The Left Banke Too

Last updated
The Left Banke Too
LeftBankeTwo.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 1968 (1968-11)
RecordedSeptember 1967 October 1968 [1]
StudioCapitol and Olmstead, New York City [1]
Genre
Length31:26
Label Smash
Producer
The Left Banke chronology
Walk Away Renée/Pretty Ballerina
(1967)
The Left Banke Too
(1968)
Strangers on a Train
(1986)
Singles from The Left Banke Too
  1. "Desirée" / "I've Got Something on My Mind"
    Released: June 1967
  2. "Dark Is the Bark" / "My Friend Today"
    Released: June 1968
  3. "Goodbye Holly" / "Sing Little Bird Sing"
    Released: November 1968
  4. "Bryant Hotel" / "Give the Man a Hand"
    Released: February 1969
  5. "Nice to See You" / "There's Gonna Be a Storm"
    Released: May 1969

The Left Banke Too is the second studio album by American baroque pop band the Left Banke, released by Smash Records in 1968. It would be the final album of the band's initial lifespan, with their next album not appearing until 1986.

Contents

Background

The Left Banke in 1966. The initial line-up fell apart during the album's making. The Left Banke 1966.jpg
The Left Banke in 1966. The initial line-up fell apart during the album's making.

In between the release of the Left Banke's debut album Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina and the making of this album, the original five-piece band had been whittled down to a trio after the departures of songwriter and keyboardist Michael Brown and guitarist Rick Brand. [2] To replace them, the band brought in guitarist Tom Feher, who had written songs with Brown for the group's first album.

Half of the album, consisted tracks that had been issued as singles in the period since the release of the band's debut album in February 1967. "Desirée", released as a single in June 1967, barely scraped into the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 98. The band's next two singles, "Dark is the Bark", released in the summer of 1968, and "Goodbye Holly" following in November 1968, both failed to chart. Following the release of the album in November 1968, a fourth and fifth single were issued, "Bryant Hotel" b/w "Give The Man A Hand" and "Nice To See You" b/w "There's Gonna Be A Storm" respectively, but they also failed to chart.

Unlike its predecessor, The Left Banke Too contains a wide range of musical styles, including incorporations of psychedelic pop, sunshine pop, rock music, [3] and arrangements influenced by baroque music. [4] For recording, several additional contributions were made, including a pre-Aerosmith Steven Tyler, then known as Steve Tallarico, providing backing vocals to several songs on the album such as "My Friend Today" and "Dark is the Bark". [5]

Releases

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]

The entire album was at one time available on the 1992 compact disc There's Gonna Be a Storm: The Complete Recordings 1966–1969 , but that compilation went out of print in the mid-1990s. On June 28, 2011, The Left Banke Too was reissued on Sundazed Records, remastered by Bob Irwin.

Track listing

Details are taken from the 1968 Smash Records release and might differ from other releases. [6]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Goodbye Holly"Tom Feher2:42
2."There's Gonna Be a Storm" Tom Finn 4:03
3."Sing Little Bird Sing"Tom Feher3:04
4."Nice to See You"Tom Finn2:39
5."Give the Man a Hand"Marvin Potocki2:31
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bryant Hotel"Tom Feher3:22
2."Desirée" Michael Brown, Tom Feher2:39
3."Dark is the Bark" George Cameron, Finn, Steve Martin Caro 3:27
4."In the Morning Light"Michael Brown, Tom Feher2:47
5."My Friend Today"Tom Finn3:03

Personnel

The Left Banke

Additional personnel

Charts

Singles

SingleYearChartPeak
"Desiree"1967 Billboard Hot 100 98 [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hollies</span> English pop rock group formed in the early 1960s

The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band as a Merseybeat-type group in Manchester, although some of the band members came from towns further north, in east Lancashire. Nash left the group in 1968 to form Crosby, Stills & Nash, though he has reunited with the Hollies on occasion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Miller Band</span> American rock band

The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1966 in San Francisco, California. The band is led by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles that are staples of classic rock, as well as several earlier psychedelic rock albums. Miller left his first band to move to San Francisco and form the Steve Miller Blues Band. Shortly after Harvey Kornspan negotiated the band's contract with Capitol Records in 1967, the band shortened its name to the Steve Miller Band. In February 1968, the band recorded its debut album, Children of the Future. It went on to produce the albums Sailor, Brave New World, Your Saving Grace, Number 5, The Joker, Fly Like an Eagle, Book of Dreams, among others. The band's Greatest Hits 1974–78, released in 1978, sold over 13 million copies. In 2016, Steve Miller was inducted as a solo artist in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Left Banke</span> American rock band

The Left Banke was an American baroque pop band, formed in New York City in 1965. They are best remembered for their two U.S. hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina". The band often used 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 pop". The band's vocal harmonies borrowed from contemporaries such as the Beatles, the Zombies and other British Invasion groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chilliwack (band)</span> Canadian rock band formed in 1970

Chilliwack is a Canadian rock band centered on the singer and guitarist Bill Henderson. They were active from 1970 to 1988; Henderson re-formed the band in 1997. The band started off with a progressive rock sound that incorporated elements of folk, indigenous, jazz and blues, before moving towards a more straight-ahead hard rock/pop rock sound by the mid-1970s. Their six best-selling songs were "My Girl ", "I Believe", "Whatcha Gonna Do", "Fly at Night", "Crazy Talk" and "Lonesome Mary". The band's line-up has changed many times.

<i>Strength in Numbers</i> (38 Special album) 1986 studio album by 38 Special

Strength in Numbers is the seventh studio album by the southern rock band 38 Special, released in 1986. This album was the last one to feature the founding member and co-frontman Don Barnes, until he rejoined the band in 1992.

<i>Cold Lake</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Celtic Frost

Cold Lake is the fourth studio album by Swiss extreme metal band Celtic Frost, released on 1 September 1988 by Noise Records. It features a new lineup, reformed by bandleader Tom Warrior with newly joined musicians Oliver Amberg, Curt Victor Bryant and a returning Stephen Priestly, who had previously played with the band in 1984 on the Morbid Tales EP. Despite it being marketed to exploit the mass appeal of glam metal, the album has more of a traditional heavy metal sound.

<i>Wild in the Streets</i> (Helix album) 1987 studio album by Helix

Wild in the Streets was the sixth album by the rock band Helix, released in 1987.

<i>Walk Away Renée/Pretty Ballerina</i> 1967 album by The Left Banke

Walk Away Renée/Pretty Ballerina is the debut studio album by the American baroque pop band the Left Banke, released in January 1967. Named after its two hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina", it peaked at number 67 on the Billboard Albums chart. Although the album was not widely popular upon its initial release, and fell into relative obscurity for a time, it is now viewed as a definitive example of baroque pop music.

<i>The Way I Am</i> (Billy Preston album) 1981 studio album by Billy Preston

The Way I Am is the fourteenth studio album by Billy Preston, released in 1981. The album was arranged by Bob Esty, David Blumberg, Arthur G. Wright, Marty Paich, Gene Page and Billy Preston.

<i>Newborn</i> (album) 1975 studio album by James Gang

Newborn is the eighth studio album by James Gang, released in 1975, and the only released on Atlantic Records.

<i>Buddy Holly</i> (album) 1958 studio album by Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly is the debut studio album by Buddy Holly. It was released by Coral Records on February 20, 1958. The album, featuring a rare photo of Holly without his trademark glasses on the front cover, collects Holly's four hit singles released on the Coral label; "Words of Love", "Peggy Sue", "I'm Gonna Love You Too", and "Rave On!". The backing group was Buddy Holly's band, the Crickets.

<i>Holly Days</i> 1977 studio album by Denny Laine

Holly Days is the second album by singer and guitarist Denny Laine, released in 1977. It was recorded by him with fellow Wings members Paul and Linda McCartney. The album is a tribute to singer-songwriter Buddy Holly and comprises eleven cover versions of songs originally recorded by Holly, most of them lesser-known.

<i>Pickin Up the Pieces</i> (Poco album) 1969 studio album by Poco

Pickin' Up the Pieces is the debut album by country rock band Poco, released in 1969. It was one of the earliest examples of the emerging genre of country rock. Several of the songs date back to Richie Furay's days in Buffalo Springfield. An early version of "What a Day" was included on the Buffalo Springfield box set in 2001.

René Berg was an English musician, vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter, who recorded and performed in a number of bands in late 1970s until his death. His bands included Idle Flowers, Soho Vultures, René Berg Band, along with appearances in Hanoi Rocks, Herman Brood Band, and Jim Penfold's The Killers (1986).

<i>Indian Summer</i> (Poco album) 1977 studio album by Poco

Indian Summer is the tenth studio album by the American country rock band Poco, released on May 1, 1977. The appearance of Steely Dan's Donald Fagen playing synthesizer on two of the tracks marked another move away from the country rock sound the band had primarily been known for. This was the band's last studio album before both Timothy B. Schmit and George Grantham left the group.

<i>Wild and Peaceful</i> (Teena Marie album) 1979 studio album by Teena Marie

Wild and Peaceful is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Teena Marie. Released on March 20, 1979 by Motown. It features significant contributions from Rick James who produced and wrote the bulk of material as well as providing co-vocals on "I'm a Sucker for Your Love".

<i>It Takes People Like You</i> 1968 studio album by Buck Owens

It Takes People Like You to Make People Like Me is an album by Buck Owens and his Buckaroos, released in 1968.

<i>Rave On Buddy Holly</i> 2011 compilation album by Various artists

Rave On Buddy Holly is a compilation album by various artists released on June 28, 2011, through Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group and Hear Music. A tribute album to musician Buddy Holly, who died in a plane crash in 1959 at age 22, the title refers to the song "Rave On", one of his biggest hits. Contributing artists included Paul McCartney, who owned Holly's publishing catalog at the time of the album's release, and Graham Nash, a former member of The Hollies, who were named in commemoration of Holly.

<i>Theres Gonna Be a Storm: The Complete Recordings 1966–1969</i> 1992 compilation album by The Left Banke

There's Gonna Be a Storm: The Complete Recordings 1966–1969 is a compilation album by American baroque pop band the Left Banke, released by Mercury Records in 1992. It contains the entirety of the band's two 1960s albums Walk Away Renée/Pretty Ballerina and The Left Banke Too, with an additional four tracks having appeared on singles only and one previously unreleased track, as well as "Walk Away Renee" appearing as a slightly remixed version. It is currently out of print. The band enjoyed cult status in the 1990s and beyond as a definitive example of mid-1960s baroque pop.

<i>Smoke Signals</i> (Smokey Robinson album) 1986 studio album by Smokey Robinson

Smoke Signals is a studio album by the American singer Smokey Robinson, released in 1986 by Motown. "Be Kind to the Growing Mind", featuring the Temptations, encourages songwriters to avoid distasteful lyrics. "Hold On to Your Love" was written with Stevie Wonder. Robinson supported the album with a North American tour.

References

  1. 1 2 Hyde, Bob (1985). The History Of The Left Banke. Rhino. RNLP 123.
  2. "Biography of The Left Banke". The Left Banke Fan Page. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Deming, Mark. "The Left Banke Too – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  4. Unterberger, Richie. "The Left Banke Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  5. Left Banke Interview Part 2 (video). Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved November 14, 2011 via YouTube.
  6. The Left Banke Too (Liner notes). The Left Banke. Smash Records. 1968. Vinyl. SRS-67113.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. "Hot 100". Billboard . November 4, 1967. p. 18. Retrieved June 28, 2020.