The Left Banke - LeftBanke.nu

»Australian LP Liner Notes

From the Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina LP 1967

For some time it, has been apparent that there is an affinity between today's "beat" music and the music of the Baroque. Note that the truly exciting recent developments in popular music coincided with a highly significant revival of interest in the Baroque style among serious music buffs. Musically, of course, there were similarities, too: the steady rhythmic patterns, the contrapuntal structure.

So it wasn't too surprising when some of the successful "pop" groups began experimenting with elements of Baroque style and instrumentation, doing things like Baroque arrangements of popular songs or in the case of The Left Banke writing songs that combined a harpsichord and a string quartet with a steady beat and haunting lyric.

The Left Banke are the imaginative New York quintet who utilized all these elements in their hit recording last year, "Walk Away Renee." More recently, they've done it again with "Pretty Ballerina."

Included in the Left Banke are Mike Brown, harpsichord and piano; Rick Brand, lead guitar; Tom Finn, electric bass; George Cameron, drums; and Steve Martin, vocalist.

They've put together a tasteful, original collection in this LP. In their effort to go for Baroque, they've succeeded in making many trips to the bank(e). The one on the Left, that is.

About The Left Banke

Recently, in an interview, members of The Left Banke, sounded out on some of the problems encountered by a pop group with song hits on the nation's charts. "People expect a lot out of a pop group," said Steve Martin. "They expect you to continually pour out witty little answers they think are cute."

And while The Left Banke is not without its sense of humour, they don't believe in going around saying things simply for "shock" effect. "We can't - and we don't even try," said Steve, "We just say what we feel and don't try to put on any fronts."

The group also discussed their "sound" - a topic very much mentioned since the appearance of their Baroque-like "Walk Away Renee." "I don't suppose you could put our music in any particular classification," Mike Brown, the writer of "Walk Away, Renee," said. "But we do try to get away from commercial aspects in our music."

"Better yet," he added, "I think commerciality gets away from us." Another less commercial approach to performing has been adopted by the group. That is, they don't like travelling and don't relish "gigs." They'd prefer to concentrate all their efforts on turning out "real music." with as much of it as possible written by the members of the group. The reason? As Mike Brown of The Left Banke explains it - a group with as original and unique a sound as The Left Banke simply "have to produce" their own material. The music performed has to be truly individualized. Additionally, fans of The Left Banke, the group feels, have come to expect such originality and creativity.

For instance, The Left Banke has spent a lot of time in the studio since their initial hit - more, probably than a typical "pop" music group. But the members of the group are determined that their upcoming LP album will be truly an "original" and getting together a dozen or so tracks of the sort The Left Banke demands for its releases is no small task. Members of the group report that the the new LP will contain all-original material.

Leader Mike Brown admits the group likes to achieve "hit" material, but he is also quick to add that ultimately, The Left Banke want to be considered a "concert" type group.

"We'd like to eventually play concerts where people come to sit and just listen; we're definitely not aspiring to be a 'dance' group." he adds firmly.

"Of course, we hope to combine our being a concert-type group with the production of hit material."

In that regard, The Left Banke has not changed their view since their beginning about a year ago. Their view of the music they produced at that time was serious. It still is.

"People occasionally ask about the kind of music we play." says Mike, "but I think we'll have to be better known before they really begin to think of us as that serious a group."

Mike - who descends from a musical background (his father is a violinist) plays piano, harpsichord, organ, and clavichord. For a time, he searched desperately to find a clavinet, an 18th century keyboard instrument the time of which he liked. "But I found out that it wasn't substantial enough to take on the road. So now - I use an electric piano."

The newest member of the Left Broke ensemble is 19-year old Rick Brand who is now the lead guitarist with the group. Like the other members of the group today, Rick calls Manhattan home base.

Bass player Tom Finn - 18 years old - was once inclined toward becoming a railroad engineer (how serious he is in saying this is anyone's guess!) but when he and Mike met and discovered each other's musical interests, they immediately began writing songs together. They were, in effect, the original nucleus of the Left Banke as it exists today. Tom Finn began his musical training in the seventh grade and now plays trumpet, drums, and piano, as well as electric bass. Vocalist Steve Martin is the "idol" of the group. That is to say, he receives considerable attention from fans when the group appears in person. His vocals are responsible for a lot of the excitement the group generates on such live dates. Steve's background is quite cosmopolitan since he has travelled through all parts of the world and once attended school in Madrid, Spain.

Finally, there's drummer George Cameron, also 19, George provides that distinctive crisp and subtle rhythm backing that characterizes the Left Banke arrangements.

The Left Banke Fan Club • Room 305, 1595 Broadway • New York, New York