| Left Banke Revival to Play in NH July 6 |
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Editor’s note: I loved this band’s two pop Sixties hits and still do. Never knew, until I read the press release below that they came from
The Left Banke will be performing at
The Left Banke have been acknowledged as forerunners of the musical style known as "Baroque Pop." This genre has found a resurgence with new artists including The Shins, The Decemberists, Regina Spektor, plus Belle and Sebastian (who in their interviews have cited the Left Banke repeatedly, as major influences on their music.)
Originally formed in
Two albums were released: WALK AWAY RENEE/PRETTY BALLERINA and THE LEFT BANKE TOO.
Bad management and poorly-planned tours broke up the group in 1968.
Through the years, the music of The Left Banke has gained legions of new fans and a lot of newfound credibility, as evident by Oasis' front man Noel Gallagher's recent comments in the press, where he praises The Left Banke, as "the best f*****g record I've heard in my life!" A wide range of artists have covered "Renee," including the Four Tops, Tori Amos, Frankie Valli, Vonda Shepard, Billy Bragg, The Association, Linda Ronstadt, Marshall Crenshaw, Southside Johnny, Badly Drawn Boy, Bon Jovi, and Rickie Lee Jones. It's performed in the Dolly Parton/Queen Latifah movie, JOYFUL NOISE. In 2008, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it #220 in their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song is in the movie THE BODYGUARD and on the soundtrack of ADDICTED TO LOVE. "Pretty Ballerina" appears in APOCALYPSE NOW, while Alice Cooper, John Mellencamp, and the Dickies kept the beauty and mystique in their covers of the song in their versions. The Bangles Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet (as Sid 'n' Susie) and also Anne Murray covered "She May Call You Up Tonight."
Late 2009, original Left Banke singer/drummer George Cameron and original singer/guitarist/bassist Tom Finn found each other on Facebook. After Tom created the "Official Left Banke Fan Page" on Facebook, they went out in search of a lead singer, and found Mike Fornatale, a fan and veteran of many
Sundazed Records plotted the re-mixes and re-releases of PRETTY BALLERINA and THE LEFT BANKE TOO. The group sold out
In December 2011, The Left Banke participated in the NYU Cantorum, performing "Walk Away Renee" and "Desiree" with the college's choir. The group is working on new songs, which may include contributions from original member Michael Brown. They play songs from the upcoming album live. In addition to George, Tom, Mike, the line up includes bassist Charly Cazalet, guitarist Paul Alves, keyboardist Mickey Finn (no relation), drummer/vocalist Rick Reil, and a cellist and a violinist.
The Left Banke is currently represented by TCI (Talent Consultants International, Ltd.) who is developing the group's spring tour schedule. The web site: http://www.leftbankeband.com/ offers The Left Banke's history with performance videos, stories, and photos, and its future history including live appearances.
THE LEFT BANKE ON 2012 SUMMER TOUR
July 6:
July 7: Infinity Hall,
August 5 & 6:
August 8: World Cafe Live,
August 9: