion
Origin London, England
Genres Progressive rock
Years active1977–1979
Labels Island Records
Edsel Records
Brisk Production
Promised Land
Past members Jane Relf
Jim McCarty
John Hawken
Louis Cennamo
Keith Relf
John Knightsbridge
Eddie McNeill

Illusion were a British progressive rock band formed in 1977. [1] They released two albums, Out of the Mist (1977) and Illusion (1978) on Island Records, before folding in 1979. A third release, Enchanted Caress (made up of demos for a proposed 3rd album, from the late 1970s), was released in 1990. [2] [3]

Contents

Illusion were intended to be a reunion of the original line-up of Renaissance (whose 1971 album was titled Illusion ), but because Renaissance was still active with a new line-up, they could not use the same name. [4] Illusion recorded a series of demos (one of which, "All the Falling Angels", has since been released both on Enchanted Caress and as a bonus track on various Renaissance releases) before their singer and guitarist Keith Relf died of a heart attack. [4] Rather than being demoralized, the surviving band members said they were invigorated and inspired by Relf's death, redoubling their efforts to fulfill the band's creative potential. [5] [6] John Knightsbridge (from Third World War, and later of Ruthless Blues) replaced Keith Relf on guitar, and Eddie McNeill was brought in on drums, enabling Jim McCarty to switch from drums to acoustic guitar and vocals. [6] Remaining at their original stations were Louis Cennamo on bass and John Hawken on keyboards, while Jane Relf, who had played both vocals and percussion with Renaissance, now focused solely on vocals. [7]

In 2001, McCarty, Cennamo, Hawken and Jane Relf reunited once again to record Through the Fire, an album of new material, under the bandname Renaissance Illusion. [8]

Members

Discography

Out of the Mist (1977)

OutoftheMist.jpg
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Isadora" Jim McCarty 6:56
2."Roads to Freedom"McCarty, John Hawken 3:53
3."Beautiful Country"McCarty, Hawken4:21
4."Solo Flight"McCarty, Hawken4:23
5."Everywhere You Go"McCarty3:18
6."Face of Yesterday"McCarty5:45
7."Candles Are Burning"McCarty7:10
Total length:35:55
Personnel
Notes

Illusion (1978)

Illusion - Same.jpg
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Madonna Blue"McCarty6:46
2."Never Be the Same"McCarty3:18
3."Louis' Theme"Louis Cennamo, Jane Relf7:41
4."Wings Across the Sea"McCarty4:49
5."Cruising Nowhere"McCarty5:01
6."Man of Miracles"Keith Relf, [9] McCarty, Hawken3:27
7."The Revolutionary"McCarty, Hawken6:15
Total length:37:28
Personnel

Enchanted Caress (1979)

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Nights in Paris"McCarty3:13
2."Walking Space"McCarty3:58
3."The Man Who Loved the Trees"McCarty3:28
4."Getting into Love Again"McCarty3:32
5."As Long as We're Together"McCarty3:41
6."Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" Richard Rodgers 3:30
7."Living Above Your Head"McCarty2:53
8."Crossed Lines"McCarty3:18
9."You Are the One"McCarty4:00
10."All the Falling Angels"K. Relf5:27
Personnel
Session personnel
Notes

Through the Fire (2001)

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."One More Turn of the Wheel"McCarty 
2."Good Heart"McCarty 
3."Glorious One"McCarty 
4."Through the Fire"McCarty 
5."Blowing Away"McCarty 
6."Mystery of Being"McCarty 
7."Beat of the Earth"McCarty 
8."Beyond the Day"McCarty 
9."My Old Friend"McCarty 
10."Through the Fire (reprise)"McCarty 


Personnel

References

  1. "Planet Mellotron Album Reviews: I2". www.PlanetMellotron.com. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  2. "Illusion discography, album releases & credits". Discogs. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  3. "The History of Renaissance". www.jtl.us. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  4. 1 2 Powell, Mark (2010). Illusion (Booklet). Renaissance. Cherry Red Records Ltd. p. 14.
  5. "Renaissance & Illusion biography by Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds, Renaissance & Illusion". www.JamesMcCarty.com. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  6. 1 2 Leroy, Aymeric. "From Renaissance to Illusion —A Profile of the Relf / McCarty Renaissance". Exposé Online. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  7. "Illusion - Out of the Mist (1977) | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  8. "Renaissance Illusion - Through the Fire (2001) | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  9. Posthumously uses lyrics written by Keith Relf